Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,572
|
Post by Mark K on Jan 24, 2023 3:14:37 GMT -5
I got home today around noon. I need to talk to Tim who rebuilt all of those saws. Is he around these parts? Sounds like you made good time. Did you get the saw from Tony or someone else? If you want to start a thread in the saws and slabs forum anf tag me and Tony catmandewe I think we can answer any FranTom saw question you can come up with. Besides, I would love to see more detailed pics anyway, it looked nice in your pickup. No, I just need to talk to him about the little saw. A part was forgotten when it was restored and will not operate without a new one.
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 24, 2023 11:35:57 GMT -5
Any mishaps Mark K on the drive? I was worried a bit about that heavy load, especially with that heavy saw on that back corner.
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 24, 2023 11:55:20 GMT -5
Oh man, if only I had found it too. Maybe it was you at the BBQ that was telling me about some usual colored jasper that had some bright colors next to a grey color. You were right--it was so pretty and unique. On the flight back from Phoenix to OKC, an Asian guy sat next to me and I guessed right and asked him in Mandarin if he was Chinese. He jumped and replied yes. That's always fun. I told him I married a woman from Wuhan 2 years ago and he about died because he was from Wuhan and moved to Phoenix 15 years ago. We spent the entire flight jibber jabbering, but in English. Walter and I knew we would have fun, but we had far more fun even than expected. The BBQ was fun. I really got into long visits with many of the vendors in the Pow Wow and Desert Gardens, and some of the visitors like me. We are already thinking about doing it again, but maybe trying to drive over to the first couple of days of the Tucson show too after Quartzite. Many have explained that a rock tumbler like me still ought to see Tucson, even if only once, because it's pretty mind-blowing, but to consider Quartzite worthy of repeat visits and the best source for rough. And that Desert Gardens is the best place for rough. I spent almost an hour visiting with two young men who had a large layout right in the middle of Desert Gardens. It was 4:30, late, people were sort of leaving, and they each lighted up a marijuana cigarette which is legal there. The strong odor brought back many memories of it from the 1970s and they asked me to tell them about those times, which I did. They were shocked when I told them how one could sometimes see policemen at night drawing on their joint in the cruisers. As I sort of stumbled away from their place it became apparent to me that I was smiling a bit too much to myself because I had been downwind of them but a bit too close. All the rocks looked very pretty for about 15 mins as I found my way to those delicious Gyro sandwiches. Those are popular sandwiches in Oklahoma, but I had never had one that good. The bread and the meat was just slightly charred which brought out the flavor and it was huge. My plan now is to not bother buying anything mailorder any more, but just to plan on going to Desert Gardens now and then, maybe every other year, or possibly every year, for replenish anyting I need as well as to take a few desert outings. So Walter and I are already planning on maybe returning in 2024. My only disappointment is I had been told the Aussies have a huge booth somewhere, that they haul over tons of stuff, and that there is almost always something new they bring, and that they missed 2022 and so they would probably be there bigtime this year. I never found them. To anyone reading this and like me had never been to Quartzite, it's not just a rock show but a special experience. Just like others have said, there is no way to describe it, you just have to go and find out.
|
|
Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,572
|
Post by Mark K on Jan 24, 2023 12:24:37 GMT -5
Any mishaps Mark K on the drive? I was worried a bit about that heavy load, especially with that heavy saw on that back corner. I did have a sideways, truck and camper slide down the off ramp on 635 going to 35. The only real issues were the idiots who wanted to still do 70 when the freeway was a skating rink. I had to share my lane with a few of those jackholes.
|
|
quartzilla
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2020
Posts: 1,215
|
Post by quartzilla on Jan 24, 2023 17:16:22 GMT -5
Bob one of them was there in Desert Gardens, about 2 rows back from those big rock piles and close to the western outside edge. That’s where I got the dendritic opal , chrysoprase, and mookite.
|
|
hummingbirdstones2
fully equipped rock polisher
Vince A., 1958-2023
Member since August 2018
Posts: 1,461
|
Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Jan 24, 2023 19:24:47 GMT -5
I think Tony might've mentioned that the other Aussie dealer who used to be there was selling off his inventory and won't be there anymore.
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 25, 2023 10:47:54 GMT -5
I had seen a few Aussies here and there, in both the Pow Wow and Desert Gardens, but no really big vendor as I was expecting. I did ask a couple of people there, and they told me that the one major Aussie vendor had been going to both Quartzite and Tucson, and is doing to only go to Tucson in the future.
|
|
Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,572
|
Post by Mark K on Jan 25, 2023 12:39:12 GMT -5
I have been sawing like a madman. Got a few things with the ends cut off for the wood to be glued on. There is going to be some slabs soon.
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 26, 2023 14:23:04 GMT -5
I have been sawing like a madman. Got a few things with the ends cut off for the wood to be glued on. There is going to be some slabs soon. My 2 large USPS flat rate boxes just arrived! Won't be slabbing anything but I can't wait to find out if that cantaloupe size piece of Brenda jasper isn't all fractured up. Will have to do a week of rough grind to find out though. Also real excited about that olive green obsidian.
|
|
Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,572
|
Post by Mark K on Jan 26, 2023 16:10:22 GMT -5
If I was a betting man, I would say it is solid. Almost everything I have found has been very solid.
|
|
|
Post by drocknut on Jan 27, 2023 20:53:48 GMT -5
It was great meeting and seeing you all. I was exhausted from selling at PowWow so my friend Frank and I left before the pictures were taken at the RTH bbq. Thanks Mark K for the Table Mesa rock. Thank you to Tony and Chris for doing the BBQ again this year.
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 28, 2023 11:27:23 GMT -5
If I was a betting man, I would say it is solid. Almost everything I have found has been very solid. After taking a good look, I think you are right. That green obsidian is really weird stuff. Much heavier than most obs. Just got my contest check returned. They ran out of material.
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 28, 2023 16:45:20 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 28, 2023 16:47:50 GMT -5
That's some examples of what I brought back. Right after the psilomelane are 3 pics of a new jasper from Chihuahua I'm excited about. It has been named Inferno jasper and I like that name.
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Jan 28, 2023 17:38:57 GMT -5
Bob did you get the green obsidian from the guys at the west end of the PowWow near the highway, next to Kevin the Stellar Oil guy? We saw the obsidian, ended up getting some of the snakeskin serpentine they had. They also sell at our club show in Buckeye.
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 29, 2023 1:47:22 GMT -5
Bob did you get the green obsidian from the guys at the west end of the PowWow near the highway, next to Kevin the Stellar Oil guy? We saw the obsidian, ended up getting some of the snakeskin serpentine they had. They also sell at our club show in Buckeye. I can't remember whether it was there or Desert Gardens, but it was sort of in the middle from a Mexican from Jalisco.
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 30, 2023 16:02:31 GMT -5
This is a question for anyone that remembers where some things were at the Pow Wow. That Inferno jasper I got was from the seller from Mexico in the far SE corner spot. He is tall, dark hair, I can almost remember his name. His main material is an expensive agate. This jasper was found adjacent and in contact with the agate in Chihuahua state. A cartel controls the land where the digging was done and he can no longer risk digging there. One piece of my jasper has a little bit of agate bands in it and he remarked that I was lucky that he let this piece go for the jasper price.
Does anyone know the name of the agate he sells?
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 30, 2023 16:15:59 GMT -5
The "warpaint" may be red and green blanket from Peru. The cut egg with the waterline star is most likely from Richardsons egg beds north of Madras OR, I found a few similar ones when the beds were open. On that jasper, I think you are right. There aren't many images on the internet to check, but they seem to match up. I had never heard of it. Most refer to it as "red and green" or "red/green" or "red green" blanket jasper, or RGB jasper, from Chile. Of all the images I was able to find, none were as beautiful as the pieces he showed here though. Going to have to get me some of that eventually.
|
|
|
Post by drocknut on Jan 30, 2023 17:22:25 GMT -5
This is a question for anyone that remembers where some things were at the Pow Wow. That Inferno jasper I got was from the seller from Mexico in the far SE corner spot. He is tall, dark hair, I can almost remember his name. His main material is an expensive agate. This jasper was found adjacent and in contact with the agate in Chihuahua state. A cartel controls the land where the digging was done and he can no longer risk digging there. One piece of my jasper has a little bit of agate bands in it and he remarked that I was lucky that he let this piece go for the jasper price. Does anyone know the name of the agate he sells? His name is Martin Olvera and his company name is Shadow Hills Rockshop. He sells a lot of Laguna Agate as well as Crazy Lace Agate.
|
|
|
Post by Bob on Jan 30, 2023 20:41:33 GMT -5
Laguna is the one. Thanks!
Martin is super nice guy. The jasper was dug by his father 45 years ago and was lost in their yard until recently.
|
|