ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Jan 14, 2017 16:38:30 GMT -5
They would be correct and it's made from Michigan Lightning Stone (Septarian Nodule) The large piece of copper for the bail is glued on with epoxy. The stones are fairly soft (mohs 3) and are prone to breaking along the calcite/mud boundaries so the copper epoxied on is almost a necessity to strengthen the piece. The stone was roughed up in the place where the copper was to be attached before gluing. The heart shape was already 95 percent finished by nature after the slab was cut. It just took a little rounding on one lobe and shaped and polished.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 14, 2017 17:45:15 GMT -5
Very nice! Don't you love it when you can kill 2 birds with one stone? The copper holds the stone together and the pendant together.
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Post by wigglinrocks on Jan 14, 2017 18:07:06 GMT -5
Nice work . Now what you need to do is hunt the mine piles for native copper to make the backing and bail from .
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Jan 14, 2017 18:25:18 GMT -5
Nice work . Now what you need to do is hunt the mine piles for native copper to make the backing and bail from . The thought has crossed my mind
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Jan 14, 2017 18:26:13 GMT -5
Very nice! Don't you love it when you can kill 2 birds with one stone? The copper holds the stone together and the pendant together. Interesting point of view.
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Post by pghram on Jan 14, 2017 18:57:15 GMT -5
That is very interesting material, and I find it challenging to cab stuff that soft, but you have cabbed it masterfully.
Peace,
Rich
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 20:20:46 GMT -5
Nice work . Now what you need to do is hunt the mine piles for native copper to make the backing and bail from . The thought has crossed my mind I watched a thread in which a guy made a knife. All from minerals in Michigan. The steel from jaspelite. Native copper bolsters, I can remember which stone for handles. He claimed "sole authorship". I doubt be blended his own epoxy...
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Jan 14, 2017 20:38:36 GMT -5
The thought has crossed my mind I watched a thread in which a guy made a knife. All from minerals in Michigan. The steel from jaspelite. Native copper bolsters, I can remember which stone for handles. He claimed "sole authorship". I doubt be blended his own epoxy... Yow. That takes some dedication. Maybe he concocted his own backwoods Michigan glue too
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Jan 14, 2017 20:51:14 GMT -5
That is very interesting material, and I find it challenging to cab stuff that soft, but you have cabbed it masterfully. Peace, Rich Thank you for the complement. The heart was pretty easy since it is mostly flat. Only the edges are really rounded any. After I got the roughing scratches out it polished right up. I love working with these soft Michigan stones. Most of the time we go right from 600 grit diamond wheel right to the buffer with white compound and they get mirror shiny. Some of the stones have this light grey mud that won't polish like the darker mud does. It seems to get a velvety finish which works OK right next to the shiny stuff most of the time. It actually seems to add a 3D feeling to it. Some of the Lightning Stone cabs my hubby does put mine to shame. He is really good at the high cabs and unusual shapes. The one at lower right actually has metallic flecks in it some of which can be seen as tiny little bright spots if you look really closely at it. So many subtle shades of brown, orange, white and pink. Each rock is different but the same. all of the cabs are backed with copper for strength. When you pick up these rocks lots of times they look like turds with white veins. Who would ever guess a turd would polish up so nicely?
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Post by melhill1659 on Jan 15, 2017 11:32:48 GMT -5
Those are amazing!!! I love the copper bails, so unique and strong.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 15, 2017 16:36:45 GMT -5
Amazing beautiful work!!!!!
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Post by spiceman on Jan 15, 2017 23:05:28 GMT -5
You do have heart because I can see it. Looks nice,too. Good job and nice pics.
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