Post by dbmyers on Jun 25, 2017 2:58:13 GMT -5
Hi everyone. I am a new member from Vancouver, B.C. I became a rock hound when I was eight years old and my grandparents gave me a small sample collection of minerals and a wooden display case with a large circular glass "window" into the top drawer. When I got to high school (freshman) I met a senior who had a small lapidary set up including a 5 inch trim saw, two grindstones, and two interchangeable wheels one that you could cover with emery paper and hold in place with a very strong circular spring around the wheel and the other one a leather wheel used with tin oxide. It had a bad bearing that rattled horribly but it got me started making cabs including small Mexican opals, flowering obsidian, tiger eye, agate, and malachite. After I went away to college, graduated, moved to Canada, and worked in the mental health field for about 30 years . . . . . . . I finally retired. Up to that point I had continued my rockhound interests mainly by going to rock and gem shows and occasionally buying slabs for that "someday" in the future when I'd have time to return to Lapidary. That time has now arrived with enthusiasm! About three years ago I got involved with the Hastings Community Centre Rockhounds Club in Vancouver. Now I am a lapidary workshop instructor once a week for a three hour session AND I also attend a second workshop to work on my own materials. I am learning a lot, sharing a lot, and enjoying it immensely . ;-) I am a dual US/Canadian citizen living permanently in Vancouver since 1970 and voting absentee from the state of Minnesota (federal elections only). I was born in Iowa and my siblings all live in Minnesota now. I look forward to sharing and learning from many of you.