Fire Agate Art Studio

TuCSoN Ez-guIDE SPECIAL FEATuRE: TOOLS OF THE TRADE
rYszarD’s bEst
PRACTICES (AND TOOLS) FOR
GEMSTONE CARVING
by Ryszard Krukowski
A
ttention gem carvers and
cutters: While you’re at the 2013 tucson
gem show don’t go back home without the
very best tools for your craft. To be certain, you’ll find
every tool you’ll need while you’re here in tucson.
on the next few pages, then, i’ll be sharing from my
30+ years experience in the area of gem carving, not
as much a “how to” on carving gemstones but rather
to suggest some tools that will help you get the best
results, faster. The main gemstone I work with is fire
Compo-flex – workhorse of the
agate, a stone of very complicated bytroidal structure
polishing process
where the best results can be achieved by contour
cutting or carving out layers of brown and milky chalcedony to expose various areas of
“fire.”
Lapidary equipment and carving tools used with fire agate can also be used with a
variety of gemstones like opal, sunstone, aquamarine and quartz. Working methods are
the same, but take note of the unique characteristics of each stone, for example, do not
overheat opal!
As for large grinding and sanding
machines, the larger the diameter of the
wheel, the faster work goes. i suggest
using 8-inch wheels on titan machines
by Diamond Pacific Tool Corp. For
shaping your carving material sintered
grinding wheels are best, because
the thickness of the sintered diamond
layers allows use of the edge of the
wheel to create v-shaped grooves on
your stone, which can save you time
Homemade flap wheels, 675L 3M
removing bulk material with small
Company sandpaper
wheels and burs on your flex shaft. Use
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XPO PRESS TUCSON EZ-GUIDE™
powered) belt-sander kit, which came with
four sanding belts: 74, 45, 30 and 20 micron
grits. Now the paper is only available from
gesswein (www.gesswein.com) in many
forms and sizes. i damaged one of my
belts from the kit (the 45 micron/320 mesh
one), and decided to use it as a stock to
cut a selection of different sized discs
and strips for my Foredom handpiece.
it worked fantastic. this grade was
aggressive enough to remove 120 mesh
grinding wheel scratches and grooves but
fine enough (well-graded) to prepare the
surface for the next step of sanding, for
which I sacrificed my 30 micron/400 mesh
Assortment of flap wheels, 675L 3M
Company sandpaper
long-lasting coarse and fine wheels from
inland Lapidary Co., as they have a good
concentration of diamond in bronze matrix,
which cuts well.
For sanding, using large wheels is
very beneficial. I use them as much as
possible on any accessible point of my
carving because it is difficult to get quality
smooth surfaces using smaller devices on
your flex shaft. Working with Nova ResinBond diamond sanding wheels is selfexplanatory.
And now i’d like to take more time and
present some tools i use for sanding on
the flex shaft. One is a sandpaper (or
sandplastic) that i discovered a few years
ago by accident — a product of 3M Company
called 675L Diamond Microfinishing Film. A
few years ago I acquired a small (flex-shaft
flap discs in process of production
belt. From this point on traditional methods
take over: felt wheels and bristle brushes
with good quality diamond compounds (i
prefer these products from Mt. Mist and
vH technologies). After this comes the
final step of polishing, with Compo-Flex
and Diashine super-fine polish from VH
technologies.Commonly, i’m using 25mm
(1-inch) disks of 30 and 45 micron grade
sandpapers on screw top 3/32-inch shank
handpiece mandrel, with the abrasive
surface facing the handpiece to allow for
good visibility of the working surface. For
more intricate details, tight spaces, and
valleys i make smaller discs down to 1/4inch or so, using crazy glue to position
them on top of old, worn-out burs. they
wear off very fast but last long enough to
Split mandrel sander and raw sandpaper rolls
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COnTinuEd On nExT PAGE
TuCSoN Ez-guIDE SPECIAL FEATuRE: TOOLS OF THE TRADE
COnTinuEd fROM PREviOuS PAGE
take care of some
with diamond grit,
of the scratches on
unfortunately labeled
the bottom of small,
only as coarse,
deep valleys.
medium and fine.
For
long-lasting
they work very
sanding my favorite
smoothly with great
tool is to combine
precision, but require
three or four discs of
a light touch because
the same size on one
they are designed to
mandrel by cutting
wear down to stay
a radial slot and
sharp. i would suggest
inserting all the discs
wearing a mask when
together to create
using these tools, as
what I call a “floppy
they are made to work
disk.” this way the
dry, which kicks up
discs are stiffer, and
particulate dust.
sanding action is
The final permanent
increased. only the
additions to my
edges of the discs
assortment of tools
wear off, and can be
on my workbench
cut away to expose
are vH technologies
This pendant would have been
a
nightmare
to
finish
without
my
a fresh edge, making
products
Diaflex,
diamond sandpaper.
the discs a bit smaller.
diathin, and polishing
(I wish 3M Company made floppy wheels
wheels called Compo-Flex. these wheels
with 675L paper or similar on cloth besides
are the workhorses for polishing anything,
the traditional silicon carbide or aluminum
from metal to metal to stones already
oxide ones.) i started doing it by myself with
set in jewelry. Made from indestructible
partial success but i’m far from commercial
laminated rubber they are comprised
perfection because of some problems with
of diamond powder mixed with rubber.
positioning the flaps and bonding them
they last forever, but for best results after
together. one thing i noticed is that once
extended use i recharge my Compo-Flex
rolled up the sandpaper will maintain its
using VHT’s super-fine Diashine.
preformed curved shape, when cooled
this list of tools is still incomplete, and
after exposure to moderate heat (from, say,
probably won’t answer all questions that
putting it in a toaster oven for 40 seconds.)
experienced cutters may have. For those
this is helpful in making drum like sanders
interested in learning more, i will be in my
on a split 3/32” mandrel.
showroom during the tucson gem show in
Use of diamond sand-papers made a
2013: room 151, riverpark inn.
huge difference in my process of carving
gemstones, especially fire agate. I still
use boxwood dowels and wheels (best for
Ryszard and his wife,
carrying diamond compounds) but rarely.
Lynn, live in West
Now i use them more in combination with
vancouver, BC. His
gem-cutting artistry
abrasives made for the dental industry.
with fire agate can be
the dental tools are rubberized wheels
viewed online at www.
of various sizes and thicknesses sintered
fireagateartstudio.com.
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XPO PRESS TUCSON EZ-GUIDE™
RySZARD’S TOOLS SUMMARy
i am often asked what tools i use with cutting and carving Fire
agate. Here is the condensed list:
•
Trimming saw modified to have a table on a 45° angle (10and 6-inch)
•
Four commercial 8-inch concrete blades bolted together to
form a coarse grinding wheel
•
Diamond Pacific Titan lapidary machine with Inland coarse
and fine sintered wheels
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Foredom flex shaft with a variety of grinding and finishing
bits, such as
Mountain Mist sintered diamond burs
vH technology sintered dental rubber wheels
Boxwood handmade dowels and points
675L 3M micro-finishing diamond sand paper disks and
strips
Mt. Mist diamond compounds (600, 1200, 2000, 3000 grits)
Polishing pastes by both Mt. Mist (super polish) and vH
technologies (diashine)
Diamond Pacific Titan lapidary
machine
Rock 6” Trim Saw
Mountain Mist sintered
diamond bur
vH Technologies dental rubber
wheel
WHERE TO BUy GEM, JEWELRy AND LAPIDARy TOOLS
AT THE 2013 TUCSON GEM AND MINERAL SHOWS
Diamond Pacific Tool Corp.
Kino Gem & Jewelry Show / Tent 3
See ad on p. 16
JewelryTools.com
J.O.G.S. Gem & Jewelry Show
Tucson Events Center
Booth N 1-2
See ad on p. 123
Mountain Mist Products
Pueblo Gem & Mineral Show
Riverpark Inn / Room 151
See ad on p. 21
Retro Glass Tooling
To Bead True Blue
Tucson Bead Show
Double Tree Hotel / Booth GP 310
See ad on p. 146
VH Technologies
Pueblo Gem & Mineral Show
Riverpark Inn / Room 151
See ad on p. 21
Artco – Artist’s Reliable Tool Co.
Best Bead Show
Kino Community Center
Booth PS 211
The Beadspinner Lady
Best Bead Show
Kino Community Center / Booth
G 515
Euro Tool
Tucson Bead Show
Double Tree Hotel / Booth B 11
61
Kent’s Tools
Kino Gem & Mineral Show
Booth P 99
KH Lee Tool Supply
The Rock Show
Booth TA 1-2
PaleoTools
Arizona Mineral & Fossil Show
HTCC-InnSuites / T-16
PJ Tool & Supply
To Bead True Blue
Tucson Bead Show
Double Tree Hotel
Booths B 14 & G 195-196