A bullet dop is a specialised variety of dop stick whose working end is shaped into a smooth, rounded profile resembling the ogive of a bullet. This geometry makes it the preferred holding device in lapidary work whenever the stone being cut or polished presents a curved or spherical surface — most commonly cabochons, beads, and sphere preforms. Where a flat or cone-ended dop would contact a rounded stone at only a narrow ring or point, the bullet profile distributes dopping wax or adhesive compound across a broader, conforming area, producing a more secure and better-centred bond.

Construction and Materials

Bullet dops are manufactured in wood, aluminium, and brass, each material offering a different balance of cost, thermal conductivity, and durability. Brass and aluminium versions are favoured by professional lapidaries because they conduct heat predictably during the warming stage of dopping — an important consideration when using traditional dopping wax, which must be softened to a workable consistency without overheating and damaging the stone. Wooden bullet dops are lighter and inexpensive, making them common in teaching workshops and amateur settings. All three materials are produced in graduated diameter series — typically ranging from a few millimetres up to 25 mm or more — so that the lapidary can select a dop whose rounded tip closely matches the diameter of the preform, minimising lateral movement during grinding.

Function in Cabochon Cutting

In cabochon work, the stone preform is first sawn to a rough outline and then adhered to the bullet dop with dopping wax or a modern two-part epoxy adhesive. The rounded tip seats naturally against the flat base of the cabochon blank, centring it concentrically. The dop is then held in a cabochon machine or hand-held against a grinding wheel, with the bullet shape acting as a stable pivot that resists the wobble that would compromise dome symmetry. Achieving a uniform dome height and consistent girdle thickness — qualities that directly affect how a finished cabochon sits in its setting — depends substantially on this stability. For this reason, matching the dop diameter as closely as possible to the stone's base diameter is considered standard practice rather than an optional refinement.

Function in Bead and Sphere Making

Bead and sphere cutting impose even more demanding centring requirements than cabochon work, because the finished form must be rotationally symmetrical in all planes. Bullet dops are used in pairs for sphere making: the rough is adhered to one dop, ground to approximate roundness, then transferred to a second dop oriented at a different axis so that any remaining flat spots are addressed. The conforming contact area of the bullet tip is essential here, as it allows the adhesive to grip a surface that is already partially curved from earlier grinding stages. In bead drilling, the bullet dop holds the bead blank securely enough to resist the torque of the drill without cracking the stone — a particular concern with brittle materials such as malachite, turquoise, or fluorite.

Adhesives and Transfer

Traditional dopping wax — a shellac-based compound softened over an alcohol lamp or dop-wax heater — remains widely used with bullet dops because it can be released cleanly by gentle reheating, leaving no residue that would interfere with polishing. Modern cyanoacrylate and epoxy adhesives offer stronger initial bonds and are preferred for stones sensitive to heat, such as opal, tanzanite, or certain treated stones where elevated temperature could alter colour or compromise a fracture-filling treatment. When transferring a stone from one bullet dop to another — as required in sphere making or when re-orienting a cabochon to grind its base flat — both dops are warmed simultaneously so that the wax on each softens evenly, preventing thermal shock to the stone.

Selection and Sizing

Lapidary suppliers typically offer bullet dops in sets covering the most common preform sizes. Selecting the correct size is straightforward: the rounded tip should be equal to or very slightly smaller than the base diameter of the stone. An oversized dop tip will not seat properly and will tilt the stone off-axis; an undersized tip reduces the contact area and weakens the bond. For irregular or freeform cabochons, a slightly smaller bullet dop combined with an adequate build-up of dopping wax around the tip can compensate for the mismatch.