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Post by kk on May 25, 2015 20:26:15 GMT -5
Horse, chick and eagle are my favorites in that lot. Very nice workmanship. Masterclass!
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Post by kk on May 25, 2015 20:22:41 GMT -5
This months challenge was creating a geometric design with straight lines, but no one defined what we could do within those outlines. Stichite in Serpentine from Tasmania, send by a friend in Tasmania to try out Very soft material to work with (I suppose Soapstone like), but solid and very compact to about a mm thickness. Originally, I planed to use Sodalite for this project, but the intriguing mixture of colours here won out, and fortunately went ahead with this one. As always, still room to improve, but no more time before the death-line, so this will have to do. Thanks for looking, Kurt
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Post by kk on May 11, 2015 23:22:44 GMT -5
Yheah the opalite is a definite ID, and yes its from Australia. The one in question is the Dragon-girl.
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Post by kk on May 11, 2015 8:48:04 GMT -5
You seem to have a mixed bag of beans here. Some looks like Dendrite Opal Agate from Turkey (the bluer ones), and others (reddish/brown) look like dendrite opal. But yes, there seems to be some very close matches with the stuff I got.
The unknown one might be Magnetite. Upon asking the same question on forums and FB, I just got a hint, and found a single picture on Google that includes dendrite in Magnetite with all the other textures and colours at the same time.
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Post by kk on May 11, 2015 4:22:08 GMT -5
OK, I think the cutting is done, now need to find some ideas as to how to get into those rather deep recesses for polish. Suppose will have to go to the shops and get smaller felt-burrs, plus toothpicks.
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Post by kk on May 11, 2015 4:18:24 GMT -5
Anytime welcome to stay here for a week.
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Post by kk on May 10, 2015 20:23:30 GMT -5
Yep, no tumbler for me..... I guess what I'm saying is we definitely have the same material from Australia, your description of the crumbling problem is perfect as well as I can just tell from the photos it's the same, but...I won't 100% guarantee that the name I used is the correct name. But I used opalized dendritic and opalized dendritic agate for a long time as names for this material in the old days so it *may* be an OK name. The opalite does not crumble, its the second (unknown) material with the dragon-girl. Opalite does have loose sheets within, as well as natural holes that you don't see until you hit cavities. Please let us know when you will be away from home. I may be going to see you and others in the next six months if you will have me. Jim You are coming over here to here to China? I will be across the border in Guangzhou doing Summer-classes at a couple of schools, from 12th. July up until first of August. Then on the 12th August, I'm going to Austria until my return on 27th. Got a spare room, so save your $'s, no need hotel, you are welcome to stay with me.
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Post by kk on May 10, 2015 4:44:54 GMT -5
Thank you all for the kind words. You are certainly a skilled artist. Your work deserves one on my "WOWWWZERS"! Nahh, has little to do with skill. Its mostly trail and error, but with practice the errors more often than not come and go. Just dont be too fixated on a single possible outcome. I only wish I had the patience and dexterity to attempt more carving. You have a special talent. The pieces shown are all very well done, but the Angel is .. well,Angelic! Just look at the second girl, yes, I wanted her to be curvier (never mind the face), but the wings where planed to be butterfly-like just like the first. Then I made one cut to deep, and another part opened up to a cavity not seen before, so I had to either do her freestanding (something too fragile in my opinion, or turn the remainder into some other form of wings that might be recognizable. So Dragon/bat wings it is (quite fitting to the face anyway).
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Post by kk on May 9, 2015 21:13:52 GMT -5
Have you cross checked it with turkish opal? Sure looks like it. The last one? I have turkish dendrite opal agate. Does not feel or look like it. It feels often like talk and based on softness works just like turquoise. Also any opal I have ever touched fractures and splinters, this crumbles when something breaks.
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Post by kk on May 9, 2015 20:38:10 GMT -5
Hey would you mind explaining briefly how you get a final polish on it? Do you do this by hand or by Dremel or...? I have several nuggets of this material I think I'm going to work up this summer. Thanks. Beautiful work by the by!!!! I think some folks use a vibe but I don't have a vibe, and I figure you might know something else because this lovely pattern doesn't look like something you'd risk finishing in the tumbler... Yep, no tumbler for me..... After going through the gamut of sanding-paper, I usually use 14k diamond paste followed by 50k on cotton wheels in this case. Dont wanna risk getting it too hot with felt or leather. This material works really nice, holding edges and allowing deep cuts fairly quickly. The only thing that bothers me is the name. Google Opalite and you get nothing but that man-made rubbish (looks good, but is some glass-mixture). Is there a better name out there for this? Here is a newer project with the same material: And one that needs a bit more cutting before the Dragon Girl stands out enough to recognize whats going on. Material unknown. Thought it to be Howlite, but howlite should not come with that many dendrites. Thanks for looking, Kurt
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Post by kk on May 7, 2015 9:28:45 GMT -5
Another coredrill would do the trick. You dont have to go all the way through, just as deep as you need. No remnants to remove.
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Post by kk on Apr 22, 2015 21:50:51 GMT -5
yeah that might be very nice as a cab, but would worry about all those cavities.....
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Post by kk on Apr 22, 2015 3:52:59 GMT -5
Will those cells translate I to a polished finish?
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Post by kk on Apr 22, 2015 3:48:00 GMT -5
Absolutely spectacular.
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Post by kk on Apr 17, 2015 17:48:20 GMT -5
The dragons are getting closer to the finish-line. Messed up the back of the Indonesian wood while incorporating Bollo-style holes in the back. Got lucky on the Sodalite and black jade and they are ready to wear, will try the Wood, Tiger eye, and the green Jade this weekend again. Then its on to polish. The Black Jade is the farthest ahead: Thanks for bearing with me on this rather long road, Kurt
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Post by kk on Apr 10, 2015 10:49:24 GMT -5
Thank you for all the kind comments. Still sanding this evening, but should be done by Sunday, after removing some pesky scratches.
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Post by kk on Apr 10, 2015 4:28:49 GMT -5
OK, lets keep this separate from the Dragons. Opalite I got from a friend in Australia. Using it for my entry in a "Spring Growth@ contest on FB that we organize for all lapidarists. Here is yesterday And today after I think I'm finished with the cutting. Now on to sanding and polish. If that works out the way I think it could, I'm thinking of having it groove - wrapped and will bring that with me to Europe this summer as my gift for mom.
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Post by kk on Apr 7, 2015 11:43:18 GMT -5
Patience. Will present them all once they are done. The tiger-eye and Indo Jasper look great at hand, but pics are awful..
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Post by kk on Apr 7, 2015 8:51:26 GMT -5
Going to have to jump ship and go with the nephrite carving. I really liked the opal, but after seeing the nephrite "WOW" I have a new favorite. Only because you have not seen the black one yet closer to the finish-line.
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Post by kk on Apr 7, 2015 3:57:35 GMT -5
Caught the bug. Started a few more. Black Opal Sodalite Tiger-eye, Indonesian jasper and Nephrite Just started to try texture on the nephrite, will see what sanding brings, but somehow I don't need to have it. Does not look worthwhile. Nearly everyone broke at one time or other, so balancing is a challenge in itself. Also starting Opalite for FB challenge of the month. Thanks for looking, Kurt
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