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Post by greig on Feb 21, 2024 18:36:12 GMT -5
I'm curious about something and I wonder if anyone has any insight - I recently saw a chunk of African Cobeltite for sale on an auction that I thought was gorgeous, but wanted to look it up to see what it was, etc. I was greeted by image upon image of Congonese (I think) or similar country folk mining - children, people of all ages and then a couple of articles that talk about human rights violations. I've seen the movie Blood Diamond (don't watch if you're sensitive - I cried through the whole movie) and am somewhat aware of the atrocities of these mining operations - I ended up passing on the rock because I don't want to support that kind of operation. It led me to wonder how many of the rocks I've purchased do support that kind of thing. I know I can go down a rabbit hole with it, but it just made me curious. I recall seeing something similar about lapis lazuli recently, out of Afganistan, I think, but someone else had the viewpoint that this is their livelihood and not purchasing takes that away from the miners (not minors). So I'm just a bit confused. Most of what i get is from the good ole usa... Anyways - I tend to overthink things so please tell me if I'm doing that here. Thanks! PM me if you want cobalt. I have quite a bit from Cobalt Ontario (Canada) that I'd be happy to share.
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Post by greig on Jan 21, 2024 12:10:54 GMT -5
I used to add white table sugar to my polish to thicken the slurry and perhaps make the polish stick to the rocks. I stopped because I would sometimes get gas during the tumble and my blame was the sugar. Not positive the sugar was the cause.
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Post by greig on Jan 20, 2024 16:18:08 GMT -5
I love it! Can't find anything online about it but it's clearly well made and in good condition even. Must be worth a fortune, can't believe the OP sold one for $70. Preserve that gem but someone should make a copy so we can learn more about how it works. I am clearing out equipment that I am not using. I sold this tumbler today to someone I know for $30 CDN. It went to a good place.
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Post by greig on Jan 19, 2024 16:03:11 GMT -5
Next up: multiple saws and cabbing equipment. It never ends my friend.
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Post by greig on Jan 18, 2024 14:15:45 GMT -5
Could you make a short YouTube of that machine in action? It seems to have an eccentric rotation, one end different than the other. Looks totally collectible for those into collecting tumbler varieties. Wow! Amongst all the stuff that I have collected over the years, I have uncovered one of these machines that I forgot I had and made a quick short of it running.
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Post by greig on Aug 13, 2023 10:32:39 GMT -5
Really great advice and a good shared experience. As with any negotiation, the most important thing is the ability to walk away. I have never bought a new car or truck for myself and am content with used. However, I have bought new for wife and daughter.
For used, I prefer to buy from an individual, rather than a dealership. I tend to look for someone who is overpriced. Less people interested in the vehicle and they tend to be asking more because it has less obvious issues. Another indicator (for up north) is annual rust proofing. It means they took extra care and cost, intending to keep the vehicle. Snow tires on rims is a bonus. I don't buy anything that has been in an accident. I look for low milage, but not too low for the year. If it is a good car/truck, then we can boil down the discussion to just the price. If I feel the person is a curb sider then I run away. One indication is the ownership isn't in their name or you can see on the site that they have listed multiple vehicles over a short time. I never ask why they are selling, because I don't expect an useful answer. Remember that they have one vehicle to sell and you have multiple opportunities. Don't fall in love with one that you "must have".
Now, we can discuss how buying a new car is like looking for the ideal partner. lol
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Post by greig on Aug 12, 2023 19:30:07 GMT -5
A million acres here, a million there...eventually, it adds up
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Post by greig on Aug 12, 2023 19:28:25 GMT -5
I'd never buy a kit. Figure out what you want and buy individual best tools for that task. For sure, a good rock hammer, chisels, shovel, maybe a classifier, a loupe, flashlight, etc. Customize your bag for your collecting
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Post by greig on Aug 12, 2023 18:10:34 GMT -5
That works for me. LOvely
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Post by greig on Aug 12, 2023 18:07:48 GMT -5
Interesting video. I watched at 1.5 speed.
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Post by greig on Nov 27, 2022 16:46:49 GMT -5
Oh man, I thought we were going to see a hunting vid. Hope you had good luck with both. Happy birthday. I stopped posting hunting videos of my deer and moose hunts. Too many hurt feelings. Too bad, as this year I got two moose and a buck with my 45/70. Or did you mean rock hunting video? I could post that. LOL
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Post by greig on Nov 27, 2022 16:27:56 GMT -5
Thank you my friends for the birthday greetings. In fact, I had a wonderful day rockhounding and bird hunting with some friends and my pup Shelby. I took some good footage, but still need to cut the rocks to complete the video for Youtube. ;-)
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Post by greig on Aug 18, 2022 9:40:10 GMT -5
Personally, if a blade stops cutting effectively then I dress it. If it improves, I keep cutting and if it doesn't then I carefully inspect it and probably replace it.
As for oil vs water, for me it depends upon what I am cutting. Some of my rocks quickly make the fluid black, especially nickel, copper and silver ore. I prefer water if the solution gets nasty like that...Water is cheaper. Also, if I want to pan out the fines later, water is better for panning.
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Post by greig on Aug 18, 2022 9:31:12 GMT -5
Glad you got it sorted out
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Post by greig on Aug 9, 2022 15:12:55 GMT -5
I do not like the traditional heavy gloves as their thickness does not provide a good touch-feel. The lightweight gloves provide good protection as well as being able to feel crystals in the pocket I am working. There's been more than one time over the years where I commented on how "red" the clay was and then realized it was my blood coloring it!! None of them provide very good protection aganist a mis-targeted hammer blow!! That's why I use the chisels with guards. Red clay. LOL Reminds me of a quartz outcrop at a rock cut. When I got back to my truck and looked back at the site and it looked like a murder scene.
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Post by greig on Aug 8, 2022 19:16:52 GMT -5
For the price, you did fine. Try it out and let us know
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Post by greig on Aug 8, 2022 19:11:06 GMT -5
I like the feel without gloves in most instances. On the other hand, I have been cut badly by quartz, so you suggestion is warranted
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Post by greig on Aug 6, 2022 22:22:33 GMT -5
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Post by greig on Aug 4, 2022 9:43:11 GMT -5
I was away in an area that had no internet or cell phone access. I am not a good one to ask about price because I don't sell (much). Prices are higher in the US than Canada. At the end of the day, it is worth what someone is willing to pay. Slices that are polished will get more than rough cut. The one on the top right is dendritic and probably worth more than the others. The slice on the bottom looks a bit grey so might be mixed with cobalt. I don't think these are from Hudson Bay, Ontario. Probably, Hudson Bay Co. They had mines in Cobalt and Gowganda Ontario. Any idea who found them? Might have been me. lol
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Post by greig on Jun 30, 2022 8:04:00 GMT -5
Thanks for taking us along greig . I've read about the Herkimer diamond place over the years & honestly it was nothing like I imagined. My only question was do they fill back in the rock field regularly, or is it just left natural. I ask, as it seems that the field would be so pock marked with holes from all the digging over the years. OTOH- if they do fill it in, that means every digger is likely digging where others already have. Curious.
Patty At this mine, I heard that they sometimes move around existing rock for people to search. Usually, prior to an event like a pig roast for rockhounders. Pig and poke or something named like that. Otherwise, there is lots of solid wall for someone to open fresh vugs. The huge field looks untouched (no depressions) and the wall would extend below it. If you want to open fresh pockets, you need a big sledge and steel wedges. It is a lot of work to break even a few feet of rock. Consequently, there is years of virgin digging still there. Either dig sideways or dig deeper.
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