rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
|
Post by rivarat on Jun 13, 2016 4:11:18 GMT -5
Gday all A few stones from my local area, Benalla Victoria Australia These are some of the first stones I've cut, I've done 2 before but those have gone into hiding (if only I can remember where I put them) I don't have a lapidary club near me, so learning from the net, books, and by feel. I've always enjoyed finding crystals, metal detecting etc but the now I think that there might be a new addiction. Great site and love everyone''s work
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Jun 13, 2016 8:33:47 GMT -5
Welcome from Virginia Beach! Those look really good! It's nice to be able to polish stones you find yourself. Are you hand finishing or do you have a machine? That one looks like crazy lace.
|
|
|
Post by radio on Jun 13, 2016 8:41:37 GMT -5
Welcome from Missouri! Lots of helpful folks on here and we love seeing creations from all skill levels The wife and I have always been fascinated with Oz and in our younger years, we often wished we could move there. Back when we lived in California, we raised reptiles and had several species from Australia.
|
|
|
Post by manofglass on Jun 13, 2016 9:42:46 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from Michigan
Walt
|
|
barclay
has rocks in the head
Lowly Padawan of rocks
Member since November 2011
Posts: 510
|
Post by barclay on Jun 13, 2016 21:22:14 GMT -5
Greetings from California. Lots of good rocks in Australia, of course that is like saying there are good rocks in the Western US. One of the "harder" soft skills to learn is composition (how to make the best cab with he rock you have). I have learned a lot from looking at how other folks on the site have worked their stone. It just takes time, patience and a lot of looking at rocks
|
|
|
Post by Pat on Jun 13, 2016 21:35:38 GMT -5
Welcome from California.
|
|
meviva
Cave Dweller
Member since July 2013
Posts: 1,474
|
Post by meviva on Jun 13, 2016 22:16:31 GMT -5
Love the one in the second picture. All very nice though. Welcome from Arizona.
Andrea
|
|
|
Post by Garage Rocker on Jun 13, 2016 23:07:01 GMT -5
Hands-on trial and error is a great way to learn and it looks like you've got access to nice material. Now, notice the people getting the results you like and find out what they're doing. There's always a thread for 'that'.
|
|
El JeffA
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2016
Posts: 353
|
Post by El JeffA on Jun 13, 2016 23:22:03 GMT -5
Welcome rivarat !! From Florida. It looks like you have the posting of pics down...you really can't post too many!! Glad to have you on RTH.
|
|
agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
|
Post by agatemaggot on Jun 14, 2016 0:13:05 GMT -5
Welcome from Waterloo Iowa, glad to have you hanging out with us. This forum is the best one going for information on any lapidary project you might want to have a go at !
Harley
|
|
rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
|
Post by rivarat on Jun 14, 2016 3:06:19 GMT -5
I have a tile saw bought at a swap meet for A$10 (about US$7) A old double ended arbor with SiC wheels I bought about 15 years ago for about A$15 came with about 40 pounds of thunder eggs a couple of laps and some other bits, I've been using it for my wood turning tools An old MDR (looks very simlar but unbranded) faceting machine, recent trade small quantity of gold nuggets (personally found) and a bottle of scotch. In the last couple of weeks I have a tumbler from a friends father (he hadn't used it in about 40 years) and he threw it a single ended grinding arbor. I have just tonight cherry picked over the first barrel (rough grind) to get the first I'm happy with. The other barrel has some glass grinding away. I need a slab saw to tackle some of the agates I've been finding, may have to build one, I see some great projects others have done. I do have a shaft from a table saw in the shed. Its about 7" x 5" x 3" and almost 5 pounds I think it will be mostly white and the color is from staining in the ground. It will probably just sit on the shelf.
|
|
rivarat
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 140
|
Post by rivarat on Jun 14, 2016 3:26:11 GMT -5
Welcome from Missouri! Lots of helpful folks on here and we love seeing creations from all skill levels The wife and I have always been fascinated with Oz and in our younger years, we often wished we could move there. Back when we lived in California, we raised reptiles and had several species from Australia. We get a few reptiles around our small farm mainly red bellied black & eastern brown snakes. There are a few tiger snakes around where I get sapphires. You don't want to get bitten by any of these. Pretty safe a the moment, it's winter so down to freezing at night, but we rarely get snow (once about 30 years ago and that melted as soon as it touch anything) here. I don't envy any one that lives in the cold I like it better when it's hot.
|
|
|
Post by frane on Jun 18, 2016 15:01:25 GMT -5
Glad to see another Cabber! Looks like you are off to a great start!
Fran
|
|
huskeric
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2016
Posts: 353
|
Post by huskeric on Aug 12, 2016 8:40:10 GMT -5
Rivarat, that agate is a monster. It kinda looks like a potato with the staining it has. I would love to see some pics of that guy after you get it slabbed. You should throw it in your tumbler! That is, assuming you have a 50lb tumbling barrel! Looking at the cool stuff you have posted, it would seem that Oz is the land of MANY gorgeous stones! (And poisonous spiders, snakes, lizards, crocs, flying sharks, Grizzly turtles, Pteryodactyls and any number of other things that would love to kill you) =)
I live in Nebraska, where the only thing that will kill you is a blizzard or a tornado. =)
|
|
|
Post by pauls on Aug 12, 2016 16:28:42 GMT -5
Good work on those cabs. If I'd known you were into cabbing I would have thrown a couple of slabs in to that tumbling lot. Don't worry about old second hand equipment either, its a great way to get started, though I would be buying Diamond wheels when your Silicon Carbide wheels wear out.
Paul
|
|
|
Post by vegasjames on Aug 12, 2016 18:14:18 GMT -5
Welcome from Nevada. Doing a good job. I really like the one on the top left of the first pic.
|
|