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Post by rocklicker on Oct 20, 2009 4:34:26 GMT -5
Each year I try to have a tumbling demonstration booth at our show. Last year I missed out but I was back this year and had a great time. My basic goal was to inform people about tumbling. I got lots of great comments and questions. People liked seeing what it was all about and most who were unfamilear with tumbling were surprised that it takes at least 5 weeks. I think I convinced about a dozen people to resurect their old tumblers. I got things like "Oh yeah, we have one of those in the attic we haven't used in years", so I quickly gave them some tumblng instructions, ideas for local places to find rocks, and tips on bringing an old tumbler back to life. There were those who were into tumbling whom I got some good advice from also. The best part was giving rocks away to kids and kids-at-heart. I love doing that, and often had a croud around the rock bowl. Eventually somone found a chair and put it next to the rocks so I would get people who just liked sitting there running their fingers though them and having me identify some of them. A big thank you goes out to Cal (Redwoodrocks) who sent a great box of tumbled stones and rough for the show. With the rocks I added, there is enough left over so I can do it all over again at a 4-H event this coming weekend. Steve Now the pictures. Me at the booth sporting a familiar shirt. Closeups of the display. I had the tumblers running the whole time, except for the vibe which I just turned on when people had questions As you can see, I basically had a tumbler running along with examples of what the stage was and what the rocks looked like when they were done. The bowl of free polished rocks. It's a mixture of rocks from Cal and ones I had. This was a real kid-magnet ;D Now the things I picked up at the show. I was only able to get a way for a little while, but found some goodies. Montana agate slab Unknown brecciated jasper slab Montana agate Cool carnelian nodule Limb casts Cathedral agate Maury Mt. moss agate and jasper from the silent auction Really nice quartz crystals. The photots don't do them justice as they are really pretty Limb cast chunks Brazilian agate pieces from cutting. Some was very nice and gave these to me. Another silent auction score. A football sized chunk of Moss agate, probably Maury Mt..
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Post by Toad on Oct 20, 2009 7:07:40 GMT -5
Great job recruiting more to the rock tumbling addiction. Looks like you picked up some nice material as well.
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Post by NatureNut on Oct 20, 2009 8:15:14 GMT -5
Steve, you did such a great job informing about and promoting the hobby. Thank you for doing it! Looked like a fantastic display and really liked the way you worked it. Care to share any of the tips from the old-timers that would be of interest to us?
Nice score on the Mossy Football!!!!
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Post by deb193redux on Oct 20, 2009 9:07:48 GMT -5
Kudos on the booth. I used to do a tumbling and lapidary demo for Mineral Junior Ed Day back in Pennsulvania. It was a hoot. I wish more clubs would put more effort into demo and not just vendors selling mostly the same thing, and those things mostly produced overseas.
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Oct 20, 2009 9:13:09 GMT -5
Nice presentation! Sounds like you had a lot of fun promoting the sport too! Great Job
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Post by frane on Oct 21, 2009 19:19:58 GMT -5
OOOh, pretty rocks! Looks like you were really set up for having fun and teaching! It is great when they go hand in hand! Love that brecciated! Fran
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Post by catmandewe on Oct 21, 2009 19:25:25 GMT -5
Nice booth Steve, great setup, you can tell you really put some time into that one. And some great finds too. Kudos.............Tony
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snuffy
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Member since May 2009
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Post by snuffy on Oct 21, 2009 23:14:15 GMT -5
I like it. Nice setup and demonstration.
snuffy
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 22, 2009 20:34:51 GMT -5
Wow! Fine looking booth Steve. See you have a giant howler ( Minisonic type vibe) there. Really neat to see you provide so much information and show so much equipment in a small area. Great job! The unknown breccia is Stone Canyon. It sometimes comes with the red agate infilling between blocks of jasper. That's a really pretty piece.....Mel
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Oct 22, 2009 21:51:38 GMT -5
Great Booth Steve. Very informative and I'll bet everyone that walked by stopped and studied...and even handled all those shiny polished rocks. I'll bet there were alot of folks that walked away wanting to start tumbling. Thanks for sharing your booth as well as your finds with us. Steve
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Post by bobby1 on Oct 22, 2009 22:52:31 GMT -5
Steve, A great opportunity to get some new young ones started in the hobby!
Mel, I have an identical chunk of the unknown brecciated jasper that I found at Stoney Creek many years ago. This one looks like it could have come from the boulder that I found if I didn't know better. Bob
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adrian65
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Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
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Post by adrian65 on Oct 22, 2009 23:08:22 GMT -5
Very well organized booth, Steve! You surely managed to attract some people in the hobby.
Beautiful aquisitions, too.
Adrian
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Post by montanamuskrat on Oct 22, 2009 23:26:02 GMT -5
Don't have much to say that others have already said. It is a very good idea and we might have to try and set up the same thing at our next show. Thanks for the idea. Debby and Tom
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 22, 2009 23:31:29 GMT -5
Bob: You're right. The deposits at Stone Canyon by Parkfield and Stony Creek in the north interior coast range are both Franciscan Formation cherts as are the Big Sandy Deposits, the Cambria breccias and the ones at Creston and even Palo Alto so they all overlap in how they look just like all the Franciscan Formation poppy jaspers seem to overlap to a certain extent.....Mel
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Post by rocklicker on Oct 23, 2009 4:44:21 GMT -5
Thanks all. Yes, I am hoping I attracted a lot of poeple to rock tumbling. I gave away a stack of catalogs Kingsley North sent me last time I ordered parts. I imagine they got a lot of business especially because there's no rock shop near where I live.
Mel, I didn't realize that brecciated slab was stone canyon jasper! Wow. Funny thing is I gave away a cab of stone canyon at the show! I also didn't know that Stone Canyon jasper was part of the Franciscan complex. It makes sense now that I think about it. And yes, that is a minisonic or giant howler as you call it. Must come from the noise it makes when you have the lids off. I just got it and really like it.
Debby and Tom, it's a real easy display to put together as long as you can round up 4 tumblers. You save a barrel of each grit stage to show how the process works and put grit in mason jars. I made all the signs on the computer and can forward them to you if you wish.
I got an invitation to do the same display at a 4H science event this coming weekend so I get to do it all over again ;D Woohoo! Steve
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Post by roswelljero on Oct 23, 2009 10:21:13 GMT -5
You did great! With the booth and picking up material.
I had to laugh when I read this part...
If I'd known this, I may not have ever asked for my first tumbler! But I'm sooooooo glad I did. ;D
Have fun at the 4H show.
Later, jeri
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Post by stonesthatrock on Oct 23, 2009 11:04:15 GMT -5
thats a wonderful idea and booth. I wish you were at the shows we do, so many people have tons of questions that you could answer.
mary ann
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Post by Toad on Oct 23, 2009 11:09:37 GMT -5
Thanks all. Yes, I am hoping I attracted a lot of poeple to rock tumbling. I gave away a stack of catalogs Kingsley North sent me last time I ordered parts. I imagine they got a lot of business especially because there's no rock shop near where I live. Steve I just realized, this is a very bad thing you did - now there will be less rocks for the rest of us :nono: Of course the more people in the hobby, the bigger the market, the more people selling us rocks and equipment. ;D Is it good, is it bad? I'm so conflicted.
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Post by Bejewelme on Oct 23, 2009 14:11:40 GMT -5
Steve! Great job! What a wonderful thing you did sharing all that knowledge with youngsters who need hobbies other than WII and TV, and cellphones! People love a shiny stone, we have a bowl of tumbles at the craft shows we do to give away to kids,and the adults always want them. There is something soothing about a smooth, polished stone in all its shiny glory! Have fun this weekend. Amber
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NDK
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Post by NDK on Oct 23, 2009 21:34:08 GMT -5
Great job Steve! It's nice to see how the hobby is promoted. Thank you for sharing, and have a great time this weekend.
Nate
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