How to Make a Cabochon-A Complete Tutorial
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 ก.ย. 2024
- A cabochon is a domed stone with a flat back used in making jewelry. I'll show you exactly how I make one, starting with a slab and ending with the finished product.
Here's the groove wrap tutorial I mentioned in the video: forum.rocktumb...
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Kingsley North is a lapidary store in Michigan's U.P. They make a great cab machine and sell many other brands too. They have a huge selection rough rock, tumblers, grit, jewelry supplies etc. at good prices. I buy most of my coarse grit from here in 45 lb. bags. It's the best price I have found. If you buy using the following link, I make a small commission.
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This is the cabbing machine I use:
kingsleynorth....
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We have a different approach to forming the dome which produces a different result. I grind a 45 degree bevel about 1/3 into the face of the cab. Then, I grind about a 20 degree bevel that half way overlaps the 45 bevel and extends about 80-90% to the center of the cab. Finally, I grind a very low bevel (around 10 degrees, perhaps) that slightly overlaps the 20 degree bevel and extends right to the center of the cab. (Smaller cabs usually only get two bevels.) So when I finish grinding the the bevels, there is no flat spot in the middle of the cab. Instead, there are three distinct beveled planes that completely cover the face of the cab. Only at that point do I round out the bevels, which results in an even dome that covers the entire face of the cab.
The way you do it, you have a more steeply angled dome around the edges, and a very slightly angled dome in the middle. The middle of your cabs are not perfectly flat, but it is much flatter than the edges near the girdle.
Your cabs look nice and there is more than one way to make a cab. Personally, I prefer a more even dome since light reflects evenly from the surface of the cab, and an even dome makes the cab look more like a gemstone in my opinion. It is also easier to remove scratches from a more even dome. You are likely familiar with the technique I use, and perhaps you simply like your way better. But if you have not tried it the other way, you should, so you can compare the results.
Thanks, Jonathan, I was hoping to get some suggestions like this. I have not tried the method that you described, but I definitely will. If I understand you right, you spend a lot more time grinding bevels and less time rocking the rock back and forth from the edge to the center. I'm excited to try that out.
Imagine that you want to turn a wooden square into a circle. You have a circular saw and a sander, but no way to mark out the shape of a circle. How can you create a circle through cutting and/or sanding?
You could use only the sander and try to simply round off the corners of the square to form a circle. That wouldn't work very well. (This is how I first tried to make a cabochon -- merely by grinding from the edges to the center with grinding any bevels. It didn't work very well.)
Now consider what would happen if you use the circular saw to cut an octagon by removing a triangle from each corner, and then round off the octogon into a circle with the sander. The result would be better. But a sander is slower and imprecise, so you might end up with something more like a rounded off octogon than a circle.
Now imagine first cutting an octogon, and then cutting a triangle from each point of the octagon to form a shape with 16 sides, and doing this one more time to create a shape with 32 sides. At that point, you could use the sander to e
round off the 32 points and end up with a pretty good circle. Here is the key point: the circle emerges almost entirely from cutting angles and not from trying to form curves.
It is a clunky metaphor, but your doming technique is like cutting an octogon (the first bezel) and the going right to the sander. No matter how much you try to continue to form the dome by rocking from the edge to the center, it is very difficult to form an even dome this way. I know because I made cabochons like that for a long time.
By grinding two or three partially overlapping bevels before smoothing out the dome, the rocking back and forth part will go very quickly and can be done with a fairly light touch. All you will be doing is knocking down the ridges between the bevels (like sanding the 32 sided shape into a circle). Cabbing wheels are very good at knocking down small ridges. When I dome a cabochon, 80% of the time is spent grinding the bevels, and 20% is spent rounding off the dome with the 80 grit and 220 grit hard wheels. I knock off the tops of the ridges with the 80 grit wheel, and then use the 220 to fine tune the dome and remove the ridges entirely. After a minute or two on the 220 wheel, I hold the cab up to eye level looking directly at the side (the girdle). The dome should look evenly rounded when viewed from any direction.
The beauty of this technique is that if you simply follow the process, it will create a wonderfully even dome on any cabochon shape.
It will take some time and close attention to angles to grind multiple bevels that cover the entire face of the cab. This gets faster and easier with practice, although it will always be time consuming for hard materials. But it shouldn't make the overall cabbing process any slower because you will be able to move through the resin wheels more quickly if you start with an even done. The resin wheels do an excellent job of removing scratches from a rounded surface, and struggle to remove scratches from a flat or only slightly rounded surface. That is why people often struggle with scratches in the middle of their cabs. If the middle of the cab is less domed than the edges, it will be harder to remove scratches from the middle. Indeed, pretty much any time that I notice scratches that require me to move backwards to a coarser grit wheel to remove them, I can trace the problem to a little part of the dome that wasn't rounded as evenly as the rest.
Finally, here are two tricks.
When first learning this technique, it can be hard to grind the second and third bevels at a consistent angle and to the same depth all the way around the cab. There is a simple trick that makes this easier. After you grind each bevel, the flat part that remains at the center of the cab should be the exact same shape as the outside of the cab, just smaller. So if you are doing a teardrop shape, you will have a flat teardrop in the middle of the cab after grinding the first bevel, and a smaller flat teardrop in the middle after the second bevel.
The second trick is a way to test the evenness of the dome on a completed cab. If you have a tube light in your basement, stand under it while tilting the cab towards and away from the light. If the dome is evenly rounded, the reflection of the tube light will remain a straight line as you tilt the cab. You will be able to immediately spot areas where the dome is uneven because the reflection of the tube light will bend.
On materials like crazy lace agate, where the pattern is the main attraction and the colors are opaque, you may find that having a more evenly rounded dome doesn't look all that different. But with more "gemmy" material, be it amethyst, rose quartz, or even just solid red jasper, an even dome will change the appearance dramatically, and in my opinion, for the better.
Wow, that's a great explanation and I really appreciate you taking the time to write it up. I also need to come over to your place and take a lesson. Weren't you just learning stuff from me a year or two ago? Boy, things have changed!
@@jonathanyoung7785 супер!👍
how do I buy your pieces?@@MichiganRocks
Old disabled house bound dusty rusty rockhound here: Beautiful job! Makes me miss my lapidary shop.
I'm sure having fun in mine.
Very impressive. I am a retired Optician and did a lot of hand shaping with glass before plastic took over. Brought back memories. Thanks
You’re welcome. Your work must have had to have been much more precise.
Yes but not as beautiful.
I have been viewing a lot of videos recently on the topic of rocks, lol. Your videos are certainly among the best on TH-cam. This one is no exception. I really appreciate you making and posting these. Thank you!
You're welcome, Michael.
You are definitely good at making cabs! You have a good eye for detail. And patients they seem to turn out well. And your machinery is awesome ! Good job Rob!
Thanks! I haven't really made that many cabs compared to a lot of people. I'm sure there are plenty of tricks that I don't know yet.
@@MichiganRocks You can only get better. Practice makes perfect.
Nice!
Rubbing alcohol works for removing sharpie, and it's less expensive than acetone.
That's good to know. Thanks!
Don't dry erase markers work just as good too? They do on whiteboards and glass.
Nice cab! Great choice for placement.
Though I would suggest one thing, do the back bevel before you start on the dome. Especially if the stone is liable to fracture or is soft. Would hate to invest the time to finish the cab, then do the bevel and something happens at that stage!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
That's a good point. I'll try to remember to do that in the future. In fact, I have some that I just started that I think I'll bevel before I start on the front.
It’s neat to see it from start to finish. Thank you for taking the time to film and edit such a great video!
You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks. Made my first cabochon last Sat. Had minimal direction. Wish I had seen your tutorial first.
Just think about your second cab!
@@MichiganRocks thanks
Excellent placement!! That piece is gorgeous
It really turned out beautifully! I'll never tire of watching you make cabs, or any of your videos really. Great tutorial on cabs. Thanks for sharing Rob!✌️🤠🤘
Thanks, Kyla.
It's great to learn your technique for grinding a groove for a wire setting rather than a bezel setting. I'm wondering where you source your groove bit for the glass grinding machine. I'm having no luck. Help appreciated.
Look in the description of this video and find my Amazon storefront. I have the groove bits I use listed there.
Wow! Great tutorial. You are a great teacher. Your instructions were clear and pretty straight forward. And it continued all the way to the very end. Thanks Rob!
Thanks for the nice compliments. I did a little planning for this one, so that helps.
Very nice work. I used to do lapidary work many many years ago. Took classes when I was a boy at the Grand Rapids Museum on Saturday mornings.
Do you ever think about getting back into it?
I totally agree with your choice of positioning your cab from the raw slab. Loved the phrase “When in doubt, grind it out”! You make it look soooo easy !
I was really torn, because I liked that first spot too. I really was going to go the other way until I started recording.
Please let me know your phone number?
@@diedredunham7383 Who are you ?
@@diedredunham7383 You don't need my phone number. What's your question? I'll answer you here.
Thanks for the tutorial. Beautiful stone. Great job! I’ve been picking for years and finally I’m getting a shop set up to do this sort of work.
Good for you, David. You're going to love it.
I loved this video! Making a cab out of crazy lace was genius! Very beautiful ❤️
Crazy lace is one of my favorites, so it was an easy choice.
I checked out your wrap tutorial.
I would like to see a video of it. I learn better that way.
That's not my tutorial, just the one I use. I'm not really that good at making them. It's sort of awkward for me, so I don't think a video from me would be very helpful.
That was a very well done instructional video for teaching first time cabachon making. You’re years of teaching are shining through. The only thing I would add, is the importance of heating the stone before dopping. We do this because we don’t want the hot wax to fracture the stone. If the stone is also heated, this can be avoided. The cab turned out beautiful
I did talk about heating it up first, but for a different reason. If the stone is cold, the wax just hardens and doesn't stick. I have not heard that the hot wax could crack the stone. I do much worse to the stone by putting it in the freezer and then running it under hot water. Maybe I shouldn't do that.
@@MichiganRocks I did see that you talked about that, and that's great. I was just passing on what I've been taught by my local gem and mineral society. I'm sure that some types of rocks can fracture with sudden changes in temperature.
@@betojdesigns I appreciate the information. I hadn't considered it.
Beautiful, just beautiful. Well taught.
Thanks!
Great choice on the piece you chose to cut out. I agree with you, I like a little color also.
Very nice.😊
Seu trabalho é muito bom meu amigo gosto demais.
Gracias.
Great tutorial Rob! Thank you fir for sharing this video!
You're welcome.
Great video Rob, thanks for sharing. Lovely agate too
You're welcome, Jeff.
Awesome video, Rob. Very well taught.
Thank you.
Omg,that is absolutely beautiful💕
Thanks polish back side charge double then it's worth it. Both sides are cool good work .
I’m inspired! Excellent breakdown on technique. One day I hope to own some of the same equipment that you have.
Such a good video! It will be a valuable resource for those starting out and wondering if they should invest in the polishing equipment.
I wish you had finished the back, but that's just me. LOL
I mostly finished the backs of the Sow Belly agate I did recently and it was really time consuming. I think it took longer than the front and I finally gave up and went back a wheel to hide some scratches that had shown up.
Thanks for sharing that. That’s beautiful rock!
That was great! Planning on cabbing some Petoskeys and this is a huge help. Thanks...
That's what I'm here for, Dan.
You came a long way my friend. I will classify you as an expert.. I think you're filming and your work is outstanding.
In a recent video, I asked people for suggestions for future videos. Someone suggested that I go to the channel Black Opal Direct to see how he films his cab machine. I did and saw that he has a really nice jig to hold his phone. I made my own version with a couple boards hanging down from the ceiling that hold a piece of 3/4" PVC pipe right over my cab machine. I already had a clamp on camera mount that fit on the PVC perfectly. Now I can easily move the camera from one wheel to the next and I don't have to reach around a tripod while I work. The whole thing folds up into the ceiling when I'm not using it. This video was the first time I've used it and I really liked it.
This Spring I plan on seeing you in the U. P. Sooner or later I will run into you on a beach.
@@johnbaenen5386 It's a good possibility!
I'm new to cab making and this was a great review for me from a class I took recently! I do like the groove wrap style, I think I'll have to try that. Thanks and I'm glad I found your channel!
I have never taken a class. How did my method compare to what you learned?
@@MichiganRocks I'd say your method is similar but my rock shop guy has a whole process for getting the top perfect! One step that helps is using a marker to cover the surface and then you'll notice if you've missed any areas. I'll see if I can find the video for it!
I added the written instructions in my Instagram post above since I can't share pictures in the comments.
@@utahrockhoundingcouple I have heard of the marker method. You have to be careful with that though. If you use it on some rocks it can soak in and require a lot of grinding to remove.
Good to know on the issues with using a marker! Thanks!
What a great helpful video - THANK YOU!
Beautiful cab love the change in ideas of the placement on the slab. 1 thing I make sure is there is wax between the stone and dop stick. If the stick is touching the stone it pops the stone off the stick due to vibration. And not sure if you mention this but stick finished stones on the sticks in the freezer it pops the wax off the stone due to thermal expantion rates when you pull them out of the freezer.
I usually just push the stick down hard on the back of the cab, not worrying about there being wax between. I've never heard that was important. I'll try it. Thanks for the tip!
I guess you didn't watch to the end (no problem), but I showed myself putting the cab in the freezer. The first time I showed that, I taught a few people something. Some people were soaking them in acetone to remove the wax. The freezer is way easier.
Very nice cool work great job 😊
Hi Rob , as always very nice job, its beautiful !
That was very informative. Thank you so much for all of your videos. I have learned so much watching you. I am curious, where did you get the plans for your tumbler cabinet? I have been looking for almost a year to find plans to build a cabinet like that?
My friend designed it. He asked me not to share the plans. I have made a couple videos showing it and have answered some basic questions in the comments.
Homemade Tumbler: th-cam.com/video/6qIcK2ZohGM/w-d-xo.html
Tumbler Update: th-cam.com/video/PAMOCc2BNJM/w-d-xo.html
Great show
Received my rocks. The time and costs involved would make an interesting video. Thank you.
Hello Rob, very nice work on the crazy lace
and good call on the reddish orange part of the stone
Are your wheels Nova wheels on the cab machine ?
Thank you
Carl Zatsick
Farmington Michigan
Yes, the last four are Nova wheels. The first two are Galaxy. All Diamond Pacific. These are supposed to be the best.
A piece of Earth's history! Phenomenally beautiful. Where do you sell your jewelry?
I sell a few things at a local shop. They don't have an online store, but will work with you if you call or email. olivetbookandgift.com
Kinda off topic, but I'd keep that drone grounded for a while, especially over Lake Huron!😉
Good plan! I'm planning to go out tomorrow and thought about taking the drone along. I decided I didn't want to bother with it, but never thought about getting it shot down. I wonder if there are flight restrictions on them right now? Probably not, but it would be worth checking!
Beautiful cab Rob! You're a great teacher.
Excellent and such a BEAUTIFEL pendant. I order Crazy Lace from Northern and they are amazing strones! Thx
What's Northern? Do you mean Kingsley North?
Cool video, Rob. You sure can do some artistic stuff. Impressive
I'm not sure if it's artistic. Seems like all the art is in the rock. I just cut it out.
Thank you. I never knew how to get rid of the flat spot on top!
Just keep working it. It just takes time and I still struggle sometimes.
I new to this, and I'm fascinated by your demonstrations (I want to learn how to do it from start to finish)!?! What all will I need to get going (What tools will I need)?!? Are there Books, DVDS or other things I will need?!? Where will I find the best tools (What manufacturer,or store, and can I find some of them on Amazon)?!?
That's a really big question. You'd need quite a bit of stuff and it's not cheap. If you bought rocks already slabbed, you wouldn't need a slab saw. You'd still need a trim saw, and a cab machine at a minimum. My cab machine is a Kingsley North Cabber 6. Here's my review of the machine and a couple links to where you can buy one. Take a look at these and then ask some more questions if you're really serious.
Cabber 6 Review: th-cam.com/video/n30aBTu9OkY/w-d-xo.html
Cabber 6 with upgraded wheels (the one in this video):
kingsleynorth.com/kingsley-north-cabber-6-nova.html?ref=robertabram1& (affiliate link)
Standard Cabber 6:
kingsleynorth.com/kingsley-north-cabber-6.html?ref=robertabram1& (affiliate link)
its a beaut clark. 😍 Awesome job and great teaching thank you
You're welcome, Devin!
Really pretty pendant. Thank you for sharing the process.
You're welcome, Dawn.
Beautiful piece❤
Thanks for the tutorial, Was a fun watch! I've been trying to afford a cabbing machine for the last 5 years or so, Every time I get some money saved up something happens. It'll happen some day 🤞
Keep trying!
I’ve been polishing stone for over 35 years. This is totally different. Polishing little pieces of stone like that. Very tedious, the dopp stick is a finger saver huh? Get a Kingsley North manicure. Very nice work Rob.
How have you been polishing them? In a tumbler?
These wheels won't cut you unless they're really new. After the initial bumps get worn down, you can rub your finger on them. In fact, I did that in one part of the video just to make sure the wheel was wet all over before I started. The dop stick just makes it easier to hold onto the cab.
@@MichiganRocks I tumble and polish stone for a living. I get rocks off the beach and tumble them up. We have a lot of quartz including Smokey quartz, petrified wood, agates. You know, the usual suspects. I have 2 tumblers and have almost worn out the bearing on the one. I love your show and the stones.
@@robbybobby64 You can make a living doing that? The way I do it, I would starve to death before I got my first batch done.
@@MichiganRocks I do Marble & Granite installations. I do all the fabrication and polishing of the stone. My own business over 35 years. Tri state area is where I live , there is no lack of work. I tumble beach rock for pure pleasure.
@@robbybobby64 Oh, ok. I thought you were saying that you make a living from tumbling rocks. That would be very surprising. Now I understand.
Would you have any tips for how to make really small cabs? Thanks for this video! It was very helpful!
No, I have not made any really small cabs. I might skip the first wheel just because taking off too much would be more noticeable and easier to do on a small cab.
great tutorial! just what I needed to see. just got my knc6 a week ago. cheers!🎉
That's awesome, you're going to have a lot of fun with that!
@@MichiganRocksso yeah I'm just trying to find your links to your Amazon marketplace to find them grooving bits for the glass grinder. I'm pretty new to TH-cam so any help would be greatly appreciated thanks Rob
Never mind I found it sorry
@@dandobson8882 Amazon is pretty fussy about how I share links, so I don't want to just put the link here.
Under the video there's a description and you should see the word "...more". Click on that. Then look for a link to my Amazon storefront.
Thank you for explaining everything so clear!!!!❤
You're welcome.
Love this so much!!
beautiful skilled work on the agate👍
Thanks!
Nice, I don't cut in at the side for wire wrapping. I wrap without. Great job. I do alot more rocking.
I think that's the way most people do it. I have only learned how to do a groove wrap. I should really learn how to do the normal kind of wrapping too.
Wow beautiful result.
Thank you for tutorial
We have raw beautiful stone
You're welcome.
Gee Rob, I hope that flying object shot down over Lake Huron wasn't your drone! I enjoyed your cab demonstration. Have you ever shaped your cab, cut the groove for the wire, then let the tumbler do the rest?
Nope, my drone is safe and sound. I think I'll keep it in the house for awhile though.
I have not done that, but a friend does it. It works with very hard rocks, like this one. Most agates and jaspers should work well that way. I think my friend does the girdle again after the cab comes out of the tumbler to make the line nice and crisp again.
Stunning! Thank you for showing this! I learned a lot! 😊
You're welcome.
Beautiful!
Are there smaller machines that can do the same job for those of us who do not have the money and/or space for one like yours?
The machine I have comes in a cheaper version with Kingsley North wheels. I have the Nova wheels, which are generally considered the best. That machine is cheaper, but is the exact same size.
You might consider a flat lap. Flat laps can make a cab just like this, but there are several disadvantages, in my opinion.
First the advantages:
Flat laps are generally cheaper, smaller, and the replacement laps are cheaper too.
Disadvantages:
Flat laps only have one lap on at a time, so you have to change them several times while making a cab. It's also hard to see your work. You're looking at the back of the cab instead of between the cab and the wheel like I was in this video. You're basically working blind and checking your work every now and then. I just posted a question on the Rock Tumbling Hobby forums asking how people did this and one woman told me that she leans her head over and peeks underneath when she's working on the edges. One guy has a slant lap and works from the back of the machine to see underneath it. Another person posted a nice video of him working on a cab on his machine. In my experience, the flat lap grinds a little slower too, but a friend of mine told me that he feels like they both work at about the same speed.
Here's the discussion I started at RTH: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/101573/girdle-line-when-using-flat?page=1&scrollTo=1263995
Here's a link to a flat lap: kingsleynorth.com/all-u-need-6-inch-complete.html?ref=robertabram1& (affiliate link)
Here's a slant lap: kingsleynorth.com/slant-cabber-6-inch-complete.html?ref=robertabram1& (affiliate link)
Michigan rocks awesome work!!!
Thank, Alfred!
Awsome episode!!!!!
Fantastic, I really loved the pattern in this one it turned out amazing
Crazy lace is usually pretty awesome.
Thank you for the detailed video! That glass grinder you use is the same one we use for staindglass lamps. It's been a few years since I have made any glass projects, but that sound is unforgettable.
As a machinest, I was wondering if they make a 45deg wheel for the glass grinder? I am not as good as you with free handling a bevel.
Cheers from Wisconsin.
I have a little ramp that came with it that lets you angle the glass so that edge ends up at 45°.
Congratulation, parabéns! Brasil
Super beautiful! Seeing the progress was really cool. What kind of stone is it? 😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
That's Mexican Crazy Lace Agate.
@@MichiganRocks It looks very beautiful!😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Your agate slabs are gorgeous!
Yes, those were some good ones.
Great job on the video and the instructions!
Thanks.
Excellent video, as always! I just got my first flat. Going to give it a go tomorrow with some Ohio vanport flint we collected.
Mobile users: Quit rocking your phone like you're the one cabbing. 🤪
Good luck with your first cabs!
You're such a champ at this. Have you tried cabbing the fire agate?
Nope, I have a couple small fire agates, but I think they have to be ground very carefully to show the fire. I haven't really looked into it too much. I should though.
What make & model is your glass cutting machine ?
I'm definitely going to get one. Beautiful pendant, Rob. I know you asked for suggestions, but you're doing great & wouldn't change a thing
I can't find that exact same one. I got it used. I found one that is the same brand and listed it in my Amazon storefront. You can find that in the description of any of my videos. I think any brand would probably work.
Super beautiful. Thanks.
It is beautiful.
Absolutely gorgeous 💖💖💖
You ever watch Pulitzer Opal? He does a lot of cabs in his videos, nice tutorial.
No, I have watched a couple of videos on the Black Opal Direct channel though.
You should check him out, Pulitzer Opal is really funny.
Ok, I just watched a video called, "Opal … Expect the UNEXPECTED !!" It was a very strange video, but I have to say, it kept me entertained.
Oh, pretty opal. Why are there bugs on the screen? Oh, there's that nice opal again. Hey! Turtle chase! Now I'm watching an arrow head being snapped. Opal. Cat. Dog. Opal again...
Another great tutorial, Rob! Love it, and love the stone you used…crazy lace agate?
Yep, that's Mexican Crazy Lace. Awesome stuff.
Do u ever use vibratory tumbler to polish your finished product?
I have. Really hard rocks do better using this technique.
@@MichiganRocks I was wondering if I could do that, ty 😊
Have you ever tried treating any stones the way they do with Andamooka Matrix? They work on that matrix opal just as you're working on this stone and you'd never guess there was any colour in a lot of it untill after they treat it. Beautiful job you did on this stone.
Do you mean heat treating rocks? I haven’t tried that or any other treatments that I can think of.
@@MichiganRocks They put the rocks in a pot with a sugar and water bath. It has a glass lid with a vacuum pump. It looks like a slow cooker and it heats the mix for about three days. After that it looks very dark but they soak it in citric acid and when it comes out of the "treatment" they soak the stones in water with baking soda. Once that's done, the once whitish matrix is dark which then really accentuates all the colours you couldn't really see well otherwise.
@@Kerrsartisticgifts I’ve never heard of that process. Is it just used in opals? I have never worked with opals either.
@@MichiganRocks , I began watching your videos on tumbling and collecting rocks on Lake Huron. That led me to opal videos and gold mining videos. So far I have only seen matrix opals being treated in the way I described. Those Andamooka matrix stones start out looking like bits of concrete but once they treat them the colours really stand out, it's amazing to see.
I watch "the opal mills" and "pulitzer opal" doing it. You would probably really enjoy seeing them do what you do, except with various opal stones. Boulder opal, seam opal, matrix opal, nobbys, but I'm wondering if you could treat some other stones, like they do with the opals.
@@Kerrsartisticgifts I watched the one you linked to showing how they treat them. That was pretty cool.
What's the best rocks/stones would you recommend or are your favorite stones to use.
I think that's all a matter of taste. I make a lot of stuff out of Petoskey Stones and puddingstones since I can pick them both up locally and I love both of them. Of the rocks that I can't get locally, I really love Crazy Lace agate, which is why I used it here. There are so many awesome rocks out there, that it's hard to start listing them.
@@MichiganRocks I appreciate that you share knowledge with the rest of us. Thank you.
@@austinlabeau372 You're welcome.
Beautiful.
Why do we use dopping sticks so long? I cut the ones that came with the pot about an inch shorter and made more but sometimes they still get jammed against the handrest Have you tried shorter? How much shorter? Thoughts? Problems created if too short?
I made all my own, none came with my pot. I have one or two that must have been from the end of the dowel because they are shorter. I don't remember there being a problem with them, but I don't usually have a problem with the longer ones either. I have jammed a couple against the hand rest, but that's pretty rare. I'm not sure there were any answers to your questions there, but that's all I've got for you.
Can you tell me where you get the bit that puts the groove in the side of the rock, pretty please
In the description of this video, you'll find my Amazon storefront. I have the exact one I use listed there.
Nice and precise work , I would like to know what kind of glue are you using ? And where to buy the stencil ?
I use dop wax to stick the cab to the dop stick. kingsleynorth.com/green-dop-wax.html?ref=robertabram1& (affiliate link)
Here's a link to the stencil I used: kingsleynorth.com/gem-temp-template.html?ref=robertabram1& (affiliate link)
@@MichiganRocks thanks
@@MichiganRocks thank you again.
Where to get a 'groove bit? If I purchased a used glass grinder would that groove bit be all I would need? Thank you.
I think that should do it for making the groove. In the description of this video, you'll find my Amazon storefront. I have the groove bit I use listed there. There's also a glass grinder that's as close to the one I have as I could find. My grinder was used when I got it and I'm not sure they make that one anymore. I think any glass grinder would work, so look around for a used one if you want.
Ok, i love the glass grinder. Where do I get the bit that you have for the groove cut? I can't seem to find. Any help appreciated greatly. Thanks
I have it listed in my Amazon storefront which you can find in the descriptions of all my videos. The brand is "Twofer".
@@MichiganRocks awesome thank you 😊
I just want to make agate crosses. Should I buy a saw and a vibratory tumbler or a saw and a cabbing machine ???
Definitely a saw and a vibratory tumbler. That would take forever to do on a cab machine and it would still be tricky to get into the corners. Here's how I do it: th-cam.com/video/dJ7qriOF0r4/w-d-xo.html
Beautiful
Pretty slick!
The grooved bit on the glass grinder can be purchased where?
In the description of this video, you'll find my Amazon storefront. I have it listed there.
Love your videos!
Would you mind telling us the brand name of the machine you used to router the wire groove into those cabs, where you bought it and what that little router bit is called? Thanks, Dale.
I got this machine used. The closest to it that I could find is listed in my Amazon storefront, as well as the exact bits I use. You can find that in the description of this video.
@@MichiganRocks thanks so much!
Great vid as always
Good tut. Do you ever wish you had the 8" cab machine? And how thick was the slab? Thanks
I have not wished for the 8" machine. I make those little heart pendants like I showed at the very end of the video. They have a concave curve that I wouldn't be able to do with an 8" machine. The wheels for the 8" machine are also about twice as much. I wouldn't have to change them as often, but it would sure be expensive when I did.
The slab was about 1/4 inch. That's a good size if you're putting a groove around the cab.
Nice piece Rob, how thick of material do you prefer to use for your cabs. Have a great weekend happy hounding.
About a quarter inch. Any less doesn't give me much room for the groove. If you weren't making a groove, you could go a little thinner.
Do you wear breathing protection when grinding cabs?
Yes, I wear a respirator.
Where can I buy very good quality thin saw blades 6in dia. with a 5/8in hole? To cut Jasper
Try Kingsley North. There's a link in the description. The Rock Shed sells them too.