rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Jun 28, 2017 1:00:10 GMT -5
It looks like stuff I collected in Kramer Junction, CA.
If it is, its now a long way from home now residing in Australia.
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on May 15, 2017 2:20:00 GMT -5
Haven't had a lot of time lately, between work, the farm and going into winter, the days are getting shorter. Here a piece of rose quartz I got a little while back. I can't remember where it was from, but Brazil seems to ring a bell. needs more sanding and repolishing, and remember to clean the stones before taking photos. The third photo looks to be a flaw but I run the glass over it and could find only lint.
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Apr 10, 2017 22:26:29 GMT -5
Not particular about egg shapes, but I enjoyed doing this one. Australian Thunderegg
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Mar 26, 2017 7:26:34 GMT -5
I picked it up in an old collection, while wetting rocks the eye was apparent, but I had no idea the contrasts were so bold. The one in my avatar I did a few weeks ago (locally called Ballina Eyes) so I had a fair idea, but don't know if both are from the same locality.
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Mar 25, 2017 3:55:22 GMT -5
Wasn't really in the cabbing mood today, so I broke down some smalls and bits hopefully for those one cab wonders. Mix of ribbonstone, agates, pet wood, mookaite, prehnite, common opal, opalite, and bits. Wishing it wasn't cracked
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Mar 25, 2017 3:06:40 GMT -5
I'm no wizard, and my stones aren't giving me any magic. This started out with just going to be face polished, but is more of a double cab, pity the material has so many flaws between the layers. Calcite Eye
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Mar 19, 2017 2:41:21 GMT -5
A couple of weeks ago I approached a local farm and asked permission to have a look for rocks, there is a glacial deposit on their property. Her husband wasn't home at the time, and she was a bit cautious, but she let me have a look. Yesterday I dropped in a small simple broach with an agate from their property with a note as they weren't home again. I got a text message today "thanks for the beautiful broach, it's hard to believe something so pretty came from one of our rocks!! Your welcome to come anytime to have a hunt for more" Mostly agates are pretty plain grays,creams and blacks but some nice banding and plenty of cherts in dull colors. There are very few jaspers, one I picked up looks to be some where jasper/agate and moss, yet to cut it up. Interesting some of the oolitic material, some of it solid with very few cavities.
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Mar 8, 2017 0:00:18 GMT -5
Not much of this around. I don't have any in my collection. Quick look showed a small amount for sale link
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Feb 13, 2017 3:31:27 GMT -5
Tried to cab a piece of the lighter blue today. All ok until sanding - undercut quite badly the black matrix in it is a fair bit harder then the rest. might try to stabilize it and see what happens. When sawing it it did have a slight talc like smell if that helps with identifying it.
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Feb 12, 2017 4:04:31 GMT -5
Sorry I don't feel any great change or transformation. Do I just have to carry it, or do I have to eat or sleep with it - that might be taking it a bit far I don't love my rocks that much. Just the hardness has me a little stumped, just tried a scratch test with calcite, calcite scratches it and it scratches calcite. So around 3 in hardness. Acetone didn't remove any color. I wouldn't be disappointed if it is a jasper as it will make some nice cabs in the future.
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Feb 12, 2017 2:10:36 GMT -5
I picked these up today from a local shop. They were being sold as African Turquoise, They were reduced to $2 Australian each Total of about $3US for the 2 So I thought I would take the risk and see what they are. The piece of sodalite I bought cost more. Looking on the net they say African turquoise is actually a jasper, but the 2 I bought are soft than any jasper I know of. They scratch with a steel nail. Weathered exterior, shown wet in sun light I ground a flat on each and the color increased in depth and the blue shades started to appear. I haven't tested it for being dyed yet, but I'm getting the feeling that it hasn't been judging by the color. Will test later with acetone on a cotton bud & post the results What's the thoughts of everyone? Turquoise or not? If it is, I better go back and get more. Why not at $A20 per KG or for those that don't work in metric under $7US per pound
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Feb 4, 2017 3:22:46 GMT -5
My wife was looking for photos of an item she was considering at another sale on facebook when she found the sale. I was lucky - she told me
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Feb 4, 2017 3:15:36 GMT -5
I find myself looking forward to the comp each month, and keen to make a start when I can. I have never done a heart before, and each time I sketched it out on the slab something seemed not right, I finally settled on a design which is proving a challenge on the flat lap. But some improvising by using some old sic grinding wheels mounted to the lap and semi profiled with some agate for the inside curve. I have a preform that I'm happy with. It progressed a fair bit last night and started sanding but the sic gave me some fairly decent scratches to work out, and I may even have to resort to a little hand sanding on the inside curve Jasper - Corop Victoria Australia Thought I better do a little more, it has been sitting on the bench staring at me for awhile now and the month seems to be flying by.
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Feb 2, 2017 5:19:04 GMT -5
Highlights for me are the bits that I don't normally get to try. Like sodalite, lapis, there is a nice piece of ametrine. In the semi tumbled stone I picked out a small sapphire and some purple/red garnets which if I'm lucky might cut a few small cabs (5mm round) even pet wood that has some opal inclusions. There were just on 400 slabs mostly jaspers, plain agates and pet wood I've started going through them and and quite a few are look like they might end up tumbler fodder but some nice stuff among it. Quick sodalite cab I did most of had been broke up for tumbling but there are about 15 pieces that I can probably get some cabs out of. Prehnite chunks and the are a couple of small slabs Agates I believe that they are from agate creek Queensland and thunder eggs from Mt Hay Queensland many more uncut Desert roses
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Jan 27, 2017 5:07:39 GMT -5
Had a day out at a estate auction today, lucky my wife spotted the add and didn't keep it a secret. there were 4 rotary tumblers in various conditions which I didn't bid on and bucket and buckets of rocks. I picked out about 8 buckets that I was interested in, but about half of these went for more than I was prepared to go to and some others got combined with what I wanted. My purchases was after a quick sort through a small amount of chrysoprase half a bucket of queensland, agate creek, agates half a bucket of plain agates full bucket thunder eggs mainly small to fist size small amount of boulder opal pet wood fair bit of jaspers mixed slabs about 30 pounds a bucket of tumbled and semi tumbled stones box with about 60 gypsum desert rose clusters 2 boxes of lapidary journal magazines 1973 to 1978 2 boxes of australian lapidary magazines 1969 to 1979
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Jan 17, 2017 0:29:13 GMT -5
I have a bandsaw, table saw, scroll saw as well as hand saws. My first choice would be a bandsaw as the blade motion tends to pull the item being cut down to the table, reasonably easy to control. Can make nice straights cuts using the sliding miter or using the fence (if one allows for blade drift. The scroll saw if you pinch the blade with the item being cut wants to pick it up and down with the blade motion making it chatter against the saw table. Without use a guide you're cuts mightn't be square. Table saw - be very wary, I wouldn't recommend for small items if it grabs or pinches the blade it can pull (maybe more you hand pressure feeding the item turned into a sideways motion into the blade) Table saws (or incorrect use of) are responsible for allot of injuries. Trust me- I I'm lucky to have all my fingers but I did make a mess of one. If only cutting dop sticks, save you're money and just use a hand saw. All of these saws have sharp and fast teeth, and will be just as happy eating a finger as they would be eating a piece of wood.
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Jan 16, 2017 0:08:01 GMT -5
I agree, beautiful cab. Not to mention your perfect circle. Bravo! I just realised with everyone commenting on my perfect circle, I might have to retract my cab for the month as I used the faceting arm with the indexing locked open to preform the circle. After that all hand done on the lap. So I feel that I should retract my entry, might have to go back out to the shed and try again, maybe oval - can't do that with the faceting arm.
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Jan 15, 2017 1:56:06 GMT -5
My tile saw died a few weeks ago, and I'm part way through a slab saw build (just started converting an old table saw) so I abused the trim saw today. 3 x Zebra stone - Western Australia Mookaite - Western Australia Jasper - Jasper - Jasper? I thought however it seems a little softer , unknown location 5 small bits of chrysoprase 3x jaspers from the same rock. Avon river Victoria Australia, Found last week while on holidays at the beach 3x oolite - Victoria Australia a local find, glacial deposit 3x opalite - Western Australia 2x agate/jasper -
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rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
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Post by rivarat on Jan 14, 2017 8:21:46 GMT -5
Yep the first is Australian Chrysoprase Jasper - Corop Victoria Australia Lace agate - Mexico?? Australian Chrysoprase Chrysocolla in quartz for Tommy
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