Another new member from California
Dec 31, 2021 19:57:55 GMT -5
catskillrocks, rockpickerforever, and 6 more like this
Post by rockbrain on Dec 31, 2021 19:57:55 GMT -5
Hi all! I've ended up at this site a few times and it's way past time to sign up and get involved. I've been fascinated with rocks since I was a young kid. We had a rock tumbler when I was in junior high. My parents and older brother used lapidary equipment at the Air Force Base hobby shop in the 60's but I was too young and could only watch. A year or two ago I started picking up rocks in the Central coast area. Moonstone Beach and vicinity. I purchased a rock tumbler, then a second one. Started to make a little bit of jewelery but many of the rocks were too thick. Bought a Black and Decker 7" tile trim saw cheep. Now I could split the rocks and tumble them. I found a 6" Beacon Star grinder cheap and got that. Refurbished it. Dumped the SC wheels and put on a 100 grit and 220 hard wheels. Go from those to an expanding drum with 320-1000 then 1200-2000 diamond belts. I realized I needed more cutting power and found a good deal on an MK 10" sliding bed tile saw. Just recently made a 4.5 hour drive on a Craigslist excursion. I got an old Star Diamond combo unit. It has a couple of 8"X3" split drums, an 8" flat wheel on the end and a 10" saw with auto feed. It's a large piece of equipment on a steel cabinet. It has separate motors for the grinder and saw. Everything fires up and works with the exception of the auto feed. It just needs a cable and weight.
I've joined the Mariposa Gem and Mineral club but signed up right after Covid reared it's ugly head. I've also joined the United Prospectors.
I rediscovered this forum today because I was looking for some info on the Hunter's Point area around Lake McClure. Sure glad I found this site and got to read the posts about the poppy jasper in that area. I had no idea. My parents had a houseboat on McClure for years. I've been up there collecting a few times. I was invited out shooting this Sunday to that area. Now I'm really excited to explore some more. Always looking for some new spots. I hit Area 54 and the beaches quite a bit. I think I found my best specimen ever last week. I was performing a service call on a customers heat pump who had some nice rocks lining her garden. I asked her about them and she said she brought them from a rental property they had sold as she didn't want them to get thrown out. She told me to take what I wanted. I used some restraint and walked away with one rock, a 7 pound piece of poppy jasper with quartz mixed in.
I've joined the Mariposa Gem and Mineral club but signed up right after Covid reared it's ugly head. I've also joined the United Prospectors.
I rediscovered this forum today because I was looking for some info on the Hunter's Point area around Lake McClure. Sure glad I found this site and got to read the posts about the poppy jasper in that area. I had no idea. My parents had a houseboat on McClure for years. I've been up there collecting a few times. I was invited out shooting this Sunday to that area. Now I'm really excited to explore some more. Always looking for some new spots. I hit Area 54 and the beaches quite a bit. I think I found my best specimen ever last week. I was performing a service call on a customers heat pump who had some nice rocks lining her garden. I asked her about them and she said she brought them from a rental property they had sold as she didn't want them to get thrown out. She told me to take what I wanted. I used some restraint and walked away with one rock, a 7 pound piece of poppy jasper with quartz mixed in.