How Artists Cut Lapidary Stones
by Lela Perkins
Making your own lapidary stones is not hard. Nowadays the art of polishing and cutting stone can be taken up by anyone with the right equipment. Once upon a time, obsidian and flint were classed as lapidary stone and were used to make tools and weapons. Times have changed and the stone is used these days to make jewelry and ornaments.
Whereas back in ancient times they cut the stone on rock, these days artists use machines to do their cutting and polishing. The machines are fairly small electronic devices that operate using a pulley system. The purpose of them is to operate a small plastic drum in which the stone is placed. The process is called tumbling and it polishes the rocks and grinds them.
If the rocks turn out to be a little too big for the drums then they have to be shrunk. This is often done by smashing them with a hammer. There's a distinct lack of control when you use this method. For a start you have no control over what shape the rock takes on when you hit it. Additionally, the rocks can develop splinters, which can ruin the stone or make it look unsightly. If you do use a hammer or blunt object then be sure to wrap the stone in a cloth so the splinter can be contained.
Prior to the tumbling and polishing process the stone has to be cut. The methods for this varies depending on the artist. A circular saw is about as good a tool as any, preferably one with diamond tips. Try and purchase one with a reservoir. The reservoir is usually filled with water and prior to cutting. The blades of the saw pass through the water and help to lubricate the blades as well as acting as a coolant.
Grinding is the process of shaping the stone. This takes up to ten weeks but is markedly quicker when you use a cutting tool. It's a job that needs to be approached with precision, hence the length of time it takes. The advantage of using a cutter is that you should be able to shape small stones, down to about 1/2 an inch in size.
Each part of the procedure is important. The grinding and tumbling procedure, if done correctly, will provide you with smooth stones that are rounded at the edges. You start by put the rocks inside a rubber drum and adding an abrasive called silicon carbide grit. Then you add water and turn on the machine and let it spin round. Be careful not to put too few rocks in the drum, they'll clash against each other and will not grind properly. Too many and they will not grind at all because they are too tightly packed.
One of the final stages is when you polish the stones. Before doing this it's important to wash and clean them thoroughly to remove traces of silicon carbide. Once that's done you can add cerium oxide, diamond powder or even tin oxide to the drum with the stones in and turn the machine on.
<A href="http://texadaislandflowerstoneinc.com">Lapidary stones</A> used to be shaped into weapons back in ancient times. These days they are shaped and cut by artists for cosmetic purposes. The machinery has changed and so has the process by which the stones are polished and cut, but the quality is as good as ever.
<a href="http://texadaislandflowerstoneinc.com">Read more about</a> How To Make Your Own Lapidary Stones visiting our website.
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New Unique Article!
Title: How Artists Cut Lapidary Stones
Author: Lela Perkins
Email: nathanwebster335@live.com
Keywords: fashion, clothing, celebrity, style,
Word Count: 572
Category: Hobbies
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