Applying to join this forum, you HAVE to activate your membership in YOUR email in the notice you recieve after completing application process. No activation on your part, no membership.

Lapidaryforum.net

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Welcome new members & old from the Lapidary/Gemstone Community Forum. Please join up. You will be approved after spam check & you must manually activate your acct with the link in your email

Congratulations to Bobby1 and his Brazilian Agate Cab!

 www.lapidaryforum.net

Another cabochon contest coming soon!

Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Introduction and hello  (Read 937 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Felicia

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 489
Introduction and hello
« on: January 26, 2020, 05:50:15 PM »

Is this where you introduce yourself? Okay. I've been rockhounding and doing lapidary since my parents started it when I was 6. Only started silver work at 22. I'm 67 so been doing it a while. I just cut, shaped and polished a set of small sugilites for earrings and pendant. Nice shine but not glassy. First time I've used sugilite, is this normal? Tomorrow the settings!
Logged

vitzitziltecpatl

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1176
Re: Introduction and hello
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2020, 06:59:34 PM »

Welcome - this is the right place. With all of your experience, it's nice of you to join us here.

Sugilite? Yeah, your experience is pretty typical. Here's an interesting bit about it: http://www.lopacki.com/lopacki/tips/index.html

Few people have spool polishers or wooden laps anymore, but there are good alternatives. I like Eastwind brand resin disks on 1/8" foam backers. The Eastwinds are slicker than most laps, and they work great for lots of hard-to-polish stones.

Also just saw a search result that said chrome oxide works for Sugilite, but I haven't tried that.

hummingbirdstones

  • Opalholic and General Rock Nut
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3055
    • Hummingbird Stones Lapidary Services
Re: Introduction and hello
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2020, 07:06:09 PM »

Welcome from Northern Arizona!  Would love to see pictures of your sugilite and the finished piece(s) when you''re done!   :hello:
Logged
Robin

Stonemon

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 591
Re: Introduction and hello
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2020, 08:32:04 PM »

Welcome from western Oregon! Looking forward to seeing your creations.
Logged


Bill

VegasJames

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 470
Re: Introduction and hello
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2020, 02:27:21 AM »

Welcome to the forum.

Have you tried buffing the sugilite with Zam? Works great for softer stones and seals them as well.
Logged

lithicbeads

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3214
Re: Introduction and hello
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2020, 08:22:14 AM »

Hi and welcome, I remember decades ago when sugilite showed up in the US en masse. It was handed out to about a dozen of the best cabbers to find a polish method. Diamond soft wheels and pads were just coming on the market and sugilite pushed the demand. My favorite pad for sugilite  has always been a well worn 1200 pad from either Ameritool or all u need. Little water and no rubber backing pad. You would be surprised at the killer pre polish this pad will get on most stones.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.09 seconds with 38 queries.