7 Questions with Bob Rush
Editor’s Note: As part of our year-long 50th Anniversary celebration we’re featuring questions and answers with regular Rock & Gem contributors and other notable rockhounds.
Rock & Gem: How many years have you been a contributing writer for Rock & Gem?
Bob Rush: I have been writing Bench Tips articles for seven years. Writing these articles always challenges me to think and work beyond my comfort zone to introduce things that I haven’t done before.
R&G: What first inspired your appreciation for minerals, rocks, and gems? How long have you held this fascination?
BR: I grew up around rocks in Oregon. My aunts, uncles, and my dad often went on trips to see and collect agates, jaspers, and obsidian, mostly in Southern Oregon and Northern California.
R&G: Who are three of your significant mentors in life and why?
BR: My first lapidary mentor was my uncle Keith who had a Highland Park combination lapidary/ saw unit. He first taught me how to precisely make a cab when I was a junior in high school in 1958. My second mentor was a college metal arts professor who taught the precise skills needed to hand form a metal goblet and how to incorporate specially cut matching agate cabs into the design. This was in the early ’80s. My third lifelong mentor was my dad who encouraged me to always rise to the occasion and do my very best to achieve the best possible results in my work and to reach for higher goals.
R&G: As an experienced lapidary artist, what’s an important tip you’ve received or learned?
BR: When I was studying jewelry making at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco, Alan Revere taught me that you must always make the piece right the first time. I carried this philosophy over into my lapidary activities and it led to better planning and design as I do my cabbing techniques. It also negates doing practice cabs.
R&G: Please tell us a bit about your participation in clubs. How does it play an important role in your interest in the hobby?
BR: I have belonged to the Mother Lode Mineral Society of Modesto, California for the last ten years. Being able to interact with members that have a broad interest and knowledge of lapidary and jewelry making has been a very educational and enlightening experience. Our relationship with the Modesto Junior College, where we provide much of the equipment and its maintenance, has given us the opportunity to help continue education in the lapidary and jewelry arts and introduce younger people to these skills. We also have a very active juniors group in the club where we can mentor them in the earth sciences realm.
R&G: Although the focus of your collecting efforts and lapidary work may have changed over the years, is there one type of rock, mineral or gem that remains a favorite? If so, why?
BR: Where I grew up, Obsidian was a nearby plentiful source, so it captured my early attention. I made many things from it including very large eggs, an obelisk, and carved pieces. This interest is still with me, but a second material has been my focus for the last few years – agate, especially Brazilian and Montana Agate and milky chalcedony. I love making cabs with carving on the back and front, as well as incorporating sharp internal curves on the cabs.
R&G: If you had to select one piece of lapidary equipment that is your favorite, which item would it be and why?
BR: It would be the Richardson’s Ranch High-Speed polisher. I have one with a slightly modified wheel that I do 95% of my polishing work on. It allows me the opportunity to very quickly get a mirror shine on nearly all of my work including my specialty – very large cabs (up to 6” across).