Back Cutting Rock

 This has been a weird summer. First it was cold and wet but since the beginning of July we have had virtually no rain and while most of Nova Scotia has been under a heat advisory, here on Digby Neck the temperature has rarely gone above 20 C.

On top of that, I've been dealing with a significant medical issue that is now mostly resolved. So I haven't been doing as much in the Lap of Lapidary but recently, the Lady With The Agate Eye came back with some interesting looking pieces so we fired up the Hi-Tech 10 inch and went to work.

This is a beautiful example of our local agate with pockets of Fortification Agate. It interests me enough that I will make a couple of cabochons from the two halves.

This is another beautiful example of our local agate showing amazing colour and patterning. This piece also is good enough to be cabbed.

This piece is unusual for our area. It almost looks like onyx. This one I will probably tumble to see how interesting it looks polished and then decide if I will cab it or not. 

In any event, thee Cab King cabbing machine will be fired up to work on these pieces plus I have to make more guitar picks to replace what has gone out the door recently.

If you are in the area, stop by, say hi and tour both my lapidary shop (The Lap of Lapidary) as well as the gift shop where we sell our family creations.

Summer Project Complete

 Every spring I set out with a goal to finish enough rough rock to allow me to replace the cabochons and guitar picks I have sold through the summer in the shop and on line and this year I set out with high expectations because I had beautiful agate and jasper to work with.

I set my Cab King up so that I can use the coarse wheels on the left and also access the trim saw to cut shapes etc..

This actually makes the first stage of rough shaping go much faster. The plan is to take all pieces (this year about 60) through this phase and then remove the trim saw attachment (great saw by the way) and put back the three finishing wheels and polishing pad. And the plan was going perfectly until my sciatic nerve started to really act up and I couldn't stand up long enough to use the machine. So here I was with 60+ unfinished cabs and cold weather approaching. I needed a plan "B".

My wife Vickie (A.K.A. The Real Artist) knows how to use our Lot-O-Tumbler so we decided to finish them with it. The first problem was coming up with a big enough load and we did that by adding smaller, round, polished silicate stones. We sort of picked up where the wheels had left off by going with 600 grit and using more than usual to take into account the larger surface area of the smaller rocks. Normally I go one day on this grit but this time we went two. Vickie then moved on to 1000 grit silicone carbide pre polish and then to tin oxide polish. In both steps we added more grit and went two days. Finally, she did a burnishing cycle with Ivory Soap and again, we used more than normal.

The results were more than acceptable and there was virtually no breakage or damage. Here's how the total load looked.

And here's how it looked when all the round and small stones had been removed.

Now that I look at it, there were probably more than 60 pieces. But I ended up with some great cabochons,

and awesome guitar picks!

Would I go this route again in the future? Probably not simply because I love the process and I think the Cab King finishing wheels do a slightly better job. Also, you can't finish pieces that have crystal druzy pockets this way. But this process had it's advantages. First, it was faster and second it saved the wear on the finishing wheels but most importantly it gave us a way to finish the job with me out of commission!

Lots of Tourists

 As the weather finally improves and the smoke clears, more tourists are starting to appear and we've also seen people who come annually as they have summer homes here. I'm being kept busy making new pieces to replace sold items. Here's a real beauty combining a beautiful stone, unique hand fashioned copper setting and a show stopping Viking Knit Chain.

I have to say this is one of the most beautiful stones we have found on the neck. It positively glows!

Once again I have embarked on an ambitious project- finish 100 cabochons through the summer. Honestly, if I didn't have my Cab King with the trim saw attachment, I couldn't do it.

Believe it or not, one of the big problems I have is to be selective. Vickie has found me so much beautiful local rock! Here's a sampling.

This gorgeous piece has spectacular colour and patterning and will make a stunning pendant.

Another amazing piece with several different types of structure. It is photographed wet- hence the highlights.

This stunner has areas of moss agate on the bottom and a great pocket of fortification agate along with rich colour shifts. 

And last but by no means least, we have this show stopping combination of plume agate in an amethyst matrix. And these are just a few of this summer's haul. So if your travels take you to Nova Scotia. Make sure to come to the most interesting part- Digby Neck- and stop by to say hello and see the shop.

Cheers.

Back in The Paint Business

The weather has changed and we are now in the crisp, sunny days of fall. For anyone planning a trip to Nova Scotia, this is a great time to come.

 One of the things I really enjoy when visitors come to the shop is showing all the things we actually do. Earlier in the summer we had a visitor who also does lapidary and when I showed him how Vickie made paint from the rock sludge, he said he would send us a piece from his stash and sure enough, he did. It was a fist sized piece of jasper from Africa that was amazingly fine grained and the most beautiful orange/ red colour. After cutting a small slice to use in making some jewelry pieces we proceeded to use the Cab King to grind it down to a fine powder.

Then Vickie got to work collecting the dried rock dust and here is just a fraction of what she was able to get.

She then did a test run to see what quality of paint she could make and was very pleasantly surprised!

Here's how it looked using slightly different mediums and paper.

And with the slice I kept, I was able to make several pieces. Here's a ring showing how beautifully it polished. I'm working on a pendant earring set and will post pics when it is finished.

The dark specks are actually little cubes of pyrite which, depending on the light, show as black or metallic gold.

We are calling it Cox jasper in honour of the donor. Thanks again Bill!

What's New At The Artist's Mark?

 Well folks, a very busy summer is finally winding down. First I want to thank all the nice people who stopped by and supported us (you know who you are!). We had time to do a bit of experimenting and here are two guitar picks Vickie made from polymer clay.

Thank you so much Jonathan for your detailed professional evaluation!

Vickie was also busy knitting socks from our gorgeous Seawall Fibres hand dyed yarn. Some were bought in-store but most (including these pairs) found their way to customers all over the place!

We also had some strange and exotic visitors. This white pelican, blown north by Hurricane Dorion, decided to spend a few hours in the marsh next to the shop.

But the next shots are even more rare. Our current exotic visitor is Ted, my geology friend from McGill, who made it all the way from Australia. But what makes these pictures rare is that he is actually working in the Lap of Lapidary alongside "The Lady With the Agate Eye". I know, good help is hard to find so you take what you can get. After a bit of rockhounding, we returned with treasure.

I was very proud of the two of them since they both used my Hi-Tech 10 inch saw to cut their finds and then finished them on the Hi-Tech 8 inch slant lap.

I know- they should have been wearing Hi-Tech aprons but they wanted to wear Cab King- especially since Vickie has customized hers to read "Cab Queen"!

We have pretty much finished up the lapidary work so as soon as the weather turns, we will begin fabricating new pieces to replace all those that went out the door!

As always, if your travels take you to Digby Neck, stop by and say hi and pick up your free piece of The Neck.

What Happens To The Rocks I Cut?

 My last post showed some of the local rocks I recently cut. But what happens next?

To a great degree, that depends on what I discover inside. If the rock has cracks, it will probably shatter when I grind it but if it has interesting features, I can sometimes make beautiful specimen pieces. If the rock is solid and interesting, I will use it to make cabochons. This requires me to rough cut the shape I want on my Hi-Tech saw and then grind and polish it on my Cab King.

Several of the pieces shown last time were good enough to become cabochons and I thought you might like to see the transformation.

This piece of petrified wood became ...                                                            this.

And this became ...                                                                                   this.              

This one was so spectacular I had to make several pieces:

Fantastic end result. Couldn't pick a best side for the teardrop so I finished both!

It is an absolutely amazing experience watching the transformation from a piece of rough rock to a finished piece. So if your travels take you to Digby Neck, stop by and see my shop.

The Lap of Lapidary is Open!

 I often see people asking how to set up a lapidary shop so I thought I'd show mine. First off, decide what you want to do- cut, grind, shape, polish, make jewelry- the options are endless. Lapidary equipment can take up a lot of space and be expensive so you might have to be selective. In my case, I have a dedicated powered shop 24 ft. X 12 ft. so I have lots of room. I could even fit a few more pieces in if anyone wants to make a donation (heh,heh)! Here's the set up.

The window (not shown) and fan provide good ventilation and it is well lit. I also run an air filter. I made most of the tables and they are sturdy and solid- a real must.

In my case, I decided I didn't want to cut really large rocks so my two largest saws have a 10 inch blade. The oil saw was made 60+ years ago by a company in Edmonton Canada (long gone) called Mercury. It is cast aluminum so will last a lot longer than I will!

It has a motorized feed and rock vise that I rarely use since I run the rocks through by hand. I made the splash guard and my daughter Sandra installed the new 1/2 HP  motor last year. Notice my rock filing system in the background! I use it for cutting large rocks for specimens and slabs.

My other large saw is one of my favourite pieces. It is also 10 inches but is cooled/ lubricated by water.

This saw is made by Hi-Tech and I have a sliding vise and bridge for it. It is made from an amazingly sturdy and rugged polyethelene which means it won't rust and is much easier to clean. And it is so much easier (and I think healthier) to work with water. I cut slabs with this saw but can also cut shapes from the slabs with the thin blade. I can even use it to cut glass.

I am very fortunate to have a wife who loves to comb the nearby beaches and since every visitor to our store gets a free local rock, I need a tumbler. Mine is a Lot-O-Tumbler that holds a 4 LB load.

It is an absolute horse and I run it all summer. Since it is a vibrating tumbler, I go from rough to polished finish in a week or less so I will do about 25 loads each year. The concrete base stops it from going on a tour of the shop.

It is only after I have cut a rock that I can decide what I want to use it for. Since we have fantastic local agate and jasper, many become polished specimens that are sold in the store. And for this task I have another amazing machine called a slant lap.

This machine is also made by Hi-Tech and extremely durable. It grinds a flat surface by use of round plated that vary in coarseness and is cooled by water so very easy to clean. I hang my different plates on wooden dowels above the machine. These machines are also available with a horizontal top but I find the slant angle mush easier if your back is as old as mine!

I have a flat top grinding machine that I use for a variety of purposes.

This machine has a rotating spindle to which I can attach either a cutting or grinding bit. I use it for shaping stone or glass but can also use it to cut grooves around pieces to allow me to use a wire wrapping technique. It is also cooled by water. The black object behind is my air purifier.

In order to drill holes in rocks, it must be done under water. And while some can do it by a hand held tool, I much prefer a drill press.

Here, I have a diamond bit installed and a tray so the piece can be drilled under water. If you want more info on this operation, just contact me.

I have to say that while I like working with all the various pieces in my shop, if I had to whittle it down to a favourite, it would be the Cab King!

This machine allows me to polish surfaces and create high polished cabochons for pendants. I have had other similar machines but there are a few things that set this one apart. Most importantly, the wheels are cooled by water that comes from above (as opposed to below with some other machines). This avoids contamination. Secondly, when compared to other units, this one is quite quiet. Thirdly, the wheels on one side can be removed and replaced by an 8 inch trim saw running off the same motor and it is a really good trim saw! And the motor is powerful enough for two people to work on wheels on different sides at the same time. Lastly, it is very easy to clean.

If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them and if you happen to find yourself on Digby Neck, in Nova Scotia Canada, come on by and see them in action.

So there you have it. And while some might prefer to live in the lap of luxury, I much prefer living in The Lap of Lapidary!

One Door Closes and Another Opens

 The days are much shorter now and the water is too cold on these old arthritic hands. So the rock lab- The Lap of Lapidary- is shut down until spring. This week was spent finishing off a few stones and cleaning the machines. The Cab King got a total overhaul after a very busy summer and a heavy job was made much lighter by my OCD artist partner in crime. 

As some readers will remember, Vickie makes some very beautiful paint from the rock dust pigment that collects in the machines and being who and what she is, the machines get a meticulous cleaning to ensure it all ends up in her bucket! Here's her Cab King haul.

I find it interesting how the colour varies from different areas. The darker stuff on the left came from the dried sediments in the bottom of the wastewater collection bucket while the lighter material was collected from the pans underneath the wheels.

I also made a big decision to install a new set of wheels. The 8 inch Cab King comes with an extra set of the soft wheels and I had bought new hard ones. The old ones have plenty of life and I'll probably sell them but I figure at the age of 75, it's doubtful I'll outlive this new set. Anyway, it's a new life goal!! And now the Cab King looks better than it has since the day after I started using it.

 So as that door closes for the winter, the door to the jewelry bench opens.

I have several new techniques I want to try and tons of beautiful stones to finish- all under the critical eye of The Real Artist who occupies her Real Art Domain beside me. Our hatches are all battened down here and I hope that wherever you are, you're set to enjoy the winter!

Stay tuned to see what mischief we can get into!

Cheers.

A Changing of the Seasons on The Neck

 Fall has arrived on Digby Neck.

It has been months since we faced that dreaded point when the days started getting shorter but at least we had the warmth. Alas, that too has started to wane. We now close the downstairs windows at night and wake up to darkness- a ritual that will be repeated for the next several months. Soon the dehumidifier will be shut off in the old stone walled basement, its hum replaced by that of the infrared heater to the joy of the two cats. 

Outside, the changing of the guard is occurring. The Cormorants are gone, soon to be joined by the Great Blue Herons and their spots on the pier and in the marsh have been filled by ducks and loons. Only the hardy gulls and crows will tough it out through the winter. The starlings are amassing on the telephone wires and we are seeing the odd jay along with the ominous presence of the harrier hawk.

The grass is growing much slower now and some plants are already dying while others, such as the Virginia Creeper, are going out in a splash of brilliant red glory.

Our routine has adapted. Afternoon tea or wine is now taken on the back deck where the sun's now shallow rays linger. It is amazing how important the warmth of the sun becomes as I get older. I feel the cold much more now. One good change is that the stars appear much earlier so on clear nights we are able to bundle up in our tilting deck chairs and search the now dark heavens for shooting stars and passing satellites.

Things are slowing down in The Lap of Lapidary as well. I'll do a few more loads in the tumbler and cut a bit more but the Cab King is now ready to be cleaned for its hibernation. I've recently completed a few pieces that I really like, however.

And I have enough "granite ice" to finally fill my display.

The pace has slowed dramatically, with fewer and fewer cars passing by and only the odd visitor to the shop.

So now the scene will shift indoors where I will take my place, Vickie willing, at my bench in her studio and work on completing some of the beautiful stones I fashioned this year and listing them on our website, The Seawall Emporium. I do cherish this time- feeding off the inspiration from "the real artist", listening to our favourite music and enjoying memories from time now long past. The cats seem to feel the same way as they seem content to spend hours curled up in balls on their beds on Vickie's table.

Soon the gale winds will be howling and the sea ice will be invading our bay, hypnotizing us with its wave driven movement. The cats will be seeking the warmth of the propane fireplace and walks on the beach will be a distant memory. Meanwhile, the oppressive, spirit crushing blanket of covid remains in place with no end in sight. 

However, hope springs eternal and for now, we will enjoy this brief window, this welcome calm before the storm that is fall on Digby Neck.