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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 29, 2017 9:13:01 GMT -5
Great job. love the snowflake Don't be scared to try some good stuff too. I teach cabbing at my club and I always have an assortment of good quality material in my tool box to give to students to use for their first couple of cabs. It just makes it so much more special if their first finished gem is a gorgeous stone. This. Just go ahead and use the good stuff now - you won't ruin it. You've done enough cabs now that you get the general idea. Now it is time to make it (even) more fun! If later you decide you don't like how you domed one or something, you can always redo it.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 29, 2017 9:09:28 GMT -5
Can't wait to see a proper picture of that Needles Blue, that looks like a sweet one.
Search for a thread by LarryS about maybe 3 years ago about dopping. He and a bunch of people shared some solutions they had - Larry ended up finding some double sided tape that worked well, as weird as that sounds, and he posted good links to it.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 19:48:40 GMT -5
I see that it's a two month event. Is it better to go earlier or later during the show? Assuming there's more stuff towards the beginning of the show, or do vendors come and go at different times?. Are prices any lower towards the end? I go at the very beginning, to DG, because the primo material gets bought up fast. There's still lots of good material the whole month, but things like bird's eye palm root, woodward ranch biscuits, etc. go fast. I'm trying to buy fewer but nicer slabs now so that's important for me. I also go during Pow Wow because there's new and different material from the dealers that skip DG and only go to Pow Wow. I can't speak to discounts later on but have heard people say yes, there are discounts available.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 18:24:20 GMT -5
What's the best/nearest airport to fly to? If you're flying commercial, probably Phoenix, although Ontario wouldn't be bad either. If you're flying your own plane, don't know, would just depend on which closest little airport had rental cars available.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 18:09:25 GMT -5
DG is running. DG runs from 1/1 through say 2/15ish. Pow Wow, which is a different event at a different location, runs for 5 days each year only. This year it is 1/17 to 1/21. It is always Wed through Sun. Some of the dealers from DG pick up and move to Pow Wow for the week, or move some of their rough over there and have someone run their DG booth for them. But they're both running. Edited to clarify: as far as I know, Tony doesn't go to Pow Wow; he stays at DG the whole time he's there. The BBQ is scheduled during Pow Wow week because that's when most people want to go, since there are two shows running. There are many dealers that only sell at Pow Wow, so going that week is a good idea. There are also a couple of other "shows", which are really just "shopping areas", that will also be running during Pow Wow week. Tyson Wells, Pioneer Somethingorother, etc. For your first time though, you'll probably have enough on your plate seeing DG and Pow Wow. There are also less "rocky" "shows" all over the place there. All sorts of gee gaws, knick knacks, hippie stuff, weird oddities, and cheap Chinese imports to be had. I managed to score 9 of the perfect kind of sink drain mesh sifter things for $1 last year. You can get custom carved signs, flags and banners of all sorts, wind chimes galore, used stuff, etc etc etc. There's a Mexican import place over by the Dollar General near Pow Wow where I hope to score a couple huge painted Mexican garden pots this year. You know the ones that are over $100 at Armstrong's? And there are other mysterious mind-bending things you'll see around town that I don't want to spoil for you by telling about them. Wondrous wacky place! No reason for anybody to be bored during daylight hours in Quartzsite.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 17:34:32 GMT -5
Hi aDave. As far as I know, Tony has always had his bbq right there at his booth at DG, although timing wise, it is held during the Pow Wow. Is that right Scott @shotgunner?
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 16:25:10 GMT -5
Or just put a cap on it when you're not using it. Or a grate on the end of it. You can always think about that stuff later though after using it a bunch.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 14:39:36 GMT -5
TheRock Hm. Well the drain line will be empty except when you're using it. But I guess the water dribbling down it would freeze and block it?
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 11:35:47 GMT -5
In honor of @melhill going to Quartzsite for the first time this year, I thought I'd start a thread with advice and what-to-expect stuff. Hopefully everybody will chime in with things they think of. And ask any and all questions! So here goes, with most of my comments being aimed at the Desert Gardens show, which technically runs from 1/1 until whenever all the vendors leave, probably end of January ish, but I'm not sure. I'm assuming here that you're going in that time window sometime. Desert Gardens location: DG is easy to find. It looks like an outdoor swapmeet, and is on the south side of the freeway, east of Love's, between Q's two freeway exits. Just get on the frontage road to the south of the freeway and you can't miss it. Tony's booth (Idaho Rock Shop) is on the east side, north east corner. Can't miss it. That's a good place to park and start. Tony has lots of good stuff. There is parking on the east end and west end of the show. Hours: Generally speaking, the vendors at DG are LAZY-SLEEPY-MOFOS! (said with love. All things about Q and Q sellers are said with love.) They don't wake up, emerge from their campers and uncover their rocks until about 9:30-10am usually. By about 9:15 I'm always sitting in my car tapping my feet impatiently, muttering "Daylight is burning! Time's a ticking! Get outta bed and sell me some rocks!". Very important note - During the Q shows, Arizona is one hour ahead of California. If you're sleeping in CA, plan accordingly. MoneyThe dealers appreciate cash. There's no ATM (currently) at DG. I think maybe there is one at Pow Wow but can't remember. AFAIK, the main cash machine nearby is in the Love's gas station. It's basically next door, so not a huge deal, until you see the lines and parking situation at Love's. Love's is to be avoided at all costs, as it is total chaos (every tourist driving past stops there). Some dealers will take credit cards, but as of last year at least, there was no wifi for them at DG, and the cell phone coverage for Square was pretty poor. Also, call your credit card company before you go, and warn them you are about to be in Australia buying something, then in Pakistan, then in Mexico, within 15 minutes of each other. I guess that's what it looks like to the credit card company when these vendors from all over start sending in the charges. Also, checks are good if you might buy a new cabbing machine or something like that. As far as how much money to bring, just bring it all. Estimate how much you're willing to spend, then double it. Then double it again. That might be enough. FoodThere are a couple of very small food vendors at DG. But they're always way on the other side of the show from where you are. And the quality can vary. Last year there was an extremely delicious Dog Dealer, who had great brats and smokey dogs and such like. (Update: He's gone. Now there is a Philipino Food cart that seemed to be pretty good, but I only ate there once because I forgot to eat lunch. There's also a middle eastern food truck - looked good). But other years, there has just been a burger stand. So, bringing your own snacks is definitely in order. There are fast food restaurants (Carls, McD, I think Burger King - no Jack in the Box, Subway inside Love's) in town, so if that's your thing, you can zip over there. Expect long slow drive thru lines. But you definitely want to bring some granola bars or snacky type things and water/soda in your bag. WeatherWeather varies. Every now and then there are a few days in a row with beautiful 70 degree weather and sunny skies. But not usually, unfortunately. I've seen it very cold (below freezing), but no snow. And frequently there is at least some rain. One important thing is that the slab buckets often freeze overnight. So there are some seriously cold finger situations going on all the time. I've found that neoprene scuba diving gloves are a total life saver - they keep your fingers mostly dry, and still keep you warm when they're wet. People are always remarking they wished they had some. Hand warmers for your pockets are also quite nice some years. You want a rain coat/umbrella in the car, and you for sure need a windproof light jacket. Also, sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen! It's bright out, even when it's cold. BathroomsDG now has nice-ish bathrooms. If you're desperate, there are a couple of 2-stall bathroom buildings - one on the Northwest Corner, and one in the middle of the east side. They're usually a bit lot dirty by the end of the day though. The better option, if you can make it over there, is the big green bathroom/shower building at the south-east corner. It's a mobile home basically. Has sinks etc too and sometimes warm water! RestaurantsSo the dealers (LAZY-MOFOS, REMEMBER?) start closing up shop while there's still quite a bit of light out. 4:30 or 5. So plan on having pleeeennnnty of time to kick around being bored in the evenings. As far as I know, there's nothing to actually DO in Quartzsite or in Blythe in the evenings - no movie theaters etc. Also, none of the restaurants I've tried in Q have actually been any good. If anybody has any recommendations, let's hear them! Update: Ate at Taco Mio this year. No change to my assessment of "no good restaurants". Didn't get food poisoning however, so there's that.) A vendor told me Silly Al's Pizza is good. Pow Wow - ParkingIf you go during PowWow, it's a bit different than DG. It appears more like your average swap meet, except that every booth sells rocks or rock-related items. Parking is kind of annoying at Pow Wow, but there are usually spaces around the edges or in the lot at the southwest corner. Pay attention to the no parking signs. AT Pow Wow, it's a lot farther back to your car, so plan on bringing everything you need for the day with you. Pow Wow - Food.Food at pow wow is made and sold in the main kitchen in the building in the middle of the show. It's pretty good, but the line can get long. Pow Wow - HoursPow Wow cracks the whip on their dealers, and (I believe, correct me if I'm wrong) makes them open at 9 and stay open till 5. Pow Wow - Dealers.The really expensive stuff is in the indoor building at the center. There is some really beautiful jewelry, turquoise, etc. in there. Last year, the Blue Mountain Jasper guy (Orca? on ebay) was inside there, as well as a guy selling #8 turquoise, the Royston mine people and sombody selling stunning variscite for obscene prices. As well as a lot of beautiful jewelry. The outside dealers have all of the rough and slabs pretty much, and equipment. Pow Wow - Location. This sounds wierd, but Pow Wow is kind of hard to find. Get on the main drag on the north side of the freeway, between Q's two freeway offramps. The fairgrounds, where the show is, is between the main drag and the freeway, but you can't see if from the road. Just get yourself about halfway along there, then start looking for other cars turning in. There's a particular street that leads into it, with a very small sign. But you just have to kind of drive around till you find it if there aren't a bunch of other cars going at the same time. Hope others will chime in with more info and pictures! I have some pics I can add later too. Oh, somebody talk about the post office and the grocery stores too. Map of Quartzsite, with points of interest marked, editable by anybody: Map of Quartzsite
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 10:48:14 GMT -5
Oh mannnn . . . I always get really ancy when I hear tales of vendors setting up early. You know they trade all the best material amongst themselves before we common folk get there . . . I can only imagine what treasures are changing hands at this very moment! (well, later today - folks at Q don't wake up early).
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 10:45:03 GMT -5
Thanks. It was kind of tricky holding the little black and white sticks on the flat lap. Sometimes I'm very thankful to have fairly small fingers! Well, not small for a girl, but it would be much harder for a large-handed guy to hold them. I'm hoping to finish it up this weekend.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 10:43:27 GMT -5
Beautiful work! I too like the clean style. Also, that Chrysocolla - wow!
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 10:38:48 GMT -5
TheRock Duke, I just had a thought, as I've been cabbing lately. Since you'll have a CabKing (I gather you got the 8" - sweet!). With the CabKing, you have a constant need for water. I have a 2 gallon bucket as my source (with the pump in it), and a 2 gallon bucket as my outlet. This setup, however, is suboptimal, and requires emptying the waste bucket and refilling the source bucket too many times - about one bucket per hour. You, being a strong dude, could probably do it with 5 gallon buckets, and that would give you several hours of cabbing time between bucket shuffling. However, if you could find a way to use a much bigger source bucket, and somehow plumb the waste out the side of the wall to the flowerbed outside, that would be a nice improvement. Also, adding a small immersion heater to warm the water might be nice. Not too hot that it would damage the pump, but warmer than tap temperature. I often fill my source bucket with warm/hot water, and I live in nice warm SoCal! In Michigan, even though your shop is heated (right?), I would think warm water to cab with would be extra nice. Mostly though, direct-plumbing the waste water outside would be super useful.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 10:22:59 GMT -5
Fun group! Those flints are still rolling off the presses I see = beautiful!
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 28, 2017 10:00:46 GMT -5
No problemo! If it weren't for Harbor Freight and Ikea, I don't know what I'd do.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 27, 2017 16:31:30 GMT -5
Here you go TheRock: BD-10 ManualI think that should work. Hard to link to a pdf. I have one of These Harbor Freight Polypropylene Utility Cart, based on the advice of somebody else here. It works well - provides a work surface and portability. Just the right size so the saw can go sideways (cross ways) on the forward half of the cart, leaving the back half for the misc junk you want at hand when cutting.
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 27, 2017 14:10:42 GMT -5
Happy Birthday! Cheers! (imagine beer glass raising emoji here).
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 27, 2017 11:15:05 GMT -5
Thanks. I looked at my existing dishwasher hose, and it's a heavier plastic. This plastic is really soft and flexible/flimsy. Good idea about taking it to the store - I'll do that!
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 27, 2017 11:13:54 GMT -5
I started a couple new intarsias this weekend. Here is the more intricate of the two - I'll post the other later after I polish it, since it's simpler and almost done. Step one: cut matchsticks and glue them together. Jet and Howlite. Then cut them and grind front down so that 3 sides are flat. Back side doesn't matter. Choosing which bits and pieces of turquoise to use. The design (sorry I didn't take a pic of it by itself). I started with the bottom right segment. Glued the turquoise pieces onto the striped bit. Then I lapped the left face flat and laid out the other two bits of the bottom half. Glue added More glue added Getting the top half ready. Dang cat hair. Construction done. I only glued my finger to the rock once. Oops. Here's what the back looks like. This is using my teacher's method, where you try to line up the fronts of the pieces as closely as possible (to minimize grinding and waste later), then fill in the back with steel epoxy. Mel's instructor (and I think Pat's too) taught the opposite - glue the pieces on a flat backer. These pieces were such different thicknesses I didn't want to bother grinding them even later. The other piece I did this weekend I did the other way, which worked out nicely for cabbing and it has a tidier look to it. Next step will be to epoxy the back, lap the back flat, cut the preform, and cab it. I'll probably do a very low dome. Thanks for watching!
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Post by Bluesky78987 on Nov 26, 2017 14:02:44 GMT -5
I'm planning to enter too, but my agates are only on the 600 wheel - I better get busy!
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