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Post by holajonathan on Feb 13, 2022 0:10:42 GMT -5
I posted some photos of this Calandria agate on the rock cutting board.    I would like to cut some cabs from these, but I can't figure out what to do. I could capture the middle in a freeform, but that would just leave a bunch of boring bands. I'm not opposed to getting just one cab from a nice size slab, but that seems like a waste here. Can anyone offer ideas / examples of how to cut cabs from larger fortification agate slabs where there isn't much going on except for the banding and a little something more in the middle? Thank you! |
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Post by stardiamond on Feb 13, 2022 0:23:32 GMT -5
For the smaller ones, pick a shape and center the pattern. For the larger ones, split the center, pick shapes and center. The bands by themselves don't have enough interest for me. For the larger ones, the cab would need to be too big to contain the entire center pattern. I wouldn't try to cab them all, they are attractive as slabs. Take out some templates and lay them over the slab to see what catches your eye.  |
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Post by jasoninsd on Feb 13, 2022 1:32:38 GMT -5
In my opinion, I'd think of them and treat them like I would a large Botswana. I'd pick shapes that tried to follow the outlines of the fortifications. I don't think trying to capture the entire pattern would work well. I think these present opportunities for "abnormal" cab shapes and the fortifications would just flow through those shapes.
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller 
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
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Post by realrockhound on Feb 13, 2022 2:37:04 GMT -5
Polish them as one big slab and just display them. That’s some pretty material.
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Post by Peruano on Feb 13, 2022 6:48:51 GMT -5
On some very large and striped Brazilians, I have cabbed corners. For some of these it would be two or three of the corners cut as the "bottom" of a cascade of bands (the resulting cabs looked like a frilly lace where a ladies necklace would be displayed (or a very non circular display) rather than the irregular circular pattern we see when we look at the entire circumference of the slab. I can't get to my photos right now but I'll try to find an example.
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Post by Peruano on Feb 13, 2022 7:05:13 GMT -5
I couldn't find the photo I wanted, but this one jumped out as a possible cousin of yours. I could not bring myself to reduce it to smaller pieces, but some of its rough mates that lacked the central attraction did succumb.  My excuse for lack of access to my primary computer is that I'm on the beach in Mexico collecting rocks that no one here seems to want. In searching for the photos I found this one of me on a beach in Mexico 56 years ago, collecting sea turtle heads that no one seemed to want then (they were discards from the local marketplaces). They reside now in a Natural History museum and hopefully will forever -- just as we hope that some of the rocks we collect and appreciate will survive for decades in the hands of some appreciative caretaker.  BTW I gave up smoking early and thats why I'm still walking beaches, riding bikes, and loving life. |
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Post by holajonathan on Feb 13, 2022 14:04:25 GMT -5
Thanks to everyone for the good ideas. I can see that if I finish cutting the rough I will get some slabs with fractures. Those might be best for cabbing, and I can polish one or two of the fracture free slabs. PeruanoThat photo is a bit macabre, but less so knowing that you are a scientist. There is something strangely alien about them. I'm sure the locals were amused by a young gringo combing the beaches for sea turtle heads. Those must have been huge sea turtles -- leatherbacks? |
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Post by Peruano on Feb 13, 2022 17:23:36 GMT -5
Actually mostly loggerheads (big head) with a few greens tossed in.
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rime
off to a rocking start
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Post by rime on Feb 19, 2022 3:58:14 GMT -5
Bit late but go for symmetrical patterns for smaller preforms and use larger ones to fill the spaces in-between, if you aren't polishing the whole slab...
I think Peruano was talking about this, but if you see two sharp fortification line changes like in the second photo, you can change the angle of sawing and cut that area out so the fortifications lay vertical. Makes an excellent high dome cab as you get parralax effects like in my photo here. |
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lparsons
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Post by lparsons on Feb 20, 2022 7:10:08 GMT -5
I couldn't find the photo I wanted, but this one jumped out as a possible cousin of yours. I could not bring myself to reduce it to smaller pieces, but some of its rough mates that lacked the central attraction did succumb. My excuse for lack of access to my primary computer is that I'm on the beach in Mexico collecting rocks that no one here seems to want. In searching for the photos I found this one of me on a beach in Mexico 56 years ago, collecting sea turtle heads that no one seemed to want then (they were discards from the local marketplaces). They reside now in a Natural History museum and hopefully will forever -- just as we hope that some of the rocks we collect and appreciate will survive for decades in the hands of some appreciative caretaker. BTW I gave up smoking early and thats why I'm still walking beaches, riding bikes, and loving life. That’s an awesome picture with the sea turtle skulls! Some may think they are creepy, I think they’re great! There are a few people in my family that like to incorporate bones and skulls into art, (don’t be alarmed, just from animals🤣) My grandmother was a nonconformist artist. She was a wood carver, painter, quilter, gardener etc. Her house was a fun place for kids. You would find bird nests, feathers, turtle and snail shells, etc. Once I found a bunch of painted “beads” that were actually squirrel vertebrae!🤣 Grisly to most, but they actually looked like carved wooden beads. Oh well, she had a lot of American Indian ancestry and loved everything from nature. My daughter is like that also. She’s an avid deer hunter and paints deer skulls. She’s made beautiful things out of bones, feathers and beads. I’ll show her your turtle/beach pic... she’ll love it! So, now that I think about it, I guess my rock hobby fits in with one of my family traditions🤣 |
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Post by rockjunquie on Feb 20, 2022 7:24:30 GMT -5
I couldn't find the photo I wanted, but this one jumped out as a possible cousin of yours. I could not bring myself to reduce it to smaller pieces, but some of its rough mates that lacked the central attraction did succumb. My excuse for lack of access to my primary computer is that I'm on the beach in Mexico collecting rocks that no one here seems to want. In searching for the photos I found this one of me on a beach in Mexico 56 years ago, collecting sea turtle heads that no one seemed to want then (they were discards from the local marketplaces). They reside now in a Natural History museum and hopefully will forever -- just as we hope that some of the rocks we collect and appreciate will survive for decades in the hands of some appreciative caretaker. BTW I gave up smoking early and thats why I'm still walking beaches, riding bikes, and loving life. That’s an awesome picture with the sea turtle skulls! Some may think they are creepy, I think they’re great! There are a few people in my family that like to incorporate bones and skulls into art, (don’t be alarmed, just from animals🤣) My grandmother was a nonconformist artist. She was a wood carver, painter, quilter, gardener etc. Her house was a fun place for kids. You would find bird nests, feathers, turtle and snail shells, etc. Once I found a bunch of painted “beads” that were actually squirrel vertebrae!🤣 Grisly to most, but they actually looked like carved wooden beads. Oh well, she had a lot of American Indian ancestry and loved everything from nature. My daughter is like that also. She’s an avid deer hunter and paints deer skulls. She’s made beautiful things out of bones, feathers and beads. I’ll show her your turtle/beach pic... she’ll love it! So, now that I think about it, I guess my rock hobby fits in with one of my family traditions🤣 Great post! My daughter is into bones and taxidermy. One Christmas, she really wanted some desiccated pig fetuses to do a Three Little Pigs diorama of sorts. I got them for her, but they grossed me out. I don't share her passion for it. She has a lot of taxidermy in her house. |
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Feb 20, 2022 10:13:15 GMT -5
That’s an awesome picture with the sea turtle skulls! Some may think they are creepy, I think they’re great! There are a few people in my family that like to incorporate bones and skulls into art, (don’t be alarmed, just from animals🤣) My grandmother was a nonconformist artist. She was a wood carver, painter, quilter, gardener etc. Her house was a fun place for kids. You would find bird nests, feathers, turtle and snail shells, etc. Once I found a bunch of painted “beads” that were actually squirrel vertebrae!🤣 Grisly to most, but they actually looked like carved wooden beads. Oh well, she had a lot of American Indian ancestry and loved everything from nature. My daughter is like that also. She’s an avid deer hunter and paints deer skulls. She’s made beautiful things out of bones, feathers and beads. I’ll show her your turtle/beach pic... she’ll love it! So, now that I think about it, I guess my rock hobby fits in with one of my family traditions🤣 Great post! My daughter is into bones and taxidermy. One Christmas, she really wanted some desiccated pig fetuses to do a Three Little Pigs diorama of sorts. I got them for her, but they grossed me out. I don't share her passion for it. She has a lot of taxidermy in her house. Dang! I wish I had known that. We found 2 dessicated lizards in a garage we were cleaning out yesterday. I could have sent them to you for her.  |
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