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Post by hopelessbohemian on Jul 5, 2007 19:32:23 GMT -5
hello there everbody! i need a bit of help, could anybody tell me what type of rock this is? when it comes to rock identification the only words i really know are "oooh, that rock is pretty!" this is the rock i hope that works, i ve never posted an image before..... anyway thanks in advance!
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Jul 8, 2007 14:40:50 GMT -5
I see it's been 3 days since you posted and no-one has taken a stab at it... really tough to ID from the picture, but if I were to take a guess I would say it's a big river-rounded boulder of quartzite. If you don't mind marring its surface, you could chip off a piece to get a view of what it looks like under that weathered crust. -Don
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Post by hopelessbohemian on Jul 9, 2007 6:17:11 GMT -5
well I've actually already tried to break the rock but it doesnt look like its going to happen. I hit it wit a sledge hammer as hard as i could and i didnt even get a chip off it, just some very tiny crushed dots and sparks. so I guess it doesnt really matter what it is because I cant use it,thanks for trying to help though!
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Post by BuiltonRock on Jul 9, 2007 12:50:16 GMT -5
Hey Hopeless, Try a glancing blow with a smaller hammer. Pick out a spot that protrudes a little and strike it a couple times just barely catching the edge. You get a piece off, be persistant!! john
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Post by Michael John on Jul 9, 2007 13:17:16 GMT -5
Personally, I don't recommend hitting a rock with a hammer except when absolutely necessary. It can cause several problems. Your best bet would be to saw off a thin slice. Having an exposed flat surface will give people a much better chance of proper identification.
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Post by hopelessbohemian on Jul 9, 2007 15:09:27 GMT -5
well if i could cut it with a saw i would but i dond have one and i dont have the money to get one. what problems can arise from hitting with a hammer?
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karenfh
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2006
Posts: 1,495
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Post by karenfh on Jul 10, 2007 2:45:37 GMT -5
Put the rock in an old pillow case. Put on some safety goggles. Take the pillow case outside, to the street or sidewalk. Start smashing with your choice of hammer. (preferably before midnight, if you have neighbors.) It's going to be pretty hard to break, and you will throw some sparks and totally ruin the pillow case. Once you do break it, it's going to be sharp shards that look a little bit sparkly on the inside. Once you tumble those shards, it's going to look like pretty multicolored chunks of rock. Sorry, I've done that, tumbled that... No rocks in my area, except in the parking lots. Want pictures?
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Post by hopelessbohemian on Jul 10, 2007 6:48:58 GMT -5
I know what you mean, there aren't very many rocks in my area either. it would be nice to see some pictures though if you don't mind.
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bouldergal
freely admits to licking rocks
Glacier Meadow
Member since July 2007
Posts: 783
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Post by bouldergal on Aug 9, 2007 13:39:31 GMT -5
My problem, too! I live in Florida and this pretty well sums it up: What IS a rock? Seriously, we just returned from a trip to Oregon and Washington. With baggage limits at 50 lb. I shipped home $150 of rocks with FedEx Ground. We're having a ball tumbling!
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bouldergal
freely admits to licking rocks
Glacier Meadow
Member since July 2007
Posts: 783
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Post by bouldergal on Aug 9, 2007 13:41:11 GMT -5
Hey Newbie, I have a friend who lives in Pahrump - let me find out if he has a rock saw.
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Post by krazydiamond on Aug 9, 2007 15:35:48 GMT -5
i use a clear plastic garbage bag in lieu of the Pillowcase Method as described by karenh, but basically the same technique. safety glasses, good shoes, no sandals for obvious reasons.
and just whack.....repeat as necessary or until back hurts.
KD
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Post by flintfish on Aug 9, 2007 16:26:33 GMT -5
I'm a skin flint too - I'd love a saw but can't scrape together the pennys at the moment, so it's hammer or nothing - and hammer gets it! I got a really knackered leather jacket that does a better job than the sacks, blankets and pillow cases I've tried before. Hammering fractures the stone, which makes it difficult to get a flawless finish in the tumbler without excessive time at rough grind stage. Some rocks are just resistant in certain places, smack it all over - it might have a "voonerable spot!" (T. Prattchet Term)
Getting a look under the river crust will make an ID much easier, but for my 2p Dons right - it's a quartz boulder could be river or glacier or ocean tumbled.
Sometimes a different hammer can help - even going Down a size can work - sounds daft but it does sometimes help. The bottom nearest corner on the photo has just the "edge" I'd be aiming my blows at.
Good luck! - H
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