How to Split Slabs for Doublet Cabochons
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- Опубликовано: 2 май 2023
- For some projects, you’re wasting material if you aren’t splitting slabs into smaller “slabettes,” so give this technique a try!
I use this all the time for making:
-a turquoise doublet (or anything that involves a $$$ stone. Check out my doublet tutorial here: • How to Make Doublet Ca... )
-low-domed cabs
-thinner, lightweight cabochons for earrings
-doublet or intarsia backings with a more fun stone
-mirrored cabs
And since y’all are creative, I know you’ll come up with other uses for this too!
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If you’re interested in checking out more of my jewelry, you can visit my website and find my social media links using the same link in the paragraph above.
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Tools:
-Metallic pen (optional): amzn.to/3LLgcn0
-Hi-Tech Diamond’s thin sintered diamond blade (thin and is a good multi-tasker but can still hold up to harder stones unlike those Amazon cheapies): hitechdiamond.com/collections...
Equipment I’m using:
-Hi-Tech Diamond 6-inch slab saw. Use coupon code “CALBRITTON” at checkout for 10% off your purchase (excludes machines, attachments, extended warranties, and gift cards): hitechdiamond.com/collections... or you can find on Amazon: amzn.to/3Fzq7J8
-Hi-Tech Diamond 8-inch Slant Cabber. Use coupon code “CALBRITTON” at checkout for 10% off your purchase (excludes machines, extended warranties, and gift cards): hitechdiamond.com/collections... or you can find on Amazon: amzn.to/3jgU0Fy
*As an Amazon Affiliate and CabKing/Hi-Tech Diamond Ambassador, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Nice tip with the pencil line. I will definitely give it a try.
It’s one of those simple yet really helpful tips (I know I’ve been splitting a lot of slabs lately and find it super helpful!)
Really a nice tip with the pencil!
Thank you! It’s always those easy tricks that are the best! 🙂
I am anxiously awaiting your tutorial on fabricating the cuff for stone inlay. I enjoy all your videos.
Thanks so much, Nona! Inlay bails will finally be up next week, then I can get to editing my inlay cuff videos! I still need to video how to make the cuff jig first so that you can have that ready before the tutorial is available 😊 let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to know how to do!
great tutorial! might just give me the confidence to try this out!
Thank you! Try just splitting a slab in half first since that’s the easiest, but you can get some cheap material at your local rock show to try it out on first until you get comfortable 😊
You have very steady hands. Great work.
Heard about an old old backing trick: epoxy your thin slabs to old broken 78RPM records. They're flat, cheap, and easy to work. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, and yes I had heard of that trick but never knew where to find records! I just looked on FB Marketplace now and found some for .50 cents each, which is definitely cheaper than most slabs. Are they fairly sturdy as far as bending goes? I don’t have any experience with them. Thanks for sharing this tip with everyone!
They seem to be the right thickness, toughness, and not very brittle. You might experiment. Good luck. @@calbrittonjewelry
Thanks, I think I’ll grab some records today and will test it out next week! 😊
Love this!❤
Thanks, Tam! I've been doing a ton of this to make a bunch of earrings lately, so I figured I may as well do a quick tutorial on it :)
your channel rocks 💎🔥🏄♀️
Thanks, man! I’ve been slowly digging into your vids, I aim to be as knowledgeable as you one day! 🤩
@@calbrittonjewelry yeah right you’re definitely way beyond me you’re fantastic
But you’re the person I’d be coming to constantly to ask what something is 🤣 my ID skills are lacking for sure!
Great video as usual, I have cut a slab in half but never into thirds. I am going to give this a try.
Thanks Nancy! It’s great for those low-dome cabs, and you get much more bang out of your buck.
Great video and good reminder on how to make the material go further. Do you have a preferred backing material?
Thank you! And totally, some people forget that it’s a non-renewable resource.
Basenite and basalt are probably your best bet for backings, but I’ve backed with all sorts of materials. You just want to make sure they don’t have fracture lines through them.
Might be good to glue stone to a piece of wood to give you more to hang on to as your cutting!
Good idea for those that can’t hold the stone like this, whether fingers are larger or those with arthritis issues.
Just want to point out that if you sell it, disclosure is important. Here’s a question: would you be expected to charge less? Because there’s a lot more work but half the stone ( especially for valued stones, I would expect this to be a factor). Thoughts?
Yes, definitely! I talk about disclosure in my doublets video, but I went ahead and added a CC at the bottom of the video in case I missed talking about that in this one so thanks for bringing that up.
As far as pricing, think about it this way: I think someone would be a bit pissed if their friend received a 12oz steak and you got a 4oz steak over a pile of mashed potatoes and they were both the same price.
That being said, I'd certainly price accordingly. OR make it worth the jeweler's $ (maybe there's a really cool stone as the doublet backing, making it a more interesting piece for a cut-out bezel), therefore adding more value to it.
I think you just have to do the math to see whether its more profitable to do the extra work to split the slabs and make doublets, or if you'll make more by just having a solid stone. To me, it's not that much more effort, especially when you're making doublets in big batches. :) Hope that helps!
what do you recommend for backing? I saw someone was using JB Weld...
I’ve used JB weld and that’s fine. Many old timers use the Devcon putty, which I’m going to start using to eliminate any air pockets and ensure that you have a nice thickness on the bottom. Or you could do a stone doublet
if you're to good for JB Weld or epoxy backing, or if your piece wants to be outside of a setting, then go with Black Jade.
Thats what we southwestern pueblo native artists use for that application.
Hell my village used to use plastic from batteries.
I know the six inch trim saw comes with a fence attachment available, but i've never seen it used, is there some reason?
The fence didn’t come with mine, so I personally can’t speak for this particular saw. This tutorial is mostly for those who also don’t have a fence, or find it too cumbersome to use (not sure how hard it would be to hold a 1/4-inch slab in a vise but I’m sure it wouldn’t be easy)
@@calbrittonjewelry -not a vise-a guide!
@@calbrittonjewelry -A GUIDE,NOT A VISE!
Just a quick suggestion. If you do have a vice and want to use it, glue the slab to a piece of wood and clamp the wood in the vice. I've done this with regular hard to hold stones. I cut the stone in half and then glue both halves to a block of wood. Then you can use the vice feed to get perfectly even thickness slabs.