thomtap
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2007
Posts: 237
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Post by thomtap on May 18, 2008 12:04:07 GMT -5
This cab was given to me by a friend at church today. He couldn't remember what it was because he made the cab about 30 years ago when he was involved in lapidary. It is beautifully made, and I would really like to find more material like this. It isn't quite as hard as agate, I did a small scratch test on the back of the cab and a rough agate piece barely scratched it. I would estimate 5 or 6 hardness, probably about 6. Here is a picture of the cab:
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on May 18, 2008 14:46:27 GMT -5
Boy the reflection in the pic makes ID pretty difficult but the granite like composition, the hardness and the blue spots makes me think it might be llanoite from Llano, Co Texas....Mel
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thomtap
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2007
Posts: 237
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Post by thomtap on May 18, 2008 15:27:52 GMT -5
Thanks! I looked up some other pictures and it looks a lot like mine. Mine has a LOT of blue in it, but I think you are right.
I would like to get some more of that stuff!
Thom Tapp
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on May 19, 2008 22:19:25 GMT -5
Yeah, I had a magnificent boulder of llanoite from one of my Texas trips. Was too big for my saw so I gave it to a buddy who is a sphere cutter who was supposed to block out a sphere blank for himself and return the offcuts to me so they'd fit my saw. Dern, last I ever saw of that piece and one other boulder I provided him too....Mel
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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 May 21, 2008 17:31:22 GMT -5
Hope that was the last you ever saw of that "buddy" too. ;D -Don
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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 May 21, 2008 17:38:19 GMT -5
T.Tapp, Here's some Llanoite I picked up at DAH's rock shop in Tucson about a year ago. Not sure if they still carry it or not. It doesn't appear to have anywhere near the amount of blue in it as yours though. -Don
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thomtap
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2007
Posts: 237
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Post by thomtap on May 22, 2008 11:46:29 GMT -5
That is some nice stuff! I will keep an eye open for it online. I have only been to Texas twice in my life...
How hard is it to take a polish?
Thom
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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 May 24, 2008 2:46:45 GMT -5
I've only been to Texas once, so you're ahead of me there ;D.
I don't know how easily this material takes a polish, as I haven't done anything with the rough yet. I'm a rock-tumbler only, and I fear that because there are at least 3 different minerals at work here, it may be difficult to tumble-polish, with undercutting issues and stuff like that. If you are into cabbing, I suspect the different minerals will pose much less of a problem at getting a good and uniform shine. -Don
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on May 24, 2008 11:48:56 GMT -5
Thom, I've seen it cabbed several times and the guy I talked to said it was not all that difficult to cab and polish except that if you use diamond, the feldspar parts had a bit of a tendency to undercut. He solved this problem by using very worn silicon carbide sanding belts as you would with flowering jade etc. The worn belts tend to tear out the softer areas less resulting in a smoother surface when you go into the prepolish stage. I've never tried to tumble it and don't know anyone else who has, but lots of kinds of granite tumble pretty well so it's possible it would work up pretty well......Mel
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