Beads like these are now available at Olivet Book and Gift here in Alpena. They don't have a website that you can order from, but you can send them an email and they'll send you a bead. They also sell my crosses and some heart pendants. olivetbookandgift.com
Rob, I know I've asked you before about selling your Petoskey Turtles and you said no. Well since you're selling your beads, hearts, and crosses at Olivet, any chance you'll change that no to a yes? I'm an actual honorary Michigan Turtle. I was gifted the title from the Madame Turtle of Michigan herself. It would mean the world to me if I owned one of your Petoskey Turtles. 🤞
No surpises here, but fantastic work! They look amazing! And you took what is a somewhat complicated process and made it look downright easy! Beautiful stones!😄thanks again for being a part of the challenge! You have always been a huge lapidary role model for me so it meant a lot to have you involved in this!😄
From what I've seen of your channel, I don't think I'm really ahead of you. You seem to know what you're doing. I have never even tried carving a rock, that impresses me.
@@kd7ign I'm 6'2". I always say that's the worst part of being tall. When we're at a wedding and my wife drags me out to dance, I try to hide by going to the middle of the people, but my head sticks up above most so you can still see it bobbing out of sync with everyone else. Oh well...
Better than a Pandora, this is truly a unique "make" and it's an art piece really! I bet your wife is amazed at such a thoughtful gift. Thank you for the video.
Absolutely beautiful! Your rounding method is so clever, as is the bead on the drill. The end product looks professional and finished. I do believe you are a mechanical genius!
I would much rather have these on my Pandora than store bought items! I'm grateful for the detailed video so many can make their own. You are a blessing to so many!
I hope that a few people attempt these. Obviously, it takes a few tools, so not everyone can just do this, but for those who have invested in tools, I hope to be able to give them idea on what to do with them.
The bracelet looked Great. I think that he has a lot of ingenuity. Have watched quite a few of his videos and he has some wonderful tricks up his sleeve. Thanks for igniting the spark in all of us.
WOW! That is a VERY good present idea, what a cool way to show off stones for a rockhound! The jig idea was a good borrow from a woodworking video. You shared a bunch of things to help others. Thank you for sharing!
I worry that my videos get too long, but if I was watching, I'd want to know all the details, so I include them. It's nice to know that they're appreciated. Thanks!
Your beads are just beautiful thank you so much for sharing them with us my father who is 90 years old now would go to Lake Superior and pick up agates and other stones all his family lived in that area when we moved to Vancouver Island dad tumbled the stones and made us earrings and necklaces so we are big fan of superior stones and thank you again so much for sharing keep well
I am dumbfounded by the sheer amount of time, effort, and MONEY that went into making these little beads. I bow before you. I'm a paper crafter, I don't have the patience for such an effort! People who don't make any sort of handcrafts just have NO IDEA what is involved.
When it's fun to do, the time and effort don't seem to count. There was some money on equipment spent, but at that time, almost everything was used and acquired over several years, so it wasn't so bad. Plus, I use it for a lot more than just the beads in this video.
Really lovely; so special to be able to wear stones you've collected and crafted into something so lasting and uniquely gorgeous. I'm sure she was thrilled! 👍🐅🐾😎
This is my all-time favorite video of yours, and of all of UA-cam, for that matter. You're awesome, and concise, and funny, and a Michigander! Thanks for taking the time to make all of your videos... I've learned an incredible amount of info from you. You are my Rock Guru, if you will. Keep up the great work, and have fun frolicking the shores of the Lakes!
Wow, i like this idea of bracelet !! Its amazing, its so much better than a pandora, she must be very proud you did for her, unikite are great stones .
Wow ! Enjoyed this beautiful bead making . Such tedious careful work. Yes, I cringed a little when I saw your fingers that close to the saw blade. Beautiful work! Thank you
Your wife must love showing off the jewelry you make her! After reading a lot of the wonderful comments people gave you, I have to agree with all of them! I am very thankful I found your channel !! 🤗
@@MichiganRocks Don’t take it to heart, even if not worn right now, she loves it! Can you imagine what she would say if you never gave her any jewelry made from your rocks?!??? She would be crushed! But I do know, she is really missing out on going with you rock hunting! So much beautiful nature she is missing out on! But...you have a lot of other people going with you on your hunts! Even if we aren’t actually there, your talking to us and we all are having a great time watching you!!! Have a Great Day!! 😊
@@kimfrommn7162 It doesn’t bother me at all. I think it bothers her more. She also goes rock hunting with me a couple times a summer. She doesn’t mind going for an hour or two, but I usually go out for 4-5 hours. When I go up to the U.P. I pretty much go from sun up to sun down. She is not interested in hunting for quite that long.
@@MichiganRocks Super!! Happy to hear that !!!! I’m glad she goes with you sometimes and going alone isn’t bad either! You get to go where you want , when you want, stay as long as you want, etc.! Oh, I told rockshed (?) the place you recommended, I was referred to them by you!! They talked highly of you! I had to find out when a product would be back in stock!! 😊
@@kimfrommn7162 I have sent Shawn a lot of business. I really like shopping there, so it's hard not to recommend his shop. I'd love to visit there some day.
Awesome video Rob!! That trick with the saw making the perfect cylinder was extremely cool! I'm going to steal that idea! They turned out amazing. Congrats on a great video. 💥👍
Those are really beautiful. Kind of one of a kind beads and unique to Michigan because of the rocks that you used. I’m sure that your wife will love them.
She has them safely stored away. Since she hasn't left the house much lately, she hardly ever wears jewelry. She used to wear the stuff I made all the time though.
A lot of work, but the results are gorgeous. I look at your craftsmanship, and knowing why you made the bracelet, and realize your wife is the only person in the world that has a bracelet like that. Yeah, I know there are others but there's only one like that. Beautiful work. I hope to do the same for my wife in the not to distant future. Great video.
I deeply appreciate your videos. You teach the way I learn. My wife and I are just getting into this. Have a two Hi-Tech Diamond tools, a saw and a flat lap, a tumbler, a dop pot and a rotary tool. And lots of rocks and some containers for various steps.. Right now I'm just getting the feel for cutting and cabbing on a flat lap. I made some button sized cabochons from granite and an arrowhead from a sliver of smokey fractured quartz. Woo Hoo! But it is so good to see all the tips, and noticing where you get supplies. Saw Rio Grande tonight. I've already bought stuff from them once, and like what I saw of other things. I want to be as good at this as I was as an engineer. Thanks again.
I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. As an engineer, you'll probably come up with other jigs like the one I made in this video. If I can find a way to make things more precise, I do.
Wowwwwww! Those came out awesome! Definitely putting all these little tricks into the memory bank for when I get a saw. Thanks for sharing all the steps! 😁👍🏻
You're welcome. The only problem with this is that you need a fair amount of equipment to make it work. I always feel bad that not everyone can try what I'm teaching for that reason. It took me a few years to buy enough used equipment to do these things.
@@MichiganRocks hmm, did you use anything that you didn’t show in the video? I have everything else you showed but a saw. Well, I don’t have a cabbing machine but I do have a flat lap.
@@RocksForBrains You should be able to use the flap lap instead of the cabbing machine. I don't think I used anything I didn't show, except my slab saw. You can slab on a trim saw.
I got some good ideas too, just awesome how you made the beads, I would have never thought you could make them that easily, well time consuming, but do able
Nice job Rob! I've made many, many beads over the last 25yrs & these impressed me! I used a mini diamond keyhole cutters & a Dremel. Those look just as nice, if not better than mine. Thank you for a great challenge. 😁 ❤️🇨🇦❤️
I wasn't sure what a keyhole cutter was. After a quick Google search, I see it's the bit that makes the sort of hole you might make to put the head of a screw in and slide it over into a slot. Is that what you mean? Could I use it to improve on what I'm doing? I'm always looking for better ideas.
I have wanted to make a rosary for a really long time. These beads are way too big unless you want a giant rosary. I tried making little cubes once and then tumbling them, but they came out as cubes with less sharp edges. Not really what I wanted. If you ever figure out a way to make decent small beads, I'd love to hear about it. Have you seen my cross video? ua-cam.com/video/dJ7qriOF0r4/v-deo.html
@Umich79 I took some beads to a local shop today. They don't have an online store, but do send things out. You could send them an email if you're interested. olivetbookandgift.com
Beautiful! Re the blowout, I've seen other bead makers drill the hole from both sides, flip it over when about 3/4 thru,. But you'll need a way to keep it aligned.
A friend of mine used to hire me to drill 1mm holes in puddingstone scraps to make beads. I'd tumble them either before or after drilling. ln that case I drilled from both sides. I know I could do the same here, but I find it easier just to grind the chipped out area off.
Those beads are awesome, and way better than original Pandora beads. Love all the clever ways you have discovered to use your tools to get the best results. Would love to find me a vintage table saw like that one. Great job 👏, lucky wife !
Thanks Virginia! I just got back from a couple weeks visiting family and friends in the south, so I haven't been working on rocks for a bit. Even when I am home, it's hard to keep up with making videos and also making jewelry and other things for the gift shop. Making videos is my priority, so actually producing enough to keep up with demand is difficult. I'll see what I can do about getting some more stuff produced.
Your Pandora Beads looked beautiful and your wife has more gorgeous beads to add to her collection 😀! I had been waiting all week for your video and how you were going to represent Michigan and you did a Splendid job at it! 👍🏻👏😀. Thank You from one Michigangander to another. 😀👍🏻
They're very popular. Most people put the Pandora charms on them. I bought one for my wife just so I could make these beads for it. I have a friend who has an Etsy shop. One of the things he offers is to make a bead like these out of a rock that the customer sends him. So if they find a rock on vacation, they can have a keepsake made out of it. He uses a completely different method than I do though.
Love the videos! Thanks for posting your process publicly, it’s been super fun to watch and learn! I’m more of a woodworking background and I was thinking about the blowout problem from drilling through, my first thought was marrying a temporary sacrificial rock to the back side of the rock being drilled to see if that reduces the blowout, the next idea was drilling halfway from the top then halfway from the bottom to meet the hole in the center to prevent blowout, but then aligning the drill press with the piece gets more complicated and using a smaller bit through the entire rock to maintain center on both sides before using the core bit creates extra passes through the rock on the drill press which may be even more burdensome, then my last thought was to drill the holes in the rock initially then slab them to thickness after but wasn’t sure how slabbing would work on pieces that already have a hole cut through the rock. Your solution to resolve it doesn’t seem that labor intensive so may not be worth trying to narrow down any more efficiencies, I just like thinking about the process and was curious if it would help. Keep up the great work!
It seems like the farther you drill into a rock, the slower it goes. So drilling before slabbing doesn't seem like a good option. A friend of mine sometimes hires me to drill 1 mm holes in a couple hundred little puddingstone beads. I also tumble them. For those, I drill from both sides. I drill about halfway through first. Then I use a piece of wood that I have a short piece of drill bit sticking out of. It's only out about 1/16 of an inch. I line that up with the bit in the drill, then place the half drilled bead on top of the drill sticking out of the wood. Now when I drill, I know the holes will match up. I could do the same with these bigger holes, but grinding off the back I just a little easier.
My goodness man, even the drill to shape and polish!? Dude Rob, you are a lapidary genius! I think I need to trade out my rotary tumbler. Okay and just using wax... so many lapidary hacks in this video! I’m not gonna say I’m surprised, but magnificent. Just magnificent. I am always inspired by what you do man. I’m not just saying that. Beautiful work. Just beautiful. ✨🙏
Shoot, I just realized that I have never responded to you. Thanks for all the nice words. I have been at this a little longer than you, so I've picked up a few ideas along the way. I don't think anything in this video was an original idea, just ideas stolen from others. Now you can steal them from me and make them you're own.
@@MichiganRocks hahaha! Oh man I love it. I haven’t had a chance to answer any comments on my video I’ve been busy and I like doing them in order but it’s hard to keep up sometimes hey. Cheers Rob mate. Take care man 👍👍👍
Rob, love these, and well done. So lovely, and now I have another skill or three I hope to acquire someday. They are a real treat! Great way to start wearing rocks from your collection.
@@MichiganRocks yes, I’ll be making a list and trying to figure out if/when to obtain and where to put them. My pottery equipment and clay already take up a lot of room. Hard to bump out the basement-might need a bigger house. :). Perhaps a workshop. Hoping to be able to join a rock club and use their equipment someday.
Thanks for the tutorial here, I have been debating whether to make a couple beads. Probably not something worth doing a lot, but I have a rock I’d like to use for this. Watching this video helps me think through the stages. I didn’t look super hard, but I wasn’t finding other videos for this very helpful since they were always showing using equipment I don’t own. I don’t have a cab machine, but I can use the other method you showed with the drill and sandpaper.
Beads like these are now available at Olivet Book and Gift here in Alpena. They don't have a website that you can order from, but you can send them an email and they'll send you a bead. They also sell my crosses and some heart pendants. olivetbookandgift.com
I just purchased 3!
@@lisacotter6227 Woo-hoo! Thanks!
How much are they?? Pretty cool stuff. I love natural stones!!!!
@@annuitcptis3032 I honestly don't remember what they're priced at. You'd have to send Mary an email.
Rob, I know I've asked you before about selling your Petoskey Turtles and you said no. Well since you're selling your beads, hearts, and crosses at Olivet, any chance you'll change that no to a yes? I'm an actual honorary Michigan Turtle. I was gifted the title from the Madame Turtle of Michigan herself. It would mean the world to me if I owned one of your Petoskey Turtles.
🤞
No surpises here, but fantastic work! They look amazing! And you took what is a somewhat complicated process and made it look downright easy! Beautiful stones!😄thanks again for being a part of the challenge! You have always been a huge lapidary role model for me so it meant a lot to have you involved in this!😄
From what I've seen of your channel, I don't think I'm really ahead of you. You seem to know what you're doing. I have never even tried carving a rock, that impresses me.
Very, very lapidary that "Michigan" is !
Among many other things.
Sorry to butt in to you guys' conversation. I couldn't "chuckle/snort" help myself.
No surprises? Where's the ones you made? 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@MichiganRocks i want some rock beads. Where do i get some???
@@mawi1172 Olivet Book and Gift in Alpena. They don't have an online store, but they will send you one if you email them. olivetbookandgift.com
Eyebrows raised; I'm like 'what CAN'T this man do' (?) Cannot wait.
Dancing is not pretty.
@@MichiganRocks i wanna see that
@@MichiganRocks video required 😆
@@kd7ign I'm 6'2". I always say that's the worst part of being tall. When we're at a wedding and my wife drags me out to dance, I try to hide by going to the middle of the people, but my head sticks up above most so you can still see it bobbing out of sync with everyone else. Oh well...
@@MichiganRocks 😆
I’m with the others who have said this, “I will never complain about the cost of gemstone/ crystal beads again!
BTW, you are a great teacher!
Thanks!
Better than a Pandora, this is truly a unique "make" and it's an art piece really! I bet your wife is amazed at such a thoughtful gift. Thank you for the video.
I'm amazed that she puts up with me.
WOW, what a lot of work! What a nice husband you are. :) Great video, Rob.
These aren't that much work, really. There are a lot of steps, but they all go pretty quickly.
Absolutely beautiful! Your rounding method is so clever, as is the bead on the drill. The end product looks professional and finished. I do believe you are a mechanical genius!
Let’s not get carried away! I barely managed to build my rock tumbler. I’m far from a genius of any type. Thanks for the compliment though!
I would much rather have these on my Pandora than store bought items! I'm grateful for the detailed video so many can make their own. You are a blessing to so many!
I hope that a few people attempt these. Obviously, it takes a few tools, so not everyone can just do this, but for those who have invested in tools, I hope to be able to give them idea on what to do with them.
am i the only one anxious about how close he puts his hands to the tools?
No you're not. That's why I made this video: ua-cam.com/video/Er4YLn4fXUA/v-deo.html
What a fantastic idea! The petoskey look amazing! What a gift. I loved watching the process. You are a man of many talents. Cheers Rob✨
Thanks Marlaina! I just need to learn some of your wire wrapping talents, that's something I don't enjoy and am not very good at.
Wow, not only are those beads incredibly gorgeous, you are quite the process innovator. Thanks for sharing how that’s done.
These beads are so beautiful! And unique! You have so much patience and skill. Truly wonderful.
Thanks!
My favorite project so far! You have figured things out to be able to make gorgeous beads! Your wife is a lucky woman. TY for sharing!
Thanks, Cindy! Nancy might be lucky to get some jewelry, but she does have to put up with a lot of noise in the house too.
Lucky Lady! Fabulous idea!
Looking forward to watching 👀😀 We love your Jewelrockery.
I love that word.
It turned out great thanks for showing the whole process 👍
You're welcome!
The bracelet looked Great. I think that he has a lot of ingenuity. Have watched quite a few of his videos and he has some wonderful tricks up his sleeve. Thanks for igniting the spark in all of us.
I'm glad you liked it. You should try making one of your own, it's not hard.
You invent the best and easiest ways to do just about anything when it comes to amazing rocks. Your an ARTIST!
These ideas were all stolen from others. I can’t take credit for them. Now you can steal them from me!
WOW! That is a VERY good present idea, what a cool way to show off stones for a rockhound! The jig idea was a good borrow from a woodworking video. You shared a bunch of things to help others. Thank you for sharing!
I worry that my videos get too long, but if I was watching, I'd want to know all the details, so I include them. It's nice to know that they're appreciated. Thanks!
Your beads are just beautiful thank you so much for sharing them with us my father who is 90 years old now would go to Lake Superior and pick up agates and other stones all his family lived in that area when we moved to Vancouver Island dad tumbled the stones and made us earrings and necklaces so we are big fan of superior stones and thank you again so much for sharing keep well
Thanks, Cara. Sounds like some really nice stuff that your dad made for you. I'm sure you treasure them.
You have a great mind for making things easier ...
It's either that or make lumpy beads. I don't like lumpy beads.
WOW! Fantastic, so well done. What a treasure you have created. Very meaningful.
Thanks!
Wow beautiful!!! This are the greatest pandora beads!!! Enjoy all the creative process!!! Thanks for show and sharing with us!
I"m glad you liked them, Ayda!
This BEADER, Is envious -those are very COOL and turned out spectacularly. U R the best!
I see your BEADY little eyes poking up over your mask!
Lucky wife. Neat jig for the table saw. With a different jig I think I could sand it on my Jet lathe.
A lathe should work very much like my drill did. Just be careful to dry it well so it doesn't rust.
I am dumbfounded by the sheer amount of time, effort, and MONEY that went into making these little beads. I bow before you. I'm a paper crafter, I don't have the patience for such an effort!
People who don't make any sort of handcrafts just have NO IDEA what is involved.
When it's fun to do, the time and effort don't seem to count. There was some money on equipment spent, but at that time, almost everything was used and acquired over several years, so it wasn't so bad. Plus, I use it for a lot more than just the beads in this video.
Really lovely; so special to be able to wear stones you've collected and crafted into something so lasting and uniquely gorgeous. I'm sure she was thrilled! 👍🐅🐾😎
She likes them, but works from home now, so she rarely wears jewelry anymore. She used to wear stuff that I made all the time though.
Brilliant MacGyver, corner cutting jig. Thanks for sharing!
Like I said in the video, that wasn't my idea, but I do like the idea.
Wow just wow 😮😮😮😮😮😮, those are stunning Rob 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
This is my all-time favorite video of yours, and of all of UA-cam, for that matter. You're awesome, and concise, and funny, and a Michigander! Thanks for taking the time to make all of your videos... I've learned an incredible amount of info from you. You are my Rock Guru, if you will. Keep up the great work, and have fun frolicking the shores of the Lakes!
Thanks Julie! All of UA-cam? That's quite a compliment. I haven't even gotten through half of them yet!
NANCY is blessed to have you make her wonderful beads. Great work.
I'm blessed to have Nancy to give them to.
Nicely done. A gift for generations.
Wow, i like this idea of bracelet !! Its amazing, its so much better than a pandora, she must be very proud you did for her, unikite are great stones .
She likes it, but rarely wears jewelry since retiring.
This is amazing, I think I'll head out to the garage and start puttering with my collection after seeing this...Great Job!
Good luck!
WOW, loock like you have done this many times, sooo well done!! THUMBS UP!! Beutiful beads.
Not too many, actually.
Oh I LOVE these!!! Such great, creative ideas to make the process easier. Thanks for sharing!
Wow ! Enjoyed this beautiful bead making . Such tedious careful work. Yes, I cringed a little when I saw your fingers that close to the saw blade.
Beautiful work! Thank you
Please watch this video so you can enjoy my future videos: ua-cam.com/video/Er4YLn4fXUA/v-deo.html
All I can say is that your beads are incredible! You have one lucky wife. Thanks for this video.
Thanks. I need to make some more of these one of these days.
Rock jewelry! Love it.
Just beautiful! Your wife must feel very blessed to have you making such beautiful beads for her!
She probably doesn't feel that blessed to hear the sounds of them being made in the basement.
WOW!!! You did an amazing job on those!! Beautiful!! You are quite the artisan! Thank you for sharing!👏
Thanks, Joannie!
Your wife must love showing off the jewelry you make her! After reading a lot of the wonderful comments people gave you, I have to agree with all of them! I am very thankful I found your channel !! 🤗
Nope, she rarely leaves the house lately, so she rarely wears jewelry of any sort. But she used to wear pendants I made for her all the time.
@@MichiganRocks Don’t take it to heart, even if not worn right now, she loves it! Can you imagine what she would say if you never gave her any jewelry made from your rocks?!??? She would be crushed! But I do know, she is really missing out on going with you rock hunting! So much beautiful nature she is missing out on! But...you have a lot of other people going with you on your hunts! Even if we aren’t actually there, your talking to us and we all are having a great time watching you!!! Have a Great Day!! 😊
@@kimfrommn7162 It doesn’t bother me at all. I think it bothers her more. She also goes rock hunting with me a couple times a summer. She doesn’t mind going for an hour or two, but I usually go out for 4-5 hours. When I go up to the U.P. I pretty much go from sun up to sun down. She is not interested in hunting for quite that long.
@@MichiganRocks Super!! Happy to hear that !!!! I’m glad she goes with you sometimes and going alone isn’t bad either! You get to go where you want , when you want, stay as long as you want, etc.! Oh, I told rockshed (?) the place you recommended, I was referred to them by you!! They talked highly of you! I had to find out when a product would be back in stock!! 😊
@@kimfrommn7162 I have sent Shawn a lot of business. I really like shopping there, so it's hard not to recommend his shop. I'd love to visit there some day.
WOW, the drill shaping and polishing was very handy. Love the ideas.
Gorgeous work!
Thanks!
Awesome video Rob!! That trick with the saw making the perfect cylinder was extremely cool! I'm going to steal that idea! They turned out amazing. Congrats on a great video. 💥👍
That’s my favorite part too. It’s a fun way to center the hole.
Those are really beautiful. Kind of one of a kind beads and unique to Michigan because of the rocks that you used. I’m sure that your wife will love them.
She has them safely stored away. Since she hasn't left the house much lately, she hardly ever wears jewelry. She used to wear the stuff I made all the time though.
I’m kind of the same way with my jewelry. I still enjoy looking at it though. I’m sure that the beads mean a lot to her because you made them for her.
Too beautiful. Hard to believe they were rocks.
They still are rocks, just a little different shape than they started out.
Excellent video and lots of cool ideas shared, Thank you 😊☺
I owed you one for the knife scale video. I learned a thing or two from that.
@@MichiganRocks Thank you! Really nice video 📹 work on your beads!
A lot of work, but the results are gorgeous. I look at your craftsmanship, and knowing why you made the bracelet, and realize your wife is the only person in the world that has a bracelet like that. Yeah, I know there are others but there's only one like that. Beautiful work. I hope to do the same for my wife in the not to distant future. Great video.
I have an urge to go clean a gun.
Wow ! You’re a great artist indeed ! I love those gorgeous beads , well done 🥰⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I'm not sure I'd call me an artist, but thanks!
@@MichiganRocks your humility is admirable , but you are 💗
I deeply appreciate your videos. You teach the way I learn.
My wife and I are just getting into this. Have a two Hi-Tech Diamond tools, a saw and a flat lap, a tumbler, a dop pot and a rotary tool. And lots of rocks and some containers for various steps.. Right now I'm just getting the feel for cutting and cabbing on a flat lap. I made some button sized cabochons from granite and an arrowhead from a sliver of smokey fractured quartz. Woo Hoo!
But it is so good to see all the tips, and noticing where you get supplies. Saw Rio Grande tonight. I've already bought stuff from them once, and like what I saw of other things.
I want to be as good at this as I was as an engineer.
Thanks again.
I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. As an engineer, you'll probably come up with other jigs like the one I made in this video. If I can find a way to make things more precise, I do.
Labor of Love my friend! Beautiful!!
Thanks, Carole.
Wowwwwww! Those came out awesome! Definitely putting all these little tricks into the memory bank for when I get a saw. Thanks for sharing all the steps! 😁👍🏻
You're welcome. The only problem with this is that you need a fair amount of equipment to make it work. I always feel bad that not everyone can try what I'm teaching for that reason. It took me a few years to buy enough used equipment to do these things.
@@MichiganRocks hmm, did you use anything that you didn’t show in the video? I have everything else you showed but a saw. Well, I don’t have a cabbing machine but I do have a flat lap.
@@RocksForBrains You should be able to use the flap lap instead of the cabbing machine. I don't think I used anything I didn't show, except my slab saw. You can slab on a trim saw.
I have enjoyed these so much everyone did so good, Yours is my favorite, but I have just loved them all!
I have really enjoyed watching all the videos too. I learned quite a bit and got some great ideas.
I got some good ideas too, just awesome how you made the beads, I would have never thought you could make them that easily, well time consuming, but do able
nice to see a master jeweler at work. this is a good tutorial.
"Master jeweler" is a bit beyond my rank, but I'm glad I've got you fooled!
Nice job Rob! I've made many, many beads over the last 25yrs & these impressed me! I used a mini diamond keyhole cutters & a Dremel.
Those look just as nice, if not better than mine. Thank you for a great challenge. 😁 ❤️🇨🇦❤️
I wasn't sure what a keyhole cutter was. After a quick Google search, I see it's the bit that makes the sort of hole you might make to put the head of a screw in and slide it over into a slot. Is that what you mean? Could I use it to improve on what I'm doing? I'm always looking for better ideas.
Very good bead making out of rocks/stones.
Thanks, Jerry.
I love the beads for me to make rosary for my collection and the cross from the same stone.
I have wanted to make a rosary for a really long time. These beads are way too big unless you want a giant rosary. I tried making little cubes once and then tumbling them, but they came out as cubes with less sharp edges. Not really what I wanted. If you ever figure out a way to make decent small beads, I'd love to hear about it. Have you seen my cross video? ua-cam.com/video/dJ7qriOF0r4/v-deo.html
Wow, that's a very involved project. Kudos for your creativity to create them. Bet your wife will love them. Thanks Ron
There are a lot of steps but none of them take that long or require much skill.
That is so cool. I enjoyed this video. Now I know what polish to get. Thank you. ☺️🌍👑
Beautiful craftsmanship! Well-done!
Thanks, Brad.
Beautiful! I’ve been watching the other videos as well. Interesting to see what other people have come up with.
There sure has been a lot of variety. Who knew so many things could be made of stone?
Absolutely beautiful!
Thanks, Renee!
Holy moly these are absolutely gorgeous!!
Thanks!
Oh my! Haven’t even watched yet & I know this will be epic. 👀 What beautiful beads! Is there a shop where you might sell some? 🥰
Nope, my wife has every one I have made so far.
I can see why. Fantastic!
@Umich79 I took some beads to a local shop today. They don't have an online store, but do send things out. You could send them an email if you're interested. olivetbookandgift.com
The only pandora I’d ever wear! Lol great job!
Thanks!
This is SO WHOLESOME 🥺🥺🥺
Beautiful! Re the blowout, I've seen other bead makers drill the hole from both sides, flip it over when about 3/4 thru,. But you'll need a way to keep it aligned.
A friend of mine used to hire me to drill 1mm holes in puddingstone scraps to make beads. I'd tumble them either before or after drilling. ln that case I drilled from both sides. I know I could do the same here, but I find it easier just to grind the chipped out area off.
Turned out great, loved the choice in stone's really nice.
Thanks, Jim!
Those beads are awesome, and way better than original Pandora beads. Love all the clever ways you have discovered to use your tools to get the best results. Would love to find me a vintage table saw like that one. Great job 👏, lucky wife !
The old saws are great. Keep you eye on Craig's List.
Great job, Rob! Beautiful beads!
Thanks, Ginger!
Purchased from Olivet book and gift 💝. Can’t wait to see them. They need more puddingstone and petoskey hearts. Also petoskey beads.
Thanks Virginia! I just got back from a couple weeks visiting family and friends in the south, so I haven't been working on rocks for a bit. Even when I am home, it's hard to keep up with making videos and also making jewelry and other things for the gift shop. Making videos is my priority, so actually producing enough to keep up with demand is difficult. I'll see what I can do about getting some more stuff produced.
@@MichiganRocks hope you enjoyed family time. I have a couple of questions. Can I message you elsewhere?
Oh my GOSH!!!! I LOVE those!!!! Lots of work involved; super cool!!!
Thanks, Lynette!
Wow, what a neat way to make beads
I love the wooden jig to round it off
Be safe and stay healthy 😷⚒
I think that jig is a lot of fun too.
Ohhhhhh nice nice nice... my daughter would love love this... im going to watch this one a bunch...
I have some more coming out of the tumbler soon. I've been busy making more.
Oh this is absolutely 💯 % awsome !!!
I haven't flinched since this one started
@@geosobservations9496 Good for you!
Your Pandora Beads looked beautiful and your wife has more gorgeous beads to add to her collection 😀! I had been waiting all week for your video and how you were going to represent Michigan and you did a Splendid job at it! 👍🏻👏😀. Thank You from one Michigangander to another. 😀👍🏻
So you liked it?
I did! They are beautiful! You did a wonderful job!
😀👍🏻
These are fabulous, Rob! Your wife is lucky to receive your works of art!
Hopefully they make up for some of my flaws.
Congratulations!!
Great job my friend!!
Have a good time !!
Thanks!
I had to look up what a pandora bracelet is. Learned something new.
They're very popular. Most people put the Pandora charms on them. I bought one for my wife just so I could make these beads for it. I have a friend who has an Etsy shop. One of the things he offers is to make a bead like these out of a rock that the customer sends him. So if they find a rock on vacation, they can have a keepsake made out of it. He uses a completely different method than I do though.
I enjoyed watching you make these beads for your wife. Thank you.
You're welcome, glad you liked it.
Love the videos! Thanks for posting your process publicly, it’s been super fun to watch and learn! I’m more of a woodworking background and I was thinking about the blowout problem from drilling through, my first thought was marrying a temporary sacrificial rock to the back side of the rock being drilled to see if that reduces the blowout, the next idea was drilling halfway from the top then halfway from the bottom to meet the hole in the center to prevent blowout, but then aligning the drill press with the piece gets more complicated and using a smaller bit through the entire rock to maintain center on both sides before using the core bit creates extra passes through the rock on the drill press which may be even more burdensome, then my last thought was to drill the holes in the rock initially then slab them to thickness after but wasn’t sure how slabbing would work on pieces that already have a hole cut through the rock. Your solution to resolve it doesn’t seem that labor intensive so may not be worth trying to narrow down any more efficiencies, I just like thinking about the process and was curious if it would help. Keep up the great work!
It seems like the farther you drill into a rock, the slower it goes. So drilling before slabbing doesn't seem like a good option.
A friend of mine sometimes hires me to drill 1 mm holes in a couple hundred little puddingstone beads. I also tumble them. For those, I drill from both sides. I drill about halfway through first. Then I use a piece of wood that I have a short piece of drill bit sticking out of. It's only out about 1/16 of an inch. I line that up with the bit in the drill, then place the half drilled bead on top of the drill sticking out of the wood. Now when I drill, I know the holes will match up. I could do the same with these bigger holes, but grinding off the back I just a little easier.
Excellent work they’re beautiful!
Thank you!
They turned out beautifully, I hope your wife liked them 👍💕
She did, thanks!
Those are some awesome beads😍
Absolutely brilliant!
Thanks, Sheree!
Man Rob, I’m commenting while watching but I had to say, that jig you made with the vice is awesome! So so cool!
My goodness man, even the drill to shape and polish!? Dude Rob, you are a lapidary genius!
I think I need to trade out my rotary tumbler. Okay and just using wax... so many lapidary hacks in this video!
I’m not gonna say I’m surprised, but magnificent. Just magnificent. I am always inspired by what you do man. I’m not just saying that. Beautiful work. Just beautiful. ✨🙏
Shoot, I just realized that I have never responded to you. Thanks for all the nice words. I have been at this a little longer than you, so I've picked up a few ideas along the way. I don't think anything in this video was an original idea, just ideas stolen from others. Now you can steal them from me and make them you're own.
@@MichiganRocks hahaha! Oh man I love it. I haven’t had a chance to answer any comments on my video I’ve been busy and I like doing them in order but it’s hard to keep up sometimes hey. Cheers Rob mate. Take care man 👍👍👍
@@Rookie_Rockounding I spend way too much time responding to comments, but I really like talking with people.
Those beads turned out really nice! I know what to do with what my wife calls my "worthless rocks"
Yep, make something pretty for her and she might change her mind.
Beautiful work. Damn, you're clever! TFS 💖🦅🦅
I wish I was that clever, but these are not my ideas.
@@MichiganRocks You still made them. I watched you but I couldn't do it.
Beautiful! I love these!😃
Thanks!
Rob, love these, and well done. So lovely, and now I have another skill or three I hope to acquire someday. They are a real treat! Great way to start wearing rocks from your collection.
These aren't too hard to make, they just require a lot of tools.
@@MichiganRocks yes, I’ll be making a list and trying to figure out if/when to obtain and where to put them. My pottery equipment and clay already take up a lot of room. Hard to bump out the basement-might need a bigger house. :). Perhaps a workshop. Hoping to be able to join a rock club and use their equipment someday.
@@virginiarocks Rock clubs sound great. Unfortunately, the closest rock club to me is about two hours away.
@@MichiganRocks about the same for me. 🥺
Beautiful
Wow! Those are so special!!
Thanks, Jeannie!
They look very pretty. How nice to have a local rock, much better than the mass produced one's.
I like working with my own rocks, but it's also fun to work with rocks from other places too.
So amazing. They are truly beautiful!
Thanks, Janice!
Excellent job, i love the way you work, so many brilliant ideas👍 Great Video, very inspiring
Thanks. I don’t think any of these ideas are original. Now you know them and can add them to your bag of tricks too.
I need to show your video to my hubby, maybe he will want to do some ...
Good luck!
These are beautiful, thanks for shown us the process. Very helpful. Great idea for cutting it round!
Thanks for the tutorial here, I have been debating whether to make a couple beads. Probably not something worth doing a lot, but I have a rock I’d like to use for this. Watching this video helps me think through the stages. I didn’t look super hard, but I wasn’t finding other videos for this very helpful since they were always showing using equipment I don’t own. I don’t have a cab machine, but I can use the other method you showed with the drill and sandpaper.
I hope it works out for you. At least you have some ideas to get you started.
Brilliant!
INCREDIBLE
OMG that is gorgeous!!!
Thanks, Laura.