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Post by stardiamond on Jul 20, 2014 11:29:54 GMT -5
How would you design the cab from this slabette? Longest size is 5.5 cm. Orby Blue Mountain with crystals on one side. I have never had another piece of BM with crystals.
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kradz89
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2014
Posts: 114
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Post by kradz89 on Jul 20, 2014 12:07:32 GMT -5
You can always do a free form. Trim off the rough edges and have an abstract shape. I don't think the crystals would hold up to cabbing, but I'm a novice so I could be wrong.
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Post by Rockhobbit on Jul 20, 2014 12:50:38 GMT -5
I would freeform as in the second pic. I would grind off the crystal edges and round the bottom. Will make a very pretty cab. Sheri
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,648
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Post by Tommy on Jul 20, 2014 13:32:16 GMT -5
I agree - freeform it is. When I have a piece like that I just go to town on it on the 60-grit diamond and see what develops. Try to stay with the natural shape that the stone is giving you which is imperfect-triangle. DEFINITELY highlight and enhance the color transition areas. That's a great looking stone - can't wait to see what you craft it into.
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Post by stardiamond on Jul 20, 2014 14:09:41 GMT -5
I posted this because it's an interesting design challenge. Except for the jagged edges, all the material has interest. The pattern goes all the way through and the slab is about 3/16 thick. Some of the challenges are whether to incorporate the crystals or not and how much of the slab to use. More isn't necessarily better. It hasn't spoken to me yet. One option I considered was to cut it off following the bottom light colored band (vertical orientation), putting a slight c curve into the left edge and then either doing a buff top or curving down from the crystal edge to the other two edges leaving the crystal as intact as possible. This could be completely wrong. Ultimately, I'll turn it over to my wife to design. Here's a bruneau cab she designed with shape an framing I would never have considered. Normally, when I work with bruneau, I use the whole pattern and then frame it accordingly. This what she came up with: The bottom and right edges are showing a reflection. The color is actually the same as the adjacent areas.
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Jul 20, 2014 15:20:05 GMT -5
Another option in the free form cab department would be to place the bottom edge (with the stone oriented as in the 2nd pic) against the wheel and turn the bottom into a inward curve on 1 edge and then roll the stone so that the outward part of the bottom stays as an outward curve... kind of a lazy "s". leave the crystal as is and after grinding your girdle onto the left side, roll the stone over the grinder wheels from left to bottom so that the curve of the stone (cab face) sweeps from left to bottom. This would preserve the crystals as a rough (natural) edge on the cab and the rest would have a nice sweep to it. the other way is to grind the bottom flat to make the shaping easier, but I would still keep the crystals and roll the stone from left to bottom to make the cab.
Post pics of it when your have decided how you're going to shape it... love to see what the final piece is!!!
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Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
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Post by Roger on Jul 21, 2014 7:41:32 GMT -5
I would freeform it to make it either a "talon" shape or maybe an asymmetrical shield. My Microsoft paint skills are sorely lacking - but
Talon
Roger
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 22, 2014 11:37:18 GMT -5
I was thinking along the lines of what Roger did. The stone seems to have already told you what it wants to be.
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electricmonk
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2011
Posts: 281
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Post by electricmonk on Jul 22, 2014 20:59:41 GMT -5
A cut that highlights either the cyclonic patterns in it or go the sci-fi route...they do look an awful lot like planets, the lighter area a ring system. If you cabbed it showcasing that with the material off to the upper right highlighting the "space" beyond it might look rather awesome.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,759
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Post by gemfeller on Jul 22, 2014 22:19:01 GMT -5
It's an interesting challenge. My vision tells me it's really two cabs, but sawing them might be tricky depending on how the slab looks "in person." Preserve the crystals. Cut the triangular shape as a very low dome in order to avoid damage to them. Even if you have to sacrifice them I think what remains will be a very well-composed scene. (Please forgive my Very Approximate outlines -- I'm learning a new version of Photoshop and don't quite know how to make it behave yet. How you'd shape the smaller cab would depend on what's left after trim sawing. Hopefully there'd be enough size to develop an interesting basic teardrop from the very different figures on that side of the slab. There are lots of good suggestions in the thread. Let us know how it turns out.
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Post by deb193redux on Jul 23, 2014 9:23:11 GMT -5
I would perfect triangle, letting crystals extend beyond triangle edge. then I would put on a wide cap bail with a few balls or raised area just below the loop of the bail I would very very low dome the face and polish to gloss, but leave sides (and crystal) in rough rockface.
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Jul 23, 2014 9:46:44 GMT -5
Yes, yes, yes! Gemfeller definitely has the right idea! Definitely make use of those gorgeous crystals & for sure you could probably get another smaller cab from the other side there as he has shown. Of course it does depend on how big a piece you have to work with there. If it's on the smaller side just use the whole piece & work with the shape it already has. Daniel also has a pretty awesome idea there too!
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Post by deb193redux on Jul 23, 2014 9:49:03 GMT -5
The light band is really a feature of the stone. I would not cut into two stones and reduce the band to an edge zone.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Jul 23, 2014 10:23:20 GMT -5
This is off topic but Daniel this post reminds me of the fun virtual cab contest you used to do. Any chance you might do another one of those in the near future?
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Post by deb193redux on Jul 23, 2014 21:21:35 GMT -5
Another contest has been on my mind. Maybe your comment will motivate me.
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