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Post by bobby1 on Feb 2, 2023 21:53:33 GMT -5
In addition to using homemade wood burs I use diamond ball and edged wheels in my Foredom unit. I also use silicon carbide carving blocks mostly made from silicon carbide grinding wheels. I also buy sanding blocks from carving dealers.
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Post by bobby1 on Feb 2, 2023 21:46:15 GMT -5
It is slightly over 5mm (.20"). I drilled the holes to within 1mm so they would show better. It is Montana Agate. It was my latest submission for my Rock and Gem Magazine Bench Tips column. It will be in the April issue, I think. When I write the column I include the tools that I make or buy for the project. I use wood burs made from 1/2" dowels for all of my sanding and polishing in the holes. My machine has 3 eight inch wheels. Two plated diamond grinding wheels and one expando wheel.
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Post by bobby1 on Feb 2, 2023 20:54:54 GMT -5
It is 3" tall and has some of my typical decorations from the back
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 27, 2023 11:12:46 GMT -5
I've never heard of a Grizzly flex shaft. Photo?
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 24, 2023 2:16:16 GMT -5
This one is 3" tall.
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 23, 2023 2:44:49 GMT -5
Sometimes I carve a cab. I have been discussing my system of carving in my monthly "Bench Tips" column in Rock and Gem Magazine. This cab was done from a milky chalcedony slab and it had a faint inclusion that was light circle' I used it as my focus on the cab.
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 22, 2023 23:44:21 GMT -5
I make wood burs from 1/2" dowels and mount them on a tapered screw mandrel. While the dowel is spinning I hold a coarse wood file on the dowel and make it to the shape that I need. I then soak it in water and dip it in wetted silicon carbide grit and sand the piece. My first sanding step is 220 grit followed by 400 grit. Next, I make another bur with the same shape, soak it in water and dip it in a slurry of cerium oxide to polish the piece. Here are a couple that I recently made with these burs. I discuss these tools more in depth in my monthly article "Bench Tips" in Rock and Gem Magazine.
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 12, 2023 11:23:59 GMT -5
How do you like those sanding wheels compared to the Geni's Nova wheels?
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 5, 2023 13:43:00 GMT -5
I measure how deep the carving is with an outside caliper. The depth of the carving is dependent upon the level of translucency of the material. I usually go to within 1mm of the front surface. I also check the look before I polish the feature. I grind the feature with two grits of bits. 36 grit first and 220 grit next, For sanding and polishing I make wood bits from dowels made from 1/2" dowels. I mount them on a tapered screw mandrel and shape them as it is spinning with a coarse wood file. I wet the bits and rub the silicon carbide onto their surface as well as applying it into the hole. I mix the grit with water in a small condiment cup> I sand with 220 grit and 400 grit. These steps go rather quickly. I make a new wood bit and mix cerium oxide in a condiment cup and do the polishing step. It goes the fastest - a couple of minutes. Bob
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 5, 2023 1:23:53 GMT -5
This cab is from a recent article in Rock and Gem Magazine. It involved making tools from silicon carbide carving blocks and wood burs. It is 3-1/2 inches tall and made from carnelian agate. I also carved a heart shape from the back
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 3, 2023 3:47:39 GMT -5
I polish with a 12" slow turning carpet covered wheel using cerium oxide.
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 3, 2023 3:44:15 GMT -5
I use a homemade lapidary unit that has an 8" expando sanding wheel and two diamond grinding wheels. One wheel is a 2" wide 100 grit wheel and the other one is 1-1/2 wide well used 100 grit wheel. When I made the unit I spaced the wheels widely apart and lifted up so I can work under the wheels easier. A Geni and other commercial machines have the wheels far too close together to make large cabs.
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 2, 2023 22:15:14 GMT -5
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 1, 2023 12:21:12 GMT -5
It's been many years since I have posted anything on the site. I am a long-time lapidary. I learned from my uncle when I was a junior in high school (1958) I write a monthly article for Rock and Gem Magazine that is titled "bench Tips". I do a lot of projects that involves carving. It's been so long since I posted anything I'm going to have to learn about posting photos. I'm looking forward to posting some articles and photos. Bob Rush.
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Post by bobby1 on Dec 27, 2022 22:56:16 GMT -5
I use a Foredom unit and multiple wheels and bits including diamond burs, Mizzy silicon Carbide wheels, hands shaped wood bits mounted on tapered screw mandrels and silicon carbide sanding blocks' I write a monthly column for Rock and Gem Magazine called "Bench Tips"' The articled focus on many carving tips and methods. There is a new project every month.
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Post by bobby1 on May 24, 2021 14:28:01 GMT -5
That's Super!
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Post by bobby1 on Mar 19, 2020 21:47:16 GMT -5
Not really.
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 10, 2020 0:57:11 GMT -5
I do these large cabs only for displaying in our case that we take to various local gem and mineral shows.
Bob
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Post by bobby1 on Jan 8, 2020 21:55:28 GMT -5
I just completed this Brazilian Agate. It is one of my usual big cabs at 4" tall. Bob
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Post by bobby1 on Oct 20, 2019 22:19:18 GMT -5
I use the pusher exclusively. I find the hammer handpiece is too hard to control and adds too many tool marks that have to be removed. Bob
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