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Post by victor1941 on Sept 2, 2021 9:55:51 GMT -5
One slab looks like palm wood/the black centered piece.
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 2, 2021 14:24:34 GMT -5
You've got some cool stuff, and you may even have two pieces of marcasite. Thanks Stephan!  I've cut some rough with marcasite in it before, but I've never worked a piece of it yet...I believe it's going to be messy, but past that, it'll be a hands on learning experience.  (Hopefully not literally hands on with regards to the flat lap! LOL) |
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 2, 2021 14:26:48 GMT -5
One slab looks like palm wood/the black centered piece. Hmmmm....I might have to look at that one a little closer! Thanks Victor! |
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Uriah
starting to shine!
Member since August 2021
Posts: 38
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Post by Uriah on Sept 2, 2021 15:17:55 GMT -5
That's some pretty amazing stuff!
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Post by stephan on Sept 2, 2021 16:05:15 GMT -5
You've got some cool stuff, and you may even have two pieces of marcasite. Thanks Stephan! I've cut some rough with marcasite in it before, but I've never worked a piece of it yet...I believe it's going to be messy, but past that, it'll be a hands on learning experience. (Hopefully not literally hands on with regards to the flat lap! LOL) But definitely stained fingers, if you don't wear gloves. Doesn't last too long, though. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 2, 2021 18:21:43 GMT -5
That's some pretty amazing stuff! Thanks Uriah! Thanks Stephan! I've cut some rough with marcasite in it before, but I've never worked a piece of it yet...I believe it's going to be messy, but past that, it'll be a hands on learning experience. (Hopefully not literally hands on with regards to the flat lap! LOL) But definitely stained fingers, if you don't wear gloves. Doesn't last too long, though. That was the other thing I forgot! I'll make sure to tell it to turn its head and cough before I get started. |
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Post by beefjello on Sept 2, 2021 18:35:55 GMT -5
Definitely a boatload of great stuff there Jason!!  |
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 2, 2021 18:47:54 GMT -5
Definitely a boatload of great stuff there Jason!! Thank you so much! I have them sitting in a bag on the kitchen table...since I can't do freeforms, they're waiting for me to get them stenciled. LOL - Pretty stoked to find the best shape to cab a lot of these. |
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Post by holajonathan on Sept 2, 2021 20:10:15 GMT -5
I see nothing wrong with those, Jason jasoninsd ! They'll keep you busy and out of trouble for awhile, anyway. I know you'll enjoy working on them. Hoping for good weather for you later this week. Nothing worse than rain on clay, unless you are driving something with a track! Otherwise, slip-and-slide city, lol. Not too much fun. If cutting / cabbing / wrapping / photographing rocks keeps Jason out of trouble, then he must be a saint! |
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 2, 2021 20:13:52 GMT -5
I see nothing wrong with those, Jason jasoninsd ! They'll keep you busy and out of trouble for awhile, anyway. I know you'll enjoy working on them. Hoping for good weather for you later this week. Nothing worse than rain on clay, unless you are driving something with a track! Otherwise, slip-and-slide city, lol. Not too much fun. If cutting / cabbing / wrapping / photographing rocks keeps Jason out of trouble, then he must be a saint! OMG! I have to print this post and put it on the fridge...my wife will never believe someone said that about me! LOL |
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Post by holajonathan on Sept 2, 2021 20:19:16 GMT -5
Definitely a boatload of great stuff there Jason!! Thank you so much! I have them sitting in a bag on the kitchen table...since I can't do freeforms, they're waiting for me to get them stenciled. LOL - Pretty stoked to find the best shape to cab a lot of these. Can't do freeforms? Sure you can. That's all I do. I decide on a basic shape, and then I keep grinding the preform until I like it. If choosing between perfect symmetry or following the interesting contours of a rock, I go with the latter. In other words, if the rock has a pattern or design of some sort, I let that dictate the shape. I own a bunch of stencils and I have used them a few times, but I enjoy making it up as I go along. |
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Post by holajonathan on Sept 2, 2021 20:21:25 GMT -5
If cutting / cabbing / wrapping / photographing rocks keeps Jason out of trouble, then he must be a saint! OMG! I have to print this post and put it on the fridge...my wife will never believe someone said that about me! LOL Lapidary is a jealous mistress. Something else to print and put on the fridge. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 2, 2021 20:23:47 GMT -5
Thank you so much! I have them sitting in a bag on the kitchen table...since I can't do freeforms, they're waiting for me to get them stenciled. LOL - Pretty stoked to find the best shape to cab a lot of these. Can't do freeforms? Sure you can. That's all I do. I decide on a basic shape, and then I keep grinding the preform until I like it. If choosing between perfect symmetry or following the interesting contours of a rock, I go with the latter. In other words, if the rock has a pattern or design of some sort, I let that dictate the shape. I own a bunch of stencils and I have used them a few times, but I enjoy making it up as I go along. I have tried time and time again when I've got a slab that fractures along the edge of a stencil shape I'm trying to cut out. I'll try to keep shaping it to catch a pattern, but it always ends up as some grotesque semi-circular blob! LOL |
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Post by holajonathan on Sept 2, 2021 20:27:20 GMT -5
jasoninsd Now that you mention it, I end up with a lot of grotesque semi-circular blobs, too. Maybe I will start using stencils. Don't tell me you would have stenciled up this guy? It's shaped like a jelly bean. Or maybe more like a kidney bean. But I couldn't find any part of the rock I was willing to grind off to make it more symmetrical.  Crappy cell phone photo in my dark barn. I'll have to get a better photo in the daytime that does it justice.
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Post by holajonathan on Sept 2, 2021 20:39:16 GMT -5
 How's that for grotesque? Not actually a cab. I just face polished a little slab to see if the crazy lace matrix would polish. The answer is no, not really. The contrasting colors would have been awesome. Too bad. I should clarify that this crazy lace has what looks like a mossy jasper for a "matrix." Unfortunately, it is too soft and rusty to polish well. Right at the dividing line between the matrix and the crazy lace there is about 1/4" of solid moss that I can work into some cabs. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 2, 2021 20:39:20 GMT -5
jasoninsd Now that you mention it, I end up with a lot of grotesque semi-circular blobs, too. Maybe I will start using stencils. Don't tell me you would have stenciled up this guy? It's shaped like a jelly bean. Or maybe more like a kidney bean. But I couldn't find any part of the rock I was willing to grind off to make it more symmetrical. Crappy cell phone photo in my dark barn. I'll have to get a better photo in the daytime that does it justice. Okay, but yours looks good! And sadly, I would have tried everything possible and every shape available in my stencils to try and NOT do a freeform! LOL - Maybe it's a mental block. I see a lot people on here who have the talent and eye for making great shapes out of thin air...my "air" is really smoggy! LOL |
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Post by holajonathan on Sept 2, 2021 20:45:21 GMT -5
If I've got a big slab with lots of nice material, I will use stencils. But if I want to cab something like Botswana agates, small royal imperial jasper nodules, and other small, nodular rough, I usually just grind off the edges and take it from there.
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 2, 2021 20:47:29 GMT -5
If I've got a big slab with lots of nice material, I will use stencils. But if I want to cab something like Botswana agates, small royal imperial jasper nodules, and other small, nodular rough, I usually just grind off the edges and take it from there. I just use a smaller stencil shape! LOL |
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Post by holajonathan on Sept 2, 2021 20:54:19 GMT -5
If I've got a big slab with lots of nice material, I will use stencils. But if I want to cab something like Botswana agates, small royal imperial jasper nodules, and other small, nodular rough, I usually just grind off the edges and take it from there. I just use a smaller stencil shape! LOL That works too. Your method is a better way of getting consistently good cabs. About half of mine are funny shaped. But they are just for me to look at anyways, or at most, to give to my wife or my mom. They have to pretend to like them even if they look funny. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 2, 2021 20:55:34 GMT -5
I just use a smaller stencil shape! LOL That works too. Your method is a better way of getting consistently good cabs. About half of mine are funny shaped. But they are just for me to look at anyways, or at most, to give to my wife or my mom. They have to pretend to like them even if they look funny. I was taking a drink of Pepsi when I read that last sentence...it didn't go well! LOL |
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(Hopefully not literally hands on with regards to the flat lap! LOL)
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