Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Feb 27, 2018 12:26:48 GMT -5
The flint is in a massive seam running many miles. Color is found here and there. The concept of heavy equipment came up so that the seam could be broken for us, so we dont need hours with hammer and chisel to get 5#. the gentleman lparker is referring to is the only heavy equipment allowed on the property. We cannot go rent our own. Got it, thanks Scott.
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Post by HankRocks on Feb 27, 2018 12:31:55 GMT -5
What this should provide is a freshly dug spot that should open up fresh and in theory better material. Never been here but I assume it much like some of the fee-pay Quartz mines in Ark. You can dig in the regular dirt and veins with everyone else or for 2 or 3 hundred dollars they will take the equipment and expose a nice pocket, sometimes in an area of the mine that others are not allowed in. Most balk at paying the money, but with enough folks it can be a cost effective way of getting better material. Otherwise you are competing with everyone else. Opening a good Quartz Pocket in Ark can be a daunting task that would wear the average person out. Not all mines offer this as the MSHA rules due not allow access to certain type areas except for properly trained individuals, high wall being one.
Operating a backhoe is an expensive proposition and most mine owners will only do the the minimum dirt moving to keep cost down. They are not big cash generating operations when you figure equipment and fuel costs. Go run a big Backhoe for 3 or 4 hours and see what the fuel costs run up to. Now have that equipment break down, which happens frequently in a mining environment. Over the years I have talked to several Quartz mine owner/operators and do understand that in most case they are marginal operations.
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lparker
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Post by lparker on Feb 27, 2018 15:05:24 GMT -5
Any seams I've seen there are around 8 feet down from the surface and the better stuff is towards the bottom of the seam. As far as I know, Mrs Nethers is the only one at the quarry/farm...maybe her daughter also. Ed, the backhoe owner/operator, keeps his backhoe at the farm in season, works for a living and digs for local lapidary and flint knapping groups. He is the only one that digs and fills holes on the property. I've known Ed for over 20 years.
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QuailRiver
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Post by QuailRiver on Feb 28, 2018 0:05:57 GMT -5
Still not sure yet if I will be able to make it. But I have been looking for accommodations in the area and found that there is a state maintained campground (Dillion State Park) only 12-1/2 miles from the Nether's Farm. DSP has RV & tent camp sites plus cabins for rent. They look reasonably priced and have a 4.5 star review on Google. Generally speaking most state run campgrounds I've seen in the east are maintained better than the privately owned ones. I know we have some potters in this group as well, so those of you who "turn & burn" may be interested to know that about 40 miles east of Nether's Farm is a Laguna Clay distribution center and the manufacturer of Miller Clay products. www.lagunaclay.com/contact/Laguna/Miller no longer appear to have their wholesale price list linked on their web page but they used to give serious discounts on bulk buys, especially if you have a resale number. I haven't priced clay from them in many years but 15+ years ago a thousand pounds of clay picked up at their dock was about half the price of what I could buy it for from our local Laguna Clay distributor in NC. Obviously a big part of that price difference was the savings on freight costs to the local suppliers that gets added in to their cost/sale price. But hey if use their products and you're gong to be in the neighborhood anyway... P.S. Loved Laguna's cone 10 Soldate 60 stoneware clay! It was the best turning clay I ever used. (That Moonlite candelabrum Face Jug in the lower right corner of my member avatar was made from it.) Larry C.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 13, 2018 19:44:54 GMT -5
NRG - it's looking less and less like a viable trip for us unless I go alone and fly which I'm not sure we can afford. Eva's employer announced that her spa will be shut down for a month to six weeks for renovation in May/June. There is no way we're going to be able to turn around and have her take more time off in July. My offer to send $50 for the backhoe fund stands. When a keeper of the money emerges I'll send it on.
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lparker
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Post by lparker on Mar 14, 2018 6:41:26 GMT -5
Send it to me. I'll be seeing Ed, the backhoe operator, the end of May and will give it to him then. My PayPal is lparker@find-it-usa.com put "backhoe" in the comment area.
Lee #1
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Mar 14, 2018 6:48:29 GMT -5
Tommy lparkerMy original post about having folks pre-register with a $25 fee to cover the backhoe would require 22 people (diggers) to cover the fee. I have not seen nearly that many come forward to commit. I think we need a running tally somewhere of how many people are willing to contribute. If we only end up with 10 or 12 and we have all sent are money in what is plan? lparker - Thank you for offering to hold the money and handle the payment. If this were to be a flop how difficult is it and are there any fees to refund money? Chuck
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 14, 2018 11:56:36 GMT -5
lparker - you might want to edit your post and not show your PP address in public. These forums are constantly scraped by email collecting robots looking for emails to add to spam and scam lists. All - again I find myself agreeing with Chuck. My offer stands to support the cause but I am admittedly skeptical - ie: is there enough committed individuals to cover the cost? What is the date that the commitment will be irreversible? If this falls apart, someone is going to get left holding the bag - or the group defaults on the commitment and gives RTH a serious black eye or worse - lawsuits against the site or me personally. I've alluded to it before but I'm just going to come right out and say it - I do not like that this $550 commitment was made verbally to the operator without a firm plan in place to cover it. It's not how I would do business personally or on behalf of RTH and it isn't sitting right with me. At the very minimum before being financially committed we need a firm date when the operator plans to break ground - just saying "in the spring" is ambiguous at best. What I would do right now if it were up to me is immediately CANCEL the financial commitment with the operator before the hoe breaks ground, start a signup drive to see how close the group can get to covering the cost, then recommit to the operator once the plan is financially secure.
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lparker
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Post by lparker on Mar 14, 2018 12:19:20 GMT -5
Ed keeps the backhoe at Nether's spring through fall. It is the only place he uses it that I am aware of. Since I was the one that arranged for him to schedule being there, I am the one holding the bag. What would look bad is to cancel. I'm pretty sure the hole won't be wasted. He would just open it up again for another group.
Lee #1
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inbtb
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Post by inbtb on Mar 14, 2018 12:35:51 GMT -5
Hi Lee. So you are saying we won't owe Ed $550 until he opens the hole the second time which would be on July 7th.
Les
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Mar 14, 2018 14:39:12 GMT -5
What would look bad is to cancel. Thanks Lee - I definitely don't want to see ANYONE left holding the bag, especially you. I don't understand why it would look bad to cancel, but how about a quick conversation instead just letting him know things aren't as solid as they were and to check in with you before any work begins that triggers us owing him the money? In the absence of a date deadline this sounds like a reasonable and logical approach to me.
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lparker
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Post by lparker on Mar 15, 2018 5:28:10 GMT -5
I'll check with him.
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mgrets
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Post by mgrets on Mar 29, 2018 21:27:33 GMT -5
In response to "why the backhoe?", I have been to Nether's Farm half a dozen times. There are always 4 or 5 open pits, but they may have been worked by many rockhounds over a period of months. If all you want is small pieces of flint, you can't take a step without your boot landing on flint, and you won't have any trouble filling a 5 gallon bucket in an hour or two.That being said, if you want pieces of the best quality flint to throw on the slab saw, having a fresh pit is ideal. Don't worry about getting 5 lbs; I have never left with less than 100.
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rockwizz
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Post by rockwizz on Apr 6, 2018 23:28:42 GMT -5
Can someone share the location of this place? Thinking I might make it
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inbtb
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Post by inbtb on Apr 7, 2018 6:33:19 GMT -5
Hopewell, Ohio
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lparker
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Post by lparker on Apr 7, 2018 6:41:36 GMT -5
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Post by orrum on Apr 7, 2018 7:24:45 GMT -5
Ugh how about going over to Roy Miller's quarry. He probably costs more but hood holes are always open. Plus he has rough for sale. Plus his quarry has the green mix of flint.
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Post by orrum on Apr 7, 2018 7:25:37 GMT -5
That's good not hood! LOL
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NRG
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Post by NRG on Apr 16, 2018 15:02:13 GMT -5
Ugh how about going over to Roy Miller's quarry. He probably costs more but hood holes are always open. Plus he has rough for sale. Plus his quarry has the green mix of flint. I'm up for that. Can you give us more info or me his contact info and we can sort it out?
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Post by orrum on Apr 16, 2018 18:04:06 GMT -5
Google Roy Miller flint knapper. He is all over the flint scene.
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