jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 16, 2013 11:56:54 GMT -5
Hi Fossilman I can't take credit for those beauties.jcinpc are the master of those.Fine eh?
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Post by orrum on Jan 16, 2013 12:18:07 GMT -5
That is amazing, I use to not like coral. Do you think the crockpot n sand thing will work. Is corsl a nice hard rock that doesna undercut? I really like brown n white cabs with stark divisions of color!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 16, 2013 15:04:04 GMT -5
I will post a coral cookout under this category orrum-check it out
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 16, 2013 16:36:25 GMT -5
James, I'd be happy to cab some of your coral if you're still looking for cabbers. Unfortunately, I won't have time for a while.
Chuck
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 16, 2013 16:50:20 GMT -5
No hurry.PM address and they will head your way.
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jcinpc
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Post by jcinpc on Jan 16, 2013 21:19:24 GMT -5
alot of knappers are starting to use turkey roasters now, look for any that go up to 450-500. take it home and take the pan out and put clean dry sand in it and use that
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 16, 2013 21:32:06 GMT -5
Does that get hot enough at 500?You said they take the pan out.I see you using briquttes.I think those get the sand plenty hot.My oven says 572 f or 300 c.I wonder if it needs 600 or 650.
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jcinpc
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Post by jcinpc on Jan 16, 2013 21:37:16 GMT -5
it depends on the type of coral, pinhead coral I wont go that high, it is top shelf gem coral candy and explodes...the roasters work great on alot of rock, especially around the corners of the roaster....with the sand thing I do, I put my more sensitive coral on thebottom, I dont lose alot of rock either( now anyways)I`m cooking to change the workability of the rock, it just happens that it changes colors too.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 16, 2013 21:41:06 GMT -5
Yep.Mine is convection and circulates strong.Imagine that helps.Just looking for color over here.
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jcinpc
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Post by jcinpc on Jan 16, 2013 21:45:43 GMT -5
seriously? , you won`t get much color from most of the river coral...ps answer your phone next time,lol
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Post by helens on Jan 16, 2013 22:43:48 GMT -5
it depends on the type of coral, pinhead coral I wont go that high, it is top shelf gem coral candy and explodes...the roasters work great on alot of rock, especially around the corners of the roaster....with the sand thing I do, I put my more sensitive coral on thebottom, I dont lose alot of rock either( now anyways)I`m cooking to change the workability of the rock, it just happens that it changes colors too. I did a search on 'pinhead coral'... and the best pix that came up was yours. I just realized why my coral exploded, and scorched around the edges ... it looked exactly like your pinhead coral pix. No wonder!!!
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jcinpc
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Post by jcinpc on Jan 16, 2013 22:54:41 GMT -5
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Post by helens on Jan 16, 2013 23:17:50 GMT -5
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jcinpc
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Post by jcinpc on Jan 16, 2013 23:39:38 GMT -5
yes, that is polyped coral. Also remember that the bigger chunks can and do hold moisture and that can cause a blow up also. Just like the indians did it 1000`s of years ago, they spalled their rocks to workable pieces then cooked them. the heat wont reach into bigger chunks as well . With the bigger pieces you have bust some of that up, the colors look good
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Post by helens on Jan 16, 2013 23:58:42 GMT -5
What's the difference between polyped and pinhead coral? I guess I should google, but when I googled, yours was the best 'pinhead' pix that came up on all of Goggle!! So I may as well ask you.
I'd already figured that I should treat the larger pieces like ceramics... and hold at from 6-12 hours at 180 degrees to bake out the moisture nearer the center, before going to full heat. Do you think that's enough?
Also... the reason I think I got the strong colors is because I went up to 750 degrees, even though James told me to stick with 600. But, that's how I got the blood red coral spots. I don't know if it was the faster heat or the temp that did it.
It's possible that over a very long cook, it overcooks because of the length of time on the cooldown too? For example, if you cook a roast at a higher temp, it is OK in a shorter cook, but over a longer cook, it will dry out and get that gristly overcooked texture.
Since the majority of the color is in the coral skin anyway, a shorter, more intense cook should theoretically give your skin the best color... the way meat cooks. If you cook it hotter for a shorter time, the outside cooks more, but the inside is bloody. That's what I was thinking when I did it. What I wasn't counting on was the bursting apart. But you know... that piece burst apart almost in slabs, so it turned out pretty well!
The problem is the trapped moisture deeper in the core... so I'm hoping that long long 180 degree hold first will let it out more slowly.... will find out next week.
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jcinpc
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Post by jcinpc on Jan 17, 2013 0:23:54 GMT -5
if you look up at the pictures above your post and I have a pic of a slab with the swirls, that is pinhead coral, it does have polyps but they are alot smaller than the normal polyped coral, these heads were a softer, spongier type of coral head than the more common polyped coral heads. They were compressed with the weight of the sand, dirt, clay when florida dried up and that is how the patterns look when they agatized.
Once you have reached your rocks temp it doesnt do anything to keep cooking it longer or higher than what it can take. the internal magic that takes place has already happened and higher or longer cook time or temps can make the coral brittle, as tight as this rock looks, it is porous, that is why I only use water in my saws, oil will soak into the coral...just experiment with what you are using and you will get the hang of it. What you had looked good and had some good color
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Post by helens on Jan 17, 2013 0:40:51 GMT -5
I don't have a saw, so I can't slab to hold up to the light and see swirls... but will check the broken apart cooked ones tomorrow in the light. None of what I have seen has any of the larger polyp looking 'flowers' tho, it's all little teeny white dots after cooking. And all of it looks like the same exact material type, so I'm pretty sure it's all pinhead, if any of it is pinhead.
I found out just how porous when I put the pieces in water after they came out in the kiln and there were tons of little bubbles rising... but that tells me the pores are pretty large, so a long slow soak at 180 should release the moisture, because there's enough space for them to escape the rock.
I should know in a week:).
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 17, 2013 7:38:37 GMT -5
I have one coral out of several hundred pounds i collected from that area that looked swirly inside.It looked like it had gotten crushed or twisted.It is small,say large goose egg.It is way different than all others. i thought it was diseased or sick.It is in my display. i would really appreciate an opinion when i post photo...Also just went out to get the ones w/the most red to post.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 17, 2013 8:06:00 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 17, 2013 8:19:16 GMT -5
I heard what you said about using water instead of oil in the saw jc.It takes a long time if ever for the oil to get out of that porous coral.I leave it out in the sun on black rubber matting to at least heat some of it out.I had to bring those corals in the house while my wife was sleeping-she will smell them and make me take em outside.I use kerosene in my saw and tease my wife about how southern men hide thier indiscretions w/other women by covering smell w/kerosene or diesel fuel.She has no sense of humor.Imagine that.
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