Tip For Making Even and Consistent Cab Perimeters. Loose Those Pesky Flat Spots

[Taogem]

Overcome those pesky flat spots on your cab perimeters.

Thought I might just share what works best for me.

The use of a "rest" is vital. Makes it much easier than tyring to free hand. I will always end up with totally messed up perimeters and uneven girdles trying to shape the perimeter freehand. It's ten times more difficult when the material has varying areas of hardness that are difficult enough just trying to conquer the undercutting.

Using a rest will keep the preform steadier as compared to freehand. Eliminates most undercutting trials and tribulations. Plue the girdles will be even and perpendular to the cab.

Here are a couple of short clips showing how it works for me. Most important is long sweeping motions. 

Shaping the initial perimeter..



Perfecting,fine tuning the perimeter.

Concentrate on the same long sweeping motions, but it is now also more important to keep steady pressures too.



By using the rest you can keep a nice even pressure.

Keep the cab moving. Nice long movements so as to eliminate flat spots that can easily happen when trying to freehand.

I work the perimeter like this through the 100, 220, 400 to my finest 600 diamond wheel. That way I can usually just very lightly hit the perimeter up through the different silicon carbide belts.

Something else that works well for me is having my rest just off center from the wheels. I like getting a bit of a girdle slope during the process.  A guy could initially slope the girdle even more by making the rest even a little more off center.

Easier to make matching sized cabs too. Just hold them up and together to see where you need to fine tune one or the other. You can match of several matching cabs pretty easily.



I use a simple 2 x 4 as a rest on my Highland Park unit. With a piece of tile on it so that the cab will move more freely rather than just being on the wood. A person could use a piece of tin, or any other smoothed smooth materials.

Hope this help, and happy cabbing ! 

[thewrightthings]

Really good tips on creating some consistency.  Thanks.  Appreciated the video.

[ScarlettoSara]

Yup, Yup really appreciate this advise:)
I found a Lortone 4 wheel lapidary arbor on Craigslist and going to go take a look at it later today. They only want $50.00 for it:)
Never would have imagined I would get so dang excited about looking at an old piece of rusty machinery but I surely am:)

[Taogem]

Good luck with the Lortone Sara. I know that feeling of excitement !

[Michael S Hoover - Redrummd]

Very, very creative....  How are you attaching the 2 x 4? 

[Taogem]

How are you attaching the 2 x 4? 

The bottom of the 2 x 4 has slots that were done on a table saw. Also.. , the deeper the slots, the more of a slope to the cab will result. Those slots fit onto the edges of the tray.

The slots and holes on top are help drain any water.

It sits freely so I can remove it for working freehand.

[Allen]

I like the advise of useing a tile on the wood.

Have just experimented by cuting and sticking a plastic take away lid on wood, it works a treat.

To get the top and bottom bevels its handy if two pieces of wood are used.

For the top bevel a flat piece of wood but positioned below the wheel centre.
For the bottom bevel the wood needs to be angled on the top surface as the bevel required is greater. 

[Taogem]

For the top bevel a flat piece of wood but positioned below the wheel centre.
For the bottom bevel the wood needs to be angled on the top surface as the bevel required is greater. 

Excellent !

[MrsWTownsend]

An interesting topic~ thanks for sharing this.  My genie came with a rest but it's kind of been a pain in my #%* so I don't use it much.  Looks like I need to deal with it and learn how to make it work for me.  I have no rest for the grinding wheels on my trim saw~ I am totally going to use the 2x4 approach for that.

[DonniesTreasures]

Ohhhhhhh, so that's how you do it.  Now I am going to try that using the rest that came with the Genie!

[cre84u]

Great idea. I have been free handing it and it can be a pain. I am going to try this
Thanks

[southerly]

Great hints thank you, I have always freehand and it is a challenge on soft and undercutting materials. I can also see how the rest would allow you to cut the waste away quicker.
Thanks,
David

[Arizona Rocker]

I have found that using 1/2 by two to keep your spacing correct instead of fighting to keep the rest from the wheel. I glued the wood to the rest. The length was the right distance from the rest to the back of the pan to just keep the rest out of the wheel. I then cut a piece for the back side again the correct length to the front of the of the pan. When you slide this bad boy in its locked no worries about shifting. Use hot stuff or contact cement to complete your tool  Now all you have to do is worry about your creation. Lick Rocks!!!!!!

[Rockoteer]

This is sort of a different twist on my end plate 45 degree rest for knife scales.



TOG

[Fullerton]

Thanks for the videos and advice.  I don't have a lapidary club close by so have had to self-learn ... these videos reinforce the techniques very nicely.