QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Dec 9, 2023 5:22:08 GMT -5
*SOLD* This is an unused Ameritool 4" Lapidary Saw which I recently acquired with a group of lapidary items from someone who purchased the equipment new some years ago planning to get into lapidary but never used any of it and finally decided to sell. I tested the motor and speed control and they all work fine. There is some surface oxidation on the screw heads on the underneath side and a little on the edge of the blade (see photos) but this is cosmetic only and will not effect performance. Everything else looks to be in new unused condition. The price for this saw is $275 plus shipping & insurance via Fed Ex Home Delivery anywhere in the continental U.S. forty-eight states. Payment shall be made via Pay Pal. To give an idea of shipping cost from High Point, NC to Atlanta, GA would be $30.84, to Oklahoma City, OK would be $35.44, and to Los Angeles, CA would be $50.35. If interested in purchasing message me your email address and shipping address and I will send you a Pay Pal invoice with the total. I do not carry a mobile device so please do not be discouraged if you do not get an immediate response. Thank you!
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Dec 6, 2023 13:46:03 GMT -5
I'm a fan of Piccaso Marble too. Especially the pieces that have "scenes" that resemble forest vegetation. Slabbed up a neat piece last month. Sadly I'm not seeing much of the rough here in the eastern U.S. much anymore. You west coast lapidaries are so lucky!
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Nov 21, 2023 16:59:37 GMT -5
Welcome! If you're in eastern Tennessee you are in one of the few areas of the eastern U.S. that has a variety of lapidary materials that can be self collected; Tennessee Paint Rock (Agate), Tennessee Pudding Stone, Unakite, Epidote, Dolomite, Onyx, Jasper, etc.. Plus within reasonable driving distances of two of the better Gem Shows in the Southeast; Franklin, NC and Spruce Pine, NC held each summer.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Oct 22, 2023 13:12:37 GMT -5
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Oct 7, 2023 18:50:42 GMT -5
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Oct 6, 2023 1:22:07 GMT -5
I have 10", 12" 14", 18" and 20" slab saws and use them to cut slabs for cabbing. And for that purpose I have found that the 14" and 18" are by far the most useful.
When choosing a saw it is important to realize that just because a rock can fit in the saw's vise and the height of the blade above the vise is definitive doesn't mean that the saw can handle cutting just any ole rock that fits the saw's parameters. While using my 14" saw with a good quality well dressed blade I may be able to cut at max a 4.5" tall piece of medium hardness cabbing material like Unakite or Epidote while the same saw and well dressed blade may strain cutting only a 3.5" tall piece of a really hard material like Kentucky Agate or Madagascar Polychrome Jasper. And with a "meh" quality blade or even a good quality blade with a worn kerf, I won't even be able to do that. If I had to choose just one between the 14" and 18" saw I would choose the 14" as being the most practical for general use.
The price of new lapidary equipment has really skyrocketed the last couple of years. I purchased my Lortone 12" and 14" saws new several years ago but the Raytech 10", Lortone 18" and Covington 20" saws I purchased used and don't regret it. Heck the 18" Lortone saw I have is an early 1970s model so is a round 50 years old but is still a great workhorse saw. Parts are still available for Raytech and Covington saws from the original manufactures. And most Lortone, Frantom and Highland Park saw parts are still available from HP Lapidary. So even if doing over again I would not hesitate to buy any of the old USA made used saws mentioned as long as they weren't rust buckets or caked with 20 year old dried hard oil/rock sludge [with the exceptions of the Covington 10" and Covington 16" saws which IMO have design flaws that effect performance (no offense Starguy)].
When cutting slabs IMO regardless of blade size always use oil for slabbing all materials except for the very soft ones that are porous and tend to absorb oil and discolor - materials like Howlite, some Malachite, some of the lesser silcated Chryscolla etc.. With 12" and smaller saws you can manage to slab most materials with water but with harder materials you will be replacing blades frequently and causing premature wear and tear on your equipment.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Oct 1, 2023 16:38:46 GMT -5
My favorite storage container for slabs are the small wooden crates that Spanish Clementine Tangerines are imported in and sold with at the grocery stores around the winter Holidays. They are strong, stackable, and when filled are just about the right maximum weight that I want for a container of slabs. But I am one of those "odd" people you speak of that probably has more slabs than I would ever use and can't eat enough Tangerines around Christmas time to keep up. So my secondary storage containers are 12"x12"x8" die-cut corrugated folded boxes with lids that can be purchased in 25 box bundles from shipping box suppliers. But these are a little larger than I like to fill up completely, at least without doing a second layer with corrugated cardboard separating the two layers (which can make access to the bottom layer a bit more work). And if the box is not full then I use bubble wrap to fill the voids in order to keep the slabs from getting jostled around too badly.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Oct 1, 2023 16:19:38 GMT -5
But it's a little odd when people acquire more than they could possibly use. BLASPHEMY! Rockbrain you beat me to it! That was my first reaction when I read that too. LOL!
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Sept 27, 2023 22:24:12 GMT -5
Lay a metal straight edge across the HP Agate Eater blade at multiple directions and on both sides of the blade to make sure that the blade isn't bent or cupped and that the core is an even thickness.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Sept 25, 2023 23:26:08 GMT -5
I stopped purchasing mail order materials over 30 years ago because most of what I received I didn't consider good quality. Since then I have only purchased at shows or from collections or estates where I can view the materials first. As for The Gem Shop I've only bought from them at shows and that has been several years ago. They do have some nice cutting material, especially the materials from the claims they have dug themselves. But I can't speak for how well their mail order selecting is. Another vendor that I used to buy from at shows that had some nice grade cabbing materials and will ship is Gem Center USA. But again I have only purchased from them at shows where I was able to view and select the material to purchase so don't know how their mail order selecting is either.
In looking at your first thread I see that you are in Trinidad so that will make it tough for you to purchase locally. Ebay may be the best option for you to be able to see photos of the actual pieces you can purchase. Or if possible make a pilgrimage to the shows in Quartzite, Arizona or Tuscon, Arizona held each winter and purchase enough rough to hold you over for a couple of years.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Sept 17, 2023 12:10:19 GMT -5
If you aren't aware, the whole area up there is designated as a Wilderness and a Protected Area. This means breaking off or collecting any rocks to take home is off limits. You are welcome to hike around and enjoy the area, take photos of interesting rocks or formations and so forth, but are not to destroy or take anything out. As an alternative there is lots of helpful information about places to go rockhounding legally in Oregon, or you could join up with a local rockhound club and learn through them as well. Whichever way you choose it's still up to us to be responsible for the actions we take, so knowing the laws will be important regarding collecting. This is the same for collecting or digging at posted mine claims, on private lands, etc. The reason I'm sharing all this with you is because I am passionate about protecting the natural resources we have left in Oregon. In so many cases what seemed like a simple act of innocence by taking only a couple of rocks, sometimes escalates to bringing in and filling several dump trucks with obsidian from Glass Buttes, breaking off or chipping away irreplaceable cave formations from caves that are now gated and locked away from public access, or many reports of mine claim jumping and trespass on private land. I hope you will consider this response in the manner in which it was intended, so hopefully in the future we can retain the privilege of legal rock collecting in Oregon. When I was in my late teens I worked as a field assistant for a prospecting company based out of Colorado that was owned by a Canadian mining corporation. In the fall of 1980 we did geophysics surveys and filed several claims in eastern Oregon. My wife and I went back to eastern Oregon on a collecting trip in 1990 and I would love to go again before I get too old to. I know that there have been a lot of fed related changes since then but at that time most federal controlled land in eastern Oregon could be collected on and claims could be filled on. So in looking at a map of the Steens Mt./Wildhorse Creek/Lake area posted on the web, it appears that this is a BLM managed area. www.blm.gov/visit/wildhorse-creek-wild-and-scenic-riverAnd according to the following linked rockhound resource web site, lands... "Managed By Bureau of Land Management Regulations “Gold and silver may be prospected for with hand tools including pans and metal detectors… Recreational panning which does not involve mechanical equipment is permitted in wilderness and wilderness study areas if it does not create surface disturbance or impair the environment.” “Gemstones and common rock specimens may be collected for private use on unclaimed sites.” “Common invertebrate fossils such as plants, mollusks, and trilobites may be collected for personal use in reasonable quantities, but may not be bartered or sold.” “Petrified wood may be collected up to 25 pounds plus one piece per person per day, with a maximum of 250 pounds per person per year. Permits are required for pieces over 250 pounds.” Exceptions & Details In addition to the local regulations set for each National Conservation Area, there are some important exceptions and restrictions to take note of: • Collecting specimens in the Red Rock Canyon and the Sloan Conservations Areas is not permitted • Do not take anything from private mining claims • Restricted areas and mining claim records can be viewed in BLM offices • You may only take ‘reasonable amounts’ of material from BLM land • You may not sell or trade the material you collect • No digging or surface disturbance is allowed • No vertebrate fossils may be collected • No cultural materials such as arrowheads and artifacts may be removed" rockhoundresource.com/rock-collecting-on-public-land-laws-rules-and-etiquette/So based on this page it would appear that some limited surface collecting is allowed. If this is not correct is there a website you can direct us to for accurate information? Thank you!
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Sept 16, 2023 20:06:32 GMT -5
...Lacquer thinner is a stronger solvent than acetone and Neoprene gloves are recommended when handling lacquer thinner. Lacquer thinner is not stronger than acetone, they are just different. I have tried lacquer thinner on some adhesives and it didn't loosen the adhesive at all but acetone worked like a champ. Rockoonz, man, that MEK is nasty stuff and super carcinogenic but it works well in some instances. I try to avoid it as much as possible. Perhaps I could have worded it better, but lacquer thinner is a stronger solvent than acetone in the context of Health Hazard. Acetone has a Health hazard rating of 1 while blends of lacquer thinners usually have a health hazard rating of 2 or even 3. Hence the recommendation to wear neoprene gloves which are usually impervious to ingredients in lacquer thinner blends.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Sept 15, 2023 21:48:40 GMT -5
Many times I've soak these in lacquer thinner overnight in a Rubbermaid polypropylene plastic food container with a lid. The next day I scrape off any remaining residue with putty knife and then clean up the aluminum disc with fresh lacquer thinner and steel wool. If you choose to do this be sure to follow all of the safety precautions on the lacquer thinner label. Lacquer thinner is a stronger solvent than acetone and Neoprene gloves are recommended when handling lacquer thinner.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Sept 6, 2023 16:36:06 GMT -5
These days most folks who are willing to slab for a share of average materials take every other slab. Years ago before saws, blades, oil and electricity got so expensive it used to be every third slab.
The last price I saw for slabbing for cash was $1 per square inch. Which would limit the practicality of contracting to have most average materials slabbed- which may have been the ultimate goal of the one doing the pricing/slabbing.
I have more material waiting to slab than I have decent weather temperatures and tolerable humidity to do so. So I don't slab for others. But even if that weren't the case I would still try to avoid getting shanghaied into slabbing for others. I prefer to have complete freedom to choose what and when I slab. I don't like slabbing certain materials like Brazilian agates, thunder eggs, or any of the very hard nodular shaped agates, and some of the harder agatized woods because these are the materials I have found more likely to be involved in a vise slippage that can damage a blade, or are so hard that they cause undue wear on power feed components. So to me a few agate slabs, or a dollar per square inch isn't worth the risk having an expensive blade replacement or saw repair.
Also I've heard of a couple of situations where people accused the person who did the slabbing for them of stealing material because the person having the slabbing done couldn't comprehend how much loss in sludge waste there is when slabbing. So if you do decide to do contract slabbing it would probably be a good idea to try and make sure the cosigner understands that.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Sept 6, 2023 15:43:12 GMT -5
The Hilquist and Covington are both saws to avoid, unless they practically give them to you and you can resell for a profit for the "good saw" fund. I'd qualify that statement to the Covington 10" and 16" saws should be avoided. But their 700 series which include their 18" thru 24" sizes are pretty well designed with the exception of their clutch systems which are a PITA but are easy enough to hack/bypass and operate without using. I've never used a Hillquist but have heard that their clutch system is a PITA too. But not having used a Hillquist don't know how easy their clutch may be to work around.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Sept 2, 2023 16:29:59 GMT -5
If after letting the solids settle to the bottom of the pail and then pouring the water off as knave suggested, then leave the container open and let the rest of the moisture evaporate off. After saving up several batches then give the dried tumbling sludge to a local potter or to a local pottery class to use in their glazes. Those fine rock particles can make some cool ceramic glazes and the Silicon Carbide from the grit being present in the glaze can create a reduction glaze appearance even when fired in an oxidation environment including in an electric kiln.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Sept 1, 2023 15:46:04 GMT -5
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Aug 22, 2023 23:20:33 GMT -5
There are YouTube videos on cutting cabochons so you may want to check that out. And looking at your initial post I see you are from Fort Wayne. So if you haven't already, you may want to check out the Three Rivers Gem and Mineral Club which meets in Fort Wayne. You can get more info on the club at their website linked here: Edit: For some reason the link won't post. So just goggle "Three Rivers Gem and Mineral Club".
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Aug 19, 2023 21:37:40 GMT -5
I've probably slabbed somewhere around 175 - 200 lbs of Polychrome Jasper. Maybe 5% or so has had the Misty Mountain pattern. And most of that misty Mountain that I have slabbed is grayish/blue and some has red or pink tints in areas. I've never seen that darker blue shown in the Sam Silverhawk link. That is gorgeous!
Madagascar Polychrome Jasper is one of my favorite scenic jaspers. There are a wide range of patterns and colors in this material. The dealers who trade under the "Enter The Earth" trade name import it. They have a retail shop and a warehouse in Asheville, NC. But I've heard that they are moving the warehouse to Tuscon, AZ. Up until covid hit they used to exhibit at the GLW wholesale show in Franklin, NC. Their booth was always one of my must-visit booths. They would bring literally tons of Madagascar Polychrome Jasper to the show and I would spend whatever amount of time it took to inspect every piece in their bins. I have really enjoyed slabbing that material and miss them not exhibiting here any longer. I guess I'm going to have to try and make it to the Tuscon or Denver show one of these years if I want to get to cherry-pick their stash again.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,634
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Post by QuailRiver on Aug 18, 2023 19:58:03 GMT -5
I agree with realrockhound - Misty Mountain Jasper. Which is a pattern variety of Polychrome Jasper (also sometimes called Desert Jasper) from Madagascar.
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