metalsmith
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 24, 2017 13:35:47 GMT -5
That's a good place to start. The opal butte (#1) looks lovely.
Also the purple material in #6. What would that be?
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 23, 2017 8:05:05 GMT -5
Ace slabs.
Not being able to get over there I had to do some wallet-emptying in the style of Quartzsite-by-proxy. I'll have to be on 'good-behaviour' for a while now: the rest of the year if the S-U picks up on any 'intel' gone astray.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 23, 2017 8:00:40 GMT -5
Its finally gotten warm enough now that i will look through my slabs... it was 30 below.. too cold to use water! Too cold even for water!  |
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 22, 2017 16:13:30 GMT -5
Good knowledge, thank you!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 22, 2017 13:35:57 GMT -5
Lots of nice looking rocks! I see how good photography skills help here.... No cranking up the sat / contrast now ...  |
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 22, 2017 13:31:58 GMT -5
Since I'm still out of cabbing commission, I'll chuck in a faceted stone as the month's prize. That itself is worth the price of admission!  There's an accolade! Finally I have acquired some PJ. At least it is allegedly en-route... will it get here in time to do anything for this month? Who knows, it's gonna be close! |
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 21, 2017 3:01:37 GMT -5
I'm not much of a facebook person, but have just started one for my summer business. I find it very difficult to use or make sense of. Nevertheless, my kids suggested I do it as most "real" small businesses have a page. If RTH is going away, I would be glad to have anyone who wants join it- might be a way to stay in touch. Don't laugh at the crudeness of the site. Look up Cooke City Rocks on facebook. A kind offer but I'm not on Farcebook and many others here are not. One of my principle objections is that their T's & C's state they assume copyright of any images posted there. Now nobody is breaking down my door asking for my images of rocks, but that's by the by. My fundamental objection stands (cripes - now I'm a fundamentalist Facebook Yorkshire Terrierist!) and the only way to object is to not be there. I think that we just watch the sand drain through the timer without getting over-sensitive about it. What will be will be and there will be a positive end to this, one way or another, involving more or less effort. |
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 20, 2017 13:41:38 GMT -5
Done... thank you for doing this.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 20, 2017 13:40:26 GMT -5
My vote's in!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 20, 2017 3:34:47 GMT -5
Is that you voting yourself up again?  Did you vote up top ... that's where it counts. |
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 19, 2017 17:55:33 GMT -5
I doubt there is much profitability and the running clearly isn't worthwhile or the owner wouldn't be looking for an exit.
The cost should be a reasonably small multiple of the profit, since the admin has to be offset as an overhead.
If the sale isn't to the satisfaction of the community, the value will be based on the historic content only.
Proboards are free to set up and a similar on-theme url can be purchased for not very much.
I'm hoping that the "wasn't enough" was a hold-out to sell to the long-term RTH activists rather than simply profiteering, notwithstanding the owner's right to profit.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 19, 2017 17:42:34 GMT -5
Experiments today found that a piercing saw would just about cut thin lapis. The cutting was very slow, to the point that 100-200 sawing actions resulted in 1mm progress. The cut slot widened to more than the saw-blade thickness, a couple of mm, something similar to the diamond blades I use with a dremel. Given the cutting time, I resorted to the dremel (on my test-piece). My plans are as below. It would be good to cut to achieve both a pendant and two small triangles from the one piece. This depends on thin cuts, similar to the pen-lines, ideally.  (Note: if it's not obvious from the rough, this next piece isn't the slabbette / design above ... that wouldn't have worked out very well at all! ) Inspired by the Lapis slabbette I bought at just 1mm thick, I decided to try my hand cutting this Lapis Lazuli 1mm thick flat buff cabochon ... it worked! Beautifully polished; rubbish pictures - my bad; I'll try again later  |
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 19, 2017 17:32:40 GMT -5
If your lapis ain’t conductive enough you could always try . . .
. . . a new method for machining of nonconductive ceramic workpieces in electric discharge machining (EDM) was developed. Machining surfaces of nonconductive workpieces were coated with a conductive layer (CL) and graphite powder was added to dielectric fluid for machining. Al2O3, ZrO2, SiC, B4C and glass workpiece samples were machined by using the method.
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10910344.2010.500497
That EDM is quite something! |
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 19, 2017 13:45:57 GMT -5
Welcome ottog; it's not retirement, it's just finding a different occupation for your time!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 19, 2017 13:44:32 GMT -5
Great stuff. I have to try this (i.e. doing it properly) one day.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 19, 2017 11:15:21 GMT -5
Newton's rings are from pressure, but I guess the fracture is causing a pressure differential, so yes. Nice pic btw, good example.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 19, 2017 11:08:29 GMT -5
Items above must have gone, but I've given you a follow so I'll see your other listings as they come up (and a follower will make you look more popular to other sellers too). I can't really promise much if any trade, the shipping from the US to the UK can be prohibitive, especially with the weak pound against the dollar at the minute. I do buy on occasion though, if it's something special and there's no harm in keeping a lookout.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 18, 2017 17:26:57 GMT -5
The Graveyard Plume is lovely; not sure I can see the pit though.
Great work
Mmmmmmmmmmmmorgan Hill!
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 18, 2017 16:49:21 GMT -5
It would help to see a picture of what you have and a mark where you want to cut it. I'm not sure I am visualizing it right. Coming right up... 'Cept it isn't ... my phone's out of charge and my charger's at the office. Sorry! Will try tomorrow / fri. |
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Jan 18, 2017 16:32:07 GMT -5
It would help to see a picture of what you have and a mark where you want to cut it. I'm not sure I am visualizing it right. Coming right up... |
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There's an accolade!
