Post #378820 by Robin on Wed, May 7, 2008 4:34 PM

Wow...thanks so much for the fast replies!

I'm headed to the Washington coast...Olympia...for the summer. Got a job in a state park, I'll be living in my van, and doing some stone carving in the off hours....that's the plan anyway. On the way, I'm going to stop in Wyoming and check out some jade places. I hope to make some kind of run to BC also for the same reason.

I was worried about the handpiece taking a beating too Paipo...mine is a smallish number, Faro quick release, and it's not a really tough tool. Got slabs cut. I'm probably gonna take the bigger wheels and a motor...just 'cause it's so useful for other stuff too...I think it will be worth the hassle in the long run. I don't have it worked out how to get water to the grinding wheel yet, but I do for the handpiece. I can use quick grips to clamp the motor to the picnic table, and I'll be there awhile so I won't have to move it daily. I don't have time to plan designs right now...I wish I had thought of that sooner! I'll skip the trim saw, and do the trimming with the handpiece...very carefully and slowly...thanks for that advice Tama. It's easy to get to aggressive with the fast spinning wheels. Thanks for the info on the cloth and papers...good tips...maybe those other guys will sell that diamond cloth too....man it's expensive....but I sure do wish I had some. Also hadn't thought about light...so I'll plan for that...the headlamp probably isn't going to be enough. :) I'm thinking about getting some small solar panels for a power booster just in case. Electricity could be a problem sometimes.

I think I am getting to know the stone a bit better....the tension releasing from the stone is driving me crazy. I think I have cleanish stone, and then these fractures show up down the road. That didn't happen with the stones I used in NZ....but then the shapes were pretty simple and uniform. My grinding wheels arbor is a bit wonky...not enough to fix it yet, but I suspect that the slight chatter from not being quite true is causing some of the problem. I go from not aggressive enough with the burs, to too aggressive when I get my guts up. You should see Ben work...he is no nonsense when he carves...but then he really knows what he's doing.

Earmuffs and goggles...do you guys use those! Oh my! I really don't like wearing stuff when I work..it's always been a problem, and I've been busted for it a lot.

Thanks to you as well Paipo....I'm hoping I find some good pebbles to try...I've heard of finding agate too..The coast of Washington is amazing and wild...some places you can hear the rocks being rolled by the Pacific like on the beaches of the Tasman Sea. I'm going to be on the calm side though...Puget Sound area. I haven't been there before, but maybe they have some good pebbles too. I'm amazed you do all that with just burs....I bought every bur you and Tama posted...and some others too! I'm getting some favorites, and some I haven't even tried yet.

Really appreciate your thoughts and advice, it's almost like we did this over a beer. Let me know if you think of anything else.

What do you think Ben? Ben has every tool known to man BTW...I'd be interested to hear what you think is essential too.

I'm off for more packing and planning....possibly get dinner in there somewhere.

Many thanks.