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Let's Rock => Rough and Slabs => Topic started by: 55fossil on October 10, 2016, 07:26:28 AM
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Well, from the book of what else could go wrong. I purchased a 15 pound chunk of the most gorgeous green Cassiar Jade. The side cut looked great with a brilliant and clear green jade. Well, into the saw and it was downhill from there. The first cut turned into little chips in the bottom of the saw. I turned the rough 90 degrees to cut with the grain. The next cut made it halfway through and the rough split off. Then I just took a fine wedge and hammered it into the now apparent seams and split off chunks. The kicker is I did get some beautiful slabs from the chunks.
First picture is wet rough to show color
second picture show a corner polish, took a glass finish when I finished it
third picture shows where saw made it halfway and rough popped off
last picture is a freeform cabochon
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All is not lost when you can still get some good cabs from it.
It would not have made good carving material.
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Not all lost, maybe I will break even. I really like the color though.
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I hope it didn't cost too much $. Was it an end cut piece? Some times they will trim the outside of the rock, the best jade is in the middle and has the highest value. Some of the outside is stress fractured and may do what your rock. Micheal Hoover will know more about it than I do. I have a slab of jade that I bought at a rock show that every cab I tried to cut would splinter. I got mad after the fourth try and pitched it into the trash can
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As I have noted at times - some Jade just does not wish to be cut. :dontknow: This is what makes working with Jade so interesting in my opinion. The weird thing is once you get curves on the cab a lot of the schistic Jade works easily if you never use metal wheels on it......
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Metal hard wheels was where I had my problems. It was like the vibration would cause the jade to splinter and come apart. I should of kept the slab instead if having a tantrum. I have learn a few things since than.
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Metal wheels cause harmonic vibrations issues with even good Jade. I call these fiber pulls and the first evidence of them is tiny white spots. These fiber pulls are even in slabs (metal cutting blades caused) and you can see them as the "grain" of the Jade in a slab and on edges of a cut block. So, basically a saw blade also causes these harmonic vibrations and what you see as "schistic" Jade issues. A VERY smooth running saw can often cut Jade that shatters in other saws.