Post subject: Cabbing, Hanneman's Guide to Affordable Gemology
Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 10:59 am
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Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2017 12:25 pm Posts: 6
I was just wondering if there is somewhere to get a copy of Hanneman's Guide to Affordable Gemology a little cheaper than $35. I am going to get it either way just hope to get it cheaper. I am 64yr old & on SS. Also what do I need to shape stones & do cabbing. Have a dremel 3000, 1/2 drill, some grinding & cutting tools. I got interested in this when I stumbled upon an area that has a lot of different types of gemstones where I go walking sometimes. Can’t tell more. Mostly need book & what I need for cabbing as cheap as possible but not necessarily the cheapest as long as I can do a decent job with it.
The cheapest option (excluding things like doing it by hand on sandpaper, which I have done and do not recommend) is probably a flat lap unit like the all-u-need. Some people love this kind of setup--you basically have a motor pointing up or at an angle that you put flat discs on with different cutting grits. You would start out with a few grits of hard metal lap to rough the shape in and finish on softer laps to help smooth out flat spots. I have done a bit of this with star sapphires and it does work, some people love it, but it isn't my favorite. The other major kind of setup uses the edge of vertical wheels as the cutting surface (like the Cabking or Genie). These are generally more expensive, and good wheels can be costly too, but they are nice for a few reasons, one being that you have all your different grits right there so you can take a cab from start to finish without turning the machine off or changing anything out. I also find getting a smooth surface by moving the stone over the wheel's surface a lot easier than doing the same with a flat lap, but others don't have this issue. A good option is to find out if there is a local lapidary club with machines you could try out to get a sense of what you like.
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