Experienced Lapidary: Producer of quality lapidary products at reasonable prices. Jewelry cabochons, tumble polished gemstones, polished specimens, wire wraping free form cabs. Your lapidary service source.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
My interest in lapidary began back in 1965-1966. I was teaching school in Oakdale, Nebraska. During the General Science unit on rocks I decided to go into the countryside to pick up some rocks and bring them into the classroom. To my surprize, I could not find any rocks.

We had just moved into an area called "The Sand Hills". There were no outcroppings of rocks or even rocks in the streambeds. Everything was sand.

I saw an advertisement for a rock club meeting in a nearby city (Norfolk, NB), I went. This should be a place I could find some rocks.

This must have been a "bring your very best" for show and tell. There were tables full of polished rocks, polished specimens, jewelry cabochons, and beautiful jewelry.

I WAS HOOKED.

I don't remember if I was able to get any rocks for my classroom but I made plans to acquire rocks and equipment for myself.

I subscribed to rock magazines and read all I could about agates, jasper, petrified wood and lapidary processes.

I learned techniques by research and trial and error. Today I am using the resources on the web to a greater degree.

Now, let me be a source of service to you.

I will cut and polish your materials

I will sell you my polished materials ....

Let me know your needs.

rockhead2u@comcast.net

I keep track of my personal projects and what special orders need worked.

Your orders are important.

I work in two 8x12 foot buildings. These are conveniently located at the back of our home. (NOW THREE BUILDINGS.)

work area I will update my web site with more pictures and pages as I get more pictures ready.

I love my work and am glad there is always much to do.

(I like to be kept busy.)

NEW SHOP BUILT IN SUMMER OF 2005

PICTURES BELOW
I work with groups of cabochons or polished specimens at the same time.

This saves time as I can finish one stage or process on a group of items and then go on to the next stage of the process of polishing.

cabochons in progress

This is a group of "cabochons or cabs in progress".

polished cabochons This is a group of finished cabochons or cabs ready for photos for web pages or storage for later use.

When I list one cab, I will usually have more cabochons or cabs of the same kind of material so I will have it marked..

SIMILAR AVAILABLE.

ORDER YOURS NOW!

Larry E. Whittington
15876 NE Holladay St.
Portland, OR 97230

1. Detail of new Pictures coming soon.

New shop under construction

a) More freeform cabs coming.
b) More polished specimens coming.
c) More tumbled stones.
d) More wirewrapping gemstones.
e) More jewelry gemstones and collectable specimens you need!

IF YOU DON'T SEE WHAT YOU WANT LISTED ON MY PAGES, CONTACT ME.

2. Details of new pictures coming soon.

New shop under construction

It always looks better when it's all done.

Putting things away in new shop.
View in back of shop

View in back of new shop.

The view from inside the shop is very relaxing also. This photo was taked before inside construction was finished.
The New Me
The new picture of me.

Tumbler Instructions.
Polishing slabs is one area that I hear people have problems.
Here is what I have found out: Slabs have a tendency to stick together in the 12 pound barrel tumblers I use. Because of this they have to be kept apart in the tumbling action.
To keep the slabs apart there has to be a good quantity of real small sized rocks added to each barrel of rocks that are tumbled. These are from BB sized up to bean sized. Most people just throw these away if they crack up their own rock. I keep all of the "floor sweepings" -the stuff that is left over after I crush up my rocks. I throw all of these little pieces into the barrel with my other small broken rocks that I want to tumble.
For each load I can have as much as 1/2 slabs, 1/4 regular sized rocks and about 1/4 the real small rocks that I call "scrubbers". They are actually the grinders as they carry the grit in between the slabs to grind off any saw marks and rough spots. They also grind in between the crevices and curves of the other broken rocks. They also carry the polishing powder so that these areas are polished. I like the way my slabs come out.
One of the reasons people don't usually put the real small chips of rock in the tumbler is that they don't think they will have a need for them. They might just be something that would be thrown away or discarded after the load was finished. Since I set up and sell stuff at rock shows what I do though is to put these real small rocks in bags or plastic boxes to sell to kids. Save them for club shows.
The other thing that I would mention to people is the time I let my loads run. I usually let my loads run on average 10 days. For the rough grind, I find that for many of the rocks one time through is not enough time. When I take my rocks out of the rough grind, after washing, I will spread them out to dry. All the rocks that are not smooth as I want them go back into another rough grind. When the rough grid is really good the rocks then go into the second (220 grit) stage of grinding. This is also for at least 10 days. It never hurts them to go longer. The next stage is a pre polish. I am using an aluminum oxide for this. This again is for 10 days. The next step is the cerium oxide polish. 10 days is good for this also. I give the rocks an hour or two in a laundry soap wash (burnishing) to finish it off. The rocks are then dried and ready for sorting and separating. If there are some rocks (and there usually is only a few) that I don't really like the finish, I either throw them into a kids box or if I think they would be good if re- tumbled, I will put them in the next batch of rough.
My washing process for the coarse grit of a 12 pound barrel after 10 days is as follows. I work outside on a bench. I use plastic tubs that I can put a plastic strainer in. I dump the rocks into the strainer so the “mud” drains through. All this mud is disposed of except any small rocks that go through the holes in the strainer. I then wash the rocks in two or three of these plastic tubs. The water gets cleaner by the second or third wash.
Now I want to save all the rocks but no coarse grit if there is any left. Something like gold panning “classifiers” or strainers: ½ inch, 1/4 inch, 1/8 inch, and then screen wire size. ( I made my own with metal mesh material.) For the next – 220 grit – I want all of the rocks except anything that goes through the screen wire size strainer. If it goes through the screen wire it may contain some coarse grit. All this rock material is saved for the next coarse grit. Remember: I need all the small rocks I can get to scrub between the slabs.
I use a coarse grit, a 220 grit, a pre-polish, polish and then a 2 hour laundry soap burnishing. (Rinse the soap off these rocks and they should still appear wet even when dry.)

MY OTHER INTERESTS

GOLD PROSPECTING

I am affected with Gold Fever.

I enjoy looking for places to pan for gold. I don't have to go to known gold areas. It is just as fun for me to go where there is no know gold. When I find a tiny flake in these area, I am really delighted. It isn't the quantity of gold that excites me but just the finding some. In fact, I think it is more enjoyable finding gold where there is none known to be.

If you are in the Portland, OR area and would like to know the locations I have found a few speck of gold contact me.

PROSPECTING AREAS

1. Johnson Creek SE Portland, OR.
There isn't supposed to be any gold in the area but there is an occasional flake or two.
2. Creek near Vernonia, OR.
There isn't supposed to be gold here, but there is a few fine specks.
3. Copper Creek, Washington
This is an old mining area and there is enough gold here to make a fun family outing.

RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS

THOUGHTS ABOUT LIVING

THOUGHTS ABOUT LIFE

THOUGHTS ABOUT DYING

THOUGHTS ABOUT DEATH

IS HEAVEN IN YOUR FUTURE?

Ask me about my thoughts of Heaven.

HEAVEN QUESTIONS?

Do you donate to Private Schools?
Think about
Crossroads Christian School

Check out their web site and contact them for your tax deductible donation information.

I have a personal interest in this school as this was the last school I taught in before retirement.

THANKS!

Larry E. Whittington

Pictures, text, and web design are copyrighted and owned by Larry E. Whittington; Lapidary of Portland, OR.

Your source for Jewelry Cabochons, Collector Cabochons, Wire Wrapping Gemstones, Jewelry, Polished Specimens, Drilled Gemstones, and Tumbled Stones.

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Your source for Jewelry Cabochons, Collector Cabochons, Wire Wrapping Gemstones,
Jewelry, Polished Specimens, Drilled Gemstones, and Tumbled Stones.