zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 8, 2019 11:29:57 GMT -5
I use Photoshop I don't look at the physical dimensions of the image, just the pixel count (X x Y). Because in the end each pixel in my image will display as one pixel on your monitor. Physical dimensions are for print. Of course with phones & tablets, the system scales the image to fit the screen, and every device has different pixel counts, so I can't control that. A photo from my phone is 4032 x 3024 pixels. Here's a section, not the whole thing, but at that same pixel density (resolution). First, I crop away extra background. It's now 3000 x 2984 pixels, still too big to post here. I sharpen it via Filter > Unsharp Mask. These settings are just a starting point. Every image requires different settings This is basically over sharpening, but the combination of first sharpening & then downsampling will make it look sharp! (says Joe Jackson). Then in Image > Image Size I downsample it to 800 pixels wide using bicubic resampling. Since many people have screens that are at least 1366 x 768 pixels nowadays, 800 fits the width with no side-scrolling required. I hope this helps. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 7, 2019 20:20:05 GMT -5
rockpickerforever - Jean, both of those finds are awesome! No idea what the brain thing is. Looks like maybe someone carved it. Lucky you! Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 7, 2019 10:30:56 GMT -5
It looks like some of the fossil coral found around St. George, UT/Arizona Strip. Ours is white & doesn't have the colors or obvious orbs, though. If I find time, I'll look for a piece in my yard or garage & get a pic up here. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 7, 2019 0:28:33 GMT -5
Great work & a lovely selection of cabs! I also liked your economy in fitting the cabs to the silver in cutting the bases. Lovely economy right there! It’s an under appreciated skill of it’s own. Thanks for noticing that. My Dad was a high school art teacher. He told me about a student who wanted to cut out something from a larger piece of leather. The kid stuck the template right in the middle of the leather, traced around it and was ready to cut it out. My Dad stopped the kid, pointing out that the larger piece was big enough to cut out a few of the shapes, but cut from the middle would only yield one piece. I learned from that story. I see people show a bezel soldered smack dab in the middle of a square of silver sheet, ensuring that rest of the sheet will just be scraps. And then they ask, How much does Rio pay for scrap? The answer: Less that you paid for it in the first place. Lynn - the penny pincher, and proud of it!
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 5, 2019 16:42:05 GMT -5
Hxtal has been discussed at length. I don't have any bookmarks. A search here or via Google should find them. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 5, 2019 16:40:03 GMT -5
Something that bothers me about FB postings is when people ask a question, having done no research on their own. There is so much info already out there, why expect someone to type up the info once again?
Thanks. That felt good to get off my chest. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 5, 2019 15:53:48 GMT -5
Yes, the last slabs you showed are Tiffany. You did well. Don't fee bad. She was the incommunicado seller. Can't wait to see the cabs you make of it. It may or may not be fractured. Don't give up on fractured Tiffany. Use some Hxtal or similar epoxy to make fractures disappear. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 5, 2019 15:50:00 GMT -5
Welcome back Crabber! Wasn't that a TV show in the '70s? Something like that.
Good to have you back. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 5, 2019 12:45:58 GMT -5
Don Every time I see your fire agate work, I want to try to carve some myself. Have I ever tried? Nope. Too many other things going on. I bought some sintered bits about 8 years ago from MoHan. I have a few nice pieces of rough that show some decent fire. Someday! Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 5, 2019 12:40:19 GMT -5
The heat treatments I've heard about done by knappers, involve packing stones in sand and heating in an oven, slowly bringing the heat up to a set temp. Then leaving it at that temp for a set length of time. Then letting it cool down over a long period of time. Supposedly this heats the stone to the core. The sand distributes the heat evenly to the stone. The gradual ramp up & down keeps the stone from fracturing. Maybe heating for a shorter time (as with a torch) doesn't get the core up to the same temp. I've never done it. Someday maybe. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 4, 2019 13:07:51 GMT -5
Bummer orrum. I was looking forward to seeing you. Glad you're OK. I hope the insurance company does you right. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 3, 2019 23:05:07 GMT -5
I hear people woke up to ice in their rock buckets today in Qz. I hope it warms up for the Pow Wow. One reason I go is to get out of freezing Cedar City, UT for a long weekend. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 3, 2019 23:01:09 GMT -5
I'm pretty sure I'm going to Qz during the Pow Wow Jan 16-20. I don't NEED to buy (many) more rocks, but want to plan my trip around QIA club hounding trips. Their calendar doesn't list what or where. Does anybody have a link to share or know the schedule? TIA Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 2, 2019 13:43:48 GMT -5
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 2, 2019 12:40:01 GMT -5
Man, I hate winter. It's 11 degrees right now in Cedar City, UT, with a high of 25 this afternoon. I need a beach week! Or a Quartzite week! What's the temp in Quartzite right now? Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 1, 2019 20:13:07 GMT -5
It looks too orange for the Blackskin I've seen and cut. Maybe Brazian agate. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jan 1, 2019 19:00:58 GMT -5
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Dec 28, 2018 18:33:57 GMT -5
Tommy - Looking good! You have been busy. A nice range of materials. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Dec 27, 2018 15:01:12 GMT -5
Happy birthday Rancher. And Merry Christmas too. I hope you still find time to play with rocks. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Dec 27, 2018 14:06:01 GMT -5
gatorflash1 - I haven't tried anything like that. I buy the same Madagascar tumbled agates you show in your avatar. When cut open, they are white/gray inside. They're either heat treated or heat treated with additives. I wish I knew the process, because I'd cab it & then bring out the color afterwards that was ground away. Lynn
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