swap piece update!!

PD
I got the Weecha micromotor in the UK, so far I'm lovin it.
Love the Moai earings, really nice, how did you polish them, I struggle with real small pieces and tight detail.
Regards
Flynny

thanks flynny! i polished them . . . very carefully.

i also got some silicone discs.

here's the latest on the maori earrings. they're almost done. whew. i'm learning a lot with these.

well, just need to put the findings on now. sterling silver. they look okay as long as you don't stare at them under a magnifying glass (which i do).

next set will be better. i really like this style so i'll be making more sets.

I like this maori earrings style too, Congrats!!

thanks clarita.

i'm wondering if anyone has any advice on drilling with the diamond bits. is there a tip or trick to keep them from walking when you're starting a hole?

Really nice stuff Perry. I Really love that style. I'd Love to see you do more of these.

On 2007-03-01 14:19, pdrake wrote:
i'm wondering if anyone has any advice on drilling with the diamond bits. is there a tip or trick to keep them from walking when you're starting a hole?

Have you tried using a center punch to put a small divot in the material to get the drill started?

The earrings turned out really nice, by the way. Hopefully some lucky lady will receive them as a gift from you!

thanks, dav. the diamond drill bits are flat on the tip. that's the problem.

PD, try initially drilling with the edge of the drill, gradually levelling the piece out, are you drilling freehand or with a machine.
Regards
Flynny

freehand. that sounds like a good idea. i tried putting masking tape and going through that with it to guide the drill. didn't work too well. it's not bad, but i can see it.

thanks

flynny, here's a pic of the detail stuff i use. it's silicone with grit embedded in it. it come white/100, blue/220?, and green/600?, there's also a pink i haven't used.

i'm not real sure of the grits, just a guess on feeling them.

[ Edited by: pdrake 2007-03-02 18:36 ]

On 2007-03-01 14:19, pdrake wrote:

i'm wondering if anyone has any advice on drilling with the diamond bits. is there a tip or trick to keep them from walking when you're starting a hole?

Try these carbide micro bits from harbor freight. I had a set of these sitting around and tried it and it works very well. I've drilled holes in jade, bone, other rock, and wood with them, just keep them wet like you would the diamond bits. They are very fragile so go slow and don't put any side pressure on them, they will snap. The good news is they drill as well broken as they do unbroken only you can't drill as deep a hole. These will drill a small through hole that is easy to open up larger with pointed diamond bits.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/photos/34600-34699/34640.gif

On 2007-03-01 20:06, pdrake wrote:
thanks, dav. the diamond drill bits are flat on the tip. that's the problem.

That is a problem - flynny's technique will work with those but I use these shapes for all my hole making needs:

The ball shapes are best as you can curve the hole if you need to. I tend to only use the round-end needles if I'm going deeper or just roughing out a hollow space.

i kind of meant holes for inlays. i use the tiny balls to start holes and needle tips to go all the way through. i need a way to make a nice squared of hole with straight up and down walls.

thanks!

On 2007-03-03 17:52, pdrake wrote:
i kind of meant holes for inlays. i use the tiny balls to start holes and needle tips to go all the way through. i need a way to make a nice squared of hole with straight up and down walls.

thanks!

In that case you'll probably need something more like the two seen here on the left; they would both leave a pretty much straight-sided hole... Both of these types are available in larger sizes. (if money is no object, burrs of ANY type or size can be turned by a metal-machinist & can be coated with diamonds at a company specialising in that)...
The two central core-drills are often used to make an inlay-hole with a central 'peg' left in the middle (as I usually make the eyes on my hei-tiki; although I dont use this tool to make the socket, preferring the more 'organic' feel created by going round & round with a small ball-burr (right)

I would also stick with diamonds over any of the other abrasive cutting materials.

Hope this helps.

Tama :)

[ Edited by: Tamapoutini 2007-03-03 18:11 ]

those are the type i'm using. they tend to want to move a little when you're starting the hole.

It's probably the quality of the burrs. I've found anything other than the Hongias seldom run perfectly true in the handpiece and particularly when drilling holes tend to want to skip or kick out. They also tend to feather the stone (if using jade) around the edges of the hole. Make your hole smaller than you need so you've got some room for error, and then widen it out and flatten the bottom with a flat ended cylindrical burr like the one Tama posted 2nd from left.

thanks, that helps a lot. the lopacki burrs i got are pretty true. i recommend them. i cut all the inlays with the core drill on a press. it ran really straight and i think it was only $4 for the 4mm.

here's the latest set.

Looking good P! Are you going to do any surface patterning? (be sure to show us the occasional translucency shot too!)

Paipo made a good point back there; almost all holes I make (over about 5mm) are started with a smaller burr & progressively widened out. Also as mentioned, several burrs may be utilised to create a particular element. When I first started carving jade, someone told me that I should be aiming to use the biggest or best-fitting tool at any paticular time. It took a couple of years for that to really take on any meaning &/or gain the confidence to experiment with the concept. The fact that 'once its gone, its gone' can be a bit off-putting & there is a tendancy to 'doodle' about with burrs too small for the task. Not the end of the world, but using the 'right' tool can save much time & will generally produce a better/cleaner result. Finding the right tool is a matter of practice/experience & personal preference.

All that said, you're doing it dude. You're carving jade! Wahoo.

Keep it up!
Tama :)

yes, it will have the surface detail. i had a pretty big piece break on me last week. it kind of changed my whole attitude on carving jade. i just have to do it. (i am nervous about the NZ nephrite)

well, that and the 600 grit burrs i got are helping. plus the micro motor and the foot pedal.

thanks tama.

here's one with the sun behind it.

more work today . . .

These are going to be sweet PD, I got some tiny pieces of Jade with similar markings.
Great work
Regards
Flynny

Nice one pdrake. Looks like you're getting a good finish & your flat areas look nice and smooth.

T3 :)

Perry, theres just No Stopping you now is there. You are creating some really nice stuff, and Different too. I Love it.

wow pdrake, those just look awesome.

PD Do you ever have a problem holding these pieces. i got a jewellers vice but even that is too large sometimes.
Regards
Flynny

thanks everyone. i'm hoping to have the inlays done tonight providing i have power.

sometimes it gets tough to hold them. i've had pieces fly out of my fingers and both thumbs and forefingers are getting a little chewed up. the nails get ground out chunks, too. i don't run the bits too fast, so i don't really get burned with diamond bits.

What's this? Moais amongst the Maoris? Actually they are quite welcome! - Opened my mail this morning to find a few of those Moai chicklets & a bigger brother! Thanks pdrake; my tiki-room just got a little richer!! *I have another question, check PM...

In regards to a question from Flynny above; I almost always hold work by hand & brace it against a small block of wood (6 x 3.5 x 2.5"). The only time I will use the bench vice is to hold the work when using sanding strips to clean up internal holes. Never whilst carving...

Yep, the old fingers/nails suffer a bit. It was always funny to check the fingers of the jade students after the first week carving. Its pretty hard (but not impossible) to damage skin on the diamond wheels/blades but nails are brittle enough to be abraided away in seconds! Do enough sanding & you'll wear the skin on the tips of your fingers clean away though; especially when using mechanical means to sand. You dont know pain until youve sanded a hole right through the centre of a fingernail - yikes!

Bryan Adams would be proud of your committment! :lol: ?

Tama

On 2007-03-04 19:02, pdrake wrote:
more work today . . .

Very nice symetry between the two. I know what you mean about the nails taking a beating though, I thought I was the only one. How did you cut them out?

JP

thanks, i cut them out with a small diamond wheel on a flex shaft hand piece.

i'm so glad i got my electricity back. stupid breaker was a special order part. finally able to start back on these. put the inlays in tonight. they're so beautiful i cried a little.

[ Edited by: pdrake 2007-03-13 20:42 ]

well, it might have been too much for me.

[ Edited by: pdrake 2007-03-14 21:22 ]

oh, this is siberian (russian) jade. it's super hard and doesn't have the same density throughout. the lines on that are carved in with a 1mm burr. it's getting better, but my hand is really starting to cramp up. maybe i'm getting old.

Dang! PD, you are really pulling off some tight detail work and inlays--looks awesome!!!! That's a cool piece of rock too, I've never heard of it, which doesn't really mean anything-I'm no geologist (or stone carver). You're making it look easy, although I imagine it's not.

thanks surf! i appreciate it.

it is harder than i thought, the carving that is. the jade gets very rough with the tiny bits. they can't put small diamond dust (600 grit) on the tiny ones i guess, so i have to sand out the tiny grooves. it's proving to be difficult. oh, well, nobody ever said good things come easy.

What sort of burr are you using for your surface detail?

a 1mm sphere from hongia.

The problem with the little spheres is they tend to catch on any inconsistencies in the stone if you try and do linework. It's hard to get a flowing line - so you get lots of little bumpy divots (unless the stone is very soft). The smaller the sphere (and you're using the smallest) the worse it gets. D1 burrs are also highly prone to breaking when used in this way.
For the sort of engraving you're doing you're probably better off using this type (artist impression):

good to know. i have the smallest one of those you can get, also, at 600 grit.

thanks, paipo.

well, here's a shot in the sun. i guess i have lots of work to do.

having so much fun with the pounamu. it's so beautiful and fun to carve. i sat the taiaha earrings aside for the night.

What have I done?? Soon we'll be overrun with talented stoners & I will have done myself out of a job, doh!

Looking good pdrake, I like the paua inlays and Im sure this latest lil Moai will be a wee character too. Keep us posted.

Tama :)

so, i'm making these earrings. they are fashioned based on a traditional maori short club called a mere. as a rule the rangatira carried both a short club and a long club. they were carried in a belt, sometimes made of dog fur. they were made to crush the skull of an opponant in close quarter combat. in addition to belts, dog fur was used to make cloaks which, during battle were wrapped around the arm and used as a parrying device, but what do i know. i'm not maori.

anyway . . .

these are not authentic. they are small and will not crush an opponants skull. in no way did i mean to recreate an authentic piece.

okay, what do others think? should i put paua (new zealand abolone, from the family haliotis iris, but what do i know?) inlays in them? do you think they need it?

well, thanks for looking.

kia ora! (can i say that since i'm not maori?)

I Like the little clubs, yoo could use them on spiders! The Moai looks like he will be Cool/ The earrings with the inlay I'm not sure about yet. You have the basic shape ground out Nicely and the eye inlay is Nice, but I can see the rest of it is giving you trouble. Stop and think on it awhile and test new methods on scrap pieces then go to it. I Know you and you WILL Find a Way! Keep up the great work

thanks, ben. that's exactly where i'm at with those pieces, and why i went on to the moai and the meres. they are both out of pounamu and such a pleasure to carve. the taiaha will be there when i'm ready.

Nice works pdrake!
Careful braddah you gonna go blind play'n with these itty bitty thangs... Ya need to go out, find ya a nice tall giant redwood and give it a go?!! CARVE something Grand, Huge, GIGANTIMUS so that all may see and FEAR!!! :lol:

well, maybe not...earrings are nice too! :D

Flip-flOp-fLipPp...

just so everyone knows, i'm an incredible smartass. i mean no disrespect to any culture here. i work on the things i find beautiful, fascinating and challenging. i'm genuine, honest and about as subtle as a wet fart.

maori culture, history and art is one of the things i'm most interested in right now, and has been for some time. i have moari friends here and they are great, wonderful, brave people. i would stand with them in battle. (i actually have.)

i have no less respect for other cultures at all, it was just something i wanted to put out into the universe. i'm currently watching "once were warriors" and needed to express that.

sincerely,
perry