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Post by hermatite on Oct 29, 2004 10:55:08 GMT -5
Hmmm interesting to note that malachite is hazardous to cut. I may be misremembering but I think somewhere in the early days of this board someone posted that drilling pearls and/or seashells is also dangerous. Any othe warnings that you guys know about in terms of what is dangerous to do?
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Post by sandsman1 on Oct 29, 2004 11:01:12 GMT -5
yea i got one ya know how when ya get your saw goin and the water starts to spray off ?? well no matter how thirsty you are dont lick the blade---hahahahaha teasin herm
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Post by hermatite on Oct 29, 2004 11:34:14 GMT -5
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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Post by krazydiamond on Oct 29, 2004 11:37:35 GMT -5
i've heard that about sea shells too, but if you are cutting wet, there is no dust to inhale, right? same with Malachite.....i would think?
KD
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Post by Cher on Oct 29, 2004 11:48:44 GMT -5
LOL ;D ;D Sands your a hoot!
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Oct 29, 2004 12:09:42 GMT -5
Did a serarch....seems malachite is a respiratory poison and suspected carcinogen. It is widely used in aquariums in powdered form, usually in combination (malachite green + formalin) to treat fish diseases, but there is rumour that it is soon going to be banned for that use. You would think that unless you are cutting it dry, ie generating dust, there wouldn't be a problem, but I don't know that for certain.
Same holds for any quartz mineral...quartz is silicon dioxide, and inhaling the fine dust over long periods of time can lead to silicosis of the lungs, something you definitely don't want. Presumably cutting rocks with a wet blade is meant to avoid this?
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Post by Cher on Oct 29, 2004 12:12:22 GMT -5
That's really good to know. Even using the dremel creates some dust and I've played around with it on quartz quite a bit. Thanks for checking on that.
Cher
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Post by sandsman1 on Oct 29, 2004 12:43:44 GMT -5
yea i think after reading that im gonna be wearing my dust mask more often -- thanks rollingstone and toad and stoner for the info
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Post by Toad on Oct 29, 2004 16:49:44 GMT -5
Cutting wet eliminates dry dust, but doesn't it produce a mist that would be part dust part water? Not sure as I have no saw myself.
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Oct 29, 2004 16:58:53 GMT -5
well no matter how thirsty you are dont lick the blade
cracking me up!! Too funny!
I have this image of someone hunched over the saw with their tongue on the side of the blade slurping up the mist!
llana
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Oct 29, 2004 17:02:42 GMT -5
Toad, BE and I don't have alot of dust when cutting but every once in a while the 10" belches up a big puff of dust. Freaked us both out the first time it did it!
llana
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Post by docone31 on Oct 29, 2004 18:05:13 GMT -5
Some of the stuff we play with will indeed do damage. Malachite makes ethyl copper sulfide, Azurite, same, turquoise, same. Cutting wet dampens the dust. Cutting dry, even with filters, there is a risk of inhaling. I have however, seen some very old Lapidariasts who cut dry. We have to excercise caution with every thing we do. It just makes sense. The tools last longer anyway. We can grow new parts, the tools have to be taken apart, parts ordered, and fixed. Down time. We can cut even when we are dying. Once the tool starts chattering it is done, even if it still works. It won't work for us. I had to cut an emerald dry today. My water is not yet hooked up in the shop. It cut a little, and fractured perfectly. If someone has a web site I can forward the emerald to I can send the picture. It came to 100.09 cts., and I think it is from an hollywood big shot. Dry is bad, wet is good. Wet also keeps the diamonds from loading up and dulling the cut.
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Post by Cher on Oct 29, 2004 18:33:10 GMT -5
Hey Doc, send it to me, I can put it up and put it in the members photos for everyone to see.
Cher cher@rosebudm.com
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Post by krazydiamond on Oct 29, 2004 18:39:13 GMT -5
I have however, seen some very old Lapidariasts who cut dry. well, if they are old, it must not be that bad for you...... kidding, take all precautions and for goodness sake, no matter how tempting, don't lick the saw........ KD
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Post by docone31 on Oct 29, 2004 18:49:00 GMT -5
I will endeaver to humm it your way. It might take a moment or so. But I will persevere!
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Post by krazydiamond on Oct 29, 2004 18:52:56 GMT -5
hope it works, i want to SEE it!
KD
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Post by docone31 on Oct 29, 2004 19:06:09 GMT -5
I sent out two of it. It is from the Chivor mine. 100.05cts. I have cut the girdle. Took all day. I do not like working with stones or this status. It is a comission and the risk is high. One mistake, and the stone turns to powder. A person asked if anyone has dreams of lapidary. I wake up in a sweat sometimes. I have a cherished piece of rough and on the final cut, it takes five different laps with a phenolic lap, 38X5 cuts on each flat plus polish. That is what it takes to facet a stone. The bigger stones, the larger flats show more imperfection on the polish. A 6mm brilliant polishes just by being near the polish lap. This emerald will have to be chased on the polish. The polish lap runs dry. The friction from the polish, and it must squeak when polishing ,rolls up the phenolic lap in front of the stone. On an 8mm flat, 6mms. might be polished, and you chase the other 2mms, forever. You get the 2mm polished and fluff the other 6mm. On a machine it will take three days to facet. It will take two days to polish. These are 14hr., days. It is a labour of love. I hope the attachments make it to Cher. I appreciate it. My head is reeling from cutting the girdle today. It was the first day of the shop, and we are already getting a crowd. I am pleased. They stopped by all day to watch me cut the girdle. They couldn't believe it took that long.
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Post by krazydiamond on Oct 29, 2004 19:43:00 GMT -5
congrats on the first day, Doc, a most momentous day, i expect. how is it being the monkey in the corner, or can you space the crowd out and just focus on the work?
glad you are settled, glad you are going forward. sounds like you are a lot( well maybe a little) happier, too.
good luck with your new venture, KD
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Post by Cher on Oct 29, 2004 20:35:29 GMT -5
Have the pics up in the members photos shortly
Cher
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Oct 29, 2004 22:03:34 GMT -5
Hello Herm,
Turquoise, Azurite, Malachite, Petoskey Stone, Fossilized Bone, Fossilized Algae, Larimar (micro fibers - nasty stuff).
There are a lot of materials that I have always used caution with, the ones listed above are the most severe of them.
I always use plenty of water and depending on the stone ... I will use a dust mask as well.
Enjoy,
John
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