Working with zebra stone

[Fullerton]

Thanks Dave, definitely going to try some of the bees wax. 

You've motivated me to get some of my zebra stone out.  I've attached a pic to show some of the variations with only the middle right stone being the form most people are used to seeing.  These are unpolished so don't show the full depth of colour.  There are different names for some of the variations but they are all basically a siltstone. 

[3rdRockFromTheFun]

Well I'll be... you should get a ribbon or something - those cabs came out wonderful and I love that you just winged it with a hacksaw, sandpaper and wax. Awesome ingenuity and equally awesome results - good on you! 

[ozbod]

Hey,

thanks for sharing that picture, as I said I had never heard of it before it dropped through the letter box, and as you have shown there is so much variation and yes we are actively looking for more now. From most things I have read it seems that most people only attain a dull buff finish, but I honestly believe that with enough layers of wax you should be able to get those beauties gleaming like a mirror, think about it, after the initial layer of wax you will be polishing the wax layers after that and not the stone, just like you would with a chunk of Mahogony when french polishing, I may be wrong but I do think it would work.

3rdRockFromTheFun thanks for your comments, I guess this took our craft of Lapidary right back to basics. I was just extremely wary because it wasn't my stone it was the clients, so yes as you say I winged it and it paid off

Cheers

Dave

[ozbod]

Hi BATwOMaN,

didn't realise that Shalini had posted a pic of that tree on the net, here it is:

http://www.jewellery-by-shalini.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/bespoke-wire-sculpture-tree-by-dave.html

Enjoy your hanging around in the Bat cave!

Cheers

Dave

[ScarlettoSara]

Fullerton you have such great taste in rocks:)
That one on the right side looks almost like peanut wood design which I love dearly.
I love each of them separately and together:)

Dave the memorial tree is so beautiful.  Touched my heart:)