Stone Sculpture Projects Options

[russau]

some rewards in life are so simple that a lot of people miss them!

[CP]

Here's a simple sculpture.
Something I did with one of my small Chrysoprase slabs leftover from the table project.
I don't have any lap gear so this could still use a polishing but turned out ok using a Dremel and a variety of diamond bit shapes and sizes.
I used the image below and photo-shopped a computer pencil sketch of the image. I captured a good outline of the fish by doing this, then reduced it in size, printed, cut pattern, and traced it onto the stone.
I wanted to capture the true shape of this Cuttbow (Rainbow/Cutthrout Hybrid) as it was a well proportioned fish. It was released within seconds of this photo to fight another day.
Not sure what to do with this piece yet and wide open to suggestion!

Here's a crabby-face for ya Denise!
Swear ta God, I wasn't crabby, some shots just "happen" and I intentionally handled that fish out of the water for a very minimal amount of time.
.... + I'm not so photogenic


This is my Chrysoprase rendering, with no back-light


Lights up nicely...

Very nice Swizz!

A fine little piece to remember what a great day on the creek that was and both fish (real and chrysophase) are sweet. Man that was a nice hybird you caught and released.
Thanks for sharing with us all, we'll be looking forward to seeing what you end up doing with it too.

CP

[Denise]

Fantastic job Swizz, it looks great!! You said you used your dremel to shape it. Did you use some kind of drip system, or did you just make sure the stone was wet while working it? Inquiring minds want to know.

What ever you do with it, Im sure it will make an amazing inlay....especially if the light shows through it.
Keep up the good work, and we look forward to seeing the finished project.

[swizz]

Fantastic job Swizz, it looks great!! You said you used your dremel to shape it. Did you use some kind of drip system, or did you just make sure the stone was wet while working it?

Thanks! I have no good ideas for what to do with it yet. Maybe obtain some other different colored slabs that are also translucent, make more fish shapes with different colored minerals, and create a mobile or something?
I used a pencil-shaped Flex Dremel and occasionally spritzed it with water from a spray bottle. I think that the hardness is similar to Quartz (I forget) but it was pretty easy to shape as long as I had a good vise set, occasional spritz, and good lighting. I've seen your auto-drip setup which is really nice! Maybe I will give that a shot this winter.

[Denise]

You would definately like using the drip system Dan created! It really helps to regulate how much water is dripped onto the stone as your working it.

Im almost pictureing a Tiffany style lamp....but Swizz style , with the fish inlayed into the wood trim (top) of the lamp, and translucent slabs as the sides, with a wooden border bottom. Can you do that? Sounds cool though doesnt it?

Looking forward to what you do make with it Swizz.

[Denise]

Warning .........The drip system Dan makes does have a lower opperating temp range, and fails to function below 33 degrees.

RATS!

[dickb]

Warning .........The drip system Dan makes does have a lower opperating temp range, and fails to function below 33 degrees.

RATS!

Use RV antifreeze in it and it'll work just fine!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dick b

[CP]

Actually Dick that's a great coolant for the larger saw which operates outdoors and can be used to as cold of a temperature as I can stand to be out in operating the saw. However since the dremel is used indoors and also splashes the user during operation quite a bit then I'd say it's better to just use water as we do. Denise was just kidding around about the lower temp operating range because the unit was stored outdoors and had some ice in the bottle. Normally there is not an issue using the dremel set up with water even in cold temps. It just needs to be done indoors, yesterday for example never reached over 40 degrees outside but yet I drilled 10 holes in seperate stones with the dremel.

CP

[dickb]

Hi Cp and Mrs CP:

Sorry, That was meant as a joke. You could very likely freeze your fingers trying to work a stone with the temps below freezing. Thats why I put the laughing picture after the reply. Just have to wait till spring or move into a heated area.

By the way the rough grinder I'm building is coming along nicely and I'll post a picture when I get it done. I do have a question though. About black and green grinding wheels for preforming rough. I was under the impression that the green wheels are for grinding carbide tools and the black is for grinding stone, but the information on ebay seems to say that either type can be used for cabbing.

I plan to use a 100 / 120 and a 220 grit wheel on the grinder I'm building right now. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Dickb

[CP]

No worries Dick, rv antifreeze is a good idea when temps can limit cutting I think. We've been using it for a several years now in the bigger saw and it works quite well in the contained saw with a hood or lid over it. We do tend to push the limits sometimes as it were since we are so limited on space to have things indoors. Oils tend to thicken in the cold and gums up the whole works while the rv antifreeze doesn't do this in colder temps like we often experience here in Colorado.

On your new grinding machine, good luck with it and I hope it works out well for you. For the grits we use, the steps go from rough at 100 grit on upto 600 for step two and then 1200 and 3000 for steps 3 & 4 respectively then it's onto polish. I'm unsure on the difference between green or black silicon carbides but I'd venture to guess the black is an all around grinder wheel and green maybe for cabbers intended use?
I'd definately reccomend diamond carbide wheels if possible as they will not loose their shape and last for years and years of cutting. Silicon carbide on the other hand will constantly be changing shape when used because the wheels themselves will often be the same hardness or softer than what's being cut or ground. This means you will have to do what's called "dressing the wheels" or re grinding the surface to workable flat or concave which ever is desired or original.
If you can swing the same grits and set up with diamond carbides or diamond impregnated belts, I think you'll end up much happier with the finished grinder as a tool for future use.
Hope this info is helpful in your machine set up and let us know how it's works out with it.

CP

[Denise]

When is it enough detail? Im still working on the bunny, but have now turned to its bottom half per say.
Here is a view of the bottom side of the bunny. While working it, a small hole/cavity popped into its chest, but can easily be left there.

Im thinking this side is almost done, and ready to be polished.

[CP]

I still think he needs a smaller more rounded tail so he's not pee'in on it!

That's going to be a sweet little bunny when finished too, that is if Denise can keep ahold of it while polishing the tiny lil' buggar!

Keep up the good work honey!

[Denise]

Too funny Dan, I was thinking the same thing but was getting lazy on the detail I guess.
Plus I thought it looked cute with the extra puffy tail.

Reminds me of a joke though.......
A bear was going through the woods and came upon a bunny. He asked the bunny "do you have problems with poop sticking to your fur?"...
The bunny looked at the bear and said "why no"..........So the bear grabbed the bunny and wiped his butt with him.




Ok, so back to some tail grinding and then we can see what we get. At this point, Im not even sure its a little boy.

[Denise]

Here are a few updates on the Amazonite bird's roughing stage. As you can see I have started to add the detail to show feathers. I started on the bottom side and am working my way up to the top of the bird....... So far so good. I am working in the detail with diamond hand files with the stone wet.

[russau]

quite the artist, you are!