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Post by tims on Sept 21, 2016 20:11:05 GMT -5
This is my current sorting station for washing and sorting misc. stuff excavated from my yard. It's just the tip of a very weighty iceberg.
![](http://westoncountybuyselltrade.com/miscpics/sept212016/001.jpg)
Anyway, found several neat fossils and probable artifacts today. Was losing sun so only the first couple of pieces got usable pics.
This piece is thin and relatively light but i'm pretty sure it's fossilized. Maybe avian?
![](http://westoncountybuyselltrade.com/miscpics/sept212016/fossil2.jpg) ![](http://westoncountybuyselltrade.com/miscpics/sept212016/fossil3.jpg)
And i'm thinking this could be an axe:
![](http://westoncountybuyselltrade.com/miscpics/sept212016/axe1.jpg)
![](http://westoncountybuyselltrade.com/miscpics/sept212016/axe2.jpg)
![](http://westoncountybuyselltrade.com/miscpics/sept212016/axe3.jpg)
![](http://westoncountybuyselltrade.com/miscpics/sept212016/axe4.jpg)
There were several other interesting pieces that i'll photo tomorrow if the sun decides to come out.
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Post by tims on Sept 21, 2016 20:00:19 GMT -5
Nice find bud and go to see another 307 on here Ya need to get you some screens , it will speed you way up !! Even dry panning will throw them to the bottom Exactly ... any watercourses to concentrate at placer deposits? and tims - what is the quality of the stones - facettable?
There are a few shallow washes but no (visible) streams or deep gulleys ... The vegetation is tall right now though, so there might be an obvious watercourse in early spring. I'll try to check the area a little better next trip but I'm wary of tromping around in waist deep grass and bushes. I don't know if rattlesnakes inhabit the hilly elevations, I've never seen one up in the hills, but I do know there are hidden caves and holes all around that area. I might have a better answer next spring ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png)
As far as quality goes, I have no idea what it would take to be facetable. Last summer I took a little medicine bottle full of my grandparents' garnet to a rock shop in Custer in hopes of getting some info. The proprietor told me they were worthless but that she'd gladly take them off my hands. I told her i'd keep them, TYVM, then she proceeded to spill the entire bottle behind her counter. She disappeared behind the counter to sweep them up, and I ended up leaving with about half a little medicine bottle full So now i'm afraid to even show them around and try to get info. Any idea how I might find out more about them?
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Garnet
Sept 21, 2016 15:00:06 GMT -5
Post by tims on Sept 21, 2016 15:00:06 GMT -5
Ah, Rock Springs ... I went to WWCC in 98-99 and those were the 2 best years of my life. Awesome people and a great little college; I think the winters there force people to be warm to compensate That was in my pre-hounding days though and I've always wanted to go back and do some kicking around. The Green River basin and Flaming Gorge area must be awesome, plus the high plateaus probably give you all kinds of variety.
Garage Rocker if I can put some quantity together maybe I could hook you up. Sometimes I feel like a dragon sitting on my horde but I could probably share out a ton or 2 of stuff and have plenty left to perch on.
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Garnet
Sept 21, 2016 3:45:59 GMT -5
Post by tims on Sept 21, 2016 3:45:59 GMT -5
Nice find bud and go to see another 307 on here Ya need to get you some screens , it will speed you way up !! Even dry panning will throw them to the bottom Howdy braders, what part of the state are you in? I'd like to learn how to pan, and this would probably be the perfect material to learn on. Garnet is surprisingly heavy.
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Post by tims on Sept 20, 2016 4:23:09 GMT -5
No saw blade with mine either ... I picked up a 5/8" to 1/2" arbor bushing and will probably try an MK 303 when i get some spending cash.
I like your 2L bottle coolant expansion. For water flow and pressure while grinding you'll probably need to experiment but too wet is probably better than too dry. Good luck and i hope to see some of your results.
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Post by tims on Sept 19, 2016 23:01:14 GMT -5
You are not from Wyoming. You said "bloke" ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Kidding aside, welcome to RTH from another wyo bloke. Be assured, you are not the only one afflicted with i-need-more-equipment-itis. The good news is that this community can help you choose the right equipment, and maybe even inspire you to build some tools of your own.
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Garnet
Sept 19, 2016 18:20:36 GMT -5
Post by tims on Sept 19, 2016 18:20:36 GMT -5
Nice! I'd love to use those as smalls in my tumbler. What kind of quantity would that take? This was a couple hours picking. I think this spot has a virtually inexhaustible supply but picking them out of the dirt is time consuming. Newcastle, Wyoming at the SW edge of the black hills. This patch with garnet is closer to Custer SD.
This rough found along a slate outcropping atop a hill got me started. It's dotted with little embedded garnet:
![](http://westoncountybuyselltrade.com/miscpics/garnetrock.jpg)
At the base of the hill is a little valley surrounded by similar slate-capped hills. I found a nice bare wash in the middle of the valley and crawled around picking loose garnet until the sun set.
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Post by tims on Sept 19, 2016 1:57:18 GMT -5
Incredibly long story short, today i went looking for rose quartz and ended up sniffing out some garnet. ![](http://westoncountybuyselltrade.com/miscpics/garnet.jpg) Not sure what that dark lunker is, but it looks naturally faceted so i kept it for further review. No idea what these might be good for but it was fun sleuthing them out.
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Post by tims on Sept 19, 2016 1:06:58 GMT -5
I picked up the 10" version of the Gem Maker recently and it came with the cast iron lap plate. Is that what you've got with your 6"? How do the Jade Carver laps affix to your plate, are they magnetic?
Regarding rpms, does your 6" have a 4-step pulley on the shaft? I found a pdf copy of the owner's manual for the B&I 10" and it says to use the slowest speed for grinding, but states that it's to avoid throwing the grit off the plate. Since you're going to use a metal lap that shouldn't be an issue, but those run at 1000rpm max so you don't want to use it at a 1:1 pulley ratio from your 1700rpm motor. I'm not expert on pulley conversions but i think (get a second opinion) you'd want the pulley on your Gem Maker to be about twice the diameter of the pulley on your motor to run at a safe speed of ~850ish rpm.
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Post by tims on Sept 14, 2016 22:11:00 GMT -5
Thanks for the heads up shotgunner. I don't think i've missed a vote yet, but sometimes i do forget what month it is so the reminder is nice.
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Post by tims on Sept 14, 2016 3:15:00 GMT -5
Beautiful, and wonderful variety. If i could produce one of those in a month i'd be pleased.
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Post by tims on Sept 12, 2016 1:08:55 GMT -5
Shame the hounding gene skipped a generation there. Good to see someone will appreciate their collection.
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Post by tims on Aug 23, 2016 1:24:06 GMT -5
First, you should never tumble kids. Waste of grit.
Second, I hate to vote kids out of free rocks but captbob makes some valid points with the liability issue. Maybe pass the rocks around so the group can handle them under supervision but collect them again after the presentation. Kids that age usually lose any object smaller than an SUV in a week or 2 anyway.
Third, do you really lick rocks? My grampa (mother's side) did. Dad's side of the family preferred the spit and wipe method. I got the spit and wipe gene.
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Post by tims on Aug 10, 2016 19:40:56 GMT -5
I was gonna mention the worry stone, too. But, rather than call it a worry stone, I like to call it a reflection stone. I like to rub them when I am deep in thought. Helps me think. I used to carry one a lot, but I don't anymore. edit to add that I usually have in my purse a little rock that I found years ago. No real reason, maybe call it a good luck charm. It doesn't give me any particular feelings, though. I think that qualifies. Just the sense of feeling "better" when you carry it, even if you can't really quantify what in particular is "better".
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Post by tims on Aug 10, 2016 1:33:05 GMT -5
Thanks, I'll give it a look ... Some good arguments and observations there thanks vegasjames. Seeing so many people either defending or at least not dismissing the metaphysical aspect was surprising, especially compared to the current results of the poll. And your mention of piezoelectricity might lend some legitimacy to why it's soothing for me to rub my thumb on an agate, although even if it's purely psychological i'm still satisfied with the effect.
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Post by tims on Aug 9, 2016 14:16:03 GMT -5
Personally I've always viewed the metaphysical attributions of certain stones as being little more than a marketing ploy. Still, if it increases sales that must mean people actually believe in the beneficial qualities of stone. And I am also quite a hypocrite, because I like carrying a piece of moss agate and I feel like a better person when it's in my hand or pocket.
So, a simple yes / no poll for curiosity's sake. Comments are very welcome.
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Post by tims on Aug 9, 2016 13:33:12 GMT -5
Yours sure looks oyster-y inside Mike, that's a pretty piece. Rockpicker's bucket helped me ID a few mysteries of my own.
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Post by tims on Aug 9, 2016 0:56:31 GMT -5
That looks like a fun place. Well done.
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Post by tims on Aug 7, 2016 18:57:04 GMT -5
120
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Post by tims on Aug 1, 2016 19:02:19 GMT -5
Yay it's here. Everything on the unit looks functional, except the height adjustment for the clamp is frozen up. Will go ahead and order the motor, belt and pulley and give her a whirl hopefully sometime next week. Got it all cleaned up, bought new screws for the legs, and cleaned out the grease applicator and filled it with fresh grease.
I've got the height adjustment assembly standing upright and have doused it with WD40, and every hour or so I go tap on it with a ballpeen hammer and add some more oil. Maybe it will loosen up ... without a clamp there's really no reason to try to use it as a saw.
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