Last month at the Golden Spike Gem & Mineral Show in Ogden, UT, there were several new products for cabochon and lapidary cutting.
Highlighted here is a new dop system that is both simple yet ingenious. At the end of the Ogden show I stopped by to grab a set and every last one of them had sold. So this month when I was back in Utah, I jumped at a chance to pick up one.
The key to this system is an ergonomically shaped aluminum handle that accepts any #10 (10 mm or 7/16") or smaller screw, nail or even a tiny wooden dowel. The screw is attached to the preform cab as normal with super glue or dop wax.
Highlighted here is a new dop system that is both simple yet ingenious. At the end of the Ogden show I stopped by to grab a set and every last one of them had sold. So this month when I was back in Utah, I jumped at a chance to pick up one.
With a small Allen set-screw in each handle, it's easy to add and remove each cabochon.
Immediately the benefits of the ergonomically shaped aluminum handle become apparent. The size of the handle is similar to a writing pen and feels more natural than a small nail or wooden dowel. The small sculptured area for the fingers helps prevent the handle from slipping around. Any cutter with large hands will especially appreciate this feature.
Another benefit is it will be much easier to dop and hold very small stones. Now it is possible to dop anything from the largest cowboy belt buckle size cab all the way down to the tiniest little speck imaginable and still be able to hold it. No more fiddling with chopsticks...
The entire kit includes several items. Enclosed in the package with the aluminum handle are a plastic block for holding your stones after they have been hit with your favorite dopping adhesive, twelve #10 screws and an Allen wrench. The price is $19.95 for everything or $14.95 for the handle alone.
Immediately the benefits of the ergonomically shaped aluminum handle become apparent. The size of the handle is similar to a writing pen and feels more natural than a small nail or wooden dowel. The small sculptured area for the fingers helps prevent the handle from slipping around. Any cutter with large hands will especially appreciate this feature.
Another benefit is it will be much easier to dop and hold very small stones. Now it is possible to dop anything from the largest cowboy belt buckle size cab all the way down to the tiniest little speck imaginable and still be able to hold it. No more fiddling with chopsticks...
The entire kit includes several items. Enclosed in the package with the aluminum handle are a plastic block for holding your stones after they have been hit with your favorite dopping adhesive, twelve #10 screws and an Allen wrench. The price is $19.95 for everything or $14.95 for the handle alone.
While I am certainly not a gear freak, this is one tool that will see a lot of use in my lapidary shop. After getting home I found an Aquamarine cab that was half started. After a few minutes on the grinder and a little more time sanding and polishing, one thing was certain: I'm not going back to just using a dowel.
You can get one for yourself from several sources. Brugman's Lapidary (801 963-7847) developed the system and sells them around Utah at many of the rock shows. You can also find them at www.rockhoundart.com.
Happy cutting!
