Last week I purchased a new toy for my studio. It's an 'All-in-Wonder' Lapidary machine that can do several jobs. It converts from a rock saw to a grinder, to a flat lap. Origianlly I needed/wanted the flat lap, but I figured the other options would be nice to have.
The instructions that came with it could definitely be improved, but after a while I was able to figure it out and get started. It is a bit of a messy process, as water is used in all the processes in order to keep the tools from getting clogged or the stones from getting too hot. Happily though, it was no where near as messy as the machines I used in college!
The first thing I did was use the flat lap to grind some of my rough peridot flat at their bases. I also flattened some of my Herkimer druzy cabochons. This will make all of those pieces easier to set in bezels or prongs. The stones should be more secure in their settings, but will still have the rough look that I was after.
Next I decided to play with the rock saw. I ended up cutting a few random rocks, just to go through the process. I'm not sure how I'm going to use these when they are done.
The last set up was for the grinder. This allowed me to further shape the stones I had previously cut.
After grinding, I will need to go back to the flat lap and use varying grits to smooth and refine the cabs. The last step will be polishing them. Before I can properly finish them I am going to need to invest in some dopping wax and sticks, so that I can hold them better throughout the process. In the meantime, I still have all those rough peridot and druzy stones to set!
