Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
|
Post by Roger on Jun 8, 2014 19:32:13 GMT -5
I picked up a 13lb chunck of Ocean Jasper today that I am hoping will yeild some good slabs. It looks like is more translucent than not. Even the orbs look mostly translucent with spots of color in the center. I am not sure which side to cut from - should I cut for large slabs across the "front face" - or a lot of smaller slabs going along the length of the rock? This is what I am calling the "front" - Dry This is the "bottom".. "Back" Front Wet I have made enough bad cuts on material that I wouldn't mind some advice
|
|
Thunder69
Cave Dweller
Thunder 2000-2015
Member since January 2009
Posts: 3,102
|
Post by Thunder69 on Jun 8, 2014 19:44:47 GMT -5
Nice score!....I would go with the smaller slabs....John
|
|
Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,713
|
Post by Tommy on Jun 8, 2014 20:12:57 GMT -5
I would say send it to me for closer inspection... haha
Seriously though yeah I would go crosswise for a lot of smaller slabs. if you orient it across the face for largest sLabs you'll probably only get a few before you run out of room at the vice.
it also depends on what you're going to do with the slabs. If you're going to sell them you may get a hell of a lot of money for a giant slab.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2014 20:46:23 GMT -5
I would face two or more side to see what is there. But' then I'd make a sphere. For instance, in the top image, there is a "knob" with a vug in it. I'd cut that off. Lot's of possibilities.
As Tommy said, what is the plan with the slabs?
There really is not bad way, unless you can find a fracture that will destroy your blade! The break that first.
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Jun 8, 2014 21:18:03 GMT -5
I would start by clamping it into the vice to take some slices off the end that is to the rightin the front views. I will be very curious to see what you get right behind the botryoidal bumpies on that side and on the top. after a slice or two take a look at the end, if it looks real orby right under the bubbles it may be good to clamp it in to get the optimum orby slab or two, maybe less yield but sometimes one primo slab is worth far more than a dozen nice ones.
|
|
|
Post by nowyo on Jun 9, 2014 0:11:10 GMT -5
Don't have a clue, but sure am enjoying reading responses from folks who do. learning something every time. I know I've cut more than my share of rocks the wrong way.
Russ
|
|
rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
|
Post by rykk on Jun 9, 2014 0:22:26 GMT -5
Yes, you'll get more slabs by going across the short side but I gotta tell ya, man, I've shot myself in the foot a whole lot of times by "getting greedy" and slabbing the small ends. Especially Montana Agates. I've missed out on awesome plumes, poppies, pyrite ferns and blobs, and patterns many times when I might have gotten some, though fewer, world class slabs if I'd cut the large faces. There's a bunch of folks that buy - assuming you aim to sell some of them - big slabs of OJ for outrageous money. Though, it's from the few sellers there who somehow seem to get stupid high dollar on everything they sell there. That's something to consider. Anyhow, just take your time really looking hard at the chunk and think over your plans for the slabs before you cut. C-ya, Rick
|
|
miander
spending too much on rocks
Searching for the shop of my dreams...
Member since November 2013
Posts: 407
|
Post by miander on Jun 9, 2014 11:30:32 GMT -5
Lots of good advice here, you have some beautiful rough, good luck and have fun with it!
|
|
Roger
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,487
|
Post by Roger on Jun 9, 2014 20:49:23 GMT -5
I cut one slab off the face.. Not very many orbs, though the whole slab is translucent. Not sure if I should take another cut here or go ahead and change the orientation.
|
|
rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
|
Post by rykk on Jun 9, 2014 23:52:16 GMT -5
Tough call, I reckon. Remember, though, that the the poppies/"orbs" in OJ and other poppy jaspers are spherical and will appear round no matter which direction you cut them. I think what you might want to look for is which orientation allows the poppies to be them most distinct from whatever background clutter there might be. Or which orientation has them less crowded into each other. It does seem that the end of the slab with the most translucent areas might provide for some great slabs, though maybe only 3 or 4 before you would hit the very dark areas. Depending on how the clear chalcedony is distributed in the center of the chunk - in relation to the center of this slab - who knows, you might get 3 awesome ones by rotating the slab 90 degrees about the Y axis and cutting straight into it that way. The slabs from the upper and lower edges would have lots of the dark green inclusion but the 3 or so cut in the middle might have lots of clear/translucent areas to show off the poppies. They'd still be big ones and maybe the slabs along the edges could have the bright yellow, "sprinkled" poppies within them and look pretty good, too.
The translucent green on the slightly shorter end of this slab looks cool - to me - so it might happen that there's more if you keep cutting in this direction. Cutting the short way, you might only get one with this attribute. I reckon most of my quasi "advocacy" for cutting the long way comes from the last/4th pic of the chunk and because I collect slabs and don't make much in the way of cabs, at least not until I get my equipment situation firmed up. I've bought most of my slabs because of how the all of the areas in it look together, as a whole. If you are planning to use the slabs for cabochon making, then cutting the smaller axis *would* offer a lot of variety - some great, some maybe not so - and you'd probably find at least one nice cab in most of those slabs.
Anyhow, in light of my above lament about choosing the "wrong" direction to cut a lot of the time, the best advice might be to do the opposite of anything I said. :-) C-ya, Rick
|
|
rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
|
Post by rykk on Jun 10, 2014 0:09:59 GMT -5
BTW - This is a healthy sized chunk and you will, most likely, run into areas with more orbs... or less. It is close to impossible to know for sure. Take a good, hard look at the newly faced plane of the chunk and see if you can tell if the next slab will be any better. Look at the areas areas of this slab with more/better orbs than others. Chances are that that density, in that area going deeper into the chunk, would repeat itself through successive slabs and cutting into the chunk on the smaller axis where the most poppies are could yield some slabs that are smaller, but with a relatively high occurrence of them all through the length of those slabs.
Again, keep in mind what you want to do with the slabs after they are cut. If you're looking to cut "collector" slabs, keep in mind that most folks who collect whole slabs prefer them to have rough rind/matrix or natural broken edges all around and might not be as enamored of a slab with a straight, cut edge. At least, that's how I like them best. More food for thought, I reckon. I have chunks I've stressed over which way to cut for 3-4 years that are still waiting near my saw. C-ya, Rick
|
|
|
Post by pghram on Jun 12, 2014 21:22:36 GMT -5
If you are not thrilled w/ this slab then cut in the other direction. Then you will have some idea which will give the best cabs.
Rich
|
|
rykk
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 428
|
Post by rykk on Jun 14, 2014 21:58:03 GMT -5
There are actually three choices, not two. Continue this orientation, rotate 90 degrees clockwise/counter clockwise and cut the smaller side, or rotate the chunk clockwise, then up 90 degrees and cut in perpendicular to the cut face. The third option would yield large slabs and the ones from the middle appear to me like they would have the most clear/milky agate with distinct poppies in them. At least judging from the horizontal band I see in the slab you've shown.
Post more pix of any subsequent ones you cut - we might all learn something from this... and I love posts with lots of "eye candy"! C-ya, Rick
|
|