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Post by vegasjames on Jul 11, 2018 23:44:22 GMT -5
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Post by MsAli on Jul 12, 2018 0:28:05 GMT -5
What's the last one?
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Post by socalagatehound on Jul 12, 2018 1:19:13 GMT -5
DANG!!!!
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 12, 2018 2:14:17 GMT -5
Some more copper ore. My mom picked those slabs out for me to make some knife scales for her. I actually got her a multi-tool with wood scales that I will replace with the stone. |
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 12, 2018 2:16:08 GMT -5
This is the best time to slab. While it is hot getting wet helps cool me down. I hate slabbing in the winter since I hate being cold and cold and wet is even worse. |
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Post by fernwood on Jul 12, 2018 5:38:30 GMT -5
That's a lot of slabs. Nice variety.
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Post by fantastic5 on Jul 12, 2018 8:16:13 GMT -5
You've been busy vegasjames! That is some awesome material. And your Mom has a fantastic eye. Those last slabs are amazing! |
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Post by toiv0 on Jul 12, 2018 8:21:17 GMT -5
Holy Wah! Is this all material you collected your self?
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jul 12, 2018 8:47:22 GMT -5
Holy smokes, that's a lot of slabs! Great looking stuff and love what your mom picked out!
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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 Jul 12, 2018 9:13:35 GMT -5
This is the best time to slab. While it is hot getting wet helps cool me down. I hate slabbing in the winter since I hate being cold and cold and wet is even worse. Since when can you get cold in Vegas?  I love these slabs. Lots of beautiful color. Do any need stabilization? I remember the stuff you showed me at Boca Park was a bit crumbly. Lynn |
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Post by victor1941 on Jul 12, 2018 9:45:13 GMT -5
James, I really like red, yellow and blue green slabs. There is also a nice green and dark area slab in picture 4 that is really sweet. Does Jack also help you slab? Thanks for the pictures.
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Post by aDave on Jul 12, 2018 10:50:24 GMT -5
This is the best time to slab. While it is hot getting wet helps cool me down. I hate slabbing in the winter since I hate being cold and cold and wet is even worse. What type of saw are you using? |
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 12, 2018 19:01:57 GMT -5
Holy Wah! Is this all material you collected your self? Yes. Been trying to make some room around here so cutting a lot of the stuff I have pulled from the mines and some of my rockhounding materials cut up. This way I can get rid of scraps or unstable materials. Been working on cabbing a lot of the smaller end cuts and testing some materials to see how well they will cab and what they will look like. For instance I have a lot of low quality turquoise ore from Arizona. I was going to haul it back to the desert but decided to slab a piece. Turns out that it still has a beautiful matrix so I have been slabbing a lot of it up getting rid of the crumbly exterior.
Most of the material is copper ores, Nevada Tiffany stone and andesites (purple, red, black and white andesites). Cut up a little pyrite and phyllite. Have no idea what the gray banded stuff is and a few others I have not identified either.
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 12, 2018 19:07:40 GMT -5
This is the best time to slab. While it is hot getting wet helps cool me down. I hate slabbing in the winter since I hate being cold and cold and wet is even worse. Since when can you get cold in Vegas?  I love these slabs. Lots of beautiful color. Do any need stabilization? I remember the stuff you showed me at Boca Park was a bit crumbly. Lynn If it gets below 80 it is getting too cold for me.
I don't recall what I showed you at Boca Park. I don have some of the copper ores and turquoise that are chalky and do need stabilization. Most of it is pretty solid and I have cabbed a lot of it without any stabilization. Some of the weathered Nevada Tiffany stone is crumbly on the outer edges but tends to be stable in the centers. If there is a lot of calcite in the stone I like to stabilize the stone anyway since the calcite can be crumbly and is soft. I have a couple of methods of doing this that harden the stone but don't use epoxy. I only use epoxy to fill pits and cracks.
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 12, 2018 19:12:13 GMT -5
James, I really like red, yellow and blue green slabs. There is also a nice green and dark area slab in picture 4 that is really sweet. Does Jack also help you slab? Thanks for the pictures. Jax guards the yard while I am working. |
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 12, 2018 19:14:01 GMT -5
This is the best time to slab. While it is hot getting wet helps cool me down. I hate slabbing in the winter since I hate being cold and cold and wet is even worse. What type of saw are you using? Right now for the larger pieces I am using a 10" tile saw. For the smaller pieces I am using a trim saw.
I have to replace the motor on the slab saw and have not gotten around to it.
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Post by aDave on Jul 12, 2018 20:07:58 GMT -5
What type of saw are you using? Right now for the larger pieces I am using a 10" tile saw. For the smaller pieces I am using a trim saw.
I have to replace the motor on the slab saw and have not gotten around to it.
That's pretty amazing as your slabs look pretty nice. Congrats to you for hand feeding that stuff and getting the results you're seeing. |
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 12, 2018 20:18:45 GMT -5
Right now for the larger pieces I am using a 10" tile saw. For the smaller pieces I am using a trim saw.
I have to replace the motor on the slab saw and have not gotten around to it.
That's pretty amazing as your slabs look pretty nice. Congrats to you for hand feeding that stuff and getting the results you're seeing. Thanks, lots of practice lately.  |
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Post by victor1941 on Jul 13, 2018 9:49:46 GMT -5
James, I have used the epoxy/acetone on Marfa plume and wonder if your other stabilization methods are secret. Do you think they might work on soft plume areas?
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Post by adam on Jul 13, 2018 15:24:44 GMT -5
How big is your biggest saw? I need some rocks cut. If you're into cutting rocks for others. |
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Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
