|
Post by Bikerrandy on Apr 3, 2013 20:47:14 GMT -5
That green serpentine is cool!!
|
|
|
Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Apr 5, 2013 7:58:12 GMT -5
Now that's some real nice cutting you did there! That's the kind that gets me happy too!
|
|
Mattatya
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2012
Posts: 452
|
Post by Mattatya on Apr 22, 2013 19:20:20 GMT -5
Hey Gang,
I have been playing life catch up for the last month and now I’m catching back up on RTH.
Thanks for all your tips and ID’s. I stare at rocks all day online trying to learn everyone of them, then when I get them in hand my mind just goes blank. I can’t wait for time and patience catches of with retaining memory of mineral ID’s.
@ Mel, I’m so happy to have an answer for the black nephrite jade with magnetite. I’m holding on dearly to what I have till my experience in cab making shows the quality of what Jade needs and deserves to be. When I am ready to work with it I plan on doing some gold electroplating as well. I may have a spear made through by a local and see if I can get help learning how to plate by another jade loving local. It would be a fun project and experience and would love to have a sphere like this in my cabinet.
The chicken track picture jasper is just really cool and thank you for the ID and local. I will also take your advice on cutting the turritella as well. Still getting use to knowing which direction to cut material.
@ KK I can’t wait to start cabbing and hope to have money saved up for an Ameritool flat lap soon.
@ Shotgunner The Rhodonite is really cool and local here in Washington. I had no clue why it was covered in black like that and thought I picked up crap spotted pink material lol. I didn’t know it oxides like that. Its so cool and reminded me of when I cut my first geode and saw how breathtaking a rock could be on the inside. When I sent my friends some pics of it they thought if was a pick of rare steak. I almost plated in at the dinner table to see if my partner noticed lol.
@ rockpickerforever/Pat Thank for the feedback on how to cut. I wasn’t sure to cut all the way through. My biggest worry was if something has fractures in it if it would be cleaner to not cut all the way and just tap the tag hoping to not have it break to much. Now I figure if its fractured that bad then it needs to tell me then and not later on when I have put more work into the slab.
@ Chuck Drummond, It does have a blade guard but its way to small for the amount of oil it sprays. I was using the lid and rubbermade tote to protect me and the ceiling from spray, rock chips and dust. I picked up a bent conduit pipe that I was going to retro fit over the blade to help with the spray down. I got the idea originally from that link you posted a while back but hadn’t put it together yet. Thanks for posting the link again. I needed to book mark it.
@ Dicky, Thank you for reminding me to slow the vice down. Being it was my first major attempt at cutting lots of different material I was having a tough time keeping slow pressure on it. The material was secured to the vice very well but I think I may be having some problems with the vice track. The HP saw I have is gravity but I don’t have my table set up to use a weight in the back. I hand fed these. What I noticed was the vice shifting left and right like it wiggles a little bit on the vice feed poll feed going front to back. I need to check a couple things and see if something needs adjusted to tighten that better. The vice also feels sticky on the poll feed and sometimes needed to be nudged a bit harder. I used a billow pad to scrape any rust that was starting up on it and oiled it with turbine oil that my grandfather past down to me. Next time I cut I will be doing some maintenance to the saw before proceeding to correct these issues. I am 100% for safety and appreciate the thoughtfulness RTH members have reminding us to keep safety at the for front.
@ Susan, Yeah that opalstone is BRITTLE bugger but sure pretty when you get a nice large piece out of it.
Thanks again everyone for your kind works of encouragement and input on getting the slabbing done right with patience and safety in mind.
Matt
|
|