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Post by 150FromFundy on May 25, 2014 18:27:45 GMT -5
Most of the agates and jasper at McKay Head occur in thin seams where fracture in the basalt have been filled in. It appears that you can have a vug in a seam. One side of the vug has a fine druze of crystals. The other side has small quarts points with a faint blush of amethyst. I sliced a few small slabs off the solid side, then I sealed the flat to turn it into a shelf specimen. The other piece is an agate/jasper nodule. There were too many fractures to slab it, so I sealed the flats to make a pair of paper weights. Darryl.
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mateoj
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2014
Posts: 23
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Post by mateoj on May 25, 2014 18:58:44 GMT -5
Both really cool specimens! I like what you did with both of them That vug just keeps going and going.
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on May 25, 2014 23:09:43 GMT -5
A couple fine pieces, like what you did with them.
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Post by pghram on May 27, 2014 16:09:07 GMT -5
I really like that first specimen.
Rich
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Post by gingerkid on May 28, 2014 9:38:24 GMT -5
Very fine specimens, 150! How did you seal the first specimen? edited to add: I have a rainbow (?) fluorite slab from China that has a marcasite and pyrite rind. The marcasite and pyrite rind broke off the slab during shipping (i cried) and I tried to reglue the rind to the slab with super glue but it didn't work. I wondered if you may have any suggestions on how to make the slab well again?
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,687
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Post by Fossilman on May 28, 2014 12:59:46 GMT -5
Superfinds...
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Post by 150FromFundy on May 28, 2014 19:40:57 GMT -5
gingerkid: I used NU-LUSTRE-55 to seal my end cuts. This is a little like epoxy in that you mix equal parts of hardener and resin, stir thoroughly, and coat. This is a "float finish", so you spread it on with a tongue depressor, then use the edge of the stick to "trowel" off any of the excess epoxy. You must let the end cut dry level. The "float finish" will run and give you a perfectly level glass-like finish. If you are good at it, the end cut will look like it has been finished on a flat lap. The hard part is masking the edges of an irregular rock. This product is highly touted on the internet by a wide range of hobbyists, especially woodworkers. In spite of that, it is hard to find. I fist became aware of it at the Mt. Lyall Agate Mine where they cut thunder eggs and sell them on mass to the tourists. To keep things affordable, the thunder eggs are sealed with Nu-Lustre-55, rather than being polished on a flat lap. I did a direct order with the manufacturer, Sial, to get mine. Darryl.
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Post by gingerkid on Jun 2, 2014 10:12:07 GMT -5
Thank you, Darryl! I greatly appreciate your reply and will see if I can find some.
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