I took some notes.....figured they may be useful for some others. Love the work Dave, keep it coming! Most modern machines run 80, 220, 600, 1200, 3000 Grits However most pros will run addition 60 and 140 grit resin wheels for harder stones like agate and jasper that works out like this. - there is nothing wrong with traditional route, its just a little slower, and you wouldn't use this technique on turquoise): 80 grit plated HARD wheel - edge in shape of the girdle, don't overwork girdle as 220 will take some down too 220 grit HARD wheel - clean up girdle consistent height and finish dome shape (this wheel is more aggressive than diamond impregnated resin 60 grit wheel) 60 grit NOVA resin SOFT wheel - gets rid of scratches from 220 140 grit resin SOFT wheel - keep bezel straight, do back of cab, dry stone and view under light to check for correct shape 280 grit resin SOFT wheel - polish face and girdle/edge at 11 degree angle, polish back again
Great video! I'm thinking of getting some of the lower grit soft wheels now... I don't use the standard order of wheels either, but I think those would speed up my process. How come no use of chemical polishing compounds? I do agree 50k leaves a great polish, but I've always had more luck with either cerium oxide and Zam, sometimes chrome oxide. As for the girdle, I wanted to share a tip that I discovered. I place a flat lapidary slab on a flat surface, and the preform on top of the slab. I rest an ultra fine sharpie on the flat surface, with just the tip on the lapidary slab. I hold the sharpie still so that it is a consistent height, and move the stone along the sharpie to create an even height line that I can use as a guide. I hope that made sense, haha!
i remember you telling me that girdle trick i need to try that! i think he didn’t do the cerium just to make a basic works for everything style how to cab video love you ethan your a wicked artist
Question...I thought you were supposed tobe pretty paranoid about mixing grits, but hes going from wheel to sheel, using the same water and spitters from the earlier work.... ????
The bottom of the geysers has such a small hole and nothings really getting through it as far as I’ve heard from Diamond Pacific the only time I’ve ever heard people complain about contamination is when they using polishing pads on the side of the machine
Dave thank you for this video & Don thank you for your expertise. I watched it a few months ago and then couldn't find it again until now. What wheels do you recommend when cabbing turquoise?
I don’t really know if they make something similar for the cabking, but you could figure out how to make a stand for the Diamond Pacific cab rest, and use the Diamond Pacific one on the cabking
@@lapidarydave that’s exactly what I am doing but for my CK8 - from what I could find out the height from the pan to the c/l of the shaft is the same at 7” and the angle can really be what you want but I’m machining mine to 11 degrees as mentioned in the video
Nice to see how Don goes through the process of making cabochons. So many different styles and techniques. See, when I am making my cabs, the lines are only a suggestion. So the 11° angle on the bezel, this is one of the first time I have seen this being done. I have heard about it. I make mine without any slope. My Silversmith has never had an issue in setting my work. Bot this is something I will add to my treasure chest of knowledge.
It’s amazing to watch how FAST a pro can do this! I’m a newbie/amateur just testing the lapidary waters with an angle grinder (my stand-in flat lap/polisher) and wet tile saw and I know I’m never going to see these results that way 😂 but I love watching how this is properly done! Thanks for showing us all!
Cool video guys, thankyou. I'm new to cabbing and really helps breakdown things and help understand. Love the diamond Pacific machines you are using too. Lapidary equipment is so expensive here in Australia. Probably why it's hard and expensive to get into without knowing people in the game. Second hand equipment is also very expensive. Lots of people make their own machines and I can see why. I'll need to do the same.
not too sure the low quality pitch black is pretty cheap the high quality shiny metallic elite is pretty expensive and there’s even a fake version coming out of Columbia now.
Fantastic, video Dave and don, I have a 140 soft but not a 60 soft, I will pick that up. Love the video, as far as the girdle goes, I been told that I need to make sure my girdle is at least 2mm all around. Does that sound right ?
