Cutting Shapes from Rock
Рет қаралды 19,770
5 жыл бұрынLearn how to cut shapes from rock using a trim saw.
Here's a video showing how I tumbled these:
• Tumbling Shaped Rocks ...
Worried about my fingers? I've got a video for that: • You'll Cut Your Finger...
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- KINGSLEY NORTH -
Kingsley North is a lapidary store in Michigan's U.P. They make a great cab machine and sell many other brands too. They have a huge selection rough rock, tumblers, grit, jewelry supplies etc. at good prices. I buy most of my coarse grit from here in 45 lb. bags. It's the best price I have found. If you buy using the following link, I make a small commission.
bit.ly/3MerxdI
This is the cabbing machine I use:
kingsleynorth.com/kingsley-no...
- THE ROCK SHED -
I buy a lot of lapidary supplies from The Rock Shed. I don't make money from your purchases there, but they have good prices and good service. This is where I buy my finer grits and polish.
rockshed.com
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On Michigan Rocks you can join me on relaxing rock hunts in picturesque Michigan. I'll also show you how to polish rocks and teach you other lapidary techniques. New videos are posted every Friday and some Tuesdays. Subscribe now so you don't miss any upcoming videos!
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@freedomdove 4 жыл бұрын
Ah, okay! I was worried about your fingers in the first video I watched with you using this blade. Lol. Now I realize it's more of a grinder than a cutting tool. Thank you for the explanation.
@john-roywattie1483 Жыл бұрын
Smooth work brother!
@doricalvillo2055 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for making these how to videos. They are so helpful and inspiring!
@MichiganRocks 3 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you find them useful, Dori. I was hoping they could help someone.
@karenraabis5296 4 жыл бұрын
That is amazing!
@tommelinn4268 4 жыл бұрын
I really like your videos. I hand polish a lot of stones myself and enjoy seeing your work.
@MichiganRocks 4 жыл бұрын
The only stones I hand polish are Petoskey Stones because they're so soft (Mohs 3). Do you hand polish harder rocks? How do you hand polish?
@rickkobylinski3606 4 жыл бұрын
I enjoy your videos and have just ordered the basics for getting into rock tumbling. I’m sure that cutting shapes in rocks won’t be far behind. I noticed the wobble in your saw blade when cutting and wonder if you have ever thought of adding a bigger diameter stiffener washer against your blade before you tighten on the nut. This is common practice in woodworking on table saws for thin kerf blades to stop any wobble. I use them all the time in my woodworking shop. I can see that you are careful not to let the blade wobble affect your work adversely but it may make things a little easier for you. One less thing to worry about. Your videos on rock tumbling have been a godsend in getting me up to speed at the outset of this hobby. Keep up the good work.
@MichiganRocks 4 жыл бұрын
No, I hadn't thought of that. I'm not sure if there would be room for a bigger washer under the table though. I'll have to look at it closer and see. I don't think the washer is a normal washer. It's thicker in the middle and tapers off. Do you know where I could buy a washer like that? I wonder if the woodworking ones would fit.
@KLS1974 5 ай бұрын
Great tips, thank you!
@MichiganRocks 5 ай бұрын
You're welcome. Thanks for putting up with my really old video!
@ArizonaBob 5 жыл бұрын
Very helpful...thanks!
@deniseview4253 5 жыл бұрын
Awesome!
@chuckneese1282 Жыл бұрын
Thank you
@CacklingChick Жыл бұрын
Looooove it!!!!
@patriciamckean4186 Жыл бұрын
Nice job.
@MichiganRocks Жыл бұрын
Thanks.
@rosalindhendricks6337 5 жыл бұрын
There is a yearly craft show in Tawas that I like to attend. A couple of years ago I purchased a flat cut pudding stone shaped like the lower peninsula of Michigan. It was nicely done and I bought it as a birthday gift for my daughter. Now I know how much time was spent by the artist in producing this piece and don’t lament on the price I paid. It was a cheese board and came with a knife. By the way, it meant a lot to my daughter who appreciates the pudding stone as did my mother.
@MichiganRocks 5 жыл бұрын
I wish there was a way to share pictures on here. I'd love to see that.
@grandparocky Жыл бұрын
Teflon cutting boards work great
@danasaavedra1232 Жыл бұрын
It's pronounced "Gar-dee-nuh." 🤭 I worked at Gardena High School a few years ago. I can totally see how, with a cursory glance, it would make someone who's not from Southern California think it's pronounced like the flower. 💗 I appreciate your videos and have watched several. This one made me happy! 😊
@MichiganRocks Жыл бұрын
I don't have time to rewatch this video right now, but I can't imagine where I said "Gardena". I must have been saying something else.
@danasaavedra1232 Жыл бұрын
@Michigan Rocks you were talking about your Frantom Rock Saw! You said something like, "This saw is from California," [you then wiped off the label a bit, exposing the manufacturer's city and state] "yup! Gardenia, California." It made me giggle, being a SoCal girl and all. 🤭
@MichiganRocks Жыл бұрын
@@danasaavedra1232 Oh, that makes sense. I forgot that's where it was made. Thanks for the correction!
@battingthreadbeats4624 5 жыл бұрын
That shocked me when you touched the blade not gonna lie 😂
@MichiganRocks 5 жыл бұрын
And I lived to tell about it!
@janicehenry8172 4 жыл бұрын
Lots of Patients love it
@MichiganRocks 4 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@mimist2 5 жыл бұрын
This is fascinating, I would never have expected such delicate work from such a large blade. I'd love to be able to cut some of my UP finds. Wondering if the agates I think I have are actually agates. LOL
@MichiganRocks 5 жыл бұрын
Mimi Stalzer I have a lot of those. I call them maybe agates or “maygates” for short.
@mimist2 5 жыл бұрын
Ha ha...maygates, funny!
@geosobservations9496 3 жыл бұрын
Just got my diamond blade to give a spin ... now im checking all of that out 😁😃
@geosobservations9496 3 жыл бұрын
Had to run back and like 👍 lol
@MichiganRocks 3 жыл бұрын
Have fun with it!
@thinkcivil1627 4 жыл бұрын
Have you thought about using a diamond grinder wheel on your LAP, or a flat LAP, to smooth out the shape when you have touch up work to do on the flat, or slightly rounded areas? You still need the trim saw for corners and tight areas, but the grinder would keep some hours off the trim blade, to reduce the wobble. You're very good with the trim saw.
@MichiganRocks 4 жыл бұрын
No, not really. The saw is so much quicker than the grinder. I also don't have to worry about keeping the sides perpendicular to the face of the rock when using the saw. Once I throw them into the tumbler, the edges get nice and smooth too, so the lap doesn't add much there either.
@johnemmons9087 3 жыл бұрын
Have you ever done something like this in glass? Like a meteor glass? Thank you for your videos! God bless you!
@MichiganRocks 3 жыл бұрын
Nope, I have tumbled glass, but never shaped it like this. I’m not sure if that would work well or not.
@recorpse9698 3 жыл бұрын
how do you get such flat stones? and could I make a circle like this?
@jefflawrence67 3 жыл бұрын
Subscribed along time ago! Lol Thats some seriously meticulous sawmanship there! I'm still at the tile saw stage and it looks to me the blade on yours is considerably thinner than mine? Just my eyes - or?? If so, can i use this style on my saw? ( 7" chicago electric)
@MichiganRocks 3 жыл бұрын
You should be able to use a thinner blade, you'd have to check the size of the shaft on the tile saw. Most blades come with inserts to make the hole smaller or you can remove it to make it larger. I have heard that tile saws come with thick blades.
@jefflawrence67 3 жыл бұрын
@@MichiganRocks sweet! Thank you sir!
@SmallWonda 4 жыл бұрын
Very impressive - I could see you were really using the blade to carve the rock. Will look for the tumbling Vids - would certainly like the cabochon (?) effect. Thank you. Nice to see you/YTer taking the filming seriously - going to so much trouble for the correct camera angles - make viewing painless! (What do you teach? :) )
@MichiganRocks 4 жыл бұрын
I teach eighth grade math. It took me a little while to figure out how to position the camera in the right spot. Now I have about five spots around my shop where I can screw in a two by two to the ceiling and suspend my camera where it’s sort of out of my way but can get a decent shot. The next thing I have to do is get some better lights.
@SmallWonda 4 жыл бұрын
@@MichiganRocks Well, it really adds so much to our enjoyment... I was thinking, you ought to be teaching Geography, but thought, na, don't think they teach that any more - has to be Maths!! Lucky kids, I used to be clueless at their age... No doubt you know there are some very helpful YT sties for filming and lighting (my hubby took a very expensive state course on film-making recently, & we reckoned he actually could have learnt more & better from selected YT gurus - for zip!!) Enjoy your day.
@kareno8634 2 жыл бұрын
Never posted comment on other video; Your Saw info here, Saved me a trip back. Noting LACK of Blood; How your Jaw felt; If Teeth were grinding, as you cautiously got Close to Blade. lol *Thanks!*
@MichiganRocks 2 жыл бұрын
Are you saying that you were worried about my fingers? If so, watch this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e9hkjK-fmcy8hXU.html
@kareno8634 2 жыл бұрын
@@MichiganRocks *8{| YIKES!* lol Nice Save. Well, I'm Cured now, won't have to wait for that Bloodcurdling Scream. Thanks & _PHEW_ 8 )
@MrMyrique Жыл бұрын
Really enjoy your clips and the detail you give. What kind of blade do you use to cut out your deer, hearts, crosses? You mentioned they are diamond and will not cut skin. But are they pressed diamonds, embedded, sentered thick or thin? I purchased a six inch hi-tech saw that I have not used as mounting the right blades is a challange. I purchased all of their blades? Thanks, Don
@MichiganRocks Жыл бұрын
Hi Don. I use this blade: kingsleynorth.com/mk-303c-professional-diamond-blades+kn_dimd_blade_type-MK-303C-Professional-Diamond-Blade+kn_dimd_blade_desc-10dia-X-040-rim-x-58-x-12-arbor (affiliate link) Here's a video about getting cut with a blade like this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e9hkjK-fmcy8hXU.html
@MrMyrique Жыл бұрын
@@MichiganRocks can not thank you enough. Glad you got to 100,000. I subscribed this week so feel like partcof the team. Thanks again from Southern Oregon. GO DUCKS
@MichiganRocks Жыл бұрын
@@MrMyrique Thanks for making it one more!
@annbishop6732 Жыл бұрын
Is there a particular lapidary trim saw you recommend for a newbie for this kind of work? Thanks!
@MichiganRocks Жыл бұрын
I have a GemLap saw, but they haven't been made for a very long time. I don't know of any modern saw that is like this one. I'm not sure if I showed it in this video, but you can make a ramp to avoid the blade cutting deeper on the bottom of the slab. Here's a video where I show this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/jKqfja9lss-0l4U.html
@joysutherland6786 3 жыл бұрын
Great video. My saw does not have a 90 degree angle, do you have plans or a video on how you built your ramp?
@MichiganRocks 3 жыл бұрын
No, you'd have to make a unique one for each different saw model. It doesn't have to be exact. I think you could just hold up a board so that it's pointing at the middle of the blade and then measure how far the back of the board is off the table. It might help to have a second person help. One person could hold the board while the other person viewed it from the side and took measurements. It doesn't take long to make, so you could afford to mess the first one up and then make adjustments.
@joysutherland6786 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much we will give it a try. 💗
@soul_adventurist Жыл бұрын
Have you tried a moose head shape? Maybe a little easier than buck. Still cool, though!
@MichiganRocks Жыл бұрын
No I haven't. Might be a fun project.
@stacyparker8359 4 жыл бұрын
What kind of machines do you use for your trim saw and sanding/polishing wheels?
@MichiganRocks 4 жыл бұрын
The trim saw in this video is a GemLap. They haven’t been made in a long time, but can still be found used occasionally. I really like that machine. I also have a GemLap flat lap, but I have never used it. It’s a backup in case my old homemade one breaks. Besides that I have a Lortone cab machine with six six-inch wheels.
@jimknarr 3 жыл бұрын
Love the Kona Dolomite in this video. Do you know of a good beach and/or public interior place where I would likely find a couple pieces of Kona Dolomite to collect?
@MichiganRocks 3 жыл бұрын
The only place I know of that you can get it is at the quarry where they dig it up. They sell it by the dump truck load. It's used for things like riprap in ditches in the Marquette area. They weigh your car on the way in and the way out and charge by weight. When I bought it the first time, I filled one of those big tubs with the rope handles plus a couple buckets. I was a little scared to see the bill. It was something like $1.63. I also picked up some banded iron formation while I was there. The place you want to go is Lindberg & Sons Quarry.
@jimknarr 3 жыл бұрын
@@MichiganRocks Cool story! It sounds like you got a great deal. Did you have a chance to tumble a batch of that stuff? I would love to see more of that.
@MichiganRocks 3 жыл бұрын
@@jimknarr It's very difficult to tumble it. I have done some successfully, but I have also messed a lot up. It's really soft. It's better to polish it on a cabochon machine or flat lap. Did you see my video about making heart shaped pendants out of it?
@jimknarr 3 жыл бұрын
@@MichiganRocks I missed that one. I will go check that out. Thanks!!!
@rickkobylinski5516 4 жыл бұрын
Check out the washers for your blade that I mentioned in an earlier comment. Google "Rockler Blade Stabilizers" and go to Rockler's website for a picture of them. Rockler is a popular woodworking tool site. Read the comments on the reviews. They do a good job with woodworking blades to reduce the wobble considerably but you'd have to determine if the 3" diameter washers would work with your saw and blade. Might need more clearance on the bed slot near the arbor. Don't know if your saw arbor would match a woodworking saw arbor. I think Rockler sells them for $25 each. Pricey. Good luck.
@MichiganRocks 4 жыл бұрын
Thanks Rick. I'll check that out.
@marknack7816 3 жыл бұрын
I like your technique! I just started cutting shapes. I purchased an Inland bandsaw which I found is ok for corals but not for hard rocks. I have tried your technique using a very thin kerf 7" tile saw but seems that I go through a lot of blades and have tried many different types. Is this issue just collateral that is part of rock cutting? Is there a secret or just a fact of the process?
@marknack7816 3 жыл бұрын
I have also dressed my blades regularly but tend to want to cut shapes out of stones with mohs hardness of 7.5+ if that helps answer the question
@MichiganRocks 3 жыл бұрын
I'm pretty sure I have a BD 303 blade on my saw. They cost about $65 and last me several years. I'm sure that using the edge of the blade as a grinder isn't good for it, but I don't know how else to do what I want to do. I have considered getting a band saw, but I have been worried about how long the blades last. I used to use an additive called Gem Lube, but I empty my saw every time I use it and I felt like the additive cost as much as replacing my blade a little more often. I never dress my blade. That wears away metal to expose more diamond, which will wear it down more quickly. I figure if it's cutting well, why dress it? I tend to cut things like unakite, quartz, puddingstone, and Petoskey Stone. I don't regularly cut really hard rocks like agate, but I do occasionally. I don't cut shapes other than teardrop pendant shapes from agate. I'm not sure if any of that helps, but that has been my experience.
@heeby89 Жыл бұрын
Where did you get your stencil from?
@MichiganRocks Жыл бұрын
I have a few commercially available stencils that are just ovals, circles or teardrop shapes. Otherwise I make my own or ask a friend with a Cricut machine to make them for me. To make my own, I print out a picture that I like on card stock. Then I use an Exacto knife to carefully cut out the shape. This makes fairly durable stencils that last better than you might expect. A nicer stencil can be made by using a Cricut machine. Cricut machines are used by people who do crafts such as scrapbooking. You can put an image into a computer program that is then cut out by the machine. I think they're mainly used for cutting paper, but you can also buy thin, transparent sheets to use in them. The sheets are very similar to transparencies used on an overhead projector. The nice thing about stencils made from transparent material is that you can see the whole rock behind the stencil. That makes it easier to position the shape over exactly the part of the slab you want to.
@angelapatenaude9440 3 жыл бұрын
Do you sell your rocks? If so, do you have a web site that a person can go to and look for your items.
@MichiganRocks 3 жыл бұрын
I don't sell anything online. The only thing I have for sale are crosses and guitar picks. They're sold at a local place called Olivet Book and Gift. They will mail things out to you if you want. olivetbookandgift.com
@CT-gl2zj Жыл бұрын
Oh boy, that's a precision machine compared to my $85 tile saw. I don't think I'm equipped for this. I'm always getting whipped in the face with dusty water lol
@MichiganRocks Жыл бұрын
I have never used a tile saw, but I hear they get you really wet. I know some people stand behind the saw so that the water flies away from them. I think if you put a good lapidary blade on it, you might be able to do stuff like this.
@CT-gl2zj Жыл бұрын
@@MichiganRocks Thanks. Oh yeah, I use it backwards already. Trying this, I'd have to stand over it directly to see the line I drew and would still get water to the face. Or maybe I'll put the splash guard on just for this. I'll still give it a shot sometime but will go for something simple.
@MichiganRocks Жыл бұрын
@@CT-gl2zj Yeah, don't try a deer head. I do a lot of other shapes.
@freedomdove 4 жыл бұрын
That seems like very time-consuming work. I imagine it might be therapeutic, though, like wood carving and such.
@MichiganRocks 4 жыл бұрын
Cutting shapes doesn’t really take that long, considering that it’s stone. Working with stone in general takes time though. Tumbling takes a lot of time to do well.
@2115virgo13 5 жыл бұрын
I wish you sold your items on eBay !
@kristiejacobs4854 4 жыл бұрын
2115virgo13 me, too! Please??!
@said.skopal 4 жыл бұрын
please,make concave pyramid with 8 sides of stone,please,and if you need to see how looks concave pyramid,type on Google,it should looks like star
@MichiganRocks 4 жыл бұрын
That would be very difficult to make. The shapes I make are all sort of organic, so if I mess up a little, you can’t really tell. Making geometric shapes is much, much more difficult. Including any sort of concave parts makes it even more difficult. The shapes I make are also two dimensional. A pyramid is three dimensional. It would be a cool shape to make, but it’s way, way beyond my ability. I’m curious why you wanted me to make a rock in that shape.
@said.skopal 4 жыл бұрын
because i try seeral experiments with paper pyramid and milk,meat and fruit,when you hold milk or meat or fish under pyramid they do not deteriorate,they became mummified,i don't know why or how,but i read how standard pyramid shape emites some "green energy" which is very harmful to bacteria,and for cells also,that story is sience fiction ofc. and i read how ancient Egyptians firstly made that star pyramid (8 sided) and then they added stones to the pyramids already built to looks like it has 4 sides
@said.skopal 4 жыл бұрын
4 sided pyramid emited "bad" energy and 8 sided emited "good and healthy energy",thats bullshit ofc. and that is theory by one guy from Egypt,he want atention,but his theories are just funny.Make any stone pyramid to make and record experiments with water and pyramid,milk and pyramid etc.
@MichiganRocks 4 жыл бұрын
@@said.skopal I'm pretty sure that shaped doesn't have any magical powers. They look cool though.
@said.skopal 4 жыл бұрын
yes,yes,those star pyramids have CIA drawn on the floor, I think
@marionmarshall7380 6 ай бұрын
Quit walking away from the light or add a light? Can’t see anything.
@MichiganRocks 6 ай бұрын
This was one of the very first videos I made. I have improved a bit since then. Sorry for not getting it right on the first try.
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