Comments on: Lapidary Start-up Costs

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 03:00:05 +0000

In reply to Kitty. Hi Kitty, I learned and did a lot of work on my first combo unit (lortone). While the issues mentioned above are a pain, they're not a huge problem. The Lortone combo unit is a really great little machine. Sounds to me like this machine could work for you!

By: Hank Shoop

Hank Shoop — Fri, 29 May 2020 16:41:35 +0000

Ahna, NOT Anna,
I strongly dislike outo-correct.

By: Hank Shoop

Hank Shoop — Fri, 29 May 2020 16:39:58 +0000

Ahna,
I‘ve been a middle school science teacher for 35 years. I specialize in geology and I take my students on mini geology field trips. We’ve collected stone, taking them to a friend of mine to have them cut and polished. The kids get very excited. I will be retiring soon and I’ve just bought an 8 inch CabKing. And I have had a Covington rock saw now for about two years. I’ve been collecting rocks and minerals with my father and uncles since I was seven years old. And I can’t wait to begin a new chapter of working with what I’ve collected. Is there any legal things about setting up a cabbing business we should know about? LLC’s? Taxes and book keeping? That you or anyone on this list could share from your experiences?
Sincerely,
A Novice

By: Rena Klingenberg

Rena Klingenberg — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 17:51:06 +0000

In reply to Terrie Marcoe. Hi Terrie! A great new creative direction for you. Looking forward to seeing your cabs and what you do with them! :)

By: Terrie Marcoe

Terrie Marcoe — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 17:15:53 +0000

I’ve just joined a gem and mineral club and have begun making some cabs. It’s just so satisfying to have my own cabochons in my finished wire weave pendants. So obviously it has gotten me thinking about getting my own set up. Thanks for the write up, and especially mentioning about the changeout requirements for that all in one machine you got originally. That would be a mistake I would be very glad to avoid as it would drive me batty in about 5 seconds. I have a low *annoyance threshold!*

By: Listener

Listener — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 02:20:50 +0000

Hi there, does anyone have trim saw recommendations?

By: John S.

John S. — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 11:43:58 +0000

I am waist deep in this and I can tell you for certain that this article by Ahna provides solid advice. I will also encourage you not to spread yourself out too thin. Focus on mastering one thing at a time. Cabbing – Slabbing – Setting -Sourcing Material. There is an art to each of them and they each take time and patience to master. I have found that the online community is incredibly supportive for both hobbyists and artisans and they are a great resource as you face your challenges. FB seems to be the most active right now for us but that could change. If you are a cheapskate like me consider constantly monitoring Craigslist for deals and steals on equipment and rough. EBTH and Auctionzip are great for catching material and equipment being sold out of old estates and collections. My last word of advice is to be generous with your acquired wisdom, skill, and experience and, on occasion, even with your best material. This will pay huge dividends in the long run. Thanks Ahna for taking the time to post this.

By: Mark O.

Mark O. — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 15:33:45 +0000

Hi, I just got started in making cabochons and jewelry as a retirement project. I bought a trim saw $485 + $28 s/h and a Cab King $1325 no s/h. So I’ve got $1838 invested in equipment so far, with about another $300-$400 for a buffing wheel. You really need a buffer to put the final polish on your cabs. So far I’ve bought all my slabs on Ebay, and haven’t needed to buy a slab saw at this point until I know that I’m really going to stay interested in this hobby. Then I’ll buy a slab saw at a later date. If you’re going to also make some jewelry with your newly shaped stones, you’ll need some hand tools and materials for making rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. I plan on wire wrapping most of my cabs, so you’ll need to buy various rolls of different gauges of copper &/or sterling silver wire to wrap the stones. As far as hand tools, I’ve purchased numerous templates of various shapes, jewelry hammers, small metal 4″x4″ pounding bench plate, stainless steel ring sizer, and a number of different types of pliers for bending wire to make bails and wire shapes. To keep all your tools/materials in a handy place, I also recommend buying a nice crafters case with a handle and wheels. I spent approximately $500 on all the hand tools/materials. My final and last expenses of around $2000 have been for various rock rough, slabs, and already made stones from India and China, which I bought on numerous Ebay auctions for a dirt cheap price, with no s/h costs. The down side of buying abroad, is it takes a few weeks to ship here. So, for around $4500, I’ve started a hobby that I think I will really enjoy for many years to come. If all goes well, I should also be able to sell some of my handmade jewelry, cabs, and artwork for a half way decent profit. Hopefully, I should be able to recoup most of my expenses over the next few years. If anyone else decides to sell their cabs/jewelry, some good places to start are Ebay.com, Etsy.com, Craigslist.com, Craft Shows, & County Fair booths. Good luck to anyone else wanting to start a fun hobby/home business.

By: Nancy Schreiber

Nancy Schreiber — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 15:49:28 +0000

Want info. about rock tumblers.

By: Teresa Dalton

Teresa Dalton — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 23:49:45 +0000

Thank you for this article! It was just what I needed to get an honest break down of what the costs really are. So thanks again for the perfect advice!

By: Ginger

Ginger — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 01:10:27 +0000

If you have a lapidary club in your area you can join for the year and try the different machines they have.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Mon, 04 May 2015 04:16:13 +0000

Hi Ahna,
Your article is the most help I have found after much perusing on to
He web
I have gone through the stages of rock hound doing hand shaping and tumble
I got to wanting to create my own cabs from rough
I am will I got to spend what I need to, but don’t want to over or under purchase
I just bought a 7 inch trim saw from Harbor Freight for $80.00 but haven’t opened the box yet
I am so unsure of just what I need
You seem to have done all your research including the mistake you mentioned so I think following your advice is a great way to go
Can you give me the details of the slab saw you use?
I also have heard good reports on the Genie
Do you know how it compares with a CabKing?
Thanks for your time and interest in helping a fellow lover of our earths bounty Kat

By: Julie White

Julie White — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 18:18:37 +0000

I’ve always had an interest in lapidary but ultimately decided to leave it to someone else as I already work in so many media. Thanks!! This article is very helpful in summing up all that is really involved in doing your own lapidary work.

By: Rena Klingenberg

Rena Klingenberg — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 10:42:57 +0000

In reply to Judy Pagnusat. That's a really good tip, Judy - thank you for adding that!

By: Judy Pagnusat

Judy Pagnusat — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 08:36:59 +0000

Thank you so much Ahna for this insightful article. Stones are a passion of mine and I am just learning to work them to create cabochons. If people are interested in learning this process but have a problem with the expense, they might look into gem and mineral clubs in their area. I joined one near me this last spring and they have all the equipment there and there is always someone there to teach you how to use it. To join a club is a lot less expensive than having to go out and purchase all the equipment on your own. Thanks again for the article.
Judy

By: Kitty

Kitty — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 22:47:15 +0000

I am older with some physical problems. when I was a teen my dad was rockhounding and doing cabochons and I went with him and even cut and polished a piece myself. I did not pursue it due to moving far away from him. I wish I could have. he had a basic unit with two grinding wheels and a polishing wheel and a saw blade. he did not have such a fancy outfit as you show. I learned on this outfit and could see myself using such an outfit. I saw the $700 unit you mentioned online and my hubby is ok with me buying that, but I know he would never go for the 3000 dollar unit. I have about 35 lbs of slab my dad cut before he got Alzheimer’s and quit working rock. since reading your article I’m at a loss what to do.

By: christy

christy — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 21:15:46 +0000

This article helps me so much! It let me know what I needed to start up without looking around to much. I appreciate your honesty!