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Post by NatureNut on May 15, 2010 21:02:13 GMT -5
... and worked my first opal! Tony W encouraged me and sent me some Fire Agate pieces to practice on and build my confidence. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=37914&page=1 Well, he also tucked in some more BO (Boulder Opal) pieces for me to try. I selected these for my maiden attempt. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC01946.jpg) I set up outside on the deck on account of we have no furniture, LOL. But also cause I had real good light to find me some opal. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC01950.jpg) Angie lent me support. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC01948.jpg) When Bill (my SO) saw the BO, he said he wanted to try it. So, he picked this one and went to work. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC01944.jpg) He got it roughly shaped and then turned chicken when he started to lose some of the opal and gave it to me, LOL. So, I worked on refining the shape and the dome and tried to see if I could get some more opal to come out and say hello. Felt like I was playing hide and seek with it. Stopped for a few minutes and decided to round the long side a little more because it looked like the opal was running underneath and bam! There it was, got a nice line all the way across the middle of the cab. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) I shouted out a big "Whoo-hoo!" This was Angie's reaction. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC01952.jpg) This was Bill's. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC01954.jpg) Well, it was an exciting moment for me anyway. Here's the finished BO cab. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC01973.jpg) I did some others and worked them all in a group. Three local albite moons. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC01966.jpg) A new one I found and wanted to try. Think it's green (actinolite) schist. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC01993.jpg) A Fire Agate from Tony W. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02000.jpg) And a Fire Agate from BikerRandy. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02002.jpg) Thanks for sharing the excitement! Jo
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Post by NatureNut on May 15, 2010 21:23:51 GMT -5
I could have ground down the bottom of the cab a bit more to try to uncover more, but I just kept hearing Dr. Joe's voice in my head saying "Never chase Opal". ;D
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
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Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on May 15, 2010 22:05:31 GMT -5
You did good!
Dr Joe
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Post by drocknut on May 15, 2010 22:08:33 GMT -5
Very cool indeed. Congratulations on finding that seam of opal. Looks like you had lots of support from Angie...lol. I think my favorite is that last fire agate.
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Post by NatureNut on May 15, 2010 22:22:27 GMT -5
Thanks Dr. Joe, thanks Diane!
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Post by Roller on May 15, 2010 22:49:50 GMT -5
I like that last one as well .... and the bo cab .... Kinda makes me wanna start cutting right this moment but my neighbors wouldnt be so happy being its almost midnight ....
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karock
has rocks in the head
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Member since November 2007
Posts: 667
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Post by karock on May 15, 2010 22:59:58 GMT -5
Jo, Red Green couldn't have been more innovative with that work stand! lol The BO ended up really nice. Fire agate can be exciting or depressing. I was working on some today with a beautiful section of round fire right in the middle. I thought "just a little more off the center to round the dome" and then poof! - all gone! Oh well, there are always more to try. Karock
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Post by drocknut on May 15, 2010 23:18:14 GMT -5
Karock, I didn't see any duct tape so maybe she's more advanced than Red Green...lol.
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adrian65
Cave Dweller
Arch to golden memories and to great friends.
Member since February 2007
Posts: 10,779
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Post by adrian65 on May 15, 2010 23:19:04 GMT -5
Looking at their reaction, both Bill and Angie have a very good sleep. ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) You made a beautiful cab, not only by revealing the opal veins but also by polishing the matrix very well. I like the other ones too, especially the fire agates. Adrian
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Post by Bejewelme on May 16, 2010 7:31:16 GMT -5
Jo: Did you wear them out carrying rocks? LOL BO and fire agate is always like gambling, you never know when to quit, they turned out lovely, I like the last fire agate best.
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Post by Tonyterner on May 16, 2010 7:57:29 GMT -5
You did a great job on that BO. That stuff can be so frustrating. That schist is pretty too. Looks easier to cab than actinolite. That is very fibrous and tends to tear out along the fibers. I have about 5 lbs of that I got from the local professional rock hound so if you want a piece let me know.
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Post by moondragon on May 16, 2010 8:44:28 GMT -5
Jo:) I love it when you share your adventures:) You are so dang crazy and so much fun:) Angie and Bill, God love them. They have heard....... Wow look at this too many times... to be impressed anymore, they would rather take a nap. Same way with my kids. I would have been right there with you the whole time on the edge of my seat:) Awesome job Lady, rocks do love you:)
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Post by NatureNut on May 16, 2010 9:13:41 GMT -5
Sara, If you look at my set up, you'll see a blue Coca-Cola glass full of courage. Our wine glasses are all packed away and I had a nice Cabernet holding my hand the whole time. LOL. If you would have been here, you would be drinking yours out of a beer mug, LOL.
Amber, gambling is a perfect analogy for this. Push it and you risk going bust or big pay-off. I played it safe here.
Greg, that feeling is gonna be the fuel to take you far in this hobby!
Karock and Diane... too funny. I had my drain hose going into a bucket but there wasn't enough drop and had a back-up of dirty water. Took the hose out and in a moment of rare brilliance stuck the hose between to boards in the deck. Worked perfectly. If it was real windy out, you bet duck tape would be involved!
Adrian, wasn't sure that lighter brown matrix would polish. I did use some super glue for tiny pits and voids so maybe that helped.
Tony- Even though yours is probably much nicer than the Actinolite I found in the stream, I've got plenty in storage with my specimen collection. Yeah, that schist worked up nicely, was kinda surprised it did so well and came out with a paintbrush effect.
Thanks everyone! I'm gonna try the two that are left from my group of victims (first pic) today. The Fire Agate top-left and the BO bottom-right. Wish me luck!
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Post by frane on May 16, 2010 14:36:30 GMT -5
It looks like the wine really helped you make it to the end with that BO! You did a great job on all of them! Fran
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Post by NatureNut on May 16, 2010 20:12:40 GMT -5
Thanks Fran! Well, I tried my best today. First victim was this Fire Agate. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02010.jpg) Decided to grind off the bumps on the clear side first and straighten out that side, then I rounded around the bottom. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02012.jpg) Then it was a question of making the top symmetrical and starting the dome. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02013.jpg) I decided to leave the indented side natural. Rounding that side off would have ground out the spot that had the fire. My next challenge was getting rid of the gullies in the top dome without losing the fire. I proceeded with caution. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02016.jpg) At this point, I applied some insurance in the form of superglue in the gullies. Boy, I was nervous! ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02017.jpg) But, it worked out! ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02021.jpg) Next up, was that other BO. It had three deep voids. One on the back, one on the side and one dead center in the front. Applied super glue to all. Worked the hardest on the side with several applications of super glue. First, I ground down the back. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02022.jpg) Then I worked on shaping. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02023.jpg) Then I tried to shape the dome and get rid of that pit dead center. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02024.jpg) Some pits got bigger as I worked. Filled 'em again. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02027.jpg) At this point, I looked at what I had. I wanted to grind a little more, but Bill (who wasn't asleep for once) said, "What are you crazy?!?" ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02029.jpg) So I just did a little more on the 360 metal faceting pad and brought out a little more color. ;D Here is what I ended up with. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02042.jpg) How'd I do? And here is the Fire Agate. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02046.jpg) Did a few more to make a group. A Rocky Run Moon. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02036.jpg) A Mocha Moon. ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02038.jpg) A Blue Quartz with Feldspar (lost the best feldspar in grinding). ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02047.jpg) Two more Green (Actinolite) Schist ![](http://i356.photobucket.com/albums/oo8/NatureNut_album/DSC02033.jpg)
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Post by Bikerrandy on May 16, 2010 20:27:20 GMT -5
Great cabs!! ![8-)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cool.png) Hey, that mattress looks familiar. lol
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Post by moondragon on May 16, 2010 20:29:41 GMT -5
Dang.... they are beautiful:)
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Post by Tony W on May 17, 2010 0:58:57 GMT -5
Ha! When the back up team goes to sleep then the brave and intrepid cabber can get some work done, lol. I'm glad you jumped right in, after your team flaked out on you! Looks like you got about as much as you could out of the opal..good call. But like I said it is stuff you can just grind to dust so you can learn about how the opal runs and how pits open instead of going away, etc..... the awful pitfalls of opal lust ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) That's how I finally over came my timidity with it...just sacrificing some rough to the wheel. Grinding it all away so I could see where I should have stopped. It is just part of the dance. That big second chunk in my last post turned out to be all fractured and came apart in tiny chunks. I doubt I can do much with it but use it for inlay. Oh, well, thems the breaks with the opal.... Hope you can find some fire in those agates, but if not the patterns can be nice anyway. My rate so far is about one bit of fire to ten tries, lol. Oh, well, I warned you ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Glad your having some fun!! I worked on the Albite moon I picked out today and it is so cool. It very much reminds me of labradorite in several ways. Many thanks to you!! Tony
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Post by NatureNut on May 17, 2010 7:09:43 GMT -5
Haha, I just looked at the fire agate pic again. Don't think that big smudge is scratches, more like a finger print. I was catching the last bit of sun before it went behind the trees, and was a little rushed taking pics. Thanks again Sara. Randy, yep, that's the mattress you and Cathy slept on when you were here last. Tony, thanks for making it possible to have these adventures with opal. Jo
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