stone shaping equipment

I'm hoping someone can help me figure out what equipment I need to
shape small stones. By stones, I don't mean gems, but actual rocks -
river stones, granite, etc. The equipment I'm finding online seems to
be about huge stone blocks for sculptors, etc. Most stone I am working
with is fairly small, fist sized to about shoebox sized. I would love
to find something similar to a dremel, with special cutting and
polishing tips that can work wet if needed. Is there such a creature?
Thanks!

Christine

On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 16:27:01 GMT, "raane" wrote:

I'm hoping someone can help me figure out what equipment I need to
shape small stones. By stones, I don't mean gems, but actual rocks -
river stones, granite, etc. The equipment I'm finding online seems to
be about huge stone blocks for sculptors, etc. Most stone I am working
with is fairly small, fist sized to about shoebox sized. I would love
to find something similar to a dremel, with special cutting and
polishing tips that can work wet if needed. Is there such a creature?
Thanks!

Christine

Just go to Google and search for "cabbing". You'll get a whole buncha
hits! HTH


Blessed be, for sure...

raane wrote:
I'm hoping someone can help me figure out what equipment I need to
shape small stones. By stones, I don't mean gems, but actual rocks -
river stones, granite, etc. The equipment I'm finding online seems to
be about huge stone blocks for sculptors, etc. Most stone I am working
with is fairly small, fist sized to about shoebox sized. I would love
to find something similar to a dremel, with special cutting and
polishing tips that can work wet if needed. Is there such a creature?
Thanks!

Christine

There are creatures, and more creatures.

As a general rule, the more money you spend the faster you can work and
the better the results. And the opposite. A Dremel is a hard way to go
and wouldn't recommend it, especially if you have to work with water.

Give us a better idea of what you mean by "shape." If you are doing
carving, then you could use large diamond burs, or sandblasting, or
other options. But... if you want to polish the results, then you are
looking at several stages of diamond tools in sequence, and if the
stones are shoebox size, then you are out of the Dremel league by far.

A relatively lower priced tool uses diamond charged discs about three
inches in diameter. If this size and shape can do what you want, then
you can get that for a few hundred dollars.

Without knowing *exactly* what you plan to do, it's hard to recommend
any specific tool or tools. Tools used by monument makers might be fine,
and so might those used by the lapidary folks. At a minimum, a heavy
duty flex shaft machine might be the best option.

Just go to Google and search for "cabbing". You'll get a whole buncha
hits! HTH

I did, and I did! There is a little device called an "All-U-Need"
machine that looked pretty interesting - although it does look as if
cabbing is oriented toward work that is flat.

Thanks!

It's tricky but I will try to describe what I'm doing so that you'll
have a better idea what will work. I started out making jewelry and
that evolved into embellishing natural stones. Using silver, mesh,
various coloring agents, etc., etc., I try to work with the natural
characteristics of rocks to create small art works. The reason for
asking about a shaping tool is that, for example, there may be a
natural crevice in a stone, and if only it were a little bit deeper, I
could use it as a pocket for a particular embellishment. Or the stone
has just a small corner jutting out that needs rounding off; or I may
want to make several small holes to set other stones in; or there is a
thin place and I would like to grind a circular hole all the way
through. See what I mean? I want to shape - nudge nature just a
little bit. Flex shaft sounds good. I'm not sure what kind of tips to
use specificaly for stone and also have concerns about the safety of
using water with something that is not made specifically to be used
with water.

Hope that helps. Thank you again (in advance)!
Christine

raane wrote:
I'm hoping someone can help me figure out what equipment I need to
shape small stones. By stones, I don't mean gems, but actual rocks -
river stones, granite, etc. The equipment I'm finding online seems to
be about huge stone blocks for sculptors, etc. Most stone I am working
with is fairly small, fist sized to about shoebox sized. I would love
to find something similar to a dremel, with special cutting and
polishing tips that can work wet if needed. Is there such a creature?
Thanks!

Christine

Hi Christine,
Yes there is such a piece of equipment. however finding it where you
live is going to be tricky.

you need to find a local rock or mineral collecting club near you, even
if its some 20 ,30 miles away. Amongst those members there will im sure
be all the knowledge nad help you need to find this kit.
Just maybe someone will be moving on from their rock processing machine
setup on to a bigger? better? one and have their kit for sale.
Let us know how you get on.
Im not local to you but the principle of finding what you want is the
same wherever you are.

Hi Ted,

Do you know what it is called, or what it includes? It seems that with
the internet, nothing is ever so far away that it can't be tracked
down.

Thanks!

Chrisitne

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 16:22:59 GMT, "raane" wrote:

It's tricky but I will try to describe what I'm doing so that you'll
have a better idea what will work. I started out making jewelry and
that evolved into embellishing natural stones. Using silver, mesh,
various coloring agents, etc., etc., I try to work with the natural
characteristics of rocks to create small art works. The reason for
asking about a shaping tool is that, for example, there may be a
natural crevice in a stone, and if only it were a little bit deeper, I
could use it as a pocket for a particular embellishment. Or the stone
has just a small corner jutting out that needs rounding off; or I may
want to make several small holes to set other stones in; or there is a
thin place and I would like to grind a circular hole all the way
through. See what I mean? I want to shape - nudge nature just a
little bit. Flex shaft sounds good. I'm not sure what kind of tips to
use specificaly for stone and also have concerns about the safety of
using water with something that is not made specifically to be used
with water.

Hope that helps. Thank you again (in advance)!
Christine

Sounds like the flex-shaft machine is what you need to get started. It
will do all of the above even though it may not be the absolute best
tool for a particular operation. You are right to be concerned about
usage with water - the Dremel type tools may be problematic. Look for
professional flex-shaft machines like the Foredom, which can be used
with water. Buy it with a basic set of bits and experiment.

--
Al Balmer
Balmer Consulting

raane wrote:
It's tricky but I will try to describe what I'm doing so that you'll
have a better idea what will work. I started out making jewelry and
that evolved into embellishing natural stones. Using silver, mesh,
various coloring agents, etc., etc., I try to work with the natural
characteristics of rocks to create small art works. The reason for
asking about a shaping tool is that, for example, there may be a
natural crevice in a stone, and if only it were a little bit deeper, I
could use it as a pocket for a particular embellishment. Or the stone
has just a small corner jutting out that needs rounding off; or I may
want to make several small holes to set other stones in; or there is a
thin place and I would like to grind a circular hole all the way
through. See what I mean? I want to shape - nudge nature just a
little bit. Flex shaft sounds good. I'm not sure what kind of tips to
use specificaly for stone and also have concerns about the safety of
using water with something that is not made specifically to be used
with water.

Hope that helps. Thank you again (in advance)!
Christine

Your description is plenty clear enough for most people to follow.
however achieving what you want to do is going to be a rather longer
process.
Stones dont like heat, and thats what your going to get if you drill ,
grind or shape them dry. some will crack or flake. not what your
wanting. So youll need to do all that wet. Apart from the dust risk to you.
To drill or grind the way you want will need drills and grinding points
that are harder than the stone you wish to process. so check the
hardness of your stones first, then choose the right abrasive for that
stone. Youll find 1/4in shafted engineers die sinking stones and points
ideal. thats without going down the diamond coated tube drills which
cut out plugs. these plugs when put into a hole drilled with the same
tube drill will give you the contrast you mentioned.
youll need to epoxy them in of course then grind and polish up (wet!!)
after.

Also water and electric are quite ok IF you set it up correctly. the
easiest way to drill anything inc stone is is the use of a bench
mounted drill press. An engineers one running slowly is best under 500
rpm. then you put your drill bit or grinding point, into the chuck, and
have water say from a tap with a hose on it running in a dribble over
the drill. this will clear away the drilled material and keep it all cool.
Now you will need to do all this in some kind of tray with a drain hole
and tube to a bucket or container to take away the water youve used.
ypou apply prssure to the drill bit via the side lever which moves the
drill bit up and down.
To actually drill or grind youll need to do it in little bits ie press
down for a couple of secs lift up and clear the hole with water and
repeat. Most drill presses are spring loaded into the up position. so
all you need to do is press down and the up goes by itself.
Keep the on off switch well away from where your drilling and youll be
ok. Common sense be your guide. If in doubt ASK.
Now you need to hold your stone properly. this will need the right sized
"C" clamp for each size of stone mounted on a ball ( wood varnished
would be ok, but a 10 pin ball would be better). base which sits in a
plate can be 1in ply waterproofed of course, with a hole in it. the
plate will need to be supported at the sides so the ball clears the
drill stand base. Say your ball is 6in dia then the hole in the plate
needs to be say4.5in . The ball sits in this hole in any position so
that you can drill your hole or grind where you want. If you look at a
drill press youll see it works vertically. up and down.
Take each part of your equipment at a time and in due course youll
have all the gear you need to achieve the results you seek.
Forget the flex shaft as there not meant for what you want to do. good
luck .

I did a search on soap stone carving and found this, it might give you some
ideas on tools. Soap stone may be softer than the rocks you are using. You
might be able to use a Dremel for some of the stuff you want to do.

http://www.currys.com/sculpture/prod...=4580&catID=19
--
Connie Ryman
Cryman Studio

"raane" wrote in message
...
It's tricky but I will try to describe what I'm doing so that you'll
have a better idea what will work. I started out making jewelry and
that evolved into embellishing natural stones. Using silver, mesh,
various coloring agents, etc., etc., I try to work with the natural
characteristics of rocks to create small art works. The reason for
asking about a shaping tool is that, for example, there may be a
natural crevice in a stone, and if only it were a little bit deeper, I
could use it as a pocket for a particular embellishment. Or the stone
has just a small corner jutting out that needs rounding off; or I may
want to make several small holes to set other stones in; or there is a
thin place and I would like to grind a circular hole all the way
through. See what I mean? I want to shape - nudge nature just a
little bit. Flex shaft sounds good. I'm not sure what kind of tips to
use specificaly for stone and also have concerns about the safety of
using water with something that is not made specifically to be used
with water.

Hope that helps. Thank you again (in advance)!
Christine