Greetings!
I'm a new member from North Texas (originally from New Mexico). I have been a hobbyist rockhound since my childhood days and was taught how to cab gems in 9th grade by my math teacher. I continued to cab stones using equipment belonging to an artist friend of my parents for a silver jewelry hobby I had at the time, too, when they went to visit him, though that ended when I moved away from home in the late 70's.
Long story short is that in 2014 I "rediscovered" my silversmithing hobby that I had also abandoned back then (silversmithing in tiny studio apartments wasn't easy), but missed being able to cab my own stones. I have cabbed some small stuff slabbed with my tile saw and using my flex shaft with diamond burs/bits/paste, but longed to get back in front of larger wheels.
Well, that longing has finally become reality, and I can't wait until Christmas day when I get to unbox my new cabbing machine/trim saw and get back at it again! I have been hauling a small box of rough and slabs that I've had since the 70's with us through every move, so have a little bit of stone to get started with and can hardly wait!
Thank you all for allowing me to be a part of this forum. I know I'll be able to learn a lot, and hopefully will be able to give a little bit back, too!