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Post by tims on Sept 17, 2020 20:55:19 GMT -5
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Post by tims on Sept 16, 2020 20:00:05 GMT -5
I've never had issues linking to photos before, but today I can't seem to get it to work. It shows fine during message composition but when I post the message it's gone. Any known issues today? TIA
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Post by tims on Sept 16, 2020 19:51:53 GMT -5
I tried this with normal Elmer's glue and it's a pain, just won't stick to the copper when dry. I'll try that school glue and see if it works better. Was tempted to try rubber cement but it would probably gum up the saw and make a real mess. And after fiddling together a template for an oval pendant i'm really tempted to start making all my cabs round or square lol. Anyway thanks again for the tutorial i really like this style.
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Post by tims on Jul 20, 2020 21:55:00 GMT -5
Pretty little teepee. Wrapping odd shaped tumbles is no picnic and that looks really nice.
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Post by tims on Jul 16, 2020 0:02:44 GMT -5
150 / 180 sounds like a decent survival rate. Beautiful stones though ... it probably hurts to lose any.
FWIW i have an old digital camera, and i've found that shooting against a really light background produces weird pictures as opposed to shooting against a neutral color. I think your pics look pretty good, but maybe something to try.
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Post by tims on Jul 8, 2020 22:50:15 GMT -5
Very nice! I like how you can see the fractures so well. Easy to work around! Some really nice material Cut a few preforms from one slice today and yeah, there were some fractures ... thanks for the reminder to (try to) avoid them. I'll have to shape these to compensate for trimming inside the lines like the amateur i am. Diced a thick end cut into rough cubes without trying to avoid the cracks so i look forward to those falling apart, probably during final polish Hopefully i can salvage something pretty from it.
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Post by tims on Jul 7, 2020 23:28:05 GMT -5
Automatic slurry-thickness alarm. You gotta patent that. Pretty glass James you got it dialed in tight.
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Post by tims on Jul 7, 2020 23:19:46 GMT -5
Some great stones. #3, 10 and 14 really grabbed me and love the picks. Thanks for sharing.
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Post by tims on Jul 7, 2020 18:33:44 GMT -5
I don't get to play with slabs often, but just seeing how you marked that to dice it up is really helpful. That's gorgeous material, like "standard" fortification and seam agate all in one.
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Post by tims on Jul 6, 2020 19:21:39 GMT -5
There’s a lot of nice colors in that stuff and plenty of cabs to I bet your glad you didn’t use a sledge hammer on it now. Definitely. It was an empty threat anyway ... i'd have kept it as a yard ornament before taking a hammer to it.
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Post by tims on Jul 6, 2020 14:45:39 GMT -5
Got a few slices off this rock, and the very generous offer to go back and whittle on it some more. It was too long to cut lengthwise but now that it's shortened up I'm tempted to turn it and cut perpendicular to the direction of these cuts ... maybe consolidate some of the real colorful areas. About 15# left to play with.
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Post by tims on Jun 30, 2020 0:51:10 GMT -5
Nice and tight, good looking wrap sir.
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Post by tims on Jun 28, 2020 16:41:28 GMT -5
I'd second what Mike said, if anyone is looking for directions etc I don't mind sharing the little i know. Mid spring to early Summer (April - June) might be a better time anyway, we got a lot of moisture early this year so now it's a challenge to find bare ground through all the grass. Plus now that it's drying out the fire danger is going up fast. And i went out to teepee yesterday for some relief from the heat, but it had to be 90+ even up in the hills. Rocks were too hot to hold lol.
Re the pandemic, hardly anyone in this area even acknowledges it's an issue (unless they're prying for more govt handouts). Not that that decreases the risk of course.
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Post by tims on Jun 27, 2020 21:26:38 GMT -5
If you do make it to the Buffalo Gap / Fairburn area (or the agate beds in NW Nebraska) I won't guarantee you'll find a killer Fairburn agate but there's so much cool material (pet wood, jasper, prairie agate quartz etc.) you can certainly fill a few buckets with fun material. Custer is a neat little town and Deadwood, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Jewel Cave and Wind Cave are right in the vicinity. If you hit Rushmore the Rock Shed is 10 minutes down the hill in Keystone.
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Post by tims on Jun 27, 2020 13:19:37 GMT -5
Yeah, if the offer to get this cut falls through i might have to get creative. Thanks for the suggestions. The guy with the saw insisted he'd cut it for free but maybe i can bribe him with some of the cuts or something to sweeten the deal, i'd love to have nice slabs to work with instead of rough chunks but we'll see. I do intend to give him something, that equipment isn't cheap to maintain.
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Post by tims on Jun 27, 2020 13:08:05 GMT -5
miket hope so I'm in a green 94 explorer and have a Redwings cap permanently affixed to my head for reference. Are you pretty close to the Oglala NG agate beds? I want to get down there again before it gets blistering hot but might not make it this year.
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Post by tims on Jun 27, 2020 3:24:52 GMT -5
Well, Rapid City or Custer would probably be the best locations for the Teepees. I thought about the fairburns also. From Rapid City to the town of Fairburn is about a half hour, Fairburn is about 45 minutes from Custer. There's also Railroad Buttes and Scenic. But honestly, I've had better luck finding fairburns in the Oglala Grasslands here in Nebraska, about an hour and a half from Rapid City or about 45 minutes from Custer. Thanks Mike! Just out of curiosity without putting you on the spot (any more than I already have) and without publicly posting any of your personal collecting locations, on a scale of one to ten how accurate would you say Google's location marked Teepee Canyon is? The pics looked like you guys were at the main quarry where most of the sledge-wielders usually go. Tommy if you're planning a trip up there I'd be happy to give you directions, I live in Newcastle WY and hit that area every week or 2 during the summer. It's almost midway between Custer SD and Newcastle, ~20 miles from either town. Custer is much more suited to the tourist crowd and closer to Mt. Rushmore, Fairburn / Buffalo Gap NG etc. and is right in the hills. Beware the 1st full week of August, the Sturgis Bike Rally usually has everything in the Hills booked up for a week or 2. Newcastle's probably a little easier on the wallet but not as scenic or fun. Our biggest landmark is an oil refinery in the middle of town lol. Let me know if you want map markers or directions.
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Post by tims on Jun 27, 2020 2:28:04 GMT -5
Neat idea. I've been mulling a similar tabbed design using heavy gauge wire hammered flat but that hasn't progressed past daydream stage. Don't know why i never considered sheet copper. I really like how clean and solid your pendants look.
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Post by tims on Jun 26, 2020 22:04:55 GMT -5
You could also get a tile saw for little to nothing, <$100 and have the capacity to cut small to medium rocks at will I've got a 7" tile saw converted to run a 10" lap blade but this piece is 5 or 6 inches thick and 25 pounds, way too big for me to wrestle with on that little saw.
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Post by tims on Jun 26, 2020 14:06:33 GMT -5
I wonder what the chances are finding a crystal pocket in that piece. I noticed in pictures 7&8 that crevasse does have a color change from the red to off white and kinda long. You could possibly check the depth by taking a bristle of a broom may be stiff enough and see if it does go in always. Don’t know if you could shine a flash light in there hard to tell. Just a thought Interesting thought, I'll poke around and see.
I think I found someone who can cut it but he won't have his saw ready until Tuesday, then it's a matter of seeing if the offer is still good. Fingers crossed, will post pics of the interior when / if it happens.
Thanks for all the replys, i'll leave the hammer in the shed
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