Rockwerks Lapidary Forum

Humm, let me try to upload a photo or three,









Rose quartz band with a pink lab opal.
Tiger eye band with gold masonic emblem (from a tie tac)
Unfinished,, dalmatian jasper band waiting for a firefighter's emblem to cab it off with.

awesome work.
what are you using for equipment?

greaser wrote:awesome work.
what are you using for equipment?

Thanks, but I consider this just getting started.
As for equipment, I am using JUNK...
I have 2 diamond bits, one is a hollow core 5/8" and the other is a 3/8" sinister bit for a dremal.

I bought 9 spheres from eBay (killed 3) of different types. I super glue the 30mm ball to a 3/4" pvc pipe fitting and clamp the fitting in a pan of water and hand drill the center hole. From there I use an old, old (did I say OLD) wood lathe with the sinister bit (and a water drip rig) to shape the ring. As for final detail I use sandpaper, (lots of sandpaper) on a pane of glass. Polish with a dremal. It takes about 3 weekends to finish one.

Very crude tools I know. But I'm sure that it's only been in the past oh,,, 100+ years that we have power tools and stone rings and carving has been going on for ,, what? 10,000 years?

So I am here to learn how to do it right. I will ask allot of questions I'm sure.
Within a week I will have a proper drill press from a co-worker. It's a year old 15" Craftsman.
I hope to build a saw and flat lap. I should ask about the Swap-a-top lapidary tool.

Very, Very nice Paul, great work. I have never tried rings, but you got it down. Thanks for the pictures. Do you have others on the drawing board?
TTYS
Dan

I do have a project I have just started on. I want to make a ring from a meteorite.
I picked up a Tektite for this, but after reading about the stress they are under and given my track record of braking stones I now wonder. I can't afford to buy a Gibon so the endochinite <spell> will have to do.

I have read that cutting is a hit and miss for having it brake in a fraction of a second. I also have not found any other like this on the web, so I don't know. I am sure that if successful I shouldn't use power tools for cutting and shaping. (they should be OK for the polishing). Then only wear it on rare occasions.

Any input from you guys on this?

I wouldnt call your eqiupment junk. I have a lot of mone made toold for my knifemaking and have imprevised some for lapidary work. For instence m drill gress has become a milling machine and a rocksaw. Simply by putting a vice on the cross slide table and munting a diamond sw blade on a 5/8 inch bolt wiht the head cut off. A very simple arbor. Water dripping from a IV bagkeeps the sw blade cool and clean.

Thanks KM,
I have the drill press now and next on the wish list is a 3 axis vise. it works great but would be even better with a good vise.

I will post some update pics of the tektite ring in it's thread.

Beautiful job Paul. Its nice to see some out of the ordinary projects.