April 2018 Program Information


April 2018 Program

Member Charlie Rhoads gave a demonstration and talk about cutting, polishing and making cabochons.

The process is not complicated, but takes a while so patience is needed.

The rock needs to be fairly hard and a rough slab of 3/16” to 5/16” is used.

Charlie marks his patterns with a permanent marker or an aluminum nail.

The lid must be closed on the saw!

Various grit wheels are used to trim and polish. The higher the number of grit, the finer the abrasive.

The area and equipment must be carefully cleaned as even house dust will affect the result.

Bonding takes a while, and Charlie recommended 24 hours.

His main advice was “Do it fast, or do it GOOD!” He does good work!!

He had several displays of professional grade cabochons as well as many pieces of jewelry he has made over the years.

Thank you, Charlie for an informative & interesting program. Charlie is always happy to discuss the process with anyone.

This is a link to a list of numerous YouTube videos about cabochon making. These videos have not been vetted for content, so be aware.

Each cab maker has their own tweak on the process, so there’s always a chance of discovery by looking at someone else’s procedure.


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