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Post by holajonathan on Jan 24, 2021 12:50:35 GMT -5
Another slice from the last one with some decent size fracture free areas.  |
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Post by parfive on Jan 24, 2021 13:24:42 GMT -5
Montana murmuration.
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Post by holajonathan on Jan 24, 2021 13:40:59 GMT -5
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Jan 24, 2021 14:19:52 GMT -5
That last slab is an outstanding specimen.
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Post by stardiamond on Jan 24, 2021 19:16:13 GMT -5
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Post by holajonathan on Jan 24, 2021 21:02:10 GMT -5
I like it. Banded material cut nearly but not quite parallel to the bands? Is that a Montana agate also? |
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Post by stardiamond on Jan 24, 2021 22:18:20 GMT -5
yes.
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Post by holajonathan on Jan 25, 2021 13:49:42 GMT -5
Very cool. More experimentation with cutting angles for banded rocks is in order. |
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Post by stardiamond on Jan 25, 2021 14:18:01 GMT -5
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Post by holajonathan on Jan 26, 2021 2:20:15 GMT -5
You've inspired me to try for some outside the box cutting angles on Montana agates next time it's warm enough to wheel my slab saw outside. I've got almost 30 more pounds of the high graded stuff. I just need to find some additional wood wedges or something else to hold the rocks in the vice at weird angles. |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 26, 2021 11:04:58 GMT -5
You've inspired me to try for some outside the box cutting angles on Montana agates next time it's warm enough to wheel my slab saw outside. I've got almost 30 more pounds of the high graded stuff. I just need to find some additional wood wedges or something else to hold the rocks in the vice at weird angles. I buy wood wedges at any hardware store and use cut up 1x4's and 1x6's (about four inches long)... Let the engineering begin...Hahahaha |
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Post by stardiamond on Jan 26, 2021 15:16:01 GMT -5
I have a lot of favorite materials and Montana is one of them. I find it beautiful and frustrating. A lot of it isn't worth working on. Really good slabs are hard to find and expensive. I have bought a bunch of rough nodules to slab and many are duds. The ones that have a nice pattern fracture on the saw or the wheels. A color band is frequently a healed fracture and sometimes won't hold together. Montana is very hard and scratches are an issue and require the right wheels and technique. Many require back polishing and since I don't dop with wax, I lose some skin. After completing a nice cab, I don't sell many. I list them on Etsy and are generally eye candy for my listings.
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Post by holajonathan on Jan 27, 2021 0:30:25 GMT -5
I have a lot of favorite materials and Montana is one of them. I find it beautiful and frustrating. A lot of it isn't worth working on. Really good slabs are hard to find and expensive. I have bought a bunch of rough nodules to slab and many are duds. The ones that have a nice pattern fracture on the saw or the wheels. A color band is frequently a healed fracture and sometimes won't hold together. Montana is very hard and scratches are an issue and require the right wheels and technique. Many require back polishing and since I don't dop with wax, I lose some skin. After completing a nice cab, I don't sell many. I list them on Etsy and are generally eye candy for my listings. You've described the love / hate relationship that I've heard so much about. I don't care if my slabs break as long as they do so early on. I like tumbling the partial slabs. They tumble fast and take a great polish. If they break after investing a lot of time in a cab, that's a different story. |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 27, 2021 11:07:56 GMT -5
I have a lot of favorite materials and Montana is one of them. I find it beautiful and frustrating. A lot of it isn't worth working on. Really good slabs are hard to find and expensive. I have bought a bunch of rough nodules to slab and many are duds. The ones that have a nice pattern fracture on the saw or the wheels. A color band is frequently a healed fracture and sometimes won't hold together. Montana is very hard and scratches are an issue and require the right wheels and technique. Many require back polishing and since I don't dop with wax, I lose some skin. After completing a nice cab, I don't sell many. I list them on Etsy and are generally eye candy for my listings. I've been very graced with getting Montana moss agates without emptying the pockets.. My home state and lived close to the source, so get my material with bartering and (or) etc... They are a love/hate relationship, for sure! Hahaha I know a few people that do sell the agates and general will treat a person fairly when buying from them.. Most of my slabs get put away, many people give you a nose up when selling Montana moss, because they are a bit more expensive than other slabs, but the market for them is a higher average, because of the stunning cabs a person can get from the material.. A few say I will only give you this much a pound for them and not a penny more, ok - no deal...Hahaha I have no problem hoarding them...Hahaha I usually let my tumblers do the work on polish with the agate, saves me grief.... Can't beat the polish and beauty of a Montana when it's all finished and on display.. |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 27, 2021 11:13:20 GMT -5
Fossilman - Thanks! I'd like to see your slab photos. We haven't had enough of those to experiment on them. I get what you're saying about cutting parallel with the bands to get whatever patterns are in each layer. Slabbed a piece of Kabamba a while back like that. It had one really dense layer of smaller orbs, so I split that layer and got two really unique slabs.
Used different angles on Larsonite and some other things to get more variety. Or to get better orientation for Obsidian pendant stones and such. I think the Larsonite was what an "old-timer" recommended 15 degrees on when I was learning. Now I'm so old I can't remember... .
Still looking through photos, I have over 10,000 photos of rocks Hahahaha... I know I have the material out in one of my three storage areas too, but will take time to go through it also.. Sad to say I haven't touched anything lapidary for over three months.. This is giving me the initiative to do so.. A push I need! |
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