FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
Posts: 343
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Post by FLrockhound on Nov 19, 2014 18:21:13 GMT -5
This afternoon I went into my backyard, took a 5lb sledgehammer and a steel chisel and went to work. This a big 200lb limestone boulder I picked up off the side of the road 3 years ago thinking I could use it for another of my hobbies, radio control control rock crawling. 3 years ago I would've never even thought twice that this rock might actually have potential. Below are some pictures from today's work. This is the boulder after I chipped at it. once I cleaned off the crust and noticed some quartz polyps and pockets, I knew i had to keep chipping away. this is a big 10" slab I managed to break off. Before cleaning the pocket of clay mud. after cleaning out the pocket I was rewarded with a pocket of beautiful white/purpleish polyps and a few less impressive pieces I broke off. Im overjoyed with what I had sitting in my backyard all this time. I cant wait to start at it again tomorrow! Thank you for looking! Nick
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Post by mohs on Nov 19, 2014 19:04:33 GMT -5
That's a chip off the old block really interesting
any idea what it is jasper , chert ?
I call myself a backyard hobbyist but actually I do my grinding in the front yard Ha Ha
mostly
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Nov 19, 2014 20:27:42 GMT -5
Awesome!!!!
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FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
Posts: 343
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Post by FLrockhound on Nov 19, 2014 20:36:20 GMT -5
That's a chip off the old block really interesting any idea what it is jasper , chert ? I call myself a backyard hobbyist but actually I do my grinding in the front yard Ha Ha mostly I'm not too sure what it is, my best guess so far was some type of quartz. But chert could be a better possibility. Its really dense and has pockets of some druzy crystals. I will look into it some more tomorrow then do some scratch tests an research via Google. I almost popped my knee out dragging it on the dolly to my garage haha.
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FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
Posts: 343
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Post by FLrockhound on Nov 19, 2014 20:37:17 GMT -5
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FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
Posts: 343
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Post by FLrockhound on Nov 19, 2014 20:58:56 GMT -5
any idea what it is jasper , chert ? After a quick search its "chert" cryptocrystalline quartz ? . My untrained guess was close.
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Post by kap on Nov 19, 2014 21:11:16 GMT -5
I would say chert. The Savannah River Agate from Ga. is really a chert and looks a lot like that.
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Post by mohs on Nov 19, 2014 21:15:09 GMT -5
some of those chips looks like it breaks conchoidal break in sharp random edges its pretty darn cool with that pocket you found it in Florida? thanks Kap ! didn't mean to post over you Ed and a pair of safety glasses
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FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
Posts: 343
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Post by FLrockhound on Nov 19, 2014 21:37:59 GMT -5
some of those chips looks like it breaks conchoidal break in sharp random edges its pretty darn cool with that pocket you found it in Florida? thanks Kap ! didn't mean to post over you Ed and a pair of safety glasses Yep, found it in Florida. Seems pretty unlikely but the area I live is full of limestone an limestone quarries which make for beautiful sky blue cold water for places to go swimming in. My neighborhood streets are limestone with a bunch of broken pieces of chert. I found the boulder on the side of the road that was dug out by a backhoe and tossed (I use that word loosely) it in the back of our SUV. Tomorrow I do plan on wearing safety glasses. Since I was only getting the soft crust off today, I didn't feel they were necessary. I could probably shave with the jagged an sharp chips. Before I start tomorrow, I will get some more pictures of the boulder.
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Post by gingerkid on Nov 20, 2014 7:09:21 GMT -5
Glad you decided to see what's inside that huge boulder, FLrockhound! Love the botryoidal piece with the color around it. Would look really nice displayed in your cabinet - if it will fit.
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FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
Posts: 343
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Post by FLrockhound on Nov 21, 2014 2:02:44 GMT -5
Thanks gingerkid I worked really hard to break up the boulder today and preserve the vugs of druzy and botryoidal. I took some pictures of the progress, I will get them on here tomorrow (Friday). My driveway looks like I had a party with Fred Flintstone and too many drinks. Lucky for me my driveway is partially crushed shells an the tiny shards can easily be swept off the concrete.
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Post by snowmom on Nov 21, 2014 6:32:56 GMT -5
now that's hard physical labor. Paid off handsomely. Great find, and there it was all along. I can imagine your aching shoulders, arms and hands this morning... watching with interest.
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FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
Posts: 343
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Post by FLrockhound on Nov 21, 2014 13:02:11 GMT -5
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Post by iant on Nov 21, 2014 13:16:59 GMT -5
Fantastic! Great reward for your work.
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Post by snowmom on Nov 21, 2014 13:58:58 GMT -5
you got a little bit of everything in that one! I'm looking forward to seeing some of that polished... at first when I saw the red I was just a bit concerned... your comment about the knuckles (kidding). That's a whole lot of material. Your neighbors probably wonder what that landscape rock did to get you so mad at it!
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garock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,168
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Post by garock on Nov 21, 2014 16:07:00 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing the photos ! Really neat !
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FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
Posts: 343
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Post by FLrockhound on Nov 21, 2014 17:54:38 GMT -5
hahaha, snowmom no I only bruised my finders, at one point I thought I had broken one but I was immediately able to move it... Then 2 minutes after grunting obscenities it was back to work. Im curious about those colors, being so close to the colors of the Florida State Seminoles, Im wondering if there is a correlation. Considering, Native Americans used chert and flint for tools and weapons. Im sure the chert they found had the same make-up of minerals to produce those colors. My neighbor is used to weird stuff going on at my house. One of the perks of living out in a farm town is, not too many wandering heads poking into every bodies business and everybody knows everybody. Everybody knows Im always up to something out of the norm. This project was well worth the time and work.
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FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
Posts: 343
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Post by FLrockhound on Nov 21, 2014 18:05:29 GMT -5
your're welcome garock . Im sure I will be busy for the next week messing with this. I would love to start tumbling some of it but my tumbler is full of jasper for the next two weeks polishing. My secondary tumbler needs a new belt which will probably be fixed soon because Im anxious to get the rock rolling and I will need something to preoccupy my time.
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Post by snowmom on Nov 21, 2014 18:44:20 GMT -5
we'll be watching for updates!
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Post by mohs on Nov 21, 2014 19:02:50 GMT -5
that's got to be the biggest rock in Florida & certainly the most interesting its really cool
Ed
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