NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Apr 27, 2019 10:32:24 GMT -5
While in Sedona last weekend, I spent a couple hours harvesting some Agate, let's just call "Perkinsville Agate" for lack of a better name. The Agate isn't too exciting, but the views were unbelievable. Should have taken a picture of them instead, hehe. On the way back out, just as we passed by the massive tailing piles of the historic Ghost Town, and Gold King mine, my attention is drawn to a couple larger green rocks sitting on the pile. I wonder if this this slag? Larger than a softball, and strangely geometicly shaped, and rather dense for its size, I didn't expect something metalic, although the Gold and Copper mine tailings rock, did have some rust staining on it. Once I hit it with a hammer and chissel a while, it gave up some chips and exposed what is very likely metal looking stuff: A closer look at the silver'ish looking parts: Now this worthless rock will be nothing more than a garden oddity for me. But it would be interesting to know if my guess it correct or not. I have other slag, but it is nothing like this. You know, next time I am in that neck of the woods, I am going to offer to tip the owner of the revitalized Ghost Town, for a chance to rummage through his tailings some day. I bet I find all kinds of rather interesting material.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 27, 2019 18:09:57 GMT -5
Does look like slag, which can form an oxide coating. I have a lot from a mine with a copper oxide coating. Some of the pieces are slag glass inside.
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Post by rmf on Apr 28, 2019 12:47:58 GMT -5
Yes looks like slag to me as well
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Apr 29, 2019 10:17:52 GMT -5
Does look like slag, which can form an oxide coating. I have a lot from a mine with a copper oxide coating. Some of the pieces are slag glass inside. Thanks vegasjames. That pretty much confirms it then. Copper Oxide. It would be nice to find Slag Glass some day though. That sounds interesting.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 29, 2019 17:53:21 GMT -5
Does look like slag, which can form an oxide coating. I have a lot from a mine with a copper oxide coating. Some of the pieces are slag glass inside. Thanks vegasjames . That pretty much confirms it then. Copper Oxide. It would be nice to find Slag Glass some day though. That sounds interesting. Here is a piece of slag from a copper mine:
And these are examples of slag glass from the same copper mine:
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Apr 30, 2019 9:26:00 GMT -5
Oh, I see. That is really interesting how the slag all has the same exact color as the two or three pieces that I brought back. I thought they were green rocks when I picked them up and was excited.
Well the glass slag you have looks to be something you might be able to work with. I mean, the lower, middle piece of slag in your second picture appears to be interesting glass.
I bet JamesP would know how to do something with that glass. I mean, it might be possible to craft something with it maybe? I would certainly be trying. It could turn out really unusual.
Thanks for sharing.
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Post by Peruano on Apr 30, 2019 15:56:29 GMT -5
I've heard that slag can have some nasty contaminants (mercury being one) so cabbing or working it should probably be done with some extra protection. The agate that you collected looks like a lot of things we call chert (laid down in horizontal beds instead of in pockets like most agates. Just guessing and acknowledging that the line between cherts, flints, and agates is often a grey one at least in the terminologies used by us lay persons.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 30, 2019 18:25:35 GMT -5
Oh, I see. That is really interesting how the slag all has the same exact color as the two or three pieces that I brought back. I thought they were green rocks when I picked them up and was excited. Well the glass slag you have looks to be something you might be able to work with. I mean, the lower, middle piece of slag in your second picture appears to be interesting glass. I bet JamesP would know how to do something with that glass. I mean, it might be possible to craft something with it maybe? I would certainly be trying. It could turn out really unusual. Thanks for sharing. I started to cab one piece of the slag glass. Forgot where I put it though.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 30, 2019 18:27:04 GMT -5
I've heard that slag can have some nasty contaminants (mercury being one) so cabbing or working it should probably be done with some extra protection. The agate that you collected looks like a lot of things we call chert (laid down in horizontal beds instead of in pockets like most agates. Just guessing and acknowledging that the line between cherts, flints, and agates is often a grey one at least in the terminologies used by us lay persons. This slag glass is from a smelter where they were roasting off sulfides so there should not be any mercury.
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Apr 30, 2019 23:46:46 GMT -5
I've heard that slag can have some nasty contaminants (mercury being one) so cabbing or working it should probably be done with some extra protection. The agate that you collected looks like a lot of things we call chert (laid down in horizontal beds instead of in pockets like most agates. Just guessing and acknowledging that the line between cherts, flints, and agates is often a grey one at least in the terminologies used by us lay persons. Could very well be, Peruano. The directions to the site, and article which I read (and person I spoke to several months out, who told me about the location) all called it Agate. A year ago when I didn't even know what a rock was, I had a brief conversation with a mineral scientist type who gave me the formal definition for Cherts and Agates, Jaspers, etc. At the end he just said, "it's a damn rock. if it's shiny and you like it, keep it". Thanks for the warning about the mine slag though. Some of the stuff I've found looks really cool actually.
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