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Post by adam on Feb 2, 2022 14:14:36 GMT -5
Pretty nice tumbles. They remind me of Brazilian agates.
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Post by adam on Feb 2, 2022 14:10:41 GMT -5
Real nice stones, superb results. How long did they take in each stage?
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Post by adam on May 2, 2021 10:00:34 GMT -5
Just visually I would say 18" saw with a slower speed ratio pully would be the minimum for agates that size. I have an 18" saw but to me each one of those stones represents probably several hours of work just making slices, then is the cross cuts not to mention boxing and sending slabs back as well as the chunks that the vice needed. Definitely an all day affair and that assumes smooth running. This is why a lot of folks who contract cut know what they are getting into and typically demand a very large portion of the rock. I can pay just about any fee as long as it isn't out of this world expensive. But demanding more than a few slices from my material should mean a lower fee for cutting services. I always share a few slices with whoever cuts my rocks. To an extent.
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Post by adam on May 2, 2021 9:57:11 GMT -5
To add to what Tommy said, every cut made on a saw is one step closer to a saw cleanout which for larger saws can be a chore. It is also 1 less cut in the life of the blade. On top of that round rocks require extra work to clamp and any slip in the vise can result in a damaged blade. The few places I have found that do fee cuts are pretty expensive, or as mentioned ask for half, or a decent portion of the rock. I did cut 6 geodes for a lady who has bought from me several times at my Craft Shows. I also polished them for her and that was included in the cost. As she was a good repeat customer and she has referred a few of her friends to buy from me I was inclined to do this for her. Do you have any Rock and Mineral clubs close to you? A good many of them have shops equipped with saws. Might be an option for you. Good luck with your search. I would still have to ship as I don't have a car and can't drive. I just moved to southern Tennessee 3 months ago near the Alabama border. I knew of rock clubs in KY, but I would have to research clubs down here. Thanks for your input.
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Post by adam on May 1, 2021 20:32:59 GMT -5
Very nice quality agates, superb tigers eye. Can't wait to tumble some of my red tigers eye from gems by mail. Good luck with future tumbles.
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Post by adam on May 1, 2021 11:28:43 GMT -5
Not really.
Need to know the diameter across the thickest part of the stone, not the length. Say it's 6" at the widest part, then you'd need a 12" or 14" inch saw to make those cuts.
I do not have a tape measure or anyway to currently measure these rocks so Im gonna say at least 9 inches for the diameter of the largest rock. Maybe 10 inches at most.
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Post by adam on Apr 30, 2021 20:13:11 GMT -5
Dayyum. They're all killer. The blue moss is my favorite, so dang rich.
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Post by adam on Apr 30, 2021 20:06:46 GMT -5
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Post by adam on Apr 30, 2021 10:33:18 GMT -5
So as the title says. I have a few large agates and such that I have had for a while and I would love to have slabbed. Some of these rocks are about 10 to 12 inches long. Mainly KY material. If anyone has a saw large enough PM me and maybe we can work out a deal where I ship you rocks, you slab them, and return them. Ive done this before about 4 times but its been a few years. Would really appreciate the help.
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Post by adam on Apr 29, 2021 16:17:01 GMT -5
The last one looks like it has quartz in it. It's geode-like.
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Post by adam on Apr 29, 2021 7:14:14 GMT -5
I'm liking the amethyst and fancy jasper quite a bit. Most of these have few if any flaws. Maybe try tumbling sunstone with only other sunstones? You should get a better result. I've never tried tumbling sunstone but I'm guessing it's almost like trying to tumble fluorite or chrysocolla.
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Post by adam on Apr 29, 2021 6:59:26 GMT -5
Spectacular work. Looks like they were done by an expert. Hope you do great in the challenge.
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Post by adam on Jun 14, 2020 17:27:25 GMT -5
Similar to some Kentucky material I just finished polishing. Nice results.
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Post by adam on Feb 6, 2020 7:32:39 GMT -5
knave , you’d better post some pics when you slice those bad boys. No cracking them open with a hammer, either. I’m jelly. I will find a slab saw for the bigger ones. I hope to post pictures. Definitely post some pictures... Definitely don't use a hammer if you think you got anything but a quartz crystal geode... I've busted some grade A jasper and agate geodes that would have made killer slabs...
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Post by adam on Feb 5, 2020 19:40:58 GMT -5
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Post by adam on Feb 5, 2020 17:34:46 GMT -5
Hello friends and fellow rock enthusiasts. It's Adam. I'm trying to make some space and I figure I might as well sell some rocks and make someone happy. Today I offer 5 assorted Kentucky geodes that I hand collected in nearby creeks in Brodhead, Kentucky. These geodes could contain quartz, calcite, chert(chalcedony), agate, or any combination of these and the colors of the contents can include but are not limited to clear, white, pink, red, brown, orange, baby blue, smoky gray, and, very rarely, black. I have included photos of these geodes as well as the weight of each geode which is accurate to the nearest hundredth of an ounce which was calculated by my electronic kitchen scale. What you see in the pictures is what you get. $25 gets you this box of 5 Kentucky geodes and shipping is already calculated into the $25. I accept payment by Paypal. If you are interested in purchasing this box then please do message me where we can made a deal. If I get multiple offers then the person that made the first offer would get this box. I ship through USPS...
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Post by adam on Sept 27, 2019 22:48:51 GMT -5
Not sure how I feel about this one- my thoughts are that I showed the stone off well, but the wrap design itself is a bit plain. I do like simple wraps but please keep up with the suggestions if you all would. The bail, well, that's another story. It's ok, but there are quite a few nicks. Anyway, thanks for looking. And helping. If not for the nicks you would have done a perfect job wrapping that cab. Nicely done.
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Post by adam on Aug 12, 2019 17:27:40 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. Be aware that faceting is very time intensive and it takes a long time to do a gem. Usually prices are quoted per carat of finished stone, prices of $50 or more per carat would not be unusual. Agate is not a good candidate for faceting really, faceted stones need to be clear and have a reasonably high refractive index to work. Blue agate as a faceted gemstone could work. Faceted stones do look better when they are more transparent, but that doesn't mean all faceted stones have to be transparent. Opaque stones would look awkward faceted... but agate? It might do better.
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Post by adam on Aug 8, 2019 17:30:38 GMT -5
They're all very nice cuts.
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Post by adam on Aug 2, 2019 17:49:27 GMT -5
I freak out at spiders in general but like other comments here Tarantulas don't bother me that much and I don't know why. Maybe it's the evil you know vs. the evil you don't... Speaking of Tarantulas when I was still working in San Jose and commuting a couple hours north one of my favorite short cuts (until GPS navigation ruined it for me) was a narrow winding mountain road along the Calaveras reservoir round the south side of Mission Peak, and once a year in September and October I would start encountering the annual migration of Tarantulas across the road and down the hills looking for love. The first time I saw it I was like WTF?? are those spiders??? I had to stop my car and look to confirm what I was seeing. It was kind of sad how many of them were getting killed - I always tried my best to move around them or make sure I cleared them with my tires but I saw many many dead ones. sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/08/08/tarantula-migration-begins-early-on-mount-diablo-giant-spiders-crawling-across-east-bay-arachnid-drought/Edit to add: Welcome back Adam! Good to see you. I feel the same way, Tommy. Most tarantulas don't bother me too much, but there are some out there I imagine that would be too ferocious even for me. Sorry that you had to witness so many dead tarantulas in the past. I live too far east for tarantulas to be found in the wild. I had to order my own from a company called Backwater Reptiles. I have been working on this tarantula enclosure and have watched videos and have made a little microhabitat complete with two species of ferns(Maidenhair spleenwort and the Korean rock fern), limestones rocks, sterilized moss and mossy rocks, polished stones, etc. The substrate is a mix of sand, crushed sandstone, real fine coconut coir, a little bit of sterilized dirt, and a quite a bit of activated carbon. This substrate can hold water extremely well. I also added some woodlouse, AKA pillbugs, I got from my fern garden outside, and I plan on adding some earthworms in the near future to help improve the soil. Thoughts?
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