Puddle Cabochons are probably one of the first projects someone starting with fusing glass will undertake. In this video tutorial I will cover the entire process of making puddle cabochons.
I’ll cover everything from selecting the coloured glass, cutting, breaking up into pieces, cleaning, safety and finally fusing into cabochons.
I will also touch on making the cabochons in a microwave kiln, and offer an alternative technique.
I hope you find it useful and it helps you improve your skills.
Will it cut well? In this cabochon tutorial I have an interesting but odd shaped piece that I think will cut a nice cabochon. It is a bi-colour piece of rough with a deep rich blue and a golden pattern with flashes of green. It does have a couple of bubbles but nothing I think will be a problem.
It would be best as a cushion shape, but I think it will be an oval. Have a look to see what happens as I cut it.
Continue reading Will this cabochon cut well? Jewellery Cabochon Cutting
Using Dop Sticks used for holding gemstones and other materials while grinding, shaping and polishing is a practice that has been around for many, many years. But still there is a little misunderstanding about why we use them and how to use them.
Hopefully, in this video I can shed some light on the subject. While I am not a seasoned lapidary, I have been using them for quite a while cutting Jefanite™ and other materials, and have developed a technique that I believe can be easily adopted by anybody.
Anyway, in this video I will talk a little about why we use them, what they are made of, how to attach your cabochon and how to remove it.
I hope you find it useful and help with cutting cabochons.
This cabochon tutorial didn’t quite work out as I had hoped. The final stone was a little disappointing but still worth saving.
The rough piece looked great, though a couple of bubbles did make the cutting a little interesting.
Continue reading Oval Cabochon Cutting from Blue Green Jefanite
In this cabochon tutorial I’m cutting a nice multicolour piece of Jefanite into a rectangular cushion shape.
The piece has good play of colour and in the hand is far better than in the video. While there are just a few hints of red, there are numerous other colours that make this a real collectable piece. Which is probably what will happen with it. It’ll go into my collection.
Continue reading Cutting a Multicolour Cushion Cabochon
Wishful thinking on my part! Always wanted a magic flying carpet. Off to mysterious lands and all that. Well, this glass fusing tutorial for a platter, that includes a part from a part sheet, may not create a real flying carpet, but it satisfies something inside me.
So, I had this part sheet I made back a bit (see this post Making a Fused Glass Part Sheet), and the pattern just reminded me of an oriental carpet. That’s the inspiration. So here’s how I put it together.
Continue reading Fusing a Part Sheet Platter ‘Magic Flying Carpet’
Recently, I’ve received a number of questions about the equipment I use and how I have it setup. So in this video I give you a little tour of my studio, and in particular the equipment I use when cutting and polishing cabochons, both Jefanite and glass art cabochons.
You will see that I have tried to find second-hand equipment where possible, and have recycled materials that I already own or have found in second-hand stores.
This isn’t always possible, and I do have to buy new equipment, tools and accessories sometimes. Things like diamond wheels and other consumables need to be purchased new as they do wear out.
Anyway, this video should give you some good ideas on setting up your own studio, and if you’re into glass fusing, this may also help.
This video tutorial on cutting cabochons started with an experimental piece of red Jefanite™. I wasn’t really sure how it would go, but had to try. You will see that during the cutting I was not very confident on the outcome.
Continue reading Cutting a Round Cabochon from Red Jefanite™
In this video tutorial on cutting cabochons, I’m cutting a nice gold green piece of Jefanite™ into a round cabochon.
The piece has a real depth of structure that can make it a little challenging. Only in that I don’t want to lose too much material and want to maximise the end result.
Continue reading Cutting a Round Gold / Green Jefanite Cabochon
This is the first in a series of cabochon cutting videos I’ll be making. Sorry for the not so professional video and my Aussie accent. Hopefully, better next time.
The piece I’m cutting is a very nice blue, or maybe purple, and gold fleck piece of rough Jefanite.
Continue reading Cutting a Blue / Gold Jefanite Oval Cabochon
Just want to let everyone know that we are embarking on a new series of videos, dedicated to our own man made material called Jefanite™, and working with it to produce beautiful features suitable for jewellery and other decorative works.
Continue reading Introduction to Jefanite Video Series
Jefanite™ is a whole new ball game. It’s a material we have developed specifically for creating beautiful features for jewellery that produce amazing colour patterns and variation, and amazing brilliance at an affordable price.
Continue reading What is Jefanite?