Tommy
Administrator 
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Feb 13, 2018 11:23:52 GMT -5
The cutting has just begun but I ran into a killer piece in the material we collected at Burro Creek. The pictures don't do it justice - it's more colorful and plumey in person with the reds just popping off the slab.   Edited to add: here is an enhanced crop with the brightness and contrast played with just a little.  It does have some cracks but they seem to be well-defined and not spidery. Unfortunately the druzys in the first photo have cracks running to it from three directions but the slab will still make up to three large killer cabs if it holds up.  Here's another smaller piece that I had high hopes for and it did not disappoint. The brownish area is solid agate plumes which are a great offset to the purple agate. A big beautiful cabochon has already been shaped and domed from this piece. I'll post more photos here as it goes along.  AzRockGeek |
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Post by Pat on Feb 13, 2018 11:30:40 GMT -5
Beautiful!
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Feb 13, 2018 11:32:23 GMT -5
Tommy, That's beautiful stuff. Most Burro Creek I've seen has been pretty average. This blows it out of the water! Now, I've got to go there & collect. Lynn
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Post by fernwood on Feb 13, 2018 11:51:09 GMT -5
Some amazing colors and patterns. Cannot wait to see the cabs.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 13, 2018 12:20:21 GMT -5
WOW!!!!!!-I must go to this Burro Creek you all speak of!!!
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Feb 13, 2018 12:56:25 GMT -5
Tommy - When did you collect at Burro Creek? Lynn
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AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 703
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Post by AzRockGeek on Feb 13, 2018 13:02:52 GMT -5
WOW!!!!!  Those are killer!! What else did you find? TommyI think that first rock may have bounced out of my bucket in the back of your truck.  |
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Feb 13, 2018 13:08:49 GMT -5
WOW!!!!! Those are killer!! What else did you find? TommyI think that first rock may have bounced out of my bucket in the back of your truck. Haha nice try  That first rock was my "please don't be good" rock... I was already trudging up the valley towards camp with 70lbs in my backpack but still can't stop picking up new rocks and windowing them - hoping they are not keepers at that point. When I found this one I literally fell over trying to bend down and pick it up. Happy for a soft landing, nothing broken, rocks safe  More to come - firing up the saw again today but I'm torn because it's time to start making cabs again. |
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Post by fantastic5 on Feb 13, 2018 13:11:42 GMT -5
Tommy, that is amazing material. I really look forward to seeing what you do with it. Personally, I really struggle with image capture in material. I've seen your slab mark-ups before. Can I ask, is the dashed line the fractures? And are you circling (maybe with an aluminum pencil) areas of interest before you divide with bold sharpie cut lines?
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Feb 13, 2018 13:23:38 GMT -5
Tommy, that is amazing material. I really look forward to seeing what you do with it. Personally, I really struggle with image capture in material. I've seen your slab mark-ups before. Can I ask, is the dashed line the fractures? And are you circling (maybe with an aluminum pencil) areas of interest before you divide with bold sharpie cut lines? Thanks Ann! Yes one of the first things I always do when marking up a slab is to inspect it dry with my Optivisors and make dotted lines along all visible fractures - it just helps me design around them. Solid black lines are suggested cut lines. The circled numbers are a ranking by quality potential and they help me later after I've cut the slab up and I'm trying to decide which preform to start grinding on. When laying a slab out there is usually only one "1" but there can be more depending on the slab - with this one I think they both have killer potential. |
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Feb 13, 2018 13:24:50 GMT -5
Tommy - When did you collect at Burro Creek? Lynn Just got back Lynn. It was a spur of the moment trip and to say that I was honored and thrilled to be invited would be an understatement. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Feb 13, 2018 14:10:52 GMT -5
Wow! That first one is really sweet! I really like the contrast and everything going on in it. Looks like your trip was a success. Can't wait to see more!
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Feb 13, 2018 14:12:01 GMT -5
Beautiful slab! Looking forward to seeing those killer cabs!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2018 20:16:24 GMT -5
That one does it!
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Feb 13, 2018 22:16:29 GMT -5
Here are some more cuts from the day... This stuff is REALLY interesting and I'm a sucker for lost causes so I picked up a few pieces of it. The agate is purple in between bands of what looks like rhyolite. In the banded area every thing is agate hard and cannot be scratched. The white pillowy stuff around the edges is soft and can be scratches. Couple of agate healed fractures and that's it - very very stable.   I love this piece and can't wait to cab it. It's more blue than purple and just really interesting contrasts and patterns.   Another cabber for sure - the purple really is as bright as it looks in the picture - contrasted by beige-ish plumes - it's a really neat material. This was a small piece.    This one looked KILLER from the window but was actually quite disappointing. I'm only showing it because I found it sitting right next to the piece in the first picture of the first post - after I fell down trying to reach the other one I spotted this one and made a too-fer out of it.  This one is more lavender in person and typical of a lot of what I picked up - typical Burro Creek lavender purple agate.  This is one of AzRockGeek 's killer tube agate. This one literally did bounce out of his bucket and into mine - with help of course    Thanks fer lookin! |
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Post by MsAli on Feb 13, 2018 23:32:45 GMT -5
😍😍😍😍
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Post by fantastic5 on Feb 14, 2018 8:30:00 GMT -5
I'd be a kid in a candy store in a place like that. Wow, such variety in one location. And that tube agate is beautiful. something special about a patterned white on white. Angelic!
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Post by fernwood on Feb 14, 2018 8:35:13 GMT -5
It keeps getting better. A whole lot of goodness here.
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fishnpinball
Cave Dweller 
So much to learn, so little time
Member since March 2017
Posts: 1,491 
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Post by fishnpinball on Feb 14, 2018 12:47:41 GMT -5
Another place on the list of to visit. Great cuts.
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Post by vegasjames on Feb 14, 2018 18:03:10 GMT -5
Our club has a trip planned for Burro Creek next month. Is there there sufficient "killer" material readily found to make the trip worthwhile? One poster said most of the stuff he has seen is "pretty average" so would like some feedback.
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Those are killer!! What else did you find? 
That first rock was my "please don't be good" rock... I was already trudging up the valley towards camp with 70lbs in my backpack but still can't stop picking up new rocks and windowing them - hoping they are not keepers at that point. When I found this one I literally fell over trying to bend down and pick it up. Happy for a soft landing, nothing broken, rocks safe 
