3 Ways to Cut Concave Cabochons
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- Cutting concave (or inward) curves can be tricky, but with these three options and a lot of practice, you’ll be on your way to having more interesting shape options for your cabochons!
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:26 Method 1: The 1-Inch Wheel
1:53 Techniques to Smooth out Lumpy Areas
4:03 Method 2: The 1/4-Inch Wheel
4:46 Method 3: Carving Bits
6:30 Choosing the Best Wheel/Bit for the Job
Equipment Suggestions:
-1/4-inch with 6-inch diameter Diamond Pacific Carving wheel. I have 220 grit, but they have a variety of grits. You’ll have to find a dealer like (www.johnsonbrotherslapidary.c...) or (suvalapidary.com/products/dia...)
-Diamond bits from Jade Carvers in various grits (jadecarver.com/product/30pc-b...) These are the sets I have, but it looks like they sell them individually or sell different shapes if you want to get into actually carving
-Some kind of flex shaft or Dremel vise. Here’s one option from Rio but you could do a quick Google search to find something to fit your needs: www.riogrande.com/product/hol...
-To hold the stone in place: some kind of reusable thermoplastic like Thermo-loc, Jet Set, InstaMorph, etc. You could attach it to another heavy rock or something to hold it in place while you work.
Equipment I’m using:
-6-inch CabKing. Use coupon code “CALBRITTON” at checkout for 10% off your purchase (excludes machines, extended warranties, and gift cards): cabking.com/products/cabking-... or you can find on Amazon: amzn.to/3eWP8n0
*As an Amazon Affiliate and Cabking/Hi-Tech Diamond Ambassador, I earn from qualifying purchases
Ooooh! I did not know that 1/4" rounded carving wheels were a thing! I need one! Thanks for sharing!
No problem! You’ll wonder how you got around without it! 😁
Love it so much❣️
Thank you! 🙂
Nice work
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Great video!
Thank you! This technique can be tricky but worth the struggle :)
Thanks so much for posting this. Going to try it out today!
My pleasure, and can’t wait to see what you make!
Great tutorial. I was wondering if youcould do a tutorial on a ying yang type of design. Thanks
That’s so funny you should say that, I actually have that on my list! I first need to do a drilling holes tutorial then I’ll have one to put all the skills together in a yin-yang cab! 😁 I just need my hubs to help set up my new drill press lol
That lady pendant at the end is really well done! I've been wanting to do something like that, but I'm just beginning and couldn't imagine how to keep the stones in if they share the same border, since you can only wrap the bezel to one side or the other. Are those stones just glued in? Looks like it would have taken a lot of time to solder that frame together and fit all those stones, very well done! Also, how do you polish the concave shapes then? Do you use the 1/4 inch wheel in higher grits too? I see they're discontinued
Thank you so much, my figurative pendants are my signature pieces! I’ll be doing a virtual workshop on my website on how to do more complex inlays like those once I get my inlay cuff bracelet up there. You can go to this link and scroll to the bottom to sign up for my lapidary workshop emails so you’ll be notified when a new class is available!: www.c-albritton.com/inlayjewelrycourses
I will add to my list to make a Part 2 to this to include polishing the inside curves once they are cut. I usually use the sides of my worn resin wheels to polish those areas. I polish to just under where the bezel will be, but I’ll show a few other ways to do it with other tools and bits.
I didn’t realize the 1/4 inch wheels are discontinued though! That’s such a shame since they are so useful, but I can see from their end they probably aren’t a huge money maker. I’d say if you see them around, but them up!
Love the video and had no idea there were 1/4" rounded carving wheels available. Is there a video (or have you made one), of the finishing process (all the way to polishing) once you have completed the concave shaping? Again, great video and awesome tutorial. Well done!
Thank you, and yes! That carving wheel is awesome! I usually keep it on my right shaft most of the time.
I actually don’t have a video of the whole polishing process for the concave shape, but I’ll add that to my list of videos to do! 🙂
Thank you great video
I’m glad you liked it, Darlene!
videos are the best! Can you tell me where you got that 6” (?) bullnose carving wheel on your cabbing machine?
Thanks so much, Bob! I have the links in the video description for those carving wheels: they’re the best! But SUVA Lapidary and Johnson Brothers Lapidary both carry those 1/4 inch galaxy carving wheels. Enjoy!!! 😁
Great tutorial!!
Thanks Chrissy! :)
Hi Caitlin - loved your concave cabachon tutorial -such a pretty idea for that pendant - reminds me of an arrowhead🤗
I was thinking of this when I watched the video - do you have a Taurus Ring Saw? I have one and have always used it for my stained glass projects that require a rounded angle, but lately I’ve been using it to shape rocks and (yikes…🥴metal). I think they make a blade to use specifically for these materials, but when I get something inmy mind I have to try it - and it cut through my rocks like butter! I’ve only used it for weird shapes I can’t get with my trim saw - trying to NOT damage it. You really would love the way they cut - it’s so amazing how it powers through things. With some practice and a steady hand you can really make any shape imaginable. You may already have one it know this but thought I’d share my experience with you. They are well worth the money and prevent a lot of time wasting with a drenal. I made my very first stained glass piece with a dremel and little tiny delicate pieces - it took months - this thing has opened up a whole new world for me! There are some great videos that really show its’ capabilities - I’ll search for the girl who made the best videos and send you the link. Just an idea - keep up your BEAUTIFUL art 💜
Also, have you ever wanted to dip your toe in to the old world intarsia art - landscapes/pictures? It’s such a lost art and the old method would never be possible now - there is very little info online of even how it was done but I think there is still currently an artist that carries the family tradition on in his family’s studio in Italy. I have purchased a few online and to me they are priceless. I’ve started a few “kindergarten” style landscapes myself because I became so obsessed. I know you’re busy but finding someone who shares this interest is so exciting for me - a lot of people I’ve talked to don’t “get it”…but I just dream of this stuff 💜
Yes, it is an arrowhead! I didn't have any good pictures on hand, so I had to resort to that. My husband and I are really into artifact hunting here in Florida :)
I'm SOO glad you commented about this because I had never heard of the Taurus Ring Saw and now I'm wishing I could have put that on my Christmas list! And hey, I mean I don't see why you couldn't cut metal with it, it looks super sturdy. Back when I first started, someone told me to get the Inland Craft Wiz glass grinder and that thing cut do dang slow so I felt like I kinda wasted my money there but I didn't know any better at the time. I really could see myself using this so much than doing touch-ups on my CabKing (on my wish list it goes!). But I suppose not everyone has the capital or room for like 20 pieces of equipment hahaha! ;)
And I actually have done some concentric-style intarsias in 2019 at William Holland School of Lapidary Arts, but you've stirred my interest in them again. I always found that they could be cool, but the ones I saw were always huge, clunky, and the artists used materials that I didn't feel like went well together lol. I know William Boggs has a book on intarsia and I think a few short videos on RUclips, but that's all I've seen intarsia-related.
I'm so happy to find another lapidary artist to talk shop with! If you have a Facebook, find and add me--it'll be easier to chat through the messenger and share pics! :)
These are great videos! Hope you keep going with this.
Thanks, Donna! I plan on making more as long as I don’t run out of ideas 😉
@@calbrittonjewelry There are so many things you could do. It’s hard to find specific advice about HOW to cut. You could, depending on your expertise, show carving, drilling a post through rocks, when to cut flat versus doming. I don’t know the range of material that you work with, but there are many materials that require special attention in cutting and polishing, such as undercuts, starting wheel, how to maximize optical qualities of things like moonstone, etc. Then there’s more of your design process. It’s hard to find classes back here in the East so these RUclips videos are invaluable. Video learning of all kinds helps. I will check your links again to send you some financial support, you may want to double check your links to make sure they work and are easy to use. Thank you again! I know this is a tremendous amount of work and I appreciate whatever you want to contribute to helping your audience.
@@donnaer thanks so much for the great suggestions! Drilling rocks to add cylindrical rocks or a tube setting is definitely on my list! I’ve added a few others from your comments too so I have plenty other ideas to work from.
Also thanks for letting me know about the links. I just needed to add the http in front of it, so that donation link should now be clickable. Sorry about that, but I so appreciate you letting me know! Sometimes it’s hard to check all my bases because I get so excited to get the video uploaded, haha! :)
I tried making a "paisley" cabochon a couple years ago and did the edge of the wheel technique. It worked ok but I didn't get as much of a concave as I would have liked. I still have the cab so I may try to find a diamond bit closer to the radius of the curve I am looking for as you suggested. I wonder if you could use a set of hole saw bits to get more options for radii.
Once you have refined your shape with the technique of choice, how do you proceed with the polishing? You are kind of limited to edge of the wheel technique unless you have diamond tools in all of the different grits.
Yes, it sounds like you’ll need to go to using smaller diamond burs to get that tighter curve you’re looking for! I’m not sure what you mean by “hole saw bits” though? Are you talking about diamond core bits?
As far as finishing the inner curve, I’ve been meaning to do another follow-up video but you’d buy some nova points like these from Kingsley North: kingsleynorth.com/diamond-pacific-nova-sanding-polishing-points.html?gad_source=1#895=30296
Then go through the stages of these resin polishing points until you’re all polished! 🙂
Such great information! If using the diamond bits, what would you use to to complete the sanding/polishing to finish your piece? Are there flex shaft wheels/attachments that can do this? Thank you!
I’d try out those felt bobs with diamond different diamond paste-looks like Jade Carver has 120 grit upwards of 100k (holy cow!). I personally haven’t used these, but because it’s on a website for stone carvers, I think this will be your best option (I’m going to be adding this to my shopping list soon since I’d like to do some carving!)
They also made shaped silicon wheels for jewelers that have different grit sizes but I’ll say that even using these on my sterling silver, they do kinda get “chewed up” pretty quickly so to speak. But if you’re interested in checking these out too, I’ll see if I can snoop around for a link to send ya
Keep wondering if there isn’t something better than a dremel for concave curves, like a diamond wire / bandsaw sort of thing.
So I don’t know if you’ve seen them, but some of the Indonesian dealers on Instagram/etc sell shaped cabs (like cats or guitars), and I’ve always thought that because of the uniformity of them, that they must be using a band saw or something similar like you suggested. I just haven’t done it personally, so I’m not sure how you’d safely set up a drip system and whatnot. Then you’d probably have to make your own diamond blade for it (I don’t know what they make, but your typical wood blades aren’t going to cut it). I’ve also heard people who do those micro inlays where the stone (softer, or course like spiny oyster shell) is like 1mm thick and they use a jewelers saw. But that doesn’t with cabs.
Now that you bring it up, it’s worth investigating further!
Great tutorial Catlin, I heard you say you use the 220 grit 1/4 inch wheel now do you use it in the different grits as you finish out the piece? I have done mine like you did on the edge of the wheel and never realized these 1/4 wheels existed but I will be ordering some.
Hey Nancy! They do have 1/4 inch wheels in different grits, but I think they’re all diamond-they don’t make resin 1/4 inch wheels that I know of but you could use silicon bits on a flex shaft.
Me personally, I just use the 1/4 inch wheel as best I can for the overall cutting then use the worn down sides of my wheels to polish it out. But they definitely have to be worn out because the resin wheels can leave indented marks in your curve.
Where did you get the carving wheel
! I have the links in the video description for those carving wheels, it’s under equipment suggestions! SUVA Lapidary and Johnson Brothers Lapidary both carry those 1/4 inch galaxy carving wheels. Happy cabbing!
ruclips.net/video/4SzB7roP9e4/видео.html
Don’t know if that link will work but her name is Mackenzie Hallie
Oh my goodness, thanks for sharing this video! I’m so impressed by how this cuts! I wonder how it would do with your typical 1/4inch slab? It really does seem to cut like butter!