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Post by DirtCleaner on Sept 7, 2013 17:49:45 GMT -5
Been visiting old tailing piles in northern Michigan this year looking for copper and other stuff and spent some time fossil hunting in a few places in Minnesota. Started this hobby last year with a trip to Thunder Bay, Canada, to bring home some amethyst. Now I have a bsmt. full of equipment that I am getting working one by one. Had a 12" Lortone slab saw for nearly a year before firing it up and cutting my first slabs. Now setting up the Lortone Beaver cab machine. Going through the threads has been very educational.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 7, 2013 18:19:43 GMT -5
I spent a a day or two in tailings piles in the Keweenaw last summer. There are a lot of interesting rocks there. I only got to spend about an hour in piles this summer, but I found more copper in that pile than in all the others. It might have been the Centennial Mine. Did you find any datolite? That's what my goal was, but I never found any.
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Post by DirtCleaner on Sept 7, 2013 19:08:07 GMT -5
We took a trip early this summer to the Caledonia mine near South Range, Michigan. It is a pay to dig operation. They bring in a bucket load from the tailings pile and you can dig for 4 hours. Cost was $100 for the pile. There was only my wife and myself that day. However, you can have several people work on your pile and only pay the $100. We brought home some copper and by the end of the 4 hours started finding datolite. These were seam pieces and about 1/2" thick. It was a great beginner dig and very friendly operators.
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Post by Pat on Sept 7, 2013 19:18:48 GMT -5
Welcome! What is that big rock under your arm?
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milto
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by milto on Sept 7, 2013 20:14:09 GMT -5
Where in Northern Wisconsin, I am in Port Wing.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 7, 2013 20:14:17 GMT -5
My wife was taking a class for teachers the same week we were digging through mines. Her class went to the Caledonia mine to do the same thing. She told the owner that we were out looking for datolite and he gave her a small one to give to my son. I still want to find one for myself though. There are a ton of mines you can go to for free, but they're not fresh stuff like you got. It's all been picked over by everyone else who goes up there. We moved around a lot, so we didn't take the time to really dig a big hole.
Did you drive up to Copper Harbor? It's a beautiful drive. My sister took us to a really remote beach way up at the tip of the peninsula and we found some interesting rocks. There were little tiny thunder eggs on the beach. We didn't know what they were at the time, but I brought a few home. We also got some brown and tan striped rocks that polished up very nicely. I can't wait to go back next summer.
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Post by DirtCleaner on Sept 7, 2013 20:31:54 GMT -5
Hi Milto, I am from the metropolis of Superior.
The big rock in the avatar is amethyst at the Panorama Mine just beyond Thunder Bay, Ontario.
We went back to the Houghton Michigan area this last August for the Copper Country Mineral Retreat. There are a weeks worth of activities to do with trips to many of the area mines. I could only get there one day with my wife and her sister but we had a great time digging through mountains of rock. The biggest problem was that I did not have my truck and was limited to what I could bring home. Lots of copper specimens.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,176
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Post by jamesp on Sept 8, 2013 15:09:19 GMT -5
That is a monster puddingstone under the left arm. Am i seeing things?
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Post by DirtCleaner on Sept 9, 2013 12:02:00 GMT -5
That is a monster puddingstone under the left arm. Am i seeing things? I made an attempt to upload a larger photo but get a message that the forum has reached its attachment limit. It is a large rock with several amethyst in it. Vugs?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,176
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Post by jamesp on Sept 9, 2013 12:42:02 GMT -5
Perhaps a close up one day. Welcome on
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 9, 2013 14:13:01 GMT -5
Hey Dirtcleaner - It's best to use a photo hosting site like flickr or photobucket for posting pictures. Copy the BB code here, or right click on the picture and use the photo link tool to paste the address into. If you need specific instructions, just ask.
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Post by DirtCleaner on Sept 9, 2013 21:58:02 GMT -5
Try #2...Thanks Jugglerguy.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 10, 2013 5:55:00 GMT -5
Cool rock!
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milto
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by milto on Sept 10, 2013 6:28:08 GMT -5
Would enjoy getting togather in spring, will be leaving for AZ in seneral weeks.Selling out in Wisconsin will have tons of slabs for sale in spring.
Milt
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Post by DirtCleaner on Sept 10, 2013 16:25:43 GMT -5
Would enjoy getting togather in spring, will be leaving for AZ in seneral weeks.Selling out in Wisconsin will have tons of slabs for sale in spring. Milt Haven't committed yet but am trying to work out plans to attend some of the January shows in AZ. Might bring my truck in case it is needed for hauling stuff back. It is far from economical but my car doesn't haul much at all.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2013 7:05:27 GMT -5
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