Artist Cut Stone & Cool Stuff for Makers
Sonora Sunrise from Mexico. One of my favorite materials. I just got some more rough and I’ve been cutting some gorgeous stones. Here’s a nice example. Look at those gorgeous colors.
The blue is chrysocolla. The red is cuprite. And the black is tenorite.
Feather Ridge Plume Agate from Oregon near the Idaho border in the Strode Basin. This rough was purchased directly from the Miner/ Claim Owner. This material features gorgeous pink, yellow and white plumes in a clear agate. So pretty and it makes incredible doublets and cabochons. Here are a few examples of what I’ve had the pleasure to cut so far.
I’m working on a project and would like to document the process here. A customer sent me a piece of Honduran Opal to cut. The goal here is two lovely ovals. When the rough arrived I was pleasantly surprised as I thought it was a slab- it was a little chunk with fabulous green, blue and red pinfire throughout. I’m looking forward to this!
I had a good long look at the chunk so I could decide how I wanted to approach it. Then it went to the trim saw to cut off a little slab or two. A slab is a little slice of rock.
In addition to scribing the shape, I’ve added a T. It stands for- top. At this point the top will be the top. These are different sizes because that’s what fit. I consulted with my customer and asked if he wanted them the same or different. His preference is closer to the same to I’ll revise this part.
Since I’ve never cut this material and there’s more then we need, I’m going to cab that little chunk to get a feel for the material. If felt soft on the saw but until it touches my wheels….I really won’t know for sure.
At the preform stage the shape is roughed in. (I know, my grammar could use some help tonight)
As I get the next part of the project worked on I’ll post photos and descriptions so that you can watch it evolve. The whole project will be in this post. 🙂