Djinjuice
starting to shine!
Member since March 2003
Posts: 47
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Post by Djinjuice on Sept 8, 2003 0:15:59 GMT -5
Hi Doc, I thought this would be a good thread to start since so many of us have questions about a variety of things.
I am interested in making wire wrap jewelry out of the material I've tumbled. I would like to drill holes (under 1mm) in some of my stones, which hardnesses range from 5 to 9. Do you feel it is necessary to use a drill press? I have one of those Dremel tools that has a contraption to turn it into a drill press. Also, what kind of bit? Diamond tip, core, or regular? Should I drill pre or post polish? What about fracture? My questions could go on forever....I'm sure that anything you could recommend will get me farther than where I am now ;D Thanks!!
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WilliamC
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2003
Posts: 416
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Post by WilliamC on Sept 8, 2003 6:58:59 GMT -5
Greetings All, Well you just put some questioins I've been having right out for everyone to see here Djin I've got a Dremel too and I've been waiting to get rocks out of the pre-polish stage before I started to do any drilling, then polish them afterwards. Unfortunately I don't think Dremel is made for drilling stone, there is nothing on their website that indicates they can do this. So any information on other-company diamond drill bits that can fit on a dremel would be greately appreciated. Of course I will start scouring the Web myself, and when I find out something more I'll post links. But there's nothing like the voice of experience though WilliamC
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Djinjuice
starting to shine!
Member since March 2003
Posts: 47
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Post by Djinjuice on Sept 8, 2003 16:26:18 GMT -5
;D ;D ;D I found a web site that has EXACTLY what I was looking for. It has diamond drills that will fit a Dremel !! The site is ukam.com---look under the lapidary section. Will the wonders of the internet ever cease!? Oh happy day !
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Post by docone31 on Sept 8, 2003 20:10:35 GMT -5
Wire wrap jewelery works great with tumbled stones. I have never used a drill hole on my wire wraps. I have drilled holes for other work in the stones, putting 14KY in lapis for example. I do not use diamond drills. They are too expensive, and if you damage the plating the diamonds are sintered to, good bye drill. I do use the dremel, and the drill press stand. I also use either piano wire, or copper wire of the appropriate thickness with diamond slurry or corundum grit. I make a well with clay, fill with water, add grit, and drill slowly at low-medium speed. I have a foredom foot pedal and set the dremel at high speed. I control with the foot pedal. This leaves me free to adjust speed, clay and grit, and rotate the piece for aligning the drill. The drill is sacrificial and the grit adheres to the fresh wire. With wire wrapping, I use sq .032 hard wire, either 14KY or .925. I use .032 half round in either the same material, or I mix gold and silver. It depends on the customer request or my preference to the stone. Most pieces use 5 11" pieces of wire. I twist two opposite to each other, and leave three straight. I use the half round to seperate the wraps I incorporate to hold the stone. Wire wrap rings and bracelets are a different story. I make the top bail 6mmX1/2" and use the tails to form the neck wrap. If you send me an e-mail to docone31@hotmail.com, I can send an attachment of a wire wrap. I am more of a jeweler than a 'puter dude, so I do not have too many photos. I am going to work on intarsia cabachons this week. I have some lapis with inclusions. This I will square, border the square with feldspar, and complete the four sides with picture jasper. I use ultraviolet adhesive for glueing the pieces of stone. I also use my faceter to square the edges of all the cuts to hairline glue the pieces. The finished rough I cut on my cab station going from 100 grit diamond to 3600 corundum belt. The polish is with cerium oxide. I have also just finished an emerald cut made from dinosaur scat. Things one can do with stone. Send me an e-mail. I am always glad to share. Doc
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Djinjuice
starting to shine!
Member since March 2003
Posts: 47
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Post by Djinjuice on Sept 18, 2003 0:34:46 GMT -5
Dino scat? Is that dino poop? ;D It is what it is.
Could you please post some web sites for wire wrapping? I keep getting beading and wigjig stuff. Probably gonna end up ordering that darn jig. Should just make my own.......
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Post by docone31 on Sept 18, 2003 7:41:59 GMT -5
I call it dinosaur scat as I do not want dinosaur thingy. Some of the sites are wireworker, and preston reuther. Rio Grande also has books on wire wrapping. About.com/jewelery has links. I got started by seeing a piece of tumbled stone and trying to make it into a pendant. Have I since learned a lot. If you want to send me an e-mail, I will send some photos of some of my work. It might give some ideas.
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donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on Sept 18, 2003 11:04:54 GMT -5
OK doc, now that we cornered you into this little Q&A thread ;D , I have a couple of questions for you if you don't mind. I sure appreciate your advice and experience in the lapidary field doc. #1 - It seems my diamond wheel on the cabbing machine I picked up is about shot. In it's day, I'm sure it was a decent one, but now it has a flat spot the makes the stone chatter and it isn't very aggressive at all. I was looking on the Graves Lapidary site and now I'm really confused as there are so many types to choose from. The cabber I have is an old Lortone and is in 2 sections with 2 separate motors. The first section has a 6" trim saw, a 6"x2-1/2" expandable drum and a 6"x1-1/2" diamond wheel. The other section has 2- 6"x2-1/2" expandable drums. I read in a previous post that you start with a 100 grit diamond. Would that be my best option for an all around grit diamond wheel or would it be OK to use say a 360 grit that I can do some faceting with and then tumble to polish? And do you have a specific type that seems to work best as far as brand name goes? Well, I guess that is 2 questions, sorry. #3 - I also want to pick up a leather buff possibly. I see that they sell expandable wheel leather belts, but they are pricey compared to a disc that will attach to the end of the shaft on the station. will both work about the same for buffing or does one type work much better than the other? Thanks in advance doc, I sure appreciate it, Don
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Post by docone31 on Sept 18, 2003 11:40:35 GMT -5
I use a 6X1.5 100grit diamond. Be aware however, with water it is very agressive. I also go very lightly with the cuts. The more the wheel breaks in, the easier on the cuts it gets. I have right now, a crystalite solid wheel. I like the lack of flexibility. With the expandable drums, the outer nut is replaced with a disc buff. With my unit, I have to take off the disc to change belts. With the belts on the flexible drums, the more they are used, the finer they cut. I also place a rest for the dop in the water tray to control my cuts. With three flexible drums, I would go 220, 320, 1200. I use the 1200 belt for the pre-polish, and take off any nobs with the 320. The 220 is for the real hard scratches. With the rubber drums, you can push into the drum for a soft surface. I also trim into the 6" disc leather about 1/4". This helps keep the water off the buff. The polish is applied wet, with a piece of sponge and polished into the buff. Hope this helps. Doc
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donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on Sept 18, 2003 13:11:54 GMT -5
Thanks much doc! Very helpful/ great info. Now I have a plan of attack. All I need do is convince the wife how badly I need this stuff! I quess in a way, that is part of the fun too. That is if begging is enjoyable Talk to you later, Don
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Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
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Post by Pdwight on Sept 19, 2003 23:36:37 GMT -5
I am new to this as well, but I can recant my tales of woe about drilling holes. I have a battery powered dremel..actually rechargable..but I digress
The problem is not with torque or speed, I bought some diamond 116th. drills and proceded to drill a hole in a few apache tears. I did this at the kitchen sink with water running on the drill bit the entire time..no big deal...it took a little time but I got through it better and faster than I thought. So I made the kids up the street some necklaces and they were all happy...then I tried to drill a hole in some ocean Jasper..I ruined 3 bits trying toi drill a hole in a piece that was only 1/8th. inch thick. Talk about a lesson learned. I havent tried to drill anymore since then..it was quite anoying to spend 45 minutes drilling a hole in something you could see light through !!
Dwight P
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Post by docone31 on Sept 21, 2003 17:49:10 GMT -5
It is speed, and surface contact. For those who want to throw money down a rock hole, slow the bit down and use ball burrs. The burr must be rotated around the hole. Pressure must be light and water must be constantly flowed into the hole. Slow and light. With a lift, grind, lift grind motion. I use wire and abrasive. Same technique, same time involved, decent results, less cost. I have to make a deep well with clay, fill with grit, and flood the hole. Drilling really is tough but it can be done.
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Sekhmet
off to a rocking start
Rocktumbling fool, It's rocktumbletastic.
Member since September 2003
Posts: 11
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Post by Sekhmet on Sept 25, 2003 9:19:44 GMT -5
I just thought I would add a warning for those who might decide to add some seashells to those projects: Drilling many types of shells can emit toxic fumes and must always be drilled under water (wearing a mask is never a bad idea either). Be Well, Sekhmet
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Post by docone31 on Sept 25, 2003 10:05:37 GMT -5
You are absolutely correct, also with pearls. The calcium bicarbonate in dust form has given me a serious sinus infection bordering on pneumonia. It lasted two weeks and I was very impaired. With shells, and pearls, excercise extreme inhalant caution.
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donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on Oct 2, 2003 22:55:24 GMT -5
Here is a pic of some of docone31's wire wrap handywork. I thought I'd post it in this thread because djinjuice had mentioned it at the begining of the thread. Really pretty stuff, again, great work doc! Don
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Post by docone31 on Oct 3, 2003 20:52:17 GMT -5
Thanks for getting my photo out there. I have done a lot of talking and no showing. Wire wrapping is a great intermidiate alternative to soldering gold or silver. Now soldering and wire wrapping. Wow. I mean we cut the stones, now what? Nobody reads anymore so bookcase ends are out. Anybody can wire wrap. Just look under gold filled on search and surf away. Need a pointer? Drop me a line, I will advise, make, or indicate a direction. Thanks for the photo help don, my silicone brained anti-christ and I are still at it.
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Sekhmet
off to a rocking start
Rocktumbling fool, It's rocktumbletastic.
Member since September 2003
Posts: 11
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Post by Sekhmet on Oct 5, 2003 9:09:30 GMT -5
Fantastic work doc. I am always amazed by such artistic talent as I have none. You can make me bookends anytime; I still read (and bookends are such a novel idea [novel..cackle..get it?]). Be well, Sekhmet
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Djinjuice
starting to shine!
Member since March 2003
Posts: 47
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Post by Djinjuice on Nov 7, 2003 0:39:34 GMT -5
Hey Doc, do you think a bench grinder with a drip system would work for taking off excess matrix?
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