Well, bugger. I wish I could find a decent alternative.

Hmmm. I thought all that was almost a year ago. I figured they'd have it sorted by now. Worst thing is, I call every few days and they assure me each time that it is going to be shipped "today or tomorrow for sure". If they just said "Hey, we're swamped, it's going to be a month before we can put this thing in a box for you" I'd be far less annoyed than with their constant lies about imminent shipping.

Hi all, I've been trying to find a lightweight machine similar to the Caberet which is sold by Graves Lapidary. I ordered one several weeks ago but every time I call, they say "it's due to go out tomorrow" and then it never shows up because they don't ship it. I'm about at my wit's end dealing with them, and I'd like to know if there are any options out there for a lightweight grinding machine that takes multiple 6" wheels since I already have all the brand new 6" diamond wheels sitting here on my workbench...

Other than that, if anyone knows just what will light a fire under the Graves Co people, I am all ears.

I'm currently having the same sort of problem with them. Ordered about ten days ago, got a robo-receipt for the credit card charge, but nothing indicating when my machine would be shipped. Their website states that items are shipped in 1-3 business days, and that inquiries should be made by email because they check it often and will respond quickly. HAH.

I waited five business days, then sent email inquiring about the order, and asking for an eta and a tracking number since I paid for FedEx shipping. No answer, so I sent a second email two days later, and a third email two days after that. No response whatsoever. I sent them a fourth email this morning indicating that if they don't respond within the next 24 hours that I will cancel my order.

If it comes to that, it will cost me about $150 more to buy straight from Graves, but at this point I'm kind of wishing I'd done that to begin with. I certainly would have if I'd been aware of all the issues others have had with them.

Wow, that jade really is nice. Still looks like a mountain with a thunderstorm brewing!

That sounds awesome, Bob! I look forward to seeing more of your big, pretty pieces.

Hey Bobby, I'm curious...why so big? Is it supposed to be a specimen, or is something that large going to be put into a piece of jewelry?

Either way, it's a gorgeous thing to see.

The more you use it the slower it gets, but it lasts a long time. I usually leave things in from 30 minutes to a couple hours, depending on the results I want. I don't buy it very often because a little goes a long way, but when I do I get it from a chemical supply rather than a jewelry supply. You shouldn't pay much more than about $10 per hundred grams or so, and that will make plenty of solution to etch small things.

Debbie,  ferric nitrate works quite well on silver. You're probably thinking of ferric chloride.

Since you've not tried etching before, might I suggest that you NOT use nitric acid? There are crucial safety concerns that go along with its use, and if you're not familiar with the use of strong acids and bases, it's probably a better choice to use another etchant. I would suggest ferric nitrate or silver nitrate as alternatives to nitric acid. Yes, you still need to be careful with them and be aware of how they are used and disposed, but they're less of a concern overall than a strong acid like nitric.

If I were to make something similar, I would either etch the name and pattern into the piece, or I'd pierce it out. Also, I'd probably make a custom bezel that was decorative, or if I didn't want to bother with that then I'd buy gallery wire.

That's gorgeous material!

That first photo with the light coming from behind...the piece looks like a mountain with the sun shining through a storm clouds swirling around the peak. I really like it!

Ah, well, there you go. :)

I like citric acid for pickle. It's safe, effective, and it doesn't smell like vinegar. You can easily find it in any grocery store with the canning and pickling supplies.