Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 6, 2013 8:36:34 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Had some time yesterday so I grabbed a few more hunks from the tub. Again not super exciting but that's the way it goes sometimes. Here are a few pics.....Mel Ehh Rio grande moss: Another a bit nicer: Had to sharpen the saw blade so I cut some fossiliferous limestone I got in trade from one of our Michigan members. Kid of like Petosky stone in matrix. MY favorites from the day. This was an agate nodule from the Ojinaga, Mexico region. It looked plumy so I cut it two different directions: Another Ojinaga piece, kind of tubey but fractured. And finally, I figured I'd slice a couple of Woodward Nodules. Full skins so no clue as to what was inside. Wound up being junk but the kiddies live these slices tumbled so I'll toss the in the tumbler.
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Post by roy on Jun 6, 2013 9:04:19 GMT -5
nice agates mel the first one is cool and the mexican's
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Post by helens on Jun 6, 2013 9:13:38 GMT -5
Beautiful!!! Strangely enough, I liked the top left piece best:P.
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Post by Bikerrandy on Jun 6, 2013 19:18:12 GMT -5
I love the first pic, awesome stuff!
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 6, 2013 19:41:55 GMT -5
*L* I thought the material in the first pic was so ugly I almost didn't even bother taking a pic of it. I'm not a fan of the denser types of moss agate especially in that color which in the shade just looks brown...Mel
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grayfingers
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2007
Posts: 4,575
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Post by grayfingers on Jun 6, 2013 19:46:35 GMT -5
Mel, your southwest stuff is always beautiful. I gotta say that I also am enamored with the moss. . . Bill
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6/5 cuts
Jun 6, 2013 20:43:40 GMT -5
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Post by orrum on Jun 6, 2013 20:43:40 GMT -5
Mel I see u slabbed some to sharpen ur saw. I have also seen on here that some use devils toenails and obsidian. What others can u use? I have fire brick and old sc wheels but slabbing a rock seems more productive!
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 6, 2013 21:10:13 GMT -5
orrum: I use Toenails and obsidian for sharpening too. Some of the softer types of quartzite are good too. Any siliceous fine grained softer material makes pretty good sharpeners but of course nothing, in my book, works better than a silicon carbide whetstone or sharpening wheel. When I don't have suitable slabbing rock to use,I buy cheapy 6 or 8" wheels at Tractor supply for about $10 and cut a couple of slices off them to clear the metal off the diamond on the blade. Works well and a wheel lasts a long time too. Fine grind is best but medium works Ok too....Mel
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6/5 cuts
Jun 7, 2013 9:09:17 GMT -5
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Post by orrum on Jun 7, 2013 9:09:17 GMT -5
Hey Mel thanks for the info. I used the obsidian but it didnt help much for long. I have to go to TSC for horse feed this wknd and will get a cheap fine grinding wheel to cut up. I use rv antifreeze in my 6 inch saw, it has a slabbing attachment. I did good with it until I tried a piece of agate egg and it got impossible.
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6/5 cuts
Jun 7, 2013 9:12:32 GMT -5
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Post by orrum on Jun 7, 2013 9:12:32 GMT -5
Hey Mel thanks for the info. I used the obsidian but it didnt help much for long. I have to go to TSC for horse feed this wknd and will get a cheap fine grinding wheel to cut up. I use rv antifreeze in my 6 inch saw, it has a slabbing attachment. I did good with it until I tried a piece of agate egg and it got impossible.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 7, 2013 10:16:27 GMT -5
Orrum. You should actually be able to feel when your blade has been properly resharpened as the new diamond exposed should feel sandy to the touch when you run your finder along the blade. When the blade is dull it's usually because a certain amount of metal has been dragged over the diamond ( this really happens fast when you cut something tough like jade or rhodonite) or the diamond itself may have been rounded off. The dull blade will feel almost smooth when you run your finger over it. Slicing a couple of times through a semi-hard grainy material removes the steel enough to expose new sharp edged diamond on the cutting surface...Mel
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6/5 cuts
Jun 7, 2013 10:39:38 GMT -5
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Post by orrum on Jun 7, 2013 10:39:38 GMT -5
Finally a way to tell when the thing is dull! Good info Mel and thanks! Oh yes tge first Rio Grande slice is my fav too! LOL There is no predicting taste my friend! I was in Corpus Christi last summer and got hooked on rocks cause I got a huge diabetic ulcer on my toe and could not leave the campground until my appt with the podiatrist. Long story short was on my great westetn trip for 6 months and at the end of 5 wks had to pack it in and head home. While waiting at Lake Christi campground I started picking up pretty rocks n now here I am. All healed up and addicted to rocks! LOL So I found a large, size of my fist, petrified wood and it was what was so hard to saw! It is black inside with a dark brown outer rind. Very dissapointing after all that sawing, was hoping for tgat pretty palm wood u show on here!
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Jun 7, 2013 11:05:04 GMT -5
Orrun: Yeah. pet wood can be real tough to saw. Palm and palm root especially, are to me, some of the toughest quartz gems to cut. Can be real blade breakers too, if badly fractured, like a lot of the Arizona rainbow wood is. Nothing wrecks a blade more than having a hunk of wood blow apart in the saw and having a piece jamb between the blade and the vice *L*.....Mel
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