69beeper
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 377
|
Post by 69beeper on Dec 8, 2004 17:49:49 GMT -5
It feels kind of heavy for its size. It was all pitted like that when I found it. Any ideas? Jimmy
|
|
|
Post by Cher on Dec 8, 2004 17:59:08 GMT -5
No idea but curious about the lighter stuff in the pits. You probably did but I'm asking anyway, did you scrub at it to see if that would come out? That's a cool looking stone anyway.
|
|
|
Post by sandsman1 on Dec 8, 2004 18:01:42 GMT -5
hi jimmy i seen rocks that look like that on capemay beaches before same holes and all but i have no idea what they are hahaha so im no help
|
|
Gromit
starting to shine!
Member since December 2004
Posts: 40
|
Post by Gromit on Dec 8, 2004 18:09:47 GMT -5
I've seen these before, but don't know what they are called. Smooth and heavy, but I haven't seen this much pitting before. My wife is mulling it over and hopefully will come up with the name. (She's been into the rock collecting thing for much longer than I have). Perhaps this is an excuse for me to get her to join the board.
|
|
|
Post by docone31 on Dec 8, 2004 19:19:18 GMT -5
Transformer asphalt. Lightning hit a transformer and boom pieces went all over. The giveaway is the center line. It kinda looks like a tektite except for the patterning. It sorta looks like an Apache tear without the obsidian covering, except for the line through the center. I have been wrong numerous times before. I am thinking the electricals are trying to make a virus injector to drag us in. I bet if you rub it against a piece of synthetic fabric, you can generate static. Hit it with a torch, see what it does. If it is asphalt, you won't have to wait long. If it is a volcanic stone, it will get darn hot. Do not quench it if you do not want cracks if it is a volcanic stone. Those darn electricals are getting stronger and stronger. Especially on cloudy days.
|
|
Gromit
starting to shine!
Member since December 2004
Posts: 40
|
Post by Gromit on Dec 8, 2004 19:34:23 GMT -5
I take it you're an industrial electrician, docone31.
|
|
|
Post by docone31 on Dec 8, 2004 20:43:26 GMT -5
No, I got hit by lightning back in the early '80's. The transformer over me, exploded and spread that stuff all over the ground. I was not injured however the left toe on my boot was gone, and I was about six feet from where I had been standing. My skin felt real weird and the hairs on the back of my hand were standing up. I was between ex-wives back then and had no permanent address. Wrong place, wrong time, doing the wrong thing as usual. The asphalt is used as an heat sink. The seam is probably from the container it was housed in before it exploded and split open. The stuff is pretty cool, except for the PCB's.
|
|
Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
|
Post by Pdwight on Dec 9, 2004 1:22:14 GMT -5
of a Alien Skull....if one of the preditors did it in he is likley to have damaged it......ir could be Nonconductive Alphertic Resin used to hold down the windings in transformers and keep the entire shebang (good pun) from moaning and humming during operation.
Dwight P
|
|
WilliamC
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2003
Posts: 416
|
Post by WilliamC on Dec 10, 2004 9:45:56 GMT -5
Greetings All, No, I got hit by lightning back in the early '80's. The transformer over me, exploded and spread that stuff all over the ground. I was not injured however the left toe on my boot was gone, and I was about six feet from where I had been standing. My skin felt real weird and the hairs on the back of my hand were standing up. Can't top that, but I did see lightning hit a transformer once, from my car, about a block away from where I was. I was looking out the windshield in a thunderstorm and WHAM the proverbial streak of blue and a huge explosion. Way cool. And my brother once tossed me a very large fully charged capacitor when I was about 12 or so, he said "here, catch" and I did. Threw me against the wall and I slid down onto the floor like a cartoon character. I still laugh to think about it. WilliamC
|
|
69beeper
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 377
|
Post by 69beeper on Dec 10, 2004 10:53:15 GMT -5
Wow, you think that's what it is? I would have never guessed that. Sure feels and sounds like rock. I'll have to give the torch test a try. :-) ...Let you all know how it turns out. I'll have the camera on hand incase I have a nice firery blob, lol No idea but curious about the lighter stuff in the pits. You probably did but I'm asking anyway, did you scrub at it to see if that would come out? That's a cool looking stone anyway. I had found this rock in my yard, years before I started tumbling. Never thought to scrub it down with a brush or anything. All I did was wipe it off and set up on the shelve in the living room. The "lighter stuff" is just dirt that the rock was coverd in. I scrubbed it after reading your post and most of it cleaned right up. Still have to break loose some dirt in the pits with a pin though. Jimmy
|
|
|
Post by Cher on Dec 10, 2004 11:38:27 GMT -5
Well now that it's all cleaned up, you going to take a little whack at it and see what it's like inside? Be curious to see if it's glassy or like hardened tar. Or you could always fire up the torch and heat it up a little to see if it melts. LOL I know, curiosity killed the cat but ......
Cher
|
|
|
Post by cookie3rocks on Dec 10, 2004 19:42:30 GMT -5
I saw a trasformer be hit by lighting in my rear view mirror. I was stoped at a stop sign and glanced in the rear view before turning, and saw the lightning hit a transformer about 50 feet behind me. The flash of light and fire was oddly beautiful. But what has always been a mystery to me is, there was no sound, it was completely silent. Anyone know why that might be? It was 20 odd years ago, and I've allways wondered....
cookie
|
|
|
Post by docone31 on Dec 10, 2004 19:51:13 GMT -5
It takes time and distance for the heard impact to develop. If you saw the flash, saw the explosion and it was silent, you were probably within 50 feet of the center. Lightning is only 3/8" in diameter when it hits. Fusarite, which is found down here in Floriduh, is sand turned into glass which has a 3/8" hollow center, and it looks like a Ginsing root.
|
|
Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
|
Post by Pdwight on Dec 10, 2004 19:51:26 GMT -5
Way back when I was a junior in High School and the Beatles had just broken up ;D I was really into Short Wave listning and Amatuer radio. One fine march day I was trying to put up a small rigid Diepole antenna on the side of an existing antenna, I heard thunder in the distance...but what the heck I got time and Im 17 and indestructable so I wen t ahead with it. I had the lead wire atttached and was lifting it into place when I found my self on my back with my dad looking at me going "You OK?"lightning had hid the existing antenna and the one I was trying to put up and had actually burned the lead in wire into..I am truely lucky to be alive. I also saw lightning strike a utility pole one day about 4 years ago..I was stopped at a traffic light and a terrible storm was hapening and I just happen to glance over and heard a noise ont he radio that sounded like something tearing and saw the flash and then thunder without any delay.....scary mother nature is.
Dwight P
|
|
Stevek
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2004
Posts: 21
|
Post by Stevek on Dec 14, 2004 15:42:37 GMT -5
I'm new and this is my first posting. I'm not a geology expert but the look of this and the heavy weight made me think that this might be a meteroite? Anyone else think this makes sense?
|
|
|
Post by docone31 on Dec 14, 2004 16:13:09 GMT -5
I first thought, maybe a meteorite, or tecktite. However, the pitting is not what I have seen. The pattern is wrong. It still could be escept for the seam visible in the photo. If it was a meteorite there would be no visible seam. That was what made me think of transformer asphalt. Natural stones do not have a seam like that. The residue in the pocks also looks like it is attracted rather than deposited.
|
|
Stevek
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2004
Posts: 21
|
Post by Stevek on Dec 14, 2004 19:59:23 GMT -5
The "seam" is also difficult for me to explain. It is possible that if it has a high metal content it could be a shear band that could occur under a high rate deformation (impact conditions) and not from a manufacturing process. I would think that checking density or looking for magnetic properties (iron content) should be able to answer this.
|
|
|
Post by creativeminded on Dec 15, 2004 10:25:22 GMT -5
It might be a piece of Hematite. Some of my small pieces of hematite had pits in it like that. Tami
|
|
69beeper
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 377
|
Post by 69beeper on Dec 23, 2004 13:07:06 GMT -5
Well, I believe it's a rock of some kind. I fired up the torch but immediately ran out of acetylene. So I used the propane torch/weed burner and roasted the rock for about 7-8 minutes. Nothing happened. I did have one hot rock when finished though! lol
Jimmy
|
|
Guy
off to a rocking start
Want to expose my children to the world of Rocks!
Member since December 2004
Posts: 22
|
Post by Guy on Dec 23, 2004 16:15:38 GMT -5
Is it just me, or is docone31 the smartest person I've never met in the world??? Man you had some good info on the rock in question. My first thought looking at it was that is was "made" and not necessarily something found naturally occuring in nature, but I am pretty new to rock hunting and don't know a whole bunch yet. However, in my former life about 5 years ago, I worked in Television and did human interest stories. One of the ones I covered was a lady struck by lightning. She was basically prounounced dead at the scene and while being transported to hospital, a heart rhythm started, they resusitated her and three days later she walked out of the hospital. Doctors were completely amazed, most put it in the category of "GOD" decided she wasn't needed upstairs yet. Funny thing was, it was a clear day, middle of the afternoon, storm clouds were building but quite a ways off. Very hot and humid. She was getting into her car, the bolt hit the back bumper and as she was reaching for her door handle the charge exited through the handle and into her body, lifted her off the ground and basically killed her. Efforts to get her heart going failed so paramedics loaded her up to transport her when her heart started again. Pretty cool story. TO this day, I love watching lightning....
Guy
|
|