Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,484
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 25, 2010 12:31:11 GMT -5
Howdy folks, My 10 inch saw really needs cleaning but I just had to try and wedge that big palm stump I found in my load of decorative gravel into the vice and give it a slice. This was by far the biggest hunk of rock I ever tried to vice up in the small saw. I couldn't completely close the cover but I think that now it's reduced some in size I can now pretty much slice it up. Anyway, here are the first two slabs to come off the stump. This would be right where the soil would have been at the base of the palm stump. Thanks for looking....Mel Before cutting: Slabs: Closer look:
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Post by rockmanken on Jan 25, 2010 12:52:13 GMT -5
Now that is totally awesome. Ken
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Jan 25, 2010 13:27:26 GMT -5
Very Cool Mel! Way to work that saw. I know I've cut stuff bigger than my saw wanted to handle...but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! Steve
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Jan 25, 2010 13:53:41 GMT -5
Mel, that sure is a good one. Have fun cutting it.
snuffy
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Post by sandsman1 on Jan 25, 2010 14:02:50 GMT -5
wow thats cool i just started slabbin again and i think i need a tune up on my saw its cutting very slow and i tried 3 dif blades so its not that -- i have to empty and flip over and check the spring that makes it grab the treaded bar cause its seems to be skipping to much -- like two or three hrs a slab
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Post by sitnwrap on Jan 25, 2010 15:11:35 GMT -5
That is beautiful. Mel, is that a typical pattern for a base of a palm. Reason I ask is because I stare at pics for a long time over and over til it is embeded so hopefully I can remember it.
Had you not stated what it was, I would have mentally thought some kind of flame agate or something. lol.
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idrockman
starting to shine!
Member since September 2006
Posts: 25
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Post by idrockman on Jan 25, 2010 15:58:13 GMT -5
Beautiful stuff.
Thanks for the wonderful photos.
Brad
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,484
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 25, 2010 16:17:00 GMT -5
Sitnwrap: I'm not real familiar with Texas palm root as I understand most Texas palm is fiber rather than the root ball ( palm onion). The palm root I collected back in California ( where root is the common find rather than fiber) had a much larger eye pattern and the onions were maybe 5-10 times the size of this one so I'm thinking this was a young palm or another species of palm. Other than the eye size though, this pattern is very typical of all palm root. The roots make the round eyes when the blade cuts through a cross section and the wavy distorted eyes are the roots cut at angles other than perpendicular to the roots.....Mel
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elementary
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,077
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Post by elementary on Jan 25, 2010 19:30:48 GMT -5
Ah, you kill me!
"that big palm stump I found in my load of decorative gravel...."
The way you say it, it sounds so matter of fact - and not the IMPRESSIVE find it is.
Basically it appears that you can order rocks to be dumped at your house that are worth picking through...
Again, I wish we had rock piles like that in Ca...
Lowell
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,484
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 25, 2010 20:35:41 GMT -5
*L* Lowell, when you live in limestone and flint country, you have to learn how to think outside the box. First off, know your gravel and what you are looking for. Second, know your state. I found samples of this gravel in the flower beds of a Mexican restaurant and asked around till I found what type it was. Found out it was from a gravel pit at La Grange, Texas an area famous for petrified wood. Next, decorative gravel comes from the oversized hard rock that is not fodder for the crushers, therefore, that's where "matter of fact", quartz rocks will be. Quartz rocks+ petrified wood territory+ me knowing what I'm looking for= several buckets full of good stuff for the saw and tumbler. It's elementary my dear elementary *L*.....Mel
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Post by deb193redux on Jan 26, 2010 10:27:40 GMT -5
the scene is so high energy
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Post by NatureNut on Jan 26, 2010 10:32:48 GMT -5
It almost looks like a peacock's tail, Mel. Wow! Thanks for sharing them with us! Jo
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Jan 26, 2010 10:50:07 GMT -5
Sweet cut Mel! That's a wild scene for sure and it looks like the saw handled the over-sized piece perfect! Great detective work too!
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Jan 26, 2010 13:25:58 GMT -5
Great explanation on how you came about finding this stuff Mel. Awesome looking material too!
Nate
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Post by morerockspleaz on Jan 27, 2010 21:13:40 GMT -5
Beautiful wood, I am so jealous. We have tons of pet wood and I am always looking for the elusive palmwood. But maybe one day. BeLinda
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Post by Toad on Jan 28, 2010 8:37:44 GMT -5
Great stuff. Thanks for sharing, Mel.
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Post by Tonyterner on Jan 28, 2010 16:03:52 GMT -5
That's a really pretty pattern in that rock. I've some stuff I think is palm root, it was marked that anyway, but its not as pretty as that one. So how big was this?
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,484
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 28, 2010 17:18:12 GMT -5
Tony, The entire stump was maybe 10 pounds or so and sort of flattened out. Texas palm hunks seem to often be sort of crushed and flattened. Maybe a foot long by six inches wide and three inches thick. Since it tapered, I could get in into the vice jaws and cut the tip off with a couple of smaller slabs. Now I think I can turn it around and get cuts off the other end too which from what I can see on the exterior, should have even better root patterns....Mel
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Post by texaswoodie on Jan 28, 2010 17:45:39 GMT -5
Excellent Mel!
Curt
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Post by beefjello on Jan 30, 2010 10:26:33 GMT -5
Indeed, most excellent! I've gotta soft spot in my heart (and in my head lol) for root.. that's eye candy :drool:
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