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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 10, 2012 18:29:35 GMT -5
My son and I went out to get some Petoskey stones before they are frozen solid for the winter. We drove along a narrow dirt road where we've found some before. We found more than we expected, but the rocks on the east side of the state are not always great quality. I'm sure a bunch of these will be rejected. Bryan is in the basement grinding away now. Rob
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Post by gr on Nov 10, 2012 19:02:49 GMT -5
Well I don't know JG, from the looks of those I'd say that you've found some good ones. Lots of pattern showing. Give a post after Bryan has a few done!
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Nov 10, 2012 20:24:24 GMT -5
That's a great haul. I cant believe that is all from one day of hunting.
Chuck
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Tex
starting to shine!
Member since December 2011
Posts: 27
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Post by Tex on Nov 10, 2012 21:15:27 GMT -5
That's a huge haul for just 1 day I spent 3 days this summer trying to find some and didn't find that many. Would you share some info on how you polish them as I am getting ready to start doing some I found Thanks
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 10, 2012 21:53:05 GMT -5
That was about two and a half hours of picking up stones. We don't usually do that well. You can't polish Petoskey stones in a tumbler as far as I know. I did a lot of reading and everyone says that they just completely dissolve in the tumbler. I did some in coarse grind and they did ok, but I think the problems start in the finer grits. If the rock is really rough or has a concave part, I use an angle grinder with a diamond wheel to cut off the high spots. Then I use a coarse grinding wheel on a flat lap to start. Some have muddy spots in the middle of the hexagons. Sometimes that can be ground away, but other times I think it goes all the way through. Then I use 220 grit and 600 grit silicon carbide sandpaper on the flat lap. After 600 grit, I use a really old sandpaper that came with the ancient flat lap I use. I don't know what grit it was originally, but it acts like something finer than 600 now. The last step is to use a soft cotton wheel on a Dremel tool with Zam. That really shines them up for me. I don't know that my method is the best method, but that's what I do. Rob
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Post by Pat on Nov 10, 2012 22:08:29 GMT -5
Lovely soft shine on those stones! Very lucky to find them. Don't think California has any. Really like the pattern. Bryan is a petosky pro!
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Post by talkingstones on Nov 11, 2012 16:14:54 GMT -5
Looks like a great haul and really nice patterns!!! I grind mine. Like you, all research says don't tumble. On a machine it doesn't take long. I didn't know you guys had them on the east side too! Have fun with them!!! :-)
Cathy
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 11, 2012 17:47:09 GMT -5
In quarries here they can be huge. I went to a talk at our local museum by a fossil expert. He said that he parked his car on a large hexagonaria in a quarry. There's an abandoned quarry near here where it's easy to find them a foot across, but they don't polish up at all from there. The pattern grinds right off. I have only been polishing them for about a year, so I haven't figured out where the good ones are here. My son said that about 2/3 of the rocks we brought home yesterday were good.
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Thunder69
Cave Dweller
Thunder 2000-2015
Member since January 2009
Posts: 3,102
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Post by Thunder69 on Nov 11, 2012 20:57:14 GMT -5
Man Rob that is a nice haul....Looks like you found some quality stones.....John
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Dora
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2012
Posts: 252
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Post by Dora on Nov 12, 2012 4:06:26 GMT -5
Congratulations that's an amazing find! I love petoskey stones, you really did an excellent job polishing them, thanks for explaining how to polish them.
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Tex
starting to shine!
Member since December 2011
Posts: 27
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Post by Tex on Nov 12, 2012 11:36:36 GMT -5
Could someone tell me where to purchase Zam I've did a search with not much luck Thanks
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Nov 12, 2012 13:11:19 GMT -5
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Tex
starting to shine!
Member since December 2011
Posts: 27
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Post by Tex on Nov 12, 2012 14:52:45 GMT -5
Good deal searching with the right words makes a difference I had looked at Kingsley North but searched for polish not buffing Thanks
Tex
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Post by gingerkid on Nov 13, 2012 13:37:54 GMT -5
Love your polished petoskey stones, Rob! Y'all found a lot of them. I tried to polish some of them once (messy mud stuff, lol) and wasn't too sure what I should do with them, gave up, and placed them in our rock garden. After reading your instructions, think I'll go get 'em and try again.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,208
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Post by jamesp on Dec 24, 2012 20:11:36 GMT -5
Those are incredible Jugglerguy.Now thats a beautiful coral.And bigger than little tumbled rocks.Do you have the museum's phone#?:>
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shermlock
has rocks in the head
Member since August 2011
Posts: 612
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Post by shermlock on Dec 24, 2012 22:17:12 GMT -5
True story...back in the day the road commission guys used to use load after load of them as a base for gravel and paved roads. In Northern Michigan, once you find one on a back road, stop and look for more...guaranteed there will be more. Scott
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 24, 2012 23:13:50 GMT -5
I cut several of those in half a couple days ago and most of them were garbage. My son filled half a bucket with smaller rocks from that batch that he decided were not good enough to polish. He did find several nice ones though. That's how Petoskey stones are in Alpena, just not very reliable. I got about a dozen out of Lake Michigan last summer and they were all good.
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