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Author Topic: Any Gemstone box makers out there?  (Read 3911 times)

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irockhound

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Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« on: June 27, 2016, 03:57:01 PM »

I would love to pick the brain of anyone making gemstones boxes.  I am way over analytical even though I am from a Design background.  Every time I think about how to make a box out of something as hard as Agate or greater I start thinking about how I would work around all the issues. I overthink myself into stalling.

Getting square cuts that are duplicable from my saw without tons of after grinding including 90 degree. Would this entail making a custom vise that allows me to have a square to blade surface. I did that many years ago for doing sphere preforms but different saws now.
45 degree cuts for corners without blade deflection.
Polish before assembly on lap? and then assembly?
Do a wood interior box and skin with Agate?
Assemble box and then split like in woodworking.

I thought of doing hardwood for the corners and then use the stone as inlaid windows and if that were the case I could make a return on the outside which would mean the stone wouldn't have to have zero tolerance. Then again would it be as nice as an all gemstone box?

I would just love to hear someone else's process since I would love to get more exotic with the boxes.  I look at the work of Nicolai Medvedev and go WOW I want to be that good.
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Debbie K

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2016, 08:35:07 AM »

I don't make gemstone boxes. But I have a friend who bought a machine that is supposed to aid in making them. The flat lap is vertical and the table is horizontal which enables you to get a perfect 90 degrees on the edges. The table also can rotate like a chop saw to give you a 30, 45, 60 degree on the side. I don't think the table was tiltable off the horizontal.

I think the idea of it was to get close with a trimsaw and then perfect with this machine. I think I'll be running into her tomorrow if you'd like me to ask who the maker is, and maybe you could find it on the internet and make one yourself.

If you are going to use epoxy I'd leave the edges to be glued together rough; better adhesion that way. I was thinking about making one in black jade and was planning to bezel set the jade not unlike the glass jewelry boxes made in Italy and Mexico, but couldn't figure out how to set the jade and use real silver solder and have the thing be sturdy. Still thinking...

Debbie K
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irockhound

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2016, 12:15:45 PM »

That would be great if you could find out the machine maker and type.  The more info the better and something will click for me.  Being shifted from a designer to an I.T. guy in my career really messed my mind up I used to experiment all the time and now I try to think it through before touching anything.  My right brain needs to lead a rebellion - just don't tell the left side!
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Debbie K

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2016, 03:01:04 PM »

This is the unit she bought; it seems that the links on this page are dead. But the photograph gives you a good idea of how it's constructed. http://rockhound-field-trips.ning.com/profiles/blogs/the-budget-lapidary-1-al-s-intarsia-grinder-the-low-cost-high-qua. It seemed like a well made machine.

If I were going to make something like this I would try to incorporate a rotating protractor so I could do angle cuts. As far as the sides are concerned, you could make a wedge of any angle you wanted and attach it to the table, and you could compound angles.

Hopes this helps.

Debbie K

P.S. Found this on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW_fn-QDbWk
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irockhound

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2016, 06:21:51 PM »

Thanks, I tried following the links too and they are a dead frontier link so I google'd him and found he has his own site now.  Looks like a pretty simple layout.  We will see where this leads.  Thanks so much for the info!

http://www.alsesonagrinder.com/#!grinders-and-accessories/c1kk3
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Jhon P

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2016, 09:22:35 PM »

I have an old book somewhere that has instructions on making boxes, I looked but did not find it. as I remember they were cut from slabs, edges 45ed and glued together. lids made the same way. someone posted a soapstone jewlery box that was carved out. that can be done with any soft stone. but hard stone would be a lot of work. I will look for the book again. I may have loaned it out and will never see it again. :icon_scratch:
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rocks2dust

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2016, 09:42:00 PM »

If you want to construct the box out of slabs (carved or just face-polished), you can do stone slab boxes the same way as you would do a stained glass box. Just wrap the edges with copper foil tape and solder together. If you google "stained glass box" you should find instructions. In addition, there are pre-cast brass decorative fittings for corners, feet and hinges that you could use instead of, or in addition to, edge soldering.
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irockhound

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #7 on: June 29, 2016, 10:18:11 PM »

Thanks for the suggestions.  I think the stained glass approach is a cool one, was looking at an August '82 Rock and Gem that had an article about using that to do lampshades and they were beautiful.  I am personally leaning towards the 45 degree corner method as it would make the most elegant box.  The Intarsia grinder that Debbie posted is good.  I went thru his website and couldn't find anywhere where his "other attachments" could be found like a 45 degree front table etc.  I wish I still had access to the mills we had at work and could just make my own.  I have an old Diamond Demon machine and thinking I could rig some plates for 45 and 90 degree.
One thing I didn't see on the machine from AJ was a 90 side stop so that you could reliably get square corners and edges.

I have an almost complete library of rock and gem, lapidary journal,  rockhound magazine and gem and mineral and have been going thru those looking for box articles.  There was a series for about 6 months I found so far giving quite different box types but these were all 90 joints so very visible but had some very unique ideas.  A pirate treasure chest design was my favorite which I could imagine in so many different materials.
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gemfeller

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #8 on: June 30, 2016, 08:43:37 AM »

irockhound, maybe you've already found these but my Lapidary Journal Index shows box-making articles as follows:
"Making Jewel and TrinketBoxes," 81: 09:1258, and
"Today's Heirloom Boxes," 84:12:1174.
There may be others; the book is an organizational nightmare (the editors did the best they could); but I haven't had time to do a more complete search.
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irockhound

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #9 on: June 30, 2016, 11:13:24 AM »

Thanks for looking for these!  I actually didn't see those yet so I pulled them out.  The 81 article is on Nicolai Medvedev whose gemstone boxes are a dream.  I can't put his image here since the box is in the Smithsonian and the image is copyright but here is the link to one of his amazing boxes.  The man is a genius with intarsia.

http://geogallery.si.edu/index.php/10002829/intarsia-box

I looked at the 84 article is a how to for a simple box.  I am reading them to glean any info.  Thanks again for the research, it all helps.
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Jhon P

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #10 on: June 30, 2016, 11:46:50 AM »

I checked out the link. That box is amazing. It must of taken hours of work to make!!!
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stoneya93

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2016, 10:59:30 AM »

irockhound,
After seeing pictures of stone boxes recently when looking up lapidary art I'm very interested too...just curious, are you any closer to making them?  :coffee1:
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peruano

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #12 on: September 10, 2016, 06:05:57 AM »

One person who has experience making structures from agates goes by the handle   snowdog on the rock tumbling hobby forum.  You might ry looking at  his threads if you have not already found them.   
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irockhound

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #13 on: September 12, 2016, 07:11:13 PM »

Hi there, been a bit busy of late and haven't been keeping up on the forum but have been cabbing quite a bit. Short answer is not far.  After looking at the Sesona grinder I went back and looked at the Boxer attachment from Diamond Pacific.  I went ahead and bought it when I saw they had the adapter for adding it to the Titan (Boxer is made for Genie and Pixie).  After getting the Boxer which came with "okay" instructions, the Adapter came with nothing other than a parts diagram.  No assembled pic or how to assemble to the Titan.  The Boxer instructions gave some info on Titan although it was written for Genie etc. but the instructions are vague and only give some advice on Titan use.  They say to drill holes on each side on the tray and use 1/4" x 5" bolts to hold a 3/4" x 4" x 18" long piece of board. That's pretty much it.  Not sure if the adapter replaces that or not and where do you drill the holes exactly or does it matter and if it doesn't matter how precise is the alignment of the boxer to the arbor.  Since it sounds like you are putting the board laying over the top of your tray, I also wonder if they thought about if the feet on your tray are not all level making the top of your tray not parallel with the arbor?  As an ex product designer with a mind that thinks like an engineer I wonder about these things and {SORRY ABOUT THE LONG description} because of this I haven't tried assembling the thing since I am not going to start drilling holes unless I know they are correct.  Guess I will need to just do a dry fit and see how things line up.  I have been slabbing some of the material I bought with boxes in mind to have it ready.  I haven't looked at the tumbling forum but I will check snowdog out.
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Jhon P

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Re: Any Gemstone box makers out there?
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2016, 09:13:24 PM »

Let me know how the boxer works out, I may want to get. (or if I find the time I may be able to build one?) I have a lot of oynx scraps from making spheres that should make good boxes and is easy to work.
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