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Post by Peruano on Jan 14, 2022 13:52:02 GMT -5
I found a chunk of the original Howardite (Rattlesnake Jasper) in a lot of material passed to me from a friend whose father had a claim in Virgin Valley Nevada. It was quite a contrast from one side of the rough to the other with one having the characteristic scale pattern (chevrons?) versus the subtle browns and tans in diffuse bands. I still have a bit of the original but the best part was passed on to a friend with better lapidary and marketing skills than I have.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 12, 2022 15:07:33 GMT -5
At the risk of setting off hysteria and envy and unkind comments about my wisdom, I'm tempted to say the colors and pattern remind me of Howardite (i.e. rattlesnake jasper), but . . . 1. we know its rare; 2. we know Tommy is smart enough to not let it slip through his fingers; and 3. I'm going just on appearance. Mind you, I'm not saying its rattle snake jasper, it just has some inclination along that line for my aged eye.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 12, 2022 15:01:12 GMT -5
Are the yellow plumes soft, i.e. likely to become depressions as you polish the face? If so thicker is better, leaving you some room to fill and re-polish if necessary. Nice stuff. Similar to some less spectacular stuff I bought in Marfa. I puzzled over it a long time and still have tiny unfinished cabs.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 8, 2022 8:31:29 GMT -5
I should have been a bit more explicit. There will be old fellows from Nevada selling rocks from their own secret claim; there will be characters from Australia standing beside two shipping containers of rock; there will be a couple of guys with pieces of tiger eye or that are larger than your car, or a lady showing you more agates from Argentina than you can imagine exist in any place outside of Argentina. There will be bejeweled hippies (some needing a bath), old desert rats running saws, suburban ladies, rotund retirees, and yes a cross section of America in a flea market atmosphere, but with a great variety of rock and rock related stuff. Tony usually is in the near NE corner near the parking on the east end (Idaho Rock is the name; hospitality, rocks, and equipment is the game). Be sure and stop to chat with him. I can almost guarantee you will find rocks you didn't know existed and yes even some that you didn't know you needed. Its far different from any rockshop or rock show I've ever been to.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 7, 2022 16:42:18 GMT -5
Bob BobYou may want to go to the PowWow but it sounds rather like you want to the "rock swap" lineup that is in Desert Gardens RV area (second= western Quartzite exit) near the Loves Station. Go along the rows of venders in the line next to the highway and you will find Tony's site. This is a collage of venders selling rough, equipment, and specimens. Its a blast to see the amounts of material that is there. If you don't find something of interest you are not into rocks. I've been up to the PowWow area, but its not the same for me. Alas I'm not going to make it this year. I'm saving my coins to pay for a new heater/cooler for the shop.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 4, 2022 11:36:10 GMT -5
I guess I'll junk the wheels and buy some more 3" wides. Thanks for the info.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 4, 2022 11:33:05 GMT -5
A slight automotive smell is enough to put me off. Horse laxative makes my hands soft and has no odor to my aged nose.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 4, 2022 8:55:58 GMT -5
Am I crazy or out of date. I inherited a machine with 8" expando wheels that are 2" wide. Every belt for 8" that I've seen is 3" wide. Can they be bought or is this a fabricate your own situation. I'm reluctant to cut up an expensive diamond belt. Pending no other alternative, I'll replace the wheels.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 3, 2022 7:53:12 GMT -5
Streak should help a lot in id. I'm guessing that jet will leave a black streak, much like a lead pencil. It certainly stains the water black on a cab machine. Hematite or Limonite would give a red or light brownish streak. Jet is soft and might be scratched (on the back please) with knife blade. This looks to have been carved by human hands. The grooves look to sharp to be nature formed. I'm assuming it did not come out of the lake with a hole. One way out speculation to consider is that it is a very hard seed. It has a biological look in a strange sort of way. Keep us informed.
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Post by Peruano on Jan 3, 2022 7:45:12 GMT -5
When I renovated an old slab saw of unknown specs, I initially fired it up with water in the tank. This gave me a basis of seeing the saw run, determining the volume of lubricant needed, and ways to fit a hood to control splash, spray, and mist. Importantly I drained the water after a couple of hours and felt supported in investing in a new blade, adequate oil, and improvising a hood. I have a 14/16 Highland Park saw that certainly does not take 5 gallons (probably closer to 3 gallons). Enjoy the restoration process and the saw once its purring. Ask questions. We are generous with advice.
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Post by Peruano on Dec 30, 2021 13:42:34 GMT -5
In the most simplistic explanation possible, there were two major lines of evolution in the reptile world. The early lines gave rise to turtles, crocodilians, dinosaurs and birds. Maternal behavior (guarding of nests, guarding of young, and feeding of young occurs in all of these groups (especially the latter 3). Turtles are known to protect nests but are less obvious maternal care candidates. The other evolutionary line led to tuataras, snakes and lizards. While there is some parental care in some snakes and lizards, it would appear that its a secondary innovation that popped up several times and not carried from their ancient lineage. Alligators and crocodilians guard nests, guard the young, carry them around in their mouths and on their backs and respond to distress call of the young. Sounds like the maternal care we think of in birds doesn't it. There is a lot of evidence that points to similar behaviours in dinosaurs. I should point out that the maternal care we see in mammals is an independent innovation all related to mammary glands allowing preemie young and many other features of mammals.
BTW maternal care has evolved many times independently in amphibians. But that is a different story.
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Post by Peruano on Dec 30, 2021 13:29:25 GMT -5
I have a friend whose son encountered a play friend who boasted that his dad was a doctor. My friends son replied, my Dad's a thinking doctor. Whether that makes him a real people is debatable. RPMs are like grenades. Close is good enough. Me I'm playing with mixing 6" and 8" wheels on the same arbor. Ideally the 6" will be contacting the stone at a slower speed, a desired situation for polishing some stones.
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Post by Peruano on Dec 22, 2021 8:25:34 GMT -5
My weakness is green Chile peanut brittle. The red is good too.
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Post by Peruano on Dec 18, 2021 12:59:32 GMT -5
In the US we call it corn nuts, but in South America we call it tostada. Its basically toasted corn that does not pop, but retains a healthy crunch. In New Mexico we doctor it with red or green chile powder. We were buying several packages to take to Ill for Christmas and happened to catch the lady make the secret mixture of red chile powder with the toasted corn nuts. The large red bags behind her are the red chile before its ground to a powder for chile powder. Its great stuff if you get a chance.
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Post by Peruano on Dec 17, 2021 7:45:14 GMT -5
If this was Jeopardy and I was going for the big money on naming the rock that you showed us in the unpolished state, I would be torn between saying quartzite and chert. Quartzite often has that textured surface(even when fine grained within) and often has stripes/layering and other color differences that are somewhat blurred (not the crisp lines of an agate). Chert could show such lines and orbs and again usually more likely to be blurred (not crisply defined). But . . . this is not the great show where everybody is glad to look foolish for a prize they don't need so, I'll just say they are gorgeous rocks once they pass through your hands. Quartzite gets a bad name but its a great lapidary rock if you are willing to stray from the path and wander in the meadows of nature. Merry Christmas.
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Post by Peruano on Dec 16, 2021 6:15:11 GMT -5
Its a possibility that Pat and I will attend if "the creek does not rise" and we do know that high waters are threatening in lots of places.
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Post by Peruano on Dec 14, 2021 7:34:28 GMT -5
Not expensive if what you get out the final pile is "priceless". You may need to figure in the cost of the orthopedic surgeon for your thumb restoration. Enjoy!
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Post by Peruano on Dec 9, 2021 6:50:25 GMT -5
Is it solid or do some of those big chunks tend to break out like peanut jasper or wild horse jaspers. Dynamite patterns in my humble eye.
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Post by Peruano on Dec 7, 2021 11:52:15 GMT -5
There are two issues here. Is it all the same? and Are the differences important a. to Bob; b. to most of the community.
Certainly specific gravity and viscosity vary and are important (to me). I can tell that the particulates (rock flour) settle out markedly in light oils (forming a almost dried paint layer in the saw tank) and tend to stay suspended forming a pudding mud in heavier oils. If the crap is being carried to your blade big time rather than less so, it probably is affecting your cutting temp and rate. However that being settled out versus suspended sure influences how to and how often the saw is cleaned. I use both heavy and light oils and in fact tend to mix them in response to seasonal temperatures. The thick stuff is a bit too stiff in winter shop temps. Saw oil is like many other consumer products -- you can spend as much as you want, but price is important too!
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Post by Peruano on Dec 7, 2021 7:47:45 GMT -5
Wherever I have drips or anticipate them I place a cake pan, tin foil tray, or what have you with a slight bit of "oildri" (clay like absorbent). This is especially important under capped clean outs, bearings of saws, and other openings of the slab saws. A bit of oil on a wood work bench surface is not a problem and easily wiped up. For my specific work station, I use a plastic art cutout board (easy to wipe off when need arises, grid lines for planning, stainproof, replaceable, and no cracks for little findings etc to hide in. Early on I prowled the aisles of Habitat for Humanity recycling store for used faux marble, bath surround sheeting. Its great for cleanability, but tends to be breakable if abused with blunt force. Its Corian on the cheap for my shop! Its somewhat pleasing to wipe the oil film off the top of my plexiglass saw cover, or the tumbler grit/film off of the plastic or "corian"=like surfaces and restore them to a clean state.
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