"Then and Now." RTHlings show progress.

[rockjunquie]

@jadedvision Your first cab looks pretty good to me, but I prefer the low domes, too. That carving is really nice- even unfinished.

[stephan]

@jadedvision That's your first cab? I can see where the oval itself isn't perfect, but it took me a heck of a lot longer to get the hang of the dome and the girdle. In fact, I still have to back up regularly because I end up rolling the edge. I'm liking the shell. Keep us posted.

[mohs]

I have done some cabs & free forms
Even tried my hand at side groove wire pull



Just didn’t have the concentration for it
Plus the rock’n heart design was my passion
Right from the get-go
Fervently trying to master that process
I had no time for anything else ...mostly

[rockjunquie]

Oct 20, 2020 16:10:38 GMT -5 mohs said:

I have done some cabs & free forms
Even tried my hand at side groove wire pull



Just didn’t have the concentration for it
Plus the rock’n heart design was my passion
Right from the get-go
Fervently trying to master that process
I had no time for anything else ...mostly

Cool! I don't think I've seen that before. But, I like the hearts betterer.

[jasoninsd]

rivarat Beautiful jewelry and the faceting is amazing!

@jadedvision Holy smokes I really like that jade carving!

mohs I think that side groove looks great! And I agree with rockjunquie - you've got a great heart! (That's kinda what she said. )

[mohs]

thanks jase & telea !

ya know what my motto and promotion is:


Just slap the rock on !

If it be rockntheart all that much better

[stephan]

Oh, just ran across this one. Made it 10 years ago. Not sure what I was thinking, but it is, in the words of NevadaBill , "a little too free." 

On top of that, there is no real dome and no girdle.

Second Jalama beach agate cab by Stephan T., on Flickr

People left comments when I posted.  They are either really, really kind, or really, really need glasses.

The shop steward at SMS must have rolled his eyes over this one.  He hated most freeforms and most brown rocks.

[jasoninsd]

Dec 28, 2020 15:04:25 GMT -5 stephan said:

The shop steward at SMS must have rolled his eyes over this one.  He hated most freeforms and most brown rocks.

So, I'm hoping that didn't set the tone for the future relationship right there!

[stephan]

Dec 28, 2020 21:20:25 GMT -5 jasoninsd said:

Dec 28, 2020 15:04:25 GMT -5 stephan said:

The shop steward at SMS must have rolled his eyes over this one.  He hated most freeforms and most brown rocks.

So, I'm hoping that didn't set the tone for the future relationship right there!

Not at all.   Joe was super-cool, very knowledgable (and willing to share it).  But getting him to allow a brown rock in the slab saw without receiving a ribbing (“cutting a UBR are ya?”) could be interesting (with a few exceptions).    

[hummingbirdstones2]

A reply to another thread reminded me of this "inspirational" thread. Time for me to post an early (13 years ago) cab I liked well enough to photograph. First time I ever touched a rock to a wheel was around 14 years ago on a friends arbor. A few months later I bought myself a "toy" flat lap and started making mud.

2007: I was PROUD of this thing. It was shiny on top! Note that all four corners are different. I cut many mis-shapen "lozenges" for a while.

 

Got a used Genie, and literally did all-nighters making more mud. Wouldn't realize it until the sky outside the window started getting lighter.

2020: This one isn't quite done yet, but it's "done enough" to show that - with time - even an old ironworker could learn to work small stones.

 

I hope this helps someone just getting started.

I remember how I felt when my fingertips were sore and most of the stone I was working on was just mud in the bottom of the pan. Grab another rock while you still remember what didn't work on the previous one and MAKE MORE MUD.

[Brian]

stephan, as someone who is just getting started on this journey, this is an awesome thread! As much as I love to see the success stories and the amazing pictures posted on this forum, it's refreshing to see the first steps people made as well. Our first tumble tumble is still in progress, so the best is certainly still ahead!

Thanks to all who have posted here!

[stephan]

Jan 4, 2021 21:13:38 GMT -5 Brian said:

stephan, as someone who is just getting started on this journey, this is an awesome thread! As much as I love to see the success stories and the amazing pictures posted on this forum, it's refreshing to see the first steps people made as well. Our first tumble tumble is still in progress, so the best is certainly still ahead!

Thanks to all who have posted here!

Thank you. And don’t forget... the challenges we still have.
Good luck on your first tumble. I look forward to seeing the results. What’s in the barrel?

[Brian]

Jan 5, 2021 0:08:26 GMT -5 stephan said:

Jan 4, 2021 21:13:38 GMT -5 Brian said:

stephan, as someone who is just getting started on this journey, this is an awesome thread! As much as I love to see the success stories and the amazing pictures posted on this forum, it's refreshing to see the first steps people made as well. Our first tumble tumble is still in progress, so the best is certainly still ahead!

Thanks to all who have posted here!

Thank you. And don’t forget... the challenges we still have.
Good luck on your first tumble. I look forward to seeing the results. What’s in the barrel?

Since the tumbler was technically the kids’ Christmas present, I let them have first pick of the rocks. I had purchased a lot of various rough from the Rock Shed and Gems by Mail to get them started. Unsurprisingly, they gravitated towards quartz and the more colorful rocks, including a piece or two of sodalite, Dalmatian jasper, and what looks like unakite. They also threw in some of the crazy lace I got, and some pet wood, too. It’s quite a mix and probably far from ideal to get the perfect tumble, but we are looking forward to learning from our mistakes!

Barrel #1



Barrel #2

[drocknut]

Ok, so I turned on the way back machine and found my first wire wrap.

January, 2010


My most recent wrap (2020)


Wow, hard to believe I've been wire wrapping so long.

[rockpickerforever]

Ooh la la, on both of those, Diane drocknut .

I think you must have started wrapping soon after you were born, lol.

[rockjunquie]

drocknut Thanks for posting those. Your first one looks really freakin good! Impressive for a first. And I love that latest one!

[drocknut]

Jan 5, 2021 15:30:40 GMT -5 rockpickerforever said:

Ooh la la, on both of those, Diane drocknut .

I think you must have started wrapping soon after you were born, lol.

Thank you but not even close...lol

[drocknut]

Jan 5, 2021 15:48:14 GMT -5 rockjunquie said:

drocknut Thanks for posting those. Your first one looks really freakin good! Impressive for a first. And I love that latest one!

Thank you.

[Garage Rocker]

Great idea for a thread. This is from my first tumble, photo taken 2/13/16:




And these are from the last batch I ran, 3/18. Yes, that's three years ago.





The shine wasn't too bad on the first attempt, especially considering some of that material. The biggest lesson learned was having the patience to let tough materials, like those Montana's, round out in their own time...however long that takes.

[saxplayer]

Feb 19, 2021 3:56:11 GMT -5 Garage Rocker said:

Great idea for a thread. This is from my first tumble, photo taken 2/13/16:




And these are from the last batch I ran, 3/18. Yes, that's three years ago.





The shine wasn't too bad on the first attempt, especially considering some of that material. The biggest lesson learned was having the patience to let tough materials, like those Montana's, round out in their own time...however long that takes.

Randy - it’s a pleasure to have you back active here even if you’re not tumbling

Beautiful parallax agate there.