|
Post by bobby1 on Feb 6, 2009 23:35:57 GMT -5
Here are a couple that I finished tonight. This one is a Jasper that I haven't a clue what it is. When I got two slabs from a rock shop in San Jose about 20 years ago all that I can recollect the salesman saying it was it was "from Africa". It has lots of minute pits that filled with polishing compound while I was polishing it. Scrubbing with a brush wouldn't remove the polish, but a few seconds in the ultrasonic did the job. It is about 2 1/2" tall. Before the ultrasonic cleaning. After the cleaning. I couldn't decide which way should be up. Here is the second cab. Montana. About 1 1/2" tall. Bob
|
|
|
Post by Bejewelme on Feb 7, 2009 9:37:07 GMT -5
Bob: Very nice, I like the green one with the pointy side up! Hey do you put some kind of cleanser in the ultrasonic cleaner? Or just water? Looking good!!!! Amber
|
|
|
Post by stonesthatrock on Feb 7, 2009 9:47:03 GMT -5
i use dawn liquid soap in my cleaner. several ppl have reccommend it to me. seems to work good without hurting anything. mary ann
|
|
|
Post by bobby1 on Feb 7, 2009 10:30:37 GMT -5
I put a small amount (1/2 tsp) of cheap liquid dish soap and 2 tbs of cheap pure ammonia in the cleaner. If I'm using the ultrasonic to clean polishing compound off metal pieces that I'm working on I also use hot water because the polishing compounds are grease based. One precaution is that if the silver pieces have antiquing, the ammonia will remove it. Bob
|
|
|
Post by Bejewelme on Feb 7, 2009 13:08:57 GMT -5
Thanks Bob, I am off to get ammonia for this batch I just did and I am going to try it!
|
|
highplainsdrifter
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,266
|
Post by highplainsdrifter on Feb 7, 2009 20:40:19 GMT -5
Wow!! That first cab is beautiful and the shape must have been hard to cut. Very nice work!!
|
|
damammy
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2009
Posts: 697
|
Post by damammy on Feb 7, 2009 21:42:06 GMT -5
Looks like malachite to me. Donna
|
|
southforkmining
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2006
Posts: 275
|
Post by southforkmining on Feb 7, 2009 22:18:12 GMT -5
Bob...how are you taking your photos....the stones look great, and the pictures are fabulous..I need to be able to get better photo's of cabs....thanks..Rich
|
|
SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
|
Post by SteveHolmes on Feb 7, 2009 23:45:18 GMT -5
Nice cabs Bob! Of course...I don't expect nothing but perfect cabs from you. Steve
|
|
adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,777
|
Post by adrian65 on Feb 8, 2009 1:39:01 GMT -5
Beautiful! That green rock reminds me the patterns on the Bruneau. How will you orient it? I'd say it doesn't matter, the persons who will watch it will pratfall anyway thus will see it from multiple angles . Now seriously, if you want to make a pendant of it, I think that if you put it with the point upwards the cab will slightly rotate its base to the left (it looks heavier in the right side than in the left side). I'd set it with the point downwards, also because the patterns look like some green hills this way. Adrian
|
|
|
Post by texaswoodie on Feb 8, 2009 6:51:39 GMT -5
Beautiful cabs Bob! The green one is just weirdly beautiful.
Curt
|
|
|
Post by sitnwrap on Feb 8, 2009 8:41:01 GMT -5
Those are stunninningly beautiful. I would place the tip of the green cab up and you see the first "mountain" closest to the tip, well see how it is offset to the right, following the tip of the mountain to the edge of the cab is where I would place the bail. That looks about where the center of the weight would be and the tip of the cab will be slightly offset but the line of the bail will bring the eye to follow the first mountain peak down to the second to last mountain peak. I hope you don't mind me offering my :2cents: it's just that I do enjoy looking at cabs and imagining ways that they could be set.
|
|
|
Post by bobby1 on Feb 8, 2009 19:56:15 GMT -5
Rich, Here is how I take my photos: I use a canon EOS Rebel XT camera with a 18 - 55mm Zoom lens. I made one of these gizmos to hold the cab at an angle off the surface. It is made from a 2" x 1/8" round of clear plexiglass, a 1/8" diameter by 2" clear plexiglass rod heated with a small flame to bend the tip about 1/2" from the end, and a 1/2" diameter round piece. I flatten the ends of the rod and glue the three pieces together. All of these pieces are standard stock items at a local plastics store. I place a small piece of clear double sticky Scotch tape on the upper circle to hold the cab. I cut a notch in a piece of white copy paper and place it over the gizmo base. I also put a piece of the paper under the gizmo to keep the color of the table from transmitting up the plexiglass rod. I have two photoflood reflectors on short stands. One has a compact flourescent lamp - 26 watts, 5000k. The other is a standard 100 watt photoflood bulb. I hand hold the camera about 5" to 6" away from the cab and let the camera auto focus and I manually push the button to take the picture. i download the photos to my computer using Windows Photo gallery. In that program I use "fix" - "auto adjust" - "adj exposure" and crop. I go to Photobucket and load the photos. There I resize to the 17" screen size. I always use white paper background for the cabs because I want to showcase the cabs. I feel that other colors, textures, etc. detract from the beauty of the cabs. I hope this all makes sense. Bob The gizmo: The reflectors and bulbs:
|
|
hope
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2008
Posts: 477
|
Post by hope on Feb 8, 2009 21:12:41 GMT -5
Nice cabs and excellent tutorial on how you take those great pictures. Thanks for sharing this with us. No plastics store in his area, but I am going to try this some time when I get the chance.
Hope
|
|
southforkmining
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2006
Posts: 275
|
Post by southforkmining on Feb 8, 2009 22:20:58 GMT -5
Bob..thanks so much for taking the time to show us how you take your pictures..a wonderful and very helpful tutorial..thanks so much...Rich
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 9, 2009 12:33:46 GMT -5
Thanks for the cab stand idea. That's great! I also appreciate the tip on the ultrasonic; I think Harbor Freight has a relatively inexpensive one.
Your cabs are excellent, as usual. The first one reminds me of carp fish scales...but I don't mean that to be negative! :-) Maybe I should have said Koi scales. :-)
Chuck
|
|
pebblepup
has rocks in the head
Succor Creek Thunder Egg
Member since July 2008
Posts: 515
|
Post by pebblepup on Feb 9, 2009 12:45:09 GMT -5
Very nice cabs. The green color is awesome.
Bob, Thanks for sharing your photography info. I am going to have to make a gizmo and give it a try.
|
|
|
Post by frane on Feb 10, 2009 20:26:33 GMT -5
Bob, I just love the green one! Lots of pattern there! Fran
|
|