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Post by captbob on Feb 23, 2016 13:54:06 GMT -5
I say "type" because I did not collect it, so I have no idea exactly where it came from. According to the lady I got it from, it was collected by her "rockhound" granddaddy, and I'm guessing in the 1970s. Anyway, just thought I'd share some pictures of my haul this past weekend. I resized all the pictures, so hopefully everyone should be able to view easily. Luckily for ya'll, I ran out of alphabet letters in that folder, so no more than 26 pictures! The haul at home in truck - I still have to pressure wash this pile, just hosed them off yesterday. Haven't figured this new camera out completely yet, but for some reason the pictures of these pieces aren't giving a true showing of their size. The above piece doesn't look very big, but here it is on a scale w/ a ruler - This one (above) is actually over 12 pounds and 10" top to bottom This one actually is kinda small, about 6 1/2 inches across The piece below is about the size of a good sized cantaloupe with the top cut off Below is a pretty big chunk both sides pictured. It's completely hollow and peeling the "skin" off would probably reveal a completely agatized interior showing size better - over 14 pounds (hollow) This is my favorite out of this batch. Just a bitch to photograph well. 11+ lbs over 10" across. Has a hollow compartment in the back which I spent way too much time trying to get a cockroach out of (I succeeded), guessing he went in there small and out grew the opening to the chamber. This is the largest piece of the lot. Really only good for yard art. Hollow passages through out. Stick a running hose in one end and water comes out everywhere. Entire inside is covered with a fine druzy coating. VERY cool. close ups of a couple of the openings. Cut in half it would be absolutely stunning, but it's too irregularly shaped. Maybe with some kind of Dremel tool? A skilled craftsman (NOT me!) could turn this into a 1000 dollar display piece. Picked this one up thinking of jamesp it is the only solid piece I brought home, but the colors of the insides are like no other I have seen. Leaving as is but polishing the exposed faces would result in a killer display specimen. Was getting tired taking pictures, so just finish up with a couple "group" shots. Should have added something to show size - my bad That's it. I realize most here want to cut, tumble, polish, whatever every rock they see, but I'm into display specimens so these kinda pieces attract me and demand I bring them home. My wife hates that rocks talk to me! Unfortunately the tons that I left behind are calling me and I must return for a serious load in the near future. Wonder how much weight a Toyota Tundra can safely carry down the interstate... Hope no one fell asleep from toooo many pictures.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 23, 2016 15:41:30 GMT -5
Yep, a fine pile of Withlacoochee there Bob. Probably collected in a lot of trips. Could have been collected just south of the Georgia border towards the Suwannee River.
That big one is like nothing I have ever seen. Pretty sure it is not coral. Certainly a prefect den for fiddler crabs. Hard spring water leaves cavern like blobs like that. Could be mostly calcite. Never seen on druze out like that. It's a find.
Go back and get some to break up for your tumbler. It's a fast tumble. Break it up away from the crib, easy to sneak in behind the boss.
The solid one will probably be boring on the inside. The polyps rarely go deeper than an inch into the head's outer layer. That is why i chip the skin off and trash the centers. Beauty skin deep. That is a fine solid regardless.
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Post by radio on Feb 23, 2016 16:03:59 GMT -5
I would be in for a slab off the solid one if you decide to cut it. After doing the Bot for James, I'm really getting into this coral!
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Post by captbob on Feb 23, 2016 17:19:58 GMT -5
I'll keep you in mind should I cut it Arlen, but I think I'll probably try to figure out how to polish it as is. Not sure how to polish a rounded piece like this, but I'll look into it if I ever find (make) the time. Hey James, (paging jamesp ) have you ever oiled a specimen to make it really pop? Most of these look better wet, as do many rocks, and I'm thinking about trying to oil one or two to see if that works. If you have, you favor any particular oil? Thanks Kinda wondered if that big piece could be just eroded limestone or the like. The outer skin has no coral features.
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Feb 23, 2016 17:31:27 GMT -5
captbob, those are fantastically eye-popping!!!!!!!! Great haul!!!!!!
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Post by radio on Feb 23, 2016 17:43:03 GMT -5
I'll keep you in mind should I cut it Arlen, but I think I'll probably try to figure out how to polish it as is. Not sure how to polish a rounded piece like this, but I'll look into it if I ever find (make) the time. Thanks. You know, you might need to cut a heel off of it so it sets on a flat as a display that would make some purty joolery!
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Feb 23, 2016 18:36:55 GMT -5
Total SCORE!!!!! Can't wait to see what you do with the haul!!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 23, 2016 18:57:18 GMT -5
You may like them broken faced, but hollow coral looks fine face sawn. A lot of those look big enough to require a 24 inch saw to face them. A real coral man needs a 24 inch saw. Wished I had one, mine only 18. Bill of materials: 24 inch Highland 20 inch lap or wet diamond pad polisher Oil ? Petrolatum. chap stick is best, vaseline is another source but may have other compounds in it. Heat up vaseline to a liquid and paint it on as thin as possible. Set it out in Florida sun and let the sun bake it to a thin dry coating. Or heat the 'painted' coral in the oven at 150F for hours. A lot of those bots are ugly when dry and killer when wet. Oil a good idea but best dried to avoid dust magnet situation. Saw faced really jazzes that stuff: Your photos look great.
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Post by captbob on Feb 23, 2016 19:35:50 GMT -5
Like this? HP 24 lives in my shed Vibrating laps - got that covered as well w/ 2 15" Raytech and a 27" Highland Park Ever heard of Tung oil? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tung_oilSounds like it dries and wouldn't attract dust. I have never used it, so curious if it would work on "rocks". And thanks, but I need to practice on close ups. Once it warms up!
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Post by captbob on Feb 23, 2016 19:38:24 GMT -5
Lady with the coral has tons of whole pieces all around her yard. Any way to tell if they are hollow or solid?
Tapping with a hammer work?
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Post by 150FromFundy on Feb 23, 2016 19:49:05 GMT -5
I still can't believe those were sitting in a pile outside. They will be even more mazing when you get that green fuzzy moss off them. It's going to be tough to separate the cutters from the shelf specimens.
Darryl.
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Post by broseph82 on Feb 23, 2016 20:13:57 GMT -5
This is for jamesp for anytime I say this word the way I hear it here:
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Post by kap on Feb 23, 2016 21:58:35 GMT -5
Nice score! I have some smaller pieces like the big one with the druzy. I agree I dont think its coral but it is very cool!
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quartz
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breakin' rocks in the hot sun
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Post by quartz on Feb 24, 2016 0:59:44 GMT -5
Whatta haul, fun to look at, would be great to work with. Thanks for the show.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 24, 2016 5:04:04 GMT -5
This is for jamesp for anytime I say this word the way I hear it here: Shoot Jimi, she was missing 4 syllables. bowa tria oial dal, pronounced minimally over a 10 second period
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 24, 2016 5:12:20 GMT -5
Lady with the coral has tons of whole pieces all around her yard. Any way to tell if they are hollow or solid? Tapping with a hammer work? Hollows are very deceptive. Botryoidal formations a good sign, and studying the skin texture of the pile you just acquired. The sounds of crying common when breaking a beautiful hollow with a hammer. I have little luck tapping with a hammer seismically. But do have good luck holding a dry one under water. If it bubbles then presto, void is present. Many are sealed and will not bubble. If your partner finds one that bubbles for 2 minutes a fight usually ensues. A true source of irritation since he/she found a trophy. Or using this device ha kap:
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 24, 2016 5:18:18 GMT -5
Licked a few with my tongue and got the dreaded swamp stomach with accompanied long sits at the john. Never did try that oil Bob. Just petroleum jelly. You should try it on a sample. It may be a wax base... By the way, being in the field you often find a vein of hollows. In that case you bring the whole vein home and saw away.( note diamonds on blade 70% worn) You will be lucky if 40% are hollow. Whomever collected those must have a good eye for hollows. Most un-breached hollows are packed with heavy blue clay and weigh just as much as a solid. So specific gravity test is useless. Virgin un-breached hollows are packed with clay. This vein had about a 1000 pounds of un-breached hollows all fit together in the original colony. Only found one such vein. the blue clay: After intense pressure washing and getting coated with clay(same coral posted earlier in this thread): The other half that was in the saw. It was sawed wrong. The back of it sitting in my hand had another hollow. Should have been rotated 90 degrees and sawn to slice both cavities. So the X-Ray machine thingy joke. Hollows can be side by side or one on top of the other. This one is a mistake.(note bandaid on thumb, collecting trips hard on skin). Here is a bunch of them sawn well and not so well www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/albums/72157632856764438
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 24, 2016 6:09:01 GMT -5
I would have bet $100 this one was hollow judging from the pimply surface. nothing but Mohs 12 solid. Found in a vein of hollows. Basically an art to judge what is hollow and what is solid. better if you have 6 Highland 24's.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 24, 2016 6:16:07 GMT -5
Another one. Single coral, not a condo. 35 pounds. Fine fossil grade shape totally intact. $100 says it's solid. Sawed dead in half. Hollow areas !! In other words, you never know. This one bubbled for a long time under water. it needs to be sawn more because it has big voids in it.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 24, 2016 6:36:45 GMT -5
This was a one piece puzzle. Sawed later in my career after PHD in 'hollow coral sawing' was earned. An unbleached clay packed head(no whiskey river stain). The mother chunk(lower left) had hollows on all 6 sides. Circular bore holes are boring clam damage. Boring clams cause a lot of coral heads to form hollow. (pseudomorph) This vein loaded. Gotta go back and get the rest. In 2 feet of water 2 miles below Fl/Ga state line. Many in this vein 2 feet across. Those get rolled to pirate proof deeper underwater stash pile for later pick up. Not the best botryoidal formations but interesting.
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