|
Post by orrum on Oct 9, 2017 7:05:13 GMT -5
Jim do you camp down there? You sold your permanent camp didn't you? Great pics and thanks much I have enjoyed your trip and look forward to more!
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 9, 2017 7:16:35 GMT -5
Jim do you camp down there? You sold your permanent camp didn't you? Great pics and thanks much I have enjoyed your trip and look forward to more! No, I just get a hotel room about 10 miles away. short drive time. Usually stay 3 to 4 nights. I sold my property in Florida, free from it. It lacked creature comforts and was a long drive to the coral rivers. The hotel works for needed rest. A day on that river is tiring. I tried to join a hunt club that borders the river for miles. They seemed booked or confused about my desire to rock hunt instead of deer hunt lol.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 9, 2017 8:36:10 GMT -5
Many rockhound use gas powered brick saws to break down boulders like that. A few cuts around a perimeter and the center uncut part breaks easily. Would it be difficult to face polish using that type of saw Scott ? One thing for sure, it could be sawn in the river and take advantage of water cooling. When sawing log jambs in the river with a chain saw it shoots a rooster tail out the back. Truly wet work.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2017 8:49:52 GMT -5
Many rockhound use gas powered brick saws to break down boulders like that. A few cuts around a perimeter and the center uncut part breaks easily. Would it be difficult to face polish using that type of saw Scott ? One thing for sure, it could be sawn in the river and take advantage of water cooling. When sawing log jambs in the river with a chain saw it shoots a rooster tail out the back. Truly wet work. The blade won't be perfectly parallel to the cut 100% of the time. So these cuts won't be polishable. This saw is to help break down giant boulders for reduction on regular saws.
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Oct 9, 2017 8:55:48 GMT -5
Great report, as usual. I especially liked the comparison of the blades. Sure shows what you go through. Your reports always bring back memories..... never collected anything though. Unless you count catching water moccasins. Impetuous youth that we were.
|
|
|
Post by fantastic5 on Oct 9, 2017 9:31:33 GMT -5
Many rockhound use gas powered brick saws to break down boulders like that. A few cuts around a perimeter and the center uncut part breaks easily. My husband used one of these beasts at a club outing 4 or 5 years ago. We sliced a huge piece of Tennessee Paint Rock Agate. I had been dying to cut it, if it had good color it had the potential of being worth a lot of money. Unfortunately the only color was on the rind. The interior is a blend of clear and white. But that saw really rocked. I've watched for a used one ever since, but they are EXPENSIVE!! Better to have a friend with one. Also have to be really strong to handle one. The agate put up a fight, but my husband is my Hulk Smash, so he didn't have trouble.
|
|
|
Post by fantastic5 on Oct 9, 2017 9:39:53 GMT -5
Many rockhound use gas powered brick saws to break down boulders like that. A few cuts around a perimeter and the center uncut part breaks easily. Would it be difficult to face polish using that type of saw Scott ? One thing for sure, it could be sawn in the river and take advantage of water cooling. When sawing log jambs in the river with a chain saw it shoots a rooster tail out the back. Truly wet work. The big piece of agate that my husband cut was roughly 2'x 1'. He cut it lengthwise. The first cut was pretty smooth from start to finish. But when he flipped it over things got wonky. The agate was laying on the ground, so he was bent over trying to keep everything as aligned as possible. But of course the agate wasn't a brick, so it didn't lay parallel to the first side when flipped. But if someone had the time and skills to create a table/gig. You should be able create a surface that could be polished.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 9, 2017 10:02:11 GMT -5
Great report, as usual. I especially liked the comparison of the blades. Sure shows what you go through. Your reports always bring back memories..... never collected anything though. Unless you count catching water moccasins. Impetuous youth that we were. Pleasure trip Tela. Love the outdoors. Collecting there is a bonus. The Suwannee is full of old bottles, Native artifacts, mammal fossils, coral and stunning beauty. I like dwelling in the bowels of the earth. Thank the river for removing the overburden and exposing those bowels. I guess I'm a bowel man, hmmm, that didn't sound to good. Over the years I must have coaxed several dozen people to enjoy those bowels. Let's call it the bowel society. The Suwannee was the site of old spring houses and spring water bottling plants because of it's numerous springs in and next to the river. It was also a travel route for some old mariners of all sorts since it was a travel route.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 9, 2017 10:06:53 GMT -5
fantastic5, got a video of your husband cutting that giant agate ? Bet he had fun. I came very close to building a 36 inch saw. Just for sawing the coral pseudomorphs. I'd almost prefer to rent a small storage unit near the river and saw them down there due to the high percentage of duds. like a tiny 10' X 10'. Can't be too costly. Or renting space in a farmer's shed close by. If I run across a 36 inch saw that needs a rebuild for cheap...
|
|
|
Post by fantastic5 on Oct 9, 2017 10:32:53 GMT -5
fantastic5 , got a video of your husband cutting that giant agate ? Bet he had fun. I came very close to building a 36 inch saw. Just for sawing the coral pseudomorphs. I'd almost prefer to rent a small storage unit near the river and saw them down there due to the high percentage of duds. like a tiny 10' X 10'. Can't be too costly. If I run across a 36 inch saw that needs a rebuild for cheap... Someone was shooting the video. I never saw it. But here are some still that I pulled from the club website. Having me in the yellow suit was for fun, not needed and quite hot. The disappointing innerds
|
|
|
Post by melhill1659 on Oct 9, 2017 11:23:33 GMT -5
Have you ever tried coating the bottom of the boat? With a bed liner type coating?
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 9, 2017 11:27:09 GMT -5
fantastic5 , got a video of your husband cutting that giant agate ? Bet he had fun. I came very close to building a 36 inch saw. Just for sawing the coral pseudomorphs. I'd almost prefer to rent a small storage unit near the river and saw them down there due to the high percentage of duds. like a tiny 10' X 10'. Can't be too costly. If I run across a 36 inch saw that needs a rebuild for cheap... Someone was shooting the video. I never saw it. But here are some still that I pulled from the club website. Having me in the yellow suit was for fun, not needed and quite hot. The disappointing innerds What a squid lol. Can't believe you you sealed yourself off. Sorry, just my way of being funny. Apparently my social media skills are offensive to some. Jealous of Paul. why won't my wife manage me with a 10 HP rock chopper ? I'd even let her have a bull whip in the other hand. To heck with the innards, y'all had fun. I found a vein of the finest hollow corals one trip. Best I ever found. I left her to dig them, she had a blast. The girl was ecstatic. She found them, she sawed them, she hid them. Guards them to this day.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 9, 2017 11:39:11 GMT -5
Have you ever tried coating the bottom of the boat? With a bed liner type coating? I do glue the v-grooves with flexible marine epoxy. they are the first to leak. The rivets start letting go and get loose to Melissa. All over the boat. Go Devil makes a uni-skin boat that is totally flat but they are super heavy. Your bed liner idea is definitely a good one. That is some serious tough coating. Best idea so far. There is a problem w/aluminum, it grabs terribly when the sharp cherts and corals hit it. i really need a polyethylene boat, same as molded kayaks are made of. That material is slick. It too would wear out eventually. My kayaks are 30 years old and of polyethylene and still going strong. I have filled them with rocks and drug them up steep ditches by tying them to the truck. Brutal treatment, that polyethylene is fine, and keeps on going.
|
|
|
Post by fantastic5 on Oct 9, 2017 11:42:50 GMT -5
fantastic5 , got a video of your husband cutting that giant agate ? Bet he had fun. I came very close to building a 36 inch saw. Just for sawing the coral pseudomorphs. I'd almost prefer to rent a small storage unit near the river and saw them down there due to the high percentage of duds. like a tiny 10' X 10'. Can't be too costly. Or renting space in a farmer's shed close by. If I run across a 36 inch saw that needs a rebuild for cheap... For just cutting in half and not slabbing. Have you ever considered a wire saw? I saw a video once. I think they are used in marble quarry. Basically just a loop of diamond wire that is running on a pulley system. Just need a slow water drip.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2017 12:39:07 GMT -5
fantastic5 , got a video of your husband cutting that giant agate ? Bet he had fun. I came very close to building a 36 inch saw. Just for sawing the coral pseudomorphs. I'd almost prefer to rent a small storage unit near the river and saw them down there due to the high percentage of duds. like a tiny 10' X 10'. Can't be too costly. Or renting space in a farmer's shed close by. If I run across a 36 inch saw that needs a rebuild for cheap... For just cutting in half and not slabbing. Have you ever considered a wire saw? I saw a video once. I think they are used in marble quarry. Basically just a loop of diamond wire that is running on a pulley system. Just need a slow water drip. I have! Lol Need more info before I dig in. How to secure the ends to make the loop? ETA Ann you make that yellow suit look hott! Rock it girl!
|
|
|
Post by fantastic5 on Oct 9, 2017 13:06:41 GMT -5
ETA Ann you make that yellow suit look hott! Rock it girl! LOL - not my first time asked to wear a yellow suit! Years ago I was acting as a sherpa for a photographer who wanted to be the first person to light and photograph the Rotunda Room in Camps Gulf Cave (largest underground room east of the Mississippi). We made it to the second room with all his gear. This was before LED lights. So we were carrying in car batteries (yes multiples), tripods, huge lights, lap tops. Hundreds of pounds of gear. We got him all set up, then I noticed him looking at me a little strange. I asked what was up and he said I would look better in the yellow suit than the guy who was supposed to do it. So I ended up being the model. Ended up with a framed photo for my troubles (the light poles were edited out in the final print). What was really strange is the lights he was using just flashed. So I couldn't see the room until the picture came. That room is 12 acres across. It would take me about 20 minutes just to get to the top of the break down pile. It is much further away and much taller than it appears in the photo. I could barely see the headlights of the rest of the crew. When your standing on top of the breakdown, our headlights wouldn't reach the walls. Very disorienting. Its called breakdown, because all that material used to be on the roof. When we visited the 3rd room on this trip there was a house sized block that had fallen since our last visit.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 9, 2017 14:05:43 GMT -5
Wow!!
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 9, 2017 14:30:39 GMT -5
Wow, looks like a sink hole in the making.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
|
Post by jamesp on Oct 9, 2017 14:52:26 GMT -5
fantastic5 , got a video of your husband cutting that giant agate ? Bet he had fun. I came very close to building a 36 inch saw. Just for sawing the coral pseudomorphs. I'd almost prefer to rent a small storage unit near the river and saw them down there due to the high percentage of duds. like a tiny 10' X 10'. Can't be too costly. Or renting space in a farmer's shed close by. If I run across a 36 inch saw that needs a rebuild for cheap... For just cutting in half and not slabbing. Have you ever considered a wire saw? I saw a video once. I think they are used in marble quarry. Basically just a loop of diamond wire that is running on a pulley system. Just need a slow water drip. I know they use diamond rope in granite mines to divide large blocks of granite to manageable sizes. They assemble the pulleys and thread the rope thru. They may use diamond rope to gang saw granite countertop material. Looks that way in this ad
|
|
|
Post by fantastic5 on Oct 9, 2017 15:19:36 GMT -5
For just cutting in half and not slabbing. Have you ever considered a wire saw? I saw a video once. I think they are used in marble quarry. Basically just a loop of diamond wire that is running on a pulley system. Just need a slow water drip. I know they use diamond rope in granite mines to divide large blocks of granite to manageable sizes. They assemble the pulleys and thread the rope thru. They may use diamond rope to gang saw granite countertop material. Looks that way in this ad Long time ago I remember someone telling me that they built one with regular wire and they just put the grit on the stone every so often. But I don't know how you get a round of wire without a bulky join.
|
|