What are the dangers of doing lapidary work. I know the dusts from grinding are harmful, but can the rock grindings be absorbed through the skin? Can biologics be released from grinding rocks? I would like to know if anybody knows the whole truths about the dangers of doing lapidary work.

Great question! There are certain dangers to working stones but with the proper precautions taken it's not a problem. If one has an open wound on their hands I would recommend using latex gloves to keep the wound clean. I have worked stones for several years now and have found that the most harmful part has been on the muscles in my body from my posture and hands while working the stones. But I work them in strange ways for sculpting more than just making cabochons as one might normally do from a dopping stick on a cabochon machine.

There are lots of great threads in this section of the forums, so make yourself at home browsing around.
Have any more questions and I would be glad to help.

Denise

I wear a half mask with P100 filters and safety glasses, so I have lungs and eyes covered. I know Malachite can be dangerous, but I imagine alot of minerals can be. I also understand Amazonite has lead in it. I am not eating this stuff or breathing it, but can the wheels grind this stuff fine enough that it can be absorbed through the skin? I don't wear gloves, but I probably should. I have also read on the internet that there have been cases of people getting Legionaire's Disease from doing lapidary work. That is pretty scary stuff if true. Are people leaving the water in the pan for months on end and never cleaning it up. Are they leaving buckets of grinding and water around them forever? I am new to lapidary work and don't really want to have to quit doing it because I messed myself up. I do have tingling in my fingers after grinding for a long time, but this has been going on before I started stone work. I have been running power equipment for 20 years and this is what caused this.

I have cut and ground rocks that had lichen on them and that is partially bacteria. I also have cut dino poop and have wondered if a biologic could be locked up in it. I swear the dino poop grinding stink like poop when when reconstituted with water, probably just in my mind,lol. I also cut open a piece of dino poop and it had a bone in it and it was a bright fluorescent yellow in color. Maybe radioactive ???? I don't know, I got rid of it, don't have a Geiger counter. I guess these were some of my concerns in more detail.

Having concerns is a good thing! Better safe than sorry.
Well it definitely sounds like you are taking the proper precautions plus some. If you were really worried about it, wearing latex gloves would work just fine and not restrict your fingers/hands too much. We have also noticed how smelly fossils can be when worked. I worked a crazy lace agate one time that was white but it turned the cab water red like it was bleeding.

You haven't stated yet but I'm going to guess that you are using a cabochon machine with diamond carbide wheels? If so, before starting up the machine, spray down the wheels really well that way it doesn't kick up any dust. One must ALWAYS work stones wet....very important! I always make sure to cleanup the machine after using it, never let the rock water sit as it will definitely grow some nasty stuff. I never keep the old water sitting around! One can always dispose of it in a spot/hole in the dirt where it wont get messed with and can be covered over. Also keep a hand towel or two handy for wiping up any messes then just toss the towel into the washer. That way when it dries, the dust doesn't end up every where.

You got rid of the dino poop with the yellow looking bone in it? I would have loved to have seen that piece, sounds like it would have make a great cabochon in my opinion. I did some dino poop once that looked like it had colored berries (red, pink and yellow) in it. I have even made a few guitar picks from some.

Is a very poopular stone.

I would love to see some of your stone work if you have pics of any.

This seemed like a good place to show you all a few pieces of my polishing work, and a little metal work. Most are not finished, but they are all I have to show for now.

A fluorite cabochon. It was a test polish piece from material found near Mike's claim. It has only been polished with a shaping grade wheel so far. I am trying to give it a slightly faceted look, to appear like a liquid surface.

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A few Apache tears (blobs of volcanic glass/ obsidian), polished into teardrops, and a tiny cab.

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A few Australian chrysoprase pieces shaped like eyes

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A cab of "blue tigereye" also known as Hawkeye or Falconeye. also shows a slab of the raw material.

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My first cabochon (lapis lazuli), in my first metalwork from high school 1995. This pendant is beat up. I wore it for over ten years strait.

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And a square cab of a cool type of turquoise. I had to shape and polish it to fit into a ring that had lost all it's stones. I messed up on some edges.

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Wow Dave! I'm madly in love with your tigers eye! You have polishing talent man!

I don't have any pictures, my camera is broken, need a new one. I will have some of my stuff up in Buena Vista at the Contin-Tail Rock Show, you can see it there, sorry no pictures for now.