Pusscat
03-08-2017, 02:39 PM
Hi there,
Thought I'd better introduce myself. I'm more into Ladipary and turning rough stones into things that can be set into jewellery in some way, but at the moment I'm happy with that and don't feel i want to take the 'next' step yet.
I've always had an interest but couldn't try it out primarily due to the lack of lapidary clubs here in the UK and also that any equipment, either new or second hand is both rare and very expensive!
So, I thought if I can't afford it, I may as well try and make some.
With stainless inch bar, a local engineer company to put threads on the ends, bearings, a motor from fleabay and diamond wheels from Lithuania, I made a cab machine with 8 wheels. I've also made a polishing bench from another bar / bearings, a felt pad and a cut bundt cake tin (?!). I did try for an 10 inch saw...it works but it's the most 'Heath Robinson' of my pieces and although it cuts slabs, they aren't too reproduce-able thickness wise and it's a pig to set up!
I've always loved opals so I've been buying some rough and seeing what I could do with it. Some of them were cracked (only to be expected with the rough I'm using and my initial lack of experience) but at least it was a start! I've taken some to destruction (purposely and ahem...not purposely...). I've only had books and the internet to teach me.
I have been progressing however and some of the stones I've produced I'm now quite proud of if I may say so myself! Lightning Ridge, Coober Pedy, Koroit and Opaltron tend to be my stones of choice.
I've also tried with apatite...beautiful but not stabilised so a little bit fragile. I also have some rough tigers eye that I picked up from somewhere but I haven't played with that yet, still mainly into my opals..
I need a trim saw now, so I've bought some discs from Hong Kong and will get a tile cutter locally and a speed reducer. I'd love to be able to get a proper lap trim saw but at over £300...we'll it's too much at the moment!
I'm here to learn and enjoy myself doing so!
Pusscat
Thought I'd better introduce myself. I'm more into Ladipary and turning rough stones into things that can be set into jewellery in some way, but at the moment I'm happy with that and don't feel i want to take the 'next' step yet.
I've always had an interest but couldn't try it out primarily due to the lack of lapidary clubs here in the UK and also that any equipment, either new or second hand is both rare and very expensive!
So, I thought if I can't afford it, I may as well try and make some.
With stainless inch bar, a local engineer company to put threads on the ends, bearings, a motor from fleabay and diamond wheels from Lithuania, I made a cab machine with 8 wheels. I've also made a polishing bench from another bar / bearings, a felt pad and a cut bundt cake tin (?!). I did try for an 10 inch saw...it works but it's the most 'Heath Robinson' of my pieces and although it cuts slabs, they aren't too reproduce-able thickness wise and it's a pig to set up!
I've always loved opals so I've been buying some rough and seeing what I could do with it. Some of them were cracked (only to be expected with the rough I'm using and my initial lack of experience) but at least it was a start! I've taken some to destruction (purposely and ahem...not purposely...). I've only had books and the internet to teach me.
I have been progressing however and some of the stones I've produced I'm now quite proud of if I may say so myself! Lightning Ridge, Coober Pedy, Koroit and Opaltron tend to be my stones of choice.
I've also tried with apatite...beautiful but not stabilised so a little bit fragile. I also have some rough tigers eye that I picked up from somewhere but I haven't played with that yet, still mainly into my opals..
I need a trim saw now, so I've bought some discs from Hong Kong and will get a tile cutter locally and a speed reducer. I'd love to be able to get a proper lap trim saw but at over £300...we'll it's too much at the moment!
I'm here to learn and enjoy myself doing so!
Pusscat