metalsmith
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 26, 2017 14:10:04 GMT -5
I'm away from home for a little while and whilst I hope to continue some lapidary activities, it wouldn't be polite to free-load the power supply where I'm staying, even while my hosts say - and they're probably right - it would be no problem. So this is my stop-gap solution and for some reason - possibly the right? reason - I always wanted to power my tumbler with solar. It was just something I saw happening and now it is.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 26, 2017 12:44:18 GMT -5
I agree with garnet gneiss. Have a lot of it and garnet schist, garnet amphibolite, garnet anorthosite and garnet in quartz around here. Was just out yesterday in the area and brought back a few pieces of the garnet gneiss. Also found a really cool garnets in blue quartz. Seen a lot of garnets in the white quartz, but never the blue. This material has native metal in it too. ETA I Google gneiss. Gneiss is a metamorphic granite. With stripes. Nothing about this is striped. That is why I suggested Granulite; the rock endures virtually complete melting & recrystallisation. Tectonic pressure causes the alternation of foliate and granulitic textures in gneiss (gneissose texture); the foliation is absent in granulite.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 26, 2017 3:13:40 GMT -5
I'm no wizard, and my stones aren't giving me any magic. This started out with just going to be face polished, but is more of a double cab, pity the material has so many flaws between the layers. Calcite Eye Flawed but still quite amazing. Like the most of us. I would never have guessed there was an eye lurking in that rough. Did you suspect / know it would turn out like this?
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 25, 2017 14:27:37 GMT -5
Simply.beautiful.cut
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 25, 2017 10:50:12 GMT -5
Enough for what? What are u powering up? A small tumbler (or 2), a facetter for a couple of hours per night & micro bench grinder; add a lortone beaver 4 wheel 1/3 hp engine when I find one: I use the latter 3 alternately, not contemporaneously of course, not being that talented!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 25, 2017 4:50:33 GMT -5
Things must have moved on a bit if the UK is good for solar. I stumbled across this youtube video and with a careful bit of ebaying have secured all the components inc 12- 240 v transformer and circuit breaker for around £85. I just need a battery now, which I need to research before choosing a 2nd hand car battery or a new 12v leisure type but comes in at £15 - £22, so all in for under a ton (£100). Does anyone know wither 12AmpHours would suffice? I'll be connecting a 60W solar cell (assume low efficiency for typical northern England cloud cover). It will take a while for the various components to collect but putting it together looks to be easy enough. I thought I'd share the link if anyone else is interested. If you are, read the comments. The poster of the video presents well, but there are couple of technical issues that are a little adrift. For example I bought a 20amp breaker rather than 100 for a 150 w transformer off 12 v this should be fine... according to my rough calculations Images to be posted when there's anything to show and on further progress.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 23, 2017 13:37:28 GMT -5
I live in Toivola, which means hope in Finnish. Sumalianen is the Finish people, I am not Finish but have lots of HOPE! The Finish language is the hardest language in the world, I believe the Lord of the Rings was written in finn. Here is a couple of bumper stickers up nordth aye. " paska tapahtuu" and "Sisu". So my rambling in over... So why Toiv0, because unless your little bad no one forgets your name. I thought that Toivola might be in Finland. We were practically neighbours for a minute. Oh well...
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 23, 2017 0:58:02 GMT -5
Beautiful work and with poor vision you say?! Very neat.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 23, 2017 0:44:12 GMT -5
Very nice! I like that one with the druzy center best, but they are all nice. Can't nit pick, at all. Looks like you know exactly what you are doing. I gotta ask.... how weird was it to go from those agates to a stone as soft as pinolith? I bet you were reaching for the speed dial- like a genie has one. LOL! Those things are so soft! Yes, definitely a big switch! The pinolith was really soft. I had to be careful with that one. So fun! Thank you. Beautiful work - you've gone pro in no time! Similar to changing the speed is stepping up the grade. I've effectively polished away boulder opal on a #1200 rather than ground it away as it would be so easy to grind through some important features even though it can be quite a hard stone. Soft stones are so much easier to get a flat on though so great work here!
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 23, 2017 0:37:48 GMT -5
Lovely stone and cool, work. It's pretty well known that a black background will set an opal off well. Did you make the doublet too?
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 22, 2017 17:42:25 GMT -5
Normal? What does that mean? The fact is you can be in the 99.99999th percentile and still be normal. Mental health ... everybody's got one
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 22, 2017 15:07:51 GMT -5
Lapidarian From the planet lapidarius! I think you may be talking lapidarite again
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 22, 2017 1:18:49 GMT -5
It looks like very high quality black spiderweb turquoise from Number Eight mine, now discontinued, so can only be sourced from old stock. I suggest you research this for confidence and price accordingly.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 22, 2017 1:10:29 GMT -5
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 22, 2017 1:07:34 GMT -5
Thought this might turn out the whole thing was plated. Sorry for your moment of abject terror.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 22, 2017 1:01:53 GMT -5
@shotgunner Now that's nice. Sorry, I mean that's gneiss: Garnet Gneiss. Look on the bright side at least it isn't shist. Similar things going on here: See here I will adjust (/correct) myself... This sample reminds me of a garnet (I was thinking 'schist') at Scourie in Scotland I encountered many years ago. So, just checking up - I have some around somewhere - I discovered that is considered to be a granulite ( see the facies diagram here). Depending on the tectonic setting of your sample, this might also apply, particularly since, what was bugging me, is the mineralogy of your piece doesn't appear to have much by the way of structure which gneiss tends to have and hence by the degree of melt you had identified it as granite. You might have to dig around, do some research or speak to local geological authorities (museum / university) to confirm, but yes, I thought 'granulite' might add to the possibilities here.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 21, 2017 17:50:17 GMT -5
Another shot at this: azurite with tenorite - copper oxide
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 21, 2017 15:00:33 GMT -5
Pyrrhotite: streak dark grey-black but the visible colour was silver not bronze-brown. I'm sure I've seen a variant of pyrite that was very pale. Just need to rattle my brains (not as hard as the last guy did) to see if I can remember what it is.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 21, 2017 14:49:49 GMT -5
Haha - and mine! Thought it was just my connection.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Mar 21, 2017 1:20:43 GMT -5
Pretty red, vivid red and Ooo that red are all great, but I really like Storm On Jupiter ... wow!
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