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Post by HankRocks on Jul 16, 2020 17:24:13 GMT -5
Here are some more pics from the same batch. I changed the background from white to a bit darker and it did improve the quality a bit. Need to do some more testing on backgrounds, thanks for the tips. West Texas Agate IMG_1940 by Findrocks, on Flickr More West Texas Agate IMG_1941 by Findrocks, on Flickr Texas Palm IMG_1942 by Findrocks, on Flickr Petrified Wood IMG_1943 by Findrocks, on Flickr Blackskin Agate IMG_1944 by Findrocks, on Flickr Montana Agate - the fractures in this material sure drive some odd shapes IMG_1945 by Findrocks, on Flickr West Texas Agate - I like including the crystal vugs in these. IMG_1947 by Findrocks, on Flickr Needle Peak Agate - really show the variety available at this location. It is getting harder to get good material IMG_1948 by Findrocks, on Flickr One ofthe large tumble slabs - Black Skin Agate, no way I was cutting this one up IMG_1949 by Findrocks, on Flickr Anyway I think the pictures are a bit better. Need to do some more testing. I did notice that the best picture inthe previous set was the Snowflake Obsidian, makes sense now as the black material works on a white background.
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EricD
Cave Dweller
High in the Mountains
Member since November 2019
Posts: 1,142
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Post by EricD on Jul 16, 2020 18:18:09 GMT -5
Here are some more pics from the same batch. I changed the background from white to a bit darker and it did improve the quality a bit. Need to do some more testing on backgrounds, thanks for the tips. [snip] Anyway I think the pictures are a bit better. Need to do some more testing. I did notice that the best picture inthe previous set was the Snowflake Obsidian, makes sense now as the black material works on a white background. Oh my... oh my...
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billdean
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 153
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Post by billdean on Jul 16, 2020 18:48:49 GMT -5
Holly crap !! Them are beautiful! Very nice
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jul 16, 2020 19:35:54 GMT -5
Your pictures look a ton better now.
Lovely stones; all of them. Can't even pick a favorite out of this batch.
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Post by miket on Jul 16, 2020 23:42:11 GMT -5
Jeez Henry, you're killing it! Spectacular, all of them. I need to visit west Texas and hound some of those agates. 😁
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Post by RocksInNJ on Jul 22, 2020 23:56:38 GMT -5
Quite a stunning batch you got there. Nice work my friend.
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kyoti
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2020
Posts: 542
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Post by kyoti on Jul 24, 2020 6:43:20 GMT -5
Lovely agates! The pictures came out well too.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,275
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Post by jamesp on Jul 24, 2020 17:36:42 GMT -5
Nailed the photos this time. They are way better than imagined. The west Texas stuff is off the chart. Montana material as good as it gets. Nice high polish too Henry. Be cautious using the wife's dish rags...
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,275
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Post by jamesp on Jul 24, 2020 18:26:36 GMT -5
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Post by HankRocks on Jul 24, 2020 19:14:25 GMT -5
Nailed the photos this time. They are way better than imagined. The west Texas stuff is off the chart. Montana material as good as it gets. Nice high polish too Henry. Be cautious using the wife's dish rags... The trick is to fold the towels back to their original pattern. After 30 years of marriage have managed to figure that much out!!
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Post by HankRocks on Jul 24, 2020 19:24:00 GMT -5
One thing about Montana Agate, it must be the hardest of all the agates I have ever worked with. The good thing about that is the polish it takes just seems slightly brighter than any other material. Now if I could just find un-fractured 3 to 4 inch nodules. Almost all that I have cut seem to have a decent amount of fractures to work around.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 24, 2020 19:31:45 GMT -5
They are all really nice, but that one MT aggie on the right with all the spotted dendrites really does it for me. Wow!
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Post by jasoninsd on Jul 24, 2020 21:28:59 GMT -5
Those West Texas Agates are amazingly beautiful! I love the heart shapes you've got on those as well.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,275
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Post by jamesp on Jul 25, 2020 8:32:05 GMT -5
If you ever get a hold of some Sumatra Flame Agate I will have you know that is the absolute hardest crap I have ever put a diamond wheel on. Montana is about the same, they seem to be about the only thing that surpasses my coral. Agates and cherts and petrifications that are creates by soluble silicates from limestone(diatomaceous silica) seems both harder and tougher than soluble silicates derived from volcanic sources. There is a Montana look alike in S Texas that ranks with Montana hardness. It can be found glowing due to transparency when the sun is low in the sky. Always clear/black/white/grey like Montana. This is the 'Texas Montana'. Consistently one of the larger nodules found around Zapata. Rarely a single fracture. Larger size and lack of fractures could be a testament to it's hardness and toughness. "only the toughest rocks make the trip to Zapata"!: This is the only rock I gave up grinding to roundish. It was going to eat two $25 diamond tuck wheels and wear me out grinding it to a roundish big tumble. Sumatra Flame from roy.:
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Post by HankRocks on Jul 25, 2020 9:52:12 GMT -5
If you ever get a hold of some Sumatra Flame Agate I will have you know that is the absolute hardest crap I have ever put a diamond wheel on. Montana is about the same, they seem to be about the only thing that surpasses my coral. Agates and cherts and petrifications that are creates by soluble silicates from limestone(diatomaceous silica) seems both harder and tougher than soluble silicates derived from volcanic sources. There is a Montana look alike in S Texas that ranks with Montana hardness. It can be found glowing due to transparency when the sun is low in the sky. Always clear/black/white/grey like Montana. This is the 'Texas Montana'. Consistently one of the larger nodules found around Zapata. Rarely a single fracture. Larger size and lack of fractures could be a testament to it's hardness and toughness. "only the toughest rocks make the trip to Zapata"!: I suppose the river run material from Zapata is not exposed to the low temps that the Montana agate endures over the years which is probably the source of most of the fractures in the material. That's my theory. Noticed that most all Rio nodules are fracture free. I have a few slabs I just cut from a Rio, marked them up for some pendants. Did not see any fractures to work around. Wonder what one of the river gravel places in Zapata would charge to bring a truck load up to the Houston area? Probably better to hire someone here to run to the valley and pickup a load. Then there's the problem of what do one do with the 80 to 90%(?) that's not agate. Sell it to a landscaping rock place. If I was younger I would probably be up for doing this if I was younger.
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Post by victor1941 on Jul 25, 2020 10:14:26 GMT -5
Hanksrocks, your have some really nice cabs that show that quality material from Texas does equal other areas and also is diverse. Probably, River Bend Lapidary, would be a good source for Needle Peak material if Terismithrockhunts.com. is not available and the Woodward Ranch stays closed.
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Post by HankRocks on Jul 25, 2020 11:04:44 GMT -5
Hanksrocks, your have some really nice cabs that show that quality material from Texas does equal other areas and also diverse. Probably, River Bend Lapidary, would be a good source for Needle Peak material if Terismithrockhunts.com. is not available and the Woodward Ranch stays closed. Fortunately for me I spent a number of years collecting in the Big Bend area. Owned a Condo in Lajitas for 20 plus years and we climbed all over that area. I have started going through some of the material and have put some pretty good pieces in the cutting queue(one of several queues!!). As soon as it cools off a bit I will start cutting. 90 plus degrees in the garage makes running the saws no fun. Several years ago I was also lucky enough to make contact with an old Rockhound, who passed away this spring, who had spent a good many years collecting in the Big Bend/Deming area. He was a great guy, very knowledgeable and enjoyed talking rocks. I made about 12 trips up to visit and buy material. One thing I never did was grab a rock, I always let him point to a pile, or a bucket or crate, then we would go through it. He would have his spray bottle of water and look at each one, telling me what it was and where he found it, then into my bucket. If he did not remember he would say so and not make something up. Came home with a minimum of 500 to 600 pounds a trip. He gave me great deals on the material and he was a great guy to visit. I think he probably enjoyed just going through everything, remembering his trips and adventures. A great guy and I will miss seeing him. Do plan on heading up when the virus is not an issue and visit with his wife and go through the rest. Henry
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,275
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Post by jamesp on Jul 25, 2020 12:52:52 GMT -5
Those rocks have signatures Henry, some came from specific slopes. Some slopes 50 miles up the river, some from 500 miles up the river. So the journeys are varied along with the conditions of the cobbles(fractured/non-fractured, old formations/new formations etc). You are spot on about the lack of freezes. Might have been some ice ages along the way to consider...
If ordering gravel, try to order from some of the small operations within a mile of the Rio where you are guaranteed they were taken from the agate/wood rich wash down material. I do all my collecting on Beckwith Arm, the largest peninsula half way down the lake. It is pretty much a ghost town with 20 miles of graveled roads loaded with nice rocks and within the boundary of the rocks imported from upstream. The high hills on Beckwith are the inside turns of the river where the most rocks are deposited in the ancient river. Rock covered ground eroded at a slower rate leaving the hills. Understanding the topography there is helpful to locating the best rock spots.
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Post by RocksInNJ on Jul 26, 2020 2:49:15 GMT -5
Those specks are petrified fish farts. Hold your breath when cutting them. 🤣
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dkurtz
having dreams about rocks
Tumbling to de-stress from my work. :)
Member since February 2010
Posts: 66
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Post by dkurtz on Jul 31, 2020 13:16:17 GMT -5
All lovely..........
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