MAKING A NECKLACE PENDANT

Iusually concentrate on making things destined for my display case. is time, I changed everything! First, I made something that’s destined to be worn. I shaped the piece so the top will accommodate a drilled hole so it can be made into a necklace. I also decided to try a dierent procedure that led to a frosted surface to compliment the sanded and polished grooves. My nal departure from my normal was to set a stone in an o-balanced position.

GETTING STARTED

I started by sketching the shape and the decorative grooves on a slab of Brazilian Agate. Next, I trimmed to the sketched shape and rened the shape on my diamond grinding wheels. e inside curve on the top feature was ground dry with a heatless Mizzy silicon carbide wheel. I like to use these wheels because they grind quickly and my progress is constantly visible.

is contrasts with wet grinding where you have to constantly interrupt your grinding to dry the piece so you can see your progress. It is absolutely necessary for you to use safety glasses and a suitable respirator to suit your particular respiratory health when using these wheels!

My next step was to drill the hole for the decorative attached cabochon. Using a drill press, a 5/8-inch diamond core drill, and water, I ground the hole 2/3 of the way into the piece. Next, I used a diamond ball bur to remove the leˆover center piece. is leˆ a step to mount the stone in its assigned location. I used a diamond wheel-shaped bur to clean up the seat for the stone.

MAKING GROOVES

My next step was to use a small “V” bur to trace over the drawn shapes for the decorative grooves. I followed the grooves with a cone-shaped diamond bur to make them deeper and wider. e next step was to sand the grooves with 220 grit tumbling grit mixed in a condiment cup with a little water. I mounted a ½-inch dowel piece on a tapered screw mandrel and shaped it with a coarse le to make a raised ridge that matches the groove shapes. I made a slurry of the grit and dipped the shaped wood bur into it. It’s important to wet the wood bur before using it. e grit can also be put into the groove with a small narrow wood spatula. Keep sanding the grooves in this manner until they get smoothed out. Change to 400 grit for the nal sanding step.

e nishing step involves making another wood bur dedicated to just the polishing step. Make it in the same manner as noted above. Mix some cerium oxide with water in a condiment cup and use a wetted bur to polish the grooves.

FROSTING THE CAB

e next step is to make the frosted face of the cab. Using a small piece of window glass laying in a tray with a little water and 400 grit tumbling media, place the front of the cab down and move the piece around and grind it •at. Check for •atness and a homogeneous frosty appearance across the full front surface. For a ner frosty look, go to 600 grit. I stopped with 400 grit.

My next step was to grind and t the cab to the previously made hole in the cab. I had to allow for the silver scalloped bezel that went around the cab. I made a silver cup for the cab to t into so I could hold it in place. I used epoxy 330 to attach the mounted stone to the main cab cavity.

is project took longer than expected, but the outcome was pleasing.