Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 10:34:05 GMT -5
In another thread we saw Mike's image of a sliced t-egg I asked is the red was jasper and his response was All that said, I have a different idea. I'd like to leave the egg uncut and remove the "cap". How would one remove the cap? By this I mean, no slicing, just remove everything that is not the chalcedony center. I think we would be left with some cool looking natural sculptures can can't imagine how to remove the cap.
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
|
Post by Fossilman on Dec 4, 2014 11:05:50 GMT -5
Simple solution Scott................Hammer,with egg held in your hand(gloved)start smacking it to removed the caps...(Some are tougher than others) Some people do slice the eggs and or make other sculpture art with the agate.. If your interested in something like that Scott,I can usually find eggs with a lot of caps missing,I could send you a few... Let us see what you can do with the enclosed agate...Thumbs up
|
|
|
Post by jakesrocks on Dec 4, 2014 11:26:07 GMT -5
Depends on the type of T-egg. The cap in many is volcanic ash which has in filled with silica. Some of the caps or matrix are cemented better than others. Those that are loosely cemented could probably have their cap removed by carefully chipping the majority away, and soda blasting the remainder.
Many of the eggs from the Coon Hollow / Wiley Wells area of Southern California are loosely cemented. Those from Washington / Oregon have a much tougher matrix.
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Dec 4, 2014 11:38:12 GMT -5
Even after the majority of the "cap" is removed, there will be surface "cap" material still on the shell of the inner piece you are after. Removing most of the cap will be the easy part, getting the crust off the center would be a trial & error adventure.
Wonder if there is an acid that would do it?
Wonder it it could be tumbled off. If tumbled, could the center possibly survive an entire tumbling run and retain it's shape?
Be pretty cool if someone has invented a version of those little hand held water cleaning guns that could shoot out grits and then polishes under pressure. Maybe someone has?
|
|
unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
|
Post by unclesoska on Dec 4, 2014 12:01:34 GMT -5
Simple solution Scott................Hammer,with egg held in your hand(gloved)start smacking it to removed the caps...(Some are tougher than others) Some people do slice the eggs and or make other sculpture art with the agate.. If your interested in something like that Scott,I can usually find eggs with a lot of caps missing,I could send you a few... Let us see what you can do with the enclosed agate...Thumbs up I used to bust up tumbling rough by holding it in a leather gloved hand and whacking it with a hammer or 5lb. sledge...until the lower joints of my middle and 3rd fingers started hurting- maybe a stress fracture cuz it took almost a year to go away.
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
|
Post by Fossilman on Dec 4, 2014 12:09:58 GMT -5
Simple solution Scott................Hammer,with egg held in your hand(gloved)start smacking it to removed the caps...(Some are tougher than others) Some people do slice the eggs and or make other sculpture art with the agate.. If your interested in something like that Scott,I can usually find eggs with a lot of caps missing,I could send you a few... Let us see what you can do with the enclosed agate...Thumbs up I used to bust up tumbling rough by holding it in a leather gloved hand and whacking it with a hammer or 5lb. sledge...until the lower joints of my middle and 3rd fingers started hurting- maybe a stress fracture cuz it took almost a year to go away. I do my fossils this way,yes your fingers get a workout......
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
|
Post by Fossilman on Dec 4, 2014 12:11:20 GMT -5
I have cut the caps away from the inner egg with bigger eggs,after that you have a beautiful piece to work with..... I have a few in my shop that are being worked,a bit at a time..
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Dec 4, 2014 12:14:58 GMT -5
I used to bust up tumbling rough by holding it in a leather gloved hand and whacking it with a hammer or 5lb. sledge...until the lower joints of my middle and 3rd fingers started hurting- maybe a stress fracture cuz it took almost a year to go away. That's real hard on a wedding ring if you don't wear a glove. don't ask...
|
|
|
Post by gingerkid on Dec 4, 2014 14:49:12 GMT -5
Thunderegg cores are pretty neat 'sculptures.'
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
|
Post by Fossilman on Dec 4, 2014 17:30:56 GMT -5
I used to bust up tumbling rough by holding it in a leather gloved hand and whacking it with a hammer or 5lb. sledge...until the lower joints of my middle and 3rd fingers started hurting- maybe a stress fracture cuz it took almost a year to go away. That's real hard on a wedding ring if you don't wear a glove. don't ask... LOL,my ring isn't round anymore either........
|
|
Don
Cave Dweller
He wants you too, Malachi.
Member since December 2009
Posts: 2,616
|
Post by Don on Dec 4, 2014 18:57:55 GMT -5
grind and polish it off with diamond burrs. then polish the core like a carving
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 22:53:02 GMT -5
grind and polish it off with diamond burrs. then polish the core like a carving Will a soak in muriatic acid do the same?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 23:45:47 GMT -5
Wow Mike I would love to have one of those to clean up and polish. I think one of those sculptures would be awesome in a sand garden. I have the rotary tools so all I would need is a few warm days. It has gotten up close to 40 a few times lately but I would probably be looking at spring.
Are the agate wings pretty tough so you do not have to worry too much about breaking them off? Jim
|
|
quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,352
|
Post by quartz on Dec 4, 2014 23:56:34 GMT -5
I've put some Oregon eggs in muriatic, didn't touch them.
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
|
Post by Fossilman on Dec 5, 2014 10:52:12 GMT -5
Wow Mike I would love to have one of those to clean up and polish. I think one of those sculptures would be awesome in a sand garden. I have the rotary tools so all I would need is a few warm days. It has gotten up close to 40 a few times lately but I would probably be looking at spring. Are the agate wings pretty tough so you do not have to worry too much about breaking them off? Jim The agate is tough as nails Jim.......Let me look,I have several buckets of cut eggs that are not polished yet.... Can scoot one your way............Thumbs up PM me your addy,I might have it,but I'm sure I buried it...(I'm slow,but you will get it)
|
|