About the Author
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Rock hounding is more than a hobby for author Jim Magnuson,
it’s a serious and rewarding avocation that helps him connect
with nature. He has been an avid hunter and student of various
gems, minerals and fossils since his childhood, when he first
began to hunt for stones in his native state of Illinois. In
addition, Jim enjoys sharing his passion not only through showing
and gifting some of his finds, but also through writing, another
lifelong interest. Throughout Jim’s career as an Information
Technology professional, he has developed his technical writing
skills while creating new processes that reduce complexity and
improve efficiency. These same skills proved to be invaluable as
he set out to create a modern-day guide for beginning agate
hunters. Jim is also a member of the Minnesota Mineral Club and
enjoys attending other rock and mineral clubs as a way to further
his learning and branch out into other types of agates, gemstones
and geology.
Rocks and lapidary work are both a rewarding personal avocation
and a profession for Val Carver. While he is both educated and
established as a practicing engineer, his life has been
centered around rocks, gems and minerals for the past 20 years,
including ownership of a first-class lapidary supply and rocks,
gems and jewelry business in Princeton, MN (Minnesota Lapidary
Supply and Rocks & Things). This is not to say that Val has
abandoned his engineering background and training, because he has
continually leveraged that expertise to develop innovative
lapidary tools and processes. It has also enabled him to work
closely with lapidary wholesalers to both develop and procure
high quality and economical lapidary tools and supplies. Val is
always looking for ways to help his customers achieve success and
satisfaction with their rockhounding and lapidary areas of
interest, and he takes personal time to consult with them as they
explore and learn some new machine, tool or process. Val’s direct
style helps hobbyists at all levels to skip through “layers of
frustration” that often occur in the early learning stages. He
has given the same energy and focus to helping create this book
for lapidary hobbyists so they might experience the same personal
rewards that he enjoys.
Carol Wood took up professional photography as a means of
satisfying a lifelong passion for creating and sharing things of
beauty. She has a keen eye for seeing perspectives in things that
on the surface appear to be mundane or quite simple. Given her
training and natural instincts for perspective and complementary
lighting that enhances visual clarity, Carol is able to produce
high-definition photographic images that enhance but don’t
distract from the given subjects. These skills are essential in
providing a guidebook that novice agate hunters can use as a
just-in-time visual reference guide. In addition to Carol’s
photographic pursuits, she also enjoys outdoor activities with
her friends and family, especially activities that have both a
mental and physical component. As a result, she has become an
avid rock hound in her own right and has gradually built a
collection of beautiful agates that adorn her home in northern
Illinois. Carol has also developed a personal interest in making
jewelry pieces using gemstones she has found, and thereby has
become familiar with many of the lapidary tools and processes in
this book. Carroll would have a hard time choosing between the
joy of finding a beautiful gemstone and that of completing a
lovely new jewelry piece!
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
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Prior to making any cuts, there are a number of important
factors to consider before actually turning on the saw. The
following general guidelines will help determine how to cut, your
cutting angle and the width of your cuts.
Don’t Waste Material
Before you cut, estimate how many slabs or slices can be obtained
from the stone. If you’re cutting multiple slices, consider how
thick they need to be for your planned use (in jewelry, etc.).
Highlight the Most Attractive Features
Cut at an angle that exposes the most striking features.
Sometimes you will need to make an “exploratory cut” near the
outer surface on one side of the stone; this can help you
determine subsequent cuts that will yield the best slabs that
highlight natural colors and patterns.
Remove Flawed Areas
Always remove the rough and fractured sections of stone first,
but remove the smallest a of stone possible; if you discover
additional fracturing after the first cut, the stone is probably
better suited for tumbling filler or use as a display stone in an
aquarium.
Square Up the Sides
Depending on the thickness of the stone, you might need to cut
away the rough exterior surfaces on both sides first in order to
get multiple interior slabs with flat surfaces.
Starting a Cut
When cutting away the rough exterior surface, start your cut from
the side of the stone where you will be cutting away the most
material; this helps the saw blade get a solid entry and “bite”
into the stone. This will also create a smoother and more even
surface and will make sanding and polishing your gemstones easier
later.
For a Slab to Drill Through
If you’re planning on drilling through a slab (called face
drilling) to make a jewelry piece, thin slabs are best. Drilling
through thick cuts is costly (drill bits are expensive) and time
consuming; if you’re planning on using a piece for jewelry, we
specifically recommend a maximum thickness of 1/8–1/4".
Cutting a Whole Stone
Cutting whole stones is tricky, especially if there are no
visible features, such as patterns, on the outside to guide you.
If there is no visible pattern, cut the stone across its widest
point. This will give you the largest possible slabs, if that’s
how you intend to cut it; it also will expose the maximum a
of surface area if you are polishing the face of each half. If
there is exposed pattern (as often happens with agates), you
should cut at an angle that highlights the pattern.
Avoid Cutting Very Large Stones
If your stone is substantially thicker than the height of the saw
blade above the table (which is 2" for a 6" saw blade and 3" for
an 8" saw blade), you will have to roll the stone 180 degrees to
be able to fully cut through it. Stones that require this might
be too large for the saw; cutting them can result in uneven wear
on your diamond saw blade―and it could even bend the blade,
rendering your expensive diamond blade useless!