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Post by fantastic5 on Jun 19, 2017 18:17:00 GMT -5
5 years ago on our first trip out west I asked my DH to pull over on the interstate. We were in central S Dakota and I had been watching all the rock piles on the edge of the interstate fence and couldn't stand it any longer. I hopped the fence and grabbed a few rocks. jamesp recent post about impact fractures had me pull this one out. The surface is covered in cresent shaped marks from it's long ago history, which I love. And where I'm pretty sure it's agate, the outside just doesn't scream cut me. Has anyone found one like this that had a better inside? It has one break that doesn't show anything. Thoughts? Dry face, broken end wet, and face wet. Colors are pretty accurate.    |
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Dr DG
fully equipped rock polisher
Gone Fishing
Member since April 2005
Posts: 1,848
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Post by Dr DG on Jun 19, 2017 18:32:33 GMT -5
leave it as is. looks great as is
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Post by morerockspleaz on Jun 19, 2017 19:13:11 GMT -5
I like it the way it is. Nice find. I would have wanted to stop too.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jun 19, 2017 19:21:00 GMT -5
Looks agate Ann. Those half moons seem to be about the depth of the crescent, not the length/long dimension, but the depth of the bowl. Had a tire tumbler and it put crescents in coral, too violent. Had to tumble off about 1/16 to 1/8 inch. My crescents were not as big as those crescents. Water hurled that rock at high speed to make those long crescents. Look at the bottom row of these Montana agates, some have the skin exposed containing the moons turned black. Only grayfingers would dare wade fish in those supersonic rivers. River moves giant gravel bars like they are styrofoam balls at flood stage.  |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jun 19, 2017 19:25:04 GMT -5
Don't find much crescent damage on the Rio thankfully.
Probably does not have the steep gradient that Yellowstone and Gallatin River in Montana and other Rockies rivers have.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Jun 19, 2017 20:58:14 GMT -5
Hard to tell what might be in there. Isn't that the beauty of it, or not?
I posted this pic in my tumble thread, but goes with what jamesp says. These 'river rounded' Bots have a decent shape, but that river did as much damage as it did tumble prepping.
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Post by melhill1659 on Jun 19, 2017 21:05:34 GMT -5
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jun 20, 2017 6:03:38 GMT -5
Hard to tell what might be in there. Isn't that the beauty of it, or not?
I posted this pic in my tumble thread, but goes with what jamesp says. These 'river rounded' Bots have a decent shape, but that river did as much damage as tumble prepping.
It's real easy with a 1 pound or bigger rock to get half moons in the rotary, especially if you have two one pounders in the rotary. Looks like 12 ounces +/- is about as big a rocks as can be run together without those crescents. 12 ounces for tough rocks like Rio's and coral... Too many big rocks in the rotary put some half moons on this Texas wood  Polish did well, but damage remains. Takes about 2 runs in coarse grit to remove the moons. been there done that  |
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
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Post by wampidytoo on Jun 20, 2017 8:02:45 GMT -5
I used to find a lot of this in Wyoming and the rough looked a lot like what you have. My guess was some kind of quartz and I did not like the cabs at all. The colors look hazy or smoky and kind of drab. I think I ended up tossing them after a few episodes of giving cabs away and nobody wanted them. I am not sure they are the same so don't take just my word for it. The three on the lower left are from the same stone. Jim  |
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Post by wigglinrocks on Jun 20, 2017 8:32:03 GMT -5
So whats the verdict ? To cut or not to cut , that is the question .
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Post by fantastic5 on Jun 20, 2017 11:42:39 GMT -5
So whats the verdict ? To cut or not to cut , that is the question . I think it will go back in the front yard where I pulled it from. That is where my display 'yard rocks' are kept as well as little groupings of things I find interesting. He has been living in a small grouping of similar shaped stones at the base of a hosta. Every few months, I pick him up and admire the hidden potential and then put him back down. I've really liked all the crescents. Reminds me of the stones past, and that he was not just tilled up in some farmers field. I like having stones that 'might' have something cool inside. Kinda like an unscratched lottery ticket. Pretty sure I wont be a millionaire, but fun to think about. I have a self collected, good sized, piece from NAEM (North American Emerald Mine) in the front yard too. It has a very small emerald showing and lots of biotite and other indicators of potential. I love the 'what if'... |
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Post by wigglinrocks on Jun 20, 2017 12:36:25 GMT -5
It is already windowed and doesn't look like there would be a lot of wild inside , but ya never know . Wouldn't want to cut up and have a bunch of blah .
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
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Post by Fossilman on Jun 21, 2017 8:57:56 GMT -5
Looks like you found a sugar agate......Most are better left as is,but will cut great! Fractures are part of the rock world and most don't harm a thing...
I have 100's of pounds of Montana agate and Carnelian agate with fractures,they cut great....Nice agate by the way!!
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Jun 21, 2017 12:16:05 GMT -5
I found some rocks that came out of my first tumbling experiment. A giant tire tumbler. I estimate 70 pounds of rock in the bottom of the tire. One to six pounders. So the rocks would climb the tire and then roll like 2 feet back down the hill beating them hard. Not good. Similar to a rotary being 25% full. check out the damage, all coral:   this one was bruised with half moons, a chip removed from the back side to expose the undamaged center:  other side, no moons. But surface shows fractures from moons:  The moon making machine lol:  |
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Post by radio on Jun 21, 2017 12:41:52 GMT -5
Could one perhaps make a scraper or paddle of sorts on an arm to keep them from climbing the tire? Or maybe jamesp will find a way to teflon coat the inside of said tire to solve the problem  |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Jun 21, 2017 12:55:21 GMT -5
Could one perhaps make a scraper or paddle of sorts on an arm to keep them from climbing the tire? Or maybe jamesp will find a way to teflon coat the inside of said tire to solve the problem Well bigger ain't necessarily better when it comes to rotary tumblers. Seems like a bunch of small barrels is easier to mange Arlen. Especially since the advent of adding coarse grit so much more often. It increased the amount of handling of the barrels. And 70 pound barrels ain't no fun to wrestle. Now that big tire tumbler is rolling five 6 pound barrels. Took the torch to it and welded an extra set of shafts to the one in the photo and its a charm. Now I will have to pay a pretty penny to the dump to get rid of that earth mover tire. Would have been perfect for tumbling the rust off of steel parts. I sealed it by inflating a 24" exercise ball in the center of the tire with an air compressor. Deflate to access. It sealed it 100%. |
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Post by radio on Jun 21, 2017 13:15:46 GMT -5
Could one perhaps make a scraper or paddle of sorts on an arm to keep them from climbing the tire? Or maybe jamesp will find a way to teflon coat the inside of said tire to solve the problem I sealed it by inflating a 24" exercise ball in the center of the tire with an air compressor. Deflate to access. It sealed it 100%. Now THAT is pure genius! Jim uses noggin for something besides decoration  |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jun 21, 2017 13:36:46 GMT -5
Now I will have to pay a pretty penny to the dump to get rid of that earth mover tire.
jamesp , give it to Denise to park at the junction of the driveway and street (or anywhere two "roads" come together), fill it with dirt and plant it with pretty flowers. Or even vegetable plants. Thinking it will hold a goodly amount of dirt.
No need to haul it off to the dump, re-use it! (and I don't mean for you to get an earthmover to put it on, although I'm sure that thought has crossed your mind a few times ). If you guys don't want to do it, put an ad in Craigslist and give it to someone who would. Heck, they'd probably even pay you for it!
Arlen just said you can use your noggin for more than just decoration, lol.  I thought that was pretty funny, Arlen.
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Post by radio on Jun 21, 2017 14:08:59 GMT -5
Arlen just said you can use your noggin for more than just decoration, lol. I thought that was pretty funny, Arlen.
Glad to be of amusement  Arlen is very tired today, and gets goofy ............er...........goofier! than normal! Recuperating from near disaster of big assed limb on arm, lots of hours at the shop and the #&*%$#@! grass just won't quit growing with all the rain we have had! Stayed home today to mow about 3 acres and smoke a couple racks of ribs. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jun 21, 2017 14:53:35 GMT -5
Arlen radio , glad you are recuperating from the disastrous limb dance. I hope you are better at mowing than tree trimming. 
I was looking at my yard this morning, it's in serious need of some whacking. Was supposed to get hot here today (was 93 yesterday!), but doesn't look like it is going to warm up that much. TV weatherman said today was going to be the hottest day of the week, Weather Underground said it would be almost ten degrees cooler than yesterday. Go figure... Don't think they can both be right.
Enjoy your smoked ribs! Beef? Pork?
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I thought that was pretty funny, Arlen.
Arlen is very tired today, and gets goofy ............er...........goofier! than normal! Recuperating from near disaster of big assed limb on arm, lots of hours at the shop and the #&*%$#@! grass just won't quit growing with all the rain we have had! Stayed home today to mow about 3 acres and smoke a couple racks of ribs.
