fireforged
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 215
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Post by fireforged on Dec 16, 2015 21:43:21 GMT -5
I have been reading the forum for a while and since I have enjoyed the discussions thought I would jump in and contribute my two cents. I enjoy every part of the rockhounding experience from the finding to the cutting and polishing and mounting in jewelry. I am interested in meeting and talking with other rockhounds that live in South Dakota and the surrounding states. I have a 12 in slab saw, a 4 in trim saw, a tumbler, and a self made arrangement to polish cabs. I also have a good starting selection of rocks having acquired my dad's collection and another thousand pounds of various agates and jaspers from estates and my own efforts. I have not been overrun by rocks yet but have enough to keep me slabbing steadily for the next two years or so. I am retired and use this hobby to keep myself young.
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 16, 2015 22:22:01 GMT -5
Welcome aboard Fireforged. You've just met another South Dakota rockhound. I'm up in Aberdeen. Got saws from 16" down to a little 3". Genie for grinding & polishing along with several other arbors. 10" & 15" flat laps. A bunch of odds & ends equipment.(I like to play with & restore vintage lapidary equipment). Bunches of rocks, A mineral collection & fossils. Got bored with tumbling & gave my tumblers to a friend. I'm also retired. As for keeping young, I think I'm starting to fossilize.
Don
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 16, 2015 22:43:35 GMT -5
I'm in Michigan, so you don't want to meet or talk with me, but welcome to the forum anyhow!
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Post by vegasjames on Dec 17, 2015 1:46:07 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. Would like to see some pics of your work.
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fireforged
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 215
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Post by fireforged on Dec 17, 2015 9:24:23 GMT -5
Welcome aboard Fireforged. You've just met another South Dakota rockhound. I'm up in Aberdeen. Got saws from 16" down to a little 3". Genie for grinding & polishing along with several other arbors. 10" & 15" flat laps. A bunch of odds & ends equipment.(I like to play with & restore vintage lapidary equipment). Bunches of rocks, A mineral collection & fossils. Got bored with tumbling & gave my tumblers to a friend. I'm also retired. As for keeping young, I think I'm starting to fossilize. Don Don It sounds to me as if we have a few things in common. I am a retire vet also. I don't know about being a fossil, in my mind I am just 18 and my body just refuses to comply. May be I am turning into a fossil. Getting silicated so to speak. Rod
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fireforged
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 215
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Post by fireforged on Dec 17, 2015 9:28:04 GMT -5
I'm in Michigan, so you don't want to meet or talk with me, but welcome to the forum anyhow! Well i didn't mean it that way. One post and already in trouble!! Ha... I know that Mi has lots of interesting rocks so sure I will talk to you or anyone else for that matter.
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fireforged
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 215
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Post by fireforged on Dec 17, 2015 9:30:10 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. Would like to see some pics of your work. Thanks for the welcome. I have spent the last hour trying to get a picture to load but my computer will not do it no matter how hard I hit the button. Will try for plan B shortly. Rod
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Dec 17, 2015 10:02:00 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum,from a fossil in Oregon............
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Post by rockpickerforever on Dec 17, 2015 10:08:40 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome. I have spent the last hour trying to get a picture to load but my computer will not do it no matter how hard I hit the button. Will try for plan B shortly. Rod
A little instruction may be helpful - Posting pictures instructions . Start reading, we'll wait for you.
Welcome to the forum from Southern California!
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Post by manofglass on Dec 17, 2015 10:32:04 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum I am also from Michigan
Walt
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Post by Pat on Dec 17, 2015 10:34:51 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from California. Eager to see those photos!
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fireforged
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 215
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Post by fireforged on Dec 17, 2015 12:10:15 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from California. Eager to see those photos! Ok I am trying again. This is a picture of a aqua neueva agate that I slabbed, cut, polished and mounted. The entire necklace was handmade including the chain and clasp.
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fireforged
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 215
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Post by fireforged on Dec 17, 2015 12:15:42 GMT -5
One more picture and then I will quit showing off. This is a picture of a display case at my store that shows some of my work. The cabs, slabs and rough are all items I have worked on and use for demonstrations.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 17, 2015 12:20:47 GMT -5
I'm in Michigan, so you don't want to meet or talk with me, but welcome to the forum anyhow! Well i didn't mean it that way. One post and already in trouble!! Ha... I know that Mi has lots of interesting rocks so sure I will talk to you or anyone else for that matter. Well that's a relief. I thought you were some sort of South Dakota snob. I visited your state a few years ago, but it was before I was interested in rocks. I'd love to come back there. We visited several parks on our trip (Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Glacier, and Banff), but there was so much to see in just South Dakota. It's closer to Michigan than the other parks, so I'd like to go back and spend more time just exploring South Dakota sometime. Next time I'll be looking for a place to collect a few rocks while I'm there.
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fireforged
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 215
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Post by fireforged on Dec 17, 2015 13:58:50 GMT -5
Rob
No snobs here. Very few in SD have anything to be snobbish about and I sure don't. Yes there is a lot here to see especially if you get off the beaten path. I was of the opinion that there were no rocks in the eastern part of the state worth looking at until I picked up a nice piece of red granite from a rock pile in the corner of a cleared field. Now I am like a one eyed dog in a meat market. There are a number of terminal moraines around here and they are full of rocks. Not the fancy types you might see for sale at Quartzite but interesting ones that you could make into beautiful decoration with a little imagination.
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Post by krazydiamond on Dec 17, 2015 16:46:51 GMT -5
Welcome to the board from Central NY!
KD
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Post by jakesrocks on Dec 17, 2015 17:00:47 GMT -5
Rob No snobs here. Very few in SD have anything to be snobbish about and I sure don't. Yes there is a lot here to see especially if you get off the beaten path. I was of the opinion that there were no rocks in the eastern part of the state worth looking at until I picked up a nice piece of red granite from a rock pile in the corner of a cleared field. Now I am like a one eyed dog in a meat market. There are a number of terminal moraines around here and they are full of rocks. Not the fancy types you might see for sale at Quartzite but interesting ones that you could make into beautiful decoration with a little imagination. Well, now I've got you narrowed down to east river. What town are you in ? I know the S.E has some rocks, but up here in the N.E. I only find tumbler size pieces of agate similar to Montana moss & pet wood. Moved up here in 96, and have found exactly 1 agate large enough to cut a couple slabs.
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fireforged
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 215
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Post by fireforged on Dec 17, 2015 17:34:15 GMT -5
Don
I live on an old farm west of Yankton about 30 miles. Can't afford nothing fancy on my retirement pay. I can't say that I have seen any agate in the east river. I heard of a piece of lake superior agate found in the far NE of the state but that may have been just a rumor. Most of what I have found is just granite that has had the hell pounded out of it. There is a lot of gravel around here and I figure with a little looking I might find some interesting stuff. To tell the truth I have not looked that hard around here and I am trying to be optimistic so I can get out when the weather breaks.
Rod
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Post by rockjunquie on Dec 17, 2015 18:18:04 GMT -5
Welcome to RTH from the sandy beaches of Virginia. Love that pendant, esp the chain.
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fireforged
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 215
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Post by fireforged on Dec 17, 2015 19:11:57 GMT -5
Thanks for the compliment rockjunquie. The whole thing was a series of experiments (trial and error) to see what worked.
Rod
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