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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Apr 1, 2014 14:35:02 GMT -5
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 1, 2014 18:35:48 GMT -5
Hard as heck huh! Looks like some kind of agate...Hope you get an ID Donnie....(Its pretty)..
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cabjunky
has rocks in the head
Regency Rose Plume
Member since November 2008
Posts: 683
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Post by cabjunky on Apr 4, 2014 7:26:25 GMT -5
My guess is rainbow petrified wood.
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Post by kk on Apr 4, 2014 7:56:24 GMT -5
my guess would be on wood too. but.... whatever it is, it looks like some killer material.
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Post by radio on Apr 4, 2014 8:15:18 GMT -5
Very pretty material! first pic I thought it was a pretty moss or plume, but the second pic swung me to pet wood. It is hard material, but a saw shouldn't have any problem with it unless the blade is worn, dished or the feed rate is too fast. Try dressing the blade and make another cut to see if it improved.
You think that stuff is hard to cut, try some Psilomalene!!! It's a Manganese mineral and clogs up the diamond on the blade in short order and will flat ruin a blade unless you babysit every cut and dress the blade very, very often. It also is the nastiest material I ever cut and turns your oil as black as the ace of spades!!!
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Post by Donnie's Rocky Treasures on Apr 4, 2014 9:27:07 GMT -5
Wow, sounds like something I don't want to mess with, radio!! Sure looks cool, though. I think the issue was with my vise. Found out when I took out this piece & put in something else that didn't cut much at all. Moved the vise way back to the front & turned it on to let it run for a while & it didn't move. The ridges on the slab are from the vise going & stopping, going & stopping. Got it all straighten out now & will try cutting the ?wood? again today.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 4, 2014 9:44:33 GMT -5
Happy it wasn't the rock! That should make some beautiful slabs.... I've never seen a plume design on Arizona petwood.,but it could be I guess..
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Post by 150FromFundy on Apr 4, 2014 19:52:08 GMT -5
First photo looks like a moss agate approaching a flame agate. Second photo looks like Arizona petrified wood from the outside. So can a petrified wood be replaces by a moss agate? Your piece would suggest that it can happen. Do you have a location?
Darryl.
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unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
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Post by unclesoska on Apr 4, 2014 20:03:55 GMT -5
I have some material that looks identical and was told it was Rainbow wood from AZ. I got it from a guy that gets HUMONGOUS slabs and blocks and makes them into vanities and countertops. Awesome material
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,019
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Post by gemfeller on Apr 4, 2014 21:03:17 GMT -5
I second that! I've slabbed quite a bit of it and have shared your misery. I finally resorted to clamping a piece of carborundum grinding wheel ahead of the psilomelane chunk so the blade got sharpened at the beginning of every slab. It worked pretty well on smaller pieces but I have a larger half-sawn piece that shut the saw down. I'm still mulling how to finish that cut and others from the same piece. It's nasty to work but I think the results are worth it.
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Post by Rockoonz on Apr 4, 2014 21:27:07 GMT -5
Am 99% positive it's AZ wood, dug through a pile of it at an estate sale today. AZ wood tends to have fractures and can slip in the vice while cutting, like lots of petwood. The rock shifting a little during the cut could have caused the problem. There is a 75-80lb chunk at the estate, I may go back tomorrow on "last day everythings gotta go today" day and see if I can score.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 5, 2014 9:59:59 GMT -5
The AZ wood I have cuts great,but I have a chunk of agatized wood that my saw hates!!! LOL Donnies petwood really has some great colors going for it-Thumbs up
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Post by rockpickerforever on Apr 5, 2014 10:15:03 GMT -5
I'll also say it is AZ pet wood without a doubt. The third pic tells it all. But an interesting one, tho'. What Lee said, lots of fractures in it usually. Be very careful cutting it.
Lee, hope you score that chunk at the estate sale!
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Post by roy on Apr 5, 2014 10:29:09 GMT -5
i dont have any problems cutting rainbow wood and yes i cut alot of it you need to buy a really good blade and your troubles will be over i have over a thousand cuts on my ls-10 with out any problems hard agate to the soft messy stuff
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 5, 2014 11:38:01 GMT -5
Donnie, If I remember correctly you use a Lortone 10" saw? If so you may want to check the tension spring that keeps the split-nut tight when sawing. With use and age these springs will become stretched and lose tension. This will usually first show up when cutting a really hard material like agate or petrified wood. Sometimes you can cut a little bit of the length of the old spring of and make a new mounting loop on the end with a pair of needle nose pliers. But if the spring is too far gone it may need to be replaced. Also I like to always dress my blade before cutting a really hard rock like Rainbow Wood. This will help prevent other issues from arising. Larry C.
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