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Post by stardiamond on Jul 27, 2015 11:57:03 GMT -5
I know that it depends on size, shape, material and dome. I rate my cutting ability at about c+. My girdles aren't as good as I would like. My biggest problems are impatience, eyesight and self taught technique. I'm working on the technique. It takes me between 30-60 minutes to create a cab. I batch my work and try not to work for much more than an hour at a time. Following what rockjunquie said, I probably spend 50% of the total time; design thru polish on the 80 grit wheel. I was afraid of that wheel because things can go wrong quickly, but now I now can get the dome smooth and even and after that things go easily. I use the 80,220 and 220 soft and then stop.
The next most critical step is the 280 soft. I need to stay there until all scratches are gone and no corrections remain on the cutting. I will stop and review after the 280 and repeat the process until I can't see anything more to fix. I wasn't able to see scratches sometimes until after polish and then would need to repeat everything from the 280 forward. I found that rubbing a pencil along the face and girdle edges show me things that my eyes can't see, even under magnification. I see even less when the cabs are wet. I'm now on auto pilot and take a few minutes for the next 6 sanding and polishing steps.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 27, 2015 12:21:52 GMT -5
As you say, it depends on the material, size and shape. I guess an ovalish (no sharp corners) cab that isn't too hard or too soft would be about a 15 to 20 minute cab in the 40mm range.
Yes, I spend a lot of time on the 80. It is probably my favorite wheel. My entire shape is done on the 80. I use the 220 to get out the 80 scratches and any microbevels or flats, if any. On the 280, I am getting the 220 scratches and then etc down the line. As long as no scratches show up on the 280, I know I am ok.
If any scratches show up on the 280, I go back to the 220 and go over the outside of the scratched area and then gently over the scratches. I use a light hand. I don't monkey around with getting the deeper scratches out with the 280. I have learned that mistake. The 280 will get out the 220, but not the 80. What usually happened with me and what slowed me down was that because I was not shaping on the 220 wheel, I wasn't using a lot of pressure. So, I was leaving fractions of tiny scratches which were too deep for the pressure I was using on the 220. I now use more pressure on the 220 and I have much fewer problems.
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cobbledstones
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 482
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Post by cobbledstones on Jul 27, 2015 12:54:08 GMT -5
I am still learning, and it depends on if you include the time for slabbing+ trim saw. It takes me about 45 minutes to go from a slab to a cab. More if I miss scratches and have to go through the stages again. I will have to really think about what rockjunquie said, because I take the most time going from 220 to 280. Sometimes it seems to take forever to get those scratches out, maybe they are partial scratches from the 80, but I can't tell (yet) just by looking at them. When I have a stubborn scratch, I paint over it with sharpie, and keep going till there is no marker left. After 280, it is pretty quick. I do love my 80 grit wheel. It is the most fun part of the process, and I start a lot more cabs than I finish.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2015 15:51:09 GMT -5
I am self taught too and believe me it will get easier and faster. Just dry it off before you check it but even then it is possible to leave scratches. But I like what Tela said about going back instead of trying to get the scratches out with the grit you found them on. I have a tendency to do the opposite and get mad when the scratches won't come out. I have to stop my machine and change pads to go back then do the same going back up so recently I have gotten in the habit of setting the ones with scratches to the side and continuing with the others in the batch. I usually start with 8 or 10 at a time. I have bins for each grit I need to go back to so every once in a while I will pull some from those bins and finish them. I am sure some of them have been in the bins for a year. lol Maybe it is time to finish them but it is difficult because I am always starting new ones that are more interesting than the ones in the bins. Maybe it is tumbler time. I just bought some new belts for my son's tumbler so he should finish a bunch of my half done cabs.
Good luck with your learning curve. If it was easy everyone would be doing it right? Jim
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Post by NM Stone Supply on Jul 27, 2015 16:03:06 GMT -5
Some soft stone like Ricolite Serpentine or Picasso Marble I can go from slab to polished cab in about 10 min or less. That's front and back. Now when it comes to hard agates like agua nueva. It can be up to 30 - 40 min per cab front and back. My method is using 8 wheels. 80 then 120 hard diamond wheels for shaping. Then I jump to 120 soft diamond wheels, then 280. At this point I wipe the cab dry several times on the skin of my arm. It works great to see if there are any deep scratches. I never move forward until I get this step perfected. Then I do a 600, 1200, 3000 and 8000. Then a quick buff with 50,000 grit diamond paste. I ordered some diamond REZ wheels to see if they help speed up the 120 - 280 grit steps.
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Post by pghram on Jul 27, 2015 17:21:49 GMT -5
I usually do three at a time, batch style. I'm using a flat lap, so I have to change laps. It takes me about 3.5 hours on average.
Rich
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Post by nowyo on Jul 27, 2015 21:40:51 GMT -5
Honestly never timed it, I do the batch thing as well usually 6 or so at a time. If I get too many going it just befuddles me. Haven't been doing it for long and don't really have any idea what I'm doing but hey, water sprays all over and I make a mess. Gotta be good, right?
Russ
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Post by orrum on Jul 28, 2015 5:40:21 GMT -5
X2 Nowyo! LOL. I can do 18-20 turquoise cabs bstch style in a hour snd thry look good. Hard rock cabs take 40 minutes or so on the average batching them but they will have flats and scratches. I think I need soft diamond wheels.
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Post by broseph82 on Jul 28, 2015 8:17:01 GMT -5
You need a 120 hard wheel to take your 80 scratches out. It will save you a lot of time! Some stones don't like the 80grit and will be even harder to take out scratches so some get shaped on the 120 hard wheel then 220 hard and 280 soft...
The first stone I fell in love with was agate. I was so proud at my first couple cabs until I discovered softer stones. I don't even want to think about cabbing a hard agate lol. I like the results but not the process.
Not sure how long it took me last night, but I did 6 cabs all together (3 diff types of stone). The best thing I can tell you is pick a stone you really like and an hour will just feel like nothing cause you're enjoying what you're doing. I make plugs and don't always enjoy it so sometimes it takes me weeks to complete a pair because of doing it for pay and not fun.
Rhyolite is soft and easy to work, labradorite, feldspar, chalcedony, obsidian is on a softer side but it will trick you. You can look your piece over all you want, but the polish is what will show the scratches or flat spot, then it goes to the 280/220 all over again.
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barclay
has rocks in the head
Lowly Padawan of rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 510
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Post by barclay on Jul 28, 2015 20:31:55 GMT -5
I have a Genie so I am somewhat spoiled. It takes about 30 min for a "fun" level cab. If I have serious size tolerance issues or a very hard material 1.5 hrs is not bad.
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Post by bobby1 on Jul 29, 2015 9:36:16 GMT -5
From about 30 minutes on a smaller cab 20mm size up to 3 - 4 hours on a 6" cab, depending on the material and how well it takes a polish. Bob
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Post by catmandewe on Jul 29, 2015 12:27:16 GMT -5
I make about 2 or 3 a year so anywhere from 4 to 6 months each.
Tony
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 29, 2015 14:32:37 GMT -5
I make about 2 or 3 a year so anywhere from 4 to 6 months each. Tony You speed demon, you! LOL!
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Post by orrum on Jul 29, 2015 22:12:55 GMT -5
Yes and Tonys wife thinks that's a VERY long time...... Sorry Chris but Susan has been in Chicago 2 months and my mind is in the gutter.... LOL
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Post by orrum on Jul 29, 2015 22:13:58 GMT -5
Of course I am a cowboy, we think 8 seconds is a long ride!!! LOL
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Post by orrum on Jul 29, 2015 22:14:24 GMT -5
Oops did I get off the subject???
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Post by orrum on Jul 29, 2015 22:14:56 GMT -5
Get it?
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Post by orrum on Jul 29, 2015 22:15:19 GMT -5
You know....get off....the subject.
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Post by orrum on Jul 29, 2015 22:15:53 GMT -5
Are I gonna get banned due to my humour?
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Post by orrum on Jul 29, 2015 22:16:37 GMT -5
I am Soooo bored. I started watching Dog the Bounty Hunter.
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