unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
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Post by unclesoska on Jun 22, 2011 18:38:05 GMT -5
Howdy Folks- I haven't posted much of my stuff yet, I've been so busy trying out different techniques and processes. Early on it was suggested that I focus on 1 area and master that, prior to moving on to something else. good advice but that never happened, though I think I may have narrowed it down a bit. LMAO. First off, I only did some of the cabs myself that follow, as I traded some mining gear for some cools rocks, that included some nice finished cabs. It gave me a jump start on wrapping, so what the hey. BTW, the cabs I did do myself, I sliced from various size pebbles on a 9" saw, lapped for saw marks and shaped on my inland grinder/lap and and then finished in a TV5 vibe tumbler. Please, I value all your input and suggestions, so let 'em rip...LOL! For starters, I inherited some glue on bails from my Mom, she did beading and other crafty stuff. All these finished in the tumbler. Did some drilling... using both a dremel & dremel drill press, and also tried a larger drill press w/ a Jacob's chuck. a pain in the neck, and a pain in the pocketbook for diamond drill bits. A couple of poor attempts at wire wrapping... nerve trouble with fingers made this very difficult. Being a glutton for punishment, more drilling for some eye-ups... Then, with my 1.0mm groove bit on the Inland, I got groovy on about 70 cabs, and went to work with the groove wrap... This is a favorite, more drilling, but antler is softer than stone so... And then, a problem child. I cracked the top of the stone while cinching up the bail, and fortunately had not trimmed the bail wires on the back yet. Over the top, a little swirl action, and viola! The Uncle Soska Fusion Wrap... Enjoy, and please, don't hold back on the comments. I'm at a crossroads... Oh, and I almost forgot. I really, really need ID help with most everything. I've include my quesses in the tittles, if they show up. Thanks again everybody, especially for all the help and great tutorials on this site. Rock On!!!
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Post by Toad on Jun 22, 2011 19:07:09 GMT -5
Jumping in with both feet are you??
A lot of good work there. Look forward to seeing more...
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Jun 22, 2011 19:24:15 GMT -5
I like what you did with the antler. Very nice combination. You started out rough on the wire wraps but then when you hit the groove wraps you really picked up speed. Your groove wraps definitely show improvement & creativity. You look like you could use a smaller gauge on your wire wraps & maybe no twisting just to make it easier on yourself. Keep practicing because you are getting better. Great on the drilling, just remember to take it slow & easy & lots of water to save your bits. You did better than I have, I have only drilled one so far!!!
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Post by tanyafrench on Jun 22, 2011 20:20:42 GMT -5
Well, I like you creativity with the groove wraps. I drill my stones all the time and I'm finally learning to create my own bail but I would love to be able to do a groove wrap, I just can't seem to cut the groove. Keep up the good work.
Tanya
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Jun 22, 2011 20:23:04 GMT -5
your doing great!
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unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
|
Post by unclesoska on Jun 22, 2011 21:50:17 GMT -5
Thanks for the encouragement y'all! Donnie- Drilling is a bugger. Until I can afford the rig that shoots H2O THROUGH a core drill, I'll probably only drill if hell freezes over. Even underwater (always!) with gentle pulsing, 1 count in, 2 count out, it just seems to take forever on the harder stones. Tanya- I think the gold & silver wire are beyond my reach and abilities at this time, so I figured I'd try twisting different color combos of wire, always looking to enhance the stone. It's been positively a blast so far, people I've shown them to comment on the nice filligree, so I hope I'm on to something.
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Post by drocknut on Jun 22, 2011 22:00:50 GMT -5
Your wraps show definite originality so that's great. I'm with Donnie thinking maybe the gauge of wire you are using is a little too big. It is hard to tell what gauge you are using but I mostly use 22. Silver and gold are definitely expensive for wrapping but you might consider trying copper in 1/2 round and square. I got mine from Brandywine Jewelry Supply. It is way less expensive but might make wrapping easier for you. I do like the twisted look on your wraps. I think you found your groove with the groove wraps. The twisted wire looks good in the groove.
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unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
|
Post by unclesoska on Jun 22, 2011 23:52:47 GMT -5
I did get some 20 ga. square, and some 16 ga. 1/2 round copper wire from Rio Grande, and I used it in some early practice wraps that were all given away to friends and neighbors before I could get photos. For some strange reason, I enjoy twisting the contrasting wires together (w/ my cordless drill), trying different combinations, never knowing quite how it will look until matched to the perfect stone. Kinda like dressing the stone...
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Post by frane on Jun 23, 2011 7:14:12 GMT -5
I think you have found your niche with the twisted wire grove wrap. Glue on's are always good for inexpensive material that you tumble but the higher the price and the nicer the stone, the more you want to accentuate it. My only advise would be to even out your bail. You want it to hang right on a chain and slip back and forth easily. Brandywine has some nice copper in different gauges and colors so that may be a good way to go for your look and get a slightly smaller wire to fit into the groove. 5th picture down. Stone at top right looks like Youngite. The stone in the center looks like a limbcast but I can't tell for sure. The cracked one looks like it may be hornitos poppy(?) Mel would know. It looks like you have several types of obsidian but I can't be sure with the photos. If I were to guess, I would say pic 6 is silver sheen obsidian, 7 is quartzite, 8 is a golden sheen obsidan, 9 I am torn between lizard skin and nephrite Jade, after that, you have a couple that look like quartzite and the last looks like mahogany obsidian. Hope I am at least close so maybe someone else will chime in. Fran
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Jun 23, 2011 7:18:29 GMT -5
Unclesoska, try this place: www.parawire.com/craftstore.htmlYou can get different colors, gauges, square & half-round in 18 & 21 gauge in some of the colors. It is great wire & you can twist it & hammer it as well!
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unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
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Post by unclesoska on Jun 23, 2011 9:11:01 GMT -5
Fran- Thanks for the ID help. Yes on the Obsidians- Silver sheen I believe on 2 wraps and a mahogany for sure. Donnie: Thanks for that link, I'm gonna check them out. I like the idea of colored square and 1/2 round, didn't know it existed. BTW, I intentionally am leaving the twisted wire high in the groove, I like the look (kinda like a bezel) and I think it helps cushion the stone from side impacts, but what do I know, just a newb with soaking wet feet, sloshing along in my sandals...
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Jun 23, 2011 9:13:39 GMT -5
You did the right thing in jumping in and trying a lot of techniques. Throw out the rest of your Mom's glue on bellcaps, if you have any left. That style has passed from fashion, if it ever was in fashion in our lifetimes, and you can do sooooo much better. Your groove wraps are magnificent. Actually, I like ALL of your stones where you did a little drilling. You say that your first drilling attempts were "a pain in the neck," but you did a beautiful job, and there will be some fine stones you cut that will be simply wonderful as accent "beads." I'm running into this myself...I need to start drilling some of my oversized stones to make accent beads for some of my projects. I'm encouraged to see how well you did right out of the box.
Your eye-ups are also very clean and put the focus on the stone, which is as it should be to show off these beautiful materials. Me...I'm frustrated with the very first step of eye-ups -- trying to order some. Does anyone know where to get some that are NOT base metal? If I'm going to drill stone, I want it to be "worth it." Otherwise, I'm not even going to bother getting started with it, since I feel like the point of the base metal eye-ups (for me) would only be to learn the technique. Thanks to anyone who knows.
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unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
|
Post by unclesoska on Jun 23, 2011 9:47:28 GMT -5
Peachfront- Thank you for the kind critique. Regarding eye-ups, mine are plated silver and gold from The Rock Shed ,10 for $2.25 . I could be wrong, but couldn't one make their own eye-ups from precious metal wire? Might need to be soldered, but at least save on materials and shipping. I may try this once I save up for the real deal. Maybe one of our metalsmiths could chime in here... The drilling pain in the neck was literal, as I have cervical stenosis and extended drilling posture becomes excruciating. I cut the grooves at eye level w/ a face shield, so I can really see well, and am not uncomfortable.
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Jun 23, 2011 11:09:49 GMT -5
I know that pain in the neck as I have the same condition affecting the nerves going to my right arm I gots loads of back problems but have learned to work around them. Just started using a tens for the thorasic and lumbar issues and its heaven sent gift for pain relief without drugs. You did very well on all the stones and out of all that trial with the different styles you will develope some into what you do best. For home made eye-ups wire works well - make it look like a cotter pin and then take one side and wrap it around the other for better hole filling and grip in the adhesive here are two types one cotter pin twisted together and the other one side wrapped on the other you just trim them to the length needed when going to insert into the drilled hole
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Post by tntmom on Jun 23, 2011 16:54:08 GMT -5
I like the look of the twisted groove, the antler looks really cool too!!
~Krystee
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unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
|
Post by unclesoska on Jun 23, 2011 20:17:03 GMT -5
Yup, those twisty eye-ups are just what I was thinking. Thanks for sharing!
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