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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 1, 2017 12:27:03 GMT -5
Can you cab alabaster and soapstone? I'd love to cab some orange alabaster.
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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 Sept 1, 2017 15:48:08 GMT -5
I'm guessing "why not", but would they holdup in jewelry application, or maybe just for specimens?
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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 1, 2017 16:03:23 GMT -5
I'm guessing "why not", but would they holdup in jewelry application, or maybe just for specimens? I was thinking for pendants. Ill go ahead a try it if I can get some big enough to cab.
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Post by coloradocliff on Sept 1, 2017 18:58:48 GMT -5
Easy enough to work but like Mike says Probably wont hold up. Played with alabaster for years and it declines rapidly left outside in the rock pile. Haven't picked any for years because of that. Though I would carve some one day but now thinking of polychrome jasper. Better polish and more durable , not to mention fab colors. Good luck on that soft material sis and if you get lucky... Try some sandstone next.. Challenging..
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fishnpinball
Cave Dweller
So much to learn, so little time
Member since March 2017
Posts: 1,491
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Post by fishnpinball on Sept 1, 2017 19:16:27 GMT -5
When surrounded by people who are willing to share their knowledge, there are very few questions that would earn the dumb title.
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Post by vegasjames on Sept 1, 2017 20:12:25 GMT -5
Yes, alabaster is just gypsum. So is selenite and I have cabbed a lot of the selenite I have, both the red and the gold.
In fact my brother use to carve rocks and the main rock he used was alabaster, which polished up fine.
Soapstone also takes a good polish.
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Post by NM Stone Supply on Sept 1, 2017 20:12:43 GMT -5
I have cabbed the orange, it is soft and non forgiving, you can start with a 600 grit. With the hardness MOHS 2, it scratches too easy to be used for jewelry. I have some dendritic soapstone and it is the same thing, cabs super fast and scratches easy.
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Post by pauls on Sept 2, 2017 2:43:01 GMT -5
Alabaster is one of those names that can be two different rocks. Alabaster the Gypsum variety, or Alabaster the Calcite variety. The Gypsum variety is very soft, mistakes happen really quickly, not my favourite stone. The Calcite variety is usually limestone cave flowstone or stalactite and polishes really nicely, whites and honey colours and oranges, soft so not really good for hard wearing jewellery but dense enough to be a tiny bit forgiving when you are working it.
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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 2, 2017 9:32:58 GMT -5
Well, I guess I'll just have to admire it then. I was hoping to make some jewelry. The color of the orange, in particular is amazing.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,121
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Post by RWA3006 on Sept 2, 2017 9:59:09 GMT -5
I think you ought to give it a try if you can spare a little time. I would do it but my shop is in limbo right now while I'm "remodeling." If you would like to try some cave flowstone I would send you some. I found a beautiful banded root beer colored flowstone in an old limestone quarry and got a fair amount. PM me your address if you would like to try it.
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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 2, 2017 10:15:34 GMT -5
I think you ought to give it a try if you can spare a little time. I would do it but my shop is in limbo right now while I'm "remodeling." If you would like to try some cave flowstone I would send you some. I found a beautiful banded root beer colored flowstone in an old limestone quarry and got a fair amount. PM me your address if you would like to try it. What is flowstone? I would like to try some alabaster cabbing. It's just that I wanted a good orange for jewelry, too. I'm not afeared of soft stones- cab them all the time. That is a very nice offer, thank you. I'll PM.
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Post by fantastic5 on Sept 2, 2017 14:59:41 GMT -5
rockjunquie I will have to do some digging, but I think I have some orange alabaster. I spent my summers as a child just south of Alabaster Michigan and about 17 years ago on a trip back home, my uncles next door neighbor was the foreman of the Alabaster quarry. He took us in on a Saturday and I was able to pick out the pieces I liked. I remember being surprised at the orange, because all I remember finding along the lake was the white with gray. I think some of it even appeared to have an orange crystal layer. I'll PM you if I find it. Won't have the chance to look until Monday as I have to work all weekend.
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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 2, 2017 15:02:49 GMT -5
rockjunquie I will have to do some digging, but I think I have some orange alabaster. I spent my summers as a child just south of Alabaster Michigan and about 17 years ago on a trip back home, my uncles next door neighbor was the foreman of the Alabaster quarry. He took us in on a Saturday and I was able to pick out the pieces I liked. I remember being surprised at the orange, because all I remember finding along the lake was the white with gray. I think some of it even appeared to have an orange crystal layer. I'll PM you if I find it. Won't have the chance to look until Monday as I have to work all weekend. You don't have to part with yours, Ann. It sounds like something you might want to hang onto. Thank you for the offer, though. Someone sent me a link to where you can buy it.
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Post by spiceman on Sept 2, 2017 15:25:28 GMT -5
Dumb guestions...maybe MAD put out a book on that subject..dumb questions Snappy answers to dumb questions:
There was a guy changing a flat on a country road... A framer walked up and said "changing a flat" A caption above the guy head, that was changing the flat said... No, the tires reached the amount of miles for them to be rotated. So I'm doing that to keep the warranty good.
Now that's a dumb question. Yours is not even close to that... Not dumb at all.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,121
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Post by RWA3006 on Sept 2, 2017 19:43:54 GMT -5
I think you ought to give it a try if you can spare a little time. I would do it but my shop is in limbo right now while I'm "remodeling." If you would like to try some cave flowstone I would send you some. I found a beautiful banded root beer colored flowstone in an old limestone quarry and got a fair amount. PM me your address if you would like to try it. What is flowstone? I would like to try some alabaster cabbing. It's just that I wanted a good orange for jewelry, too. I'm not afeared of soft stones- cab them all the time. That is a very nice offer, thank you. I'll PM. Flowstone is limestone cave stalactite material formed by flowing across surfaces and building successive layers. It's often formed in sheets and masses that fill cracks and voids in the host limestone. It's mostly calcium carbonate and has layers much like tree rings. The material I have was exposed in an old quarry in a limestone mountain side where it was being blasted out to be used for road base and rail roads. I could plainly see where the host limestone had cracks and voids that were filled with this beautiful rootbeer colored material. It would probably be a good carving medium and would make good lapidary material where durability is not a big concern.
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Post by fantastic5 on Sept 3, 2017 10:26:20 GMT -5
I was gifted a piece of Ladds Mountain, GA flowstone by a fellow that I met in a parking lot at the Withlachoocee River put in several years ago. I haven't done anything with it yet, but it is a real pretty piece of banded calcite flowstone. I found this picture on the web of what the flowstone looks like. This used to be in the cave, but the cave proper (and a good part of the mountain itself) has been mined away.
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
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Post by wampidytoo on Sept 3, 2017 12:58:42 GMT -5
This solar flare (plus or minus 13" tall) that I carved some years ago is Utah orange alabaster. Somewhat harder than soapstone but still quite soft. The place where I bought this is no longer in business so if someone has a source my son is looking for some to carve pipes out of. He is ten times the carver I am or ever will be. @tela, I am sure you can wrap a pendant out of this so it is somewhat protected and the buyer is informed that they need to hang it on a tree instead of putting it in a box with other things. Jim
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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 3, 2017 16:24:19 GMT -5
This solar flare (plus or minus 13" tall) that I carved some years ago is Utah orange alabaster. Somewhat harder than soapstone but still quite soft. The place where I bought this is no longer in business so if someone has a source my son is looking for some to carve pipes out of. He is ten times the carver I am or ever will be. @tela, I am sure you can wrap a pendant out of this so it is somewhat protected and the buyer is informed that they need to hang it on a tree instead of putting it in a box with other things. Jim Jim, you graciously sent me a small piece of orange alabaster to play some years ago, but the shape is more suited to carving than cabbing, so I didn't want to cut into it. Walt sent me a link you might want to check out. www.alpinealabaster.com/collections/alleta- here's a couple big pieces. If you get something big, can I buy a piece for a couple cabs from you? www.alpinealabaster.com/collections/virtual-rockyard/products/lp40-translucent-orang-alabaster
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
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Post by wampidytoo on Sept 5, 2017 9:07:59 GMT -5
@tela, I will check to see if my son still has any cab sized pieces I can get for you. I have not sold anything for a long time so my pay pal account is empty and that is the only account I use for hobbies.
I have ten boxes made up to sell because I am wanting to lighten my load but things aren't selling very good right now. If the buying picks up I plan to split the boxes between RTH and me 4 to 6. Jim
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on Sept 5, 2017 10:34:35 GMT -5
That carving is just beautiful. So graceful and flowing.
I get asked actual dumb questions at work. Here is the best one (asked in mid-summer): "What day do the leaves turn?" After looking around for hidden cameras, I explained the whole science of fall color to her, including altitude, latitude, length of day, temperature, microclimate variations, etc. I showed her on a map where and when the first color typically appears at the end of September, illustrated how the color spreads down the spine of the Green Mountain range around the first week of October, and then into lower elevations, with the last color typically peaking in the 2nd and 3rd weeks of October in the Champlain valley. She looked at me in exasperation bordering on disgust, and asked again, "But what DAY do they turn?" So I looked her right in the eye and said, "October 2nd." She said, "Thank you!" in a less-than-polite tone, and stalked out. Every one else in the room was just staring. In retrospect, I probably should have said the 7th, but oh well.
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