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Post by oregon on Oct 6, 2015 14:48:36 GMT -5
Had the Camera out for the contest wins, so here are a few recent cuts... helpful criticisms welcome. We're still at the stage of cutting things open just to be amazed... Most of these are from within 20mins from home, Haven't figured out how to get all the oil off yet, Dawn treatment still left a residue, so you'll see the water beading in most pics... Jasper/Agate mostly, they just make you want to cut another slab to see what the patterns look like!
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Post by snowmom on Oct 6, 2015 16:21:07 GMT -5
wonderful color there! those are sure complex patterns. just beautiful!
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Post by captbob on Oct 6, 2015 16:21:31 GMT -5
All within 20 minutes from where you live? SWEET!! Some seriously nice rocks there.
Some folks let their freshly cut slabs sit in clay kitty litter to absorb some of the oil Use the ALL clay type.
I've always just used Dawn and warm/hot water.
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timloco
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2012
Posts: 545
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Post by timloco on Oct 6, 2015 17:43:42 GMT -5
Cool material! That top one looks like it's got a few fractures. such bright reds in some of those. Tasty rocks.
After I cut mine I stick them in a bucket full of the clumping cat litter for a day or two or longer. It gets most then regular dish detergent gets the rest. A little bit won't hurt anything, especially if you're using an oil cooled trim saw they'll just get dirty again.
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Post by vegasjames on Oct 6, 2015 19:09:32 GMT -5
Wow, some really beautiful stuff.
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Post by Noosh9057 on Oct 6, 2015 19:24:31 GMT -5
Great looking stuff.
Roger
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,687
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 6, 2015 20:36:00 GMT -5
Liking the red,yellow and green jasper-also nice cuts on the others too..............
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 6, 2015 21:33:39 GMT -5
Heat can be your friend for removing that oil. Get one of those plastic shoe boxes. Put a layer of kitty litter or oil dry in. then a layer of slabs, a layer of kitty litter, another layer of slabs etc, until the box is full. Snap the lid on & set the box out in the sun. A day or 2 of combined heat & kitty litter should draw almost all oil out. Then give them a quick wash in Dawn & hot water to remove kitty litter dust.
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verhexen
having dreams about rocks
Member since June 2015
Posts: 73
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Post by verhexen on Oct 6, 2015 21:39:16 GMT -5
4-6 remind me of the night sky. Maybe a little spacey. Very pretty.
I second the heat/kitty litter. Does wonders for motor oil.
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 6, 2015 22:27:31 GMT -5
Tractor Supply also has oil dry in 40 lb bags, and runs specials 2 or 3 times per year.
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unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
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Post by unclesoska on Oct 6, 2015 22:32:53 GMT -5
walmart carries oil dry in 30 lb bags and it's $4.22 back in the Automotive. i get a fresh bag every year, keep it in the trunk in winter in case I get stuck. stuff lasts forever if you squeegee the oil off the slabs before burying them. great looking slabs, #2 is my fav. What part of Oregon are you hounding? I'm in Jackson Co., in the SW part of the state. Welcome to the forum, you're gonna love it here!
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Post by oregon on Oct 6, 2015 23:46:07 GMT -5
Oil Dry sounds good, thanks for the tip. - Kitty Litter brings back memories of one of my least favorite tasks!
Not really sure what type of oil I'm using, was University Surplus, had a 'hydraulic' official tag on it, but no other manufacturer id, still sealed. $2 for 6 gallons - I figured it was worth that for chain saw oil. Low odor and seems to cut well enough, getting thicker with all the cutting. I'll do the mineral oil swap when it runs out I figure.
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on Oct 6, 2015 23:56:14 GMT -5
jakesrocks, notice the person's handle is Oregon, likely lives here. The sun will soon, we all hope, get blocked out by clouds for about the next 6 months so it can drizzle for days at a time. I wash cuts in warm water w/Dawn, and scrub them with a brush. Rarely have any residue. Anything porous, I wrap in a rag to get the seepage.
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Post by oregon on Oct 7, 2015 0:19:04 GMT -5
jakesrocks, notice the person's handle is Oregon, likely lives here. The sun will soon, we all hope, get blocked out by clouds for about the next 6 months so it can drizzle for days at a time. I wash cuts in warm water w/Dawn, and scrub them with a brush. Rarely have any residue. Anything porous, I wrap in a rag to get the seepage. You mean our >80-85 deg weather isn't going to continue ?! Would be nice to see some snow in the mtns this year though... Yeah, Dawn is usually quite effective on other oil/grease projects, must be seepage from the various fractures... I'll get there.
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Post by jakesrocks on Oct 7, 2015 9:00:43 GMT -5
Welcome aboard Oregon.
I have my own method for removing oil from slabs. I live out in the boonies surrounded by farm fields & gravel roads. When I start cutting it's usually several days straight. I have several of those old fashioned toast racks that folks used to set on their breakfast tables, and a big drip tray. I wipe excess oil off the slabs back into the saw. Then I stand the slabs on edge in the toast racks and leave them sitting in the hot sun. In a few days all of the slabs have a heavy coat of road dust on them. Heat from the sun brings the oil to the surface, and the road dust soaks it up. In a week or so I scrape the dust off the slabs & give them a quick rinse. I seldom have any more oil seep out of the slabs.
80 - 85 deg weather ? Been in the 60's here in South Dakota. This morning there was frost on the grass. Snow will soon be here, and I ain't looking forward to it.
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bushmanbilly
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Oct 7, 2015 11:22:14 GMT -5
My oil removal method. Squeegee the excess oil off. Cover them in a box of saw dust for a day or two. Wipe saw dust off and then soak in a dishsoap and water bath. A final rinse and there done.
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on Oct 8, 2015 0:02:40 GMT -5
That's a pretty slick way to clean slabs Don, let the traffic provide your oil dry. I Like that.
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