mibeachrocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since September 2013
Posts: 198
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Post by mibeachrocks on Aug 19, 2014 10:19:57 GMT -5
We recently got back from our annual trip near Leland, MI (northwest corner of the lower pennisula). Total haul I was able to find about 180 Petoskey stones This is an additional bunch of petoskey stones that my daughter found a few nice natural cabs that we will turn into jewelry for her. A quick polish of some of the larger stones It was easy pickings this year. Even though Lake Michigan was up @ 14" and there was 20' less beach, we had a few calm mornings for picking Also found some nice chain coral A lot of Leland Blue (and other color slag) this year. I cannot wait to work with this piece of Leland Blue. It has really nice banding Some granite to polish over the winter Some quartz some natural cabs (I just need to learn to wrap now) Rocks for cabinet pulls some fossils to hand polish landscaping rocks for a dry stream that we are building Mystery find - some sort of fossil without matrix It is always nice to see a friendly face on the beach
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Post by snowmom on Aug 20, 2014 15:13:18 GMT -5
wow! quite a haul and very colorful! Looks much like the stuff I find here except the glass... lots of lovely glass you have...we just don't have it here, or I have not found any yet. good fossil finds.... so neat that your daughter is into the hunting too!
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Leland, MI
Aug 20, 2014 15:33:35 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by fantastic5 on Aug 20, 2014 15:33:35 GMT -5
Wondeful puctures and report. Seeing all the Michigan material makes me homesick. Looks like you guys had a great vacation!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Aug 20, 2014 15:45:21 GMT -5
Wow, you did well! I was under the impression that Leland Blue was harder to find. You got a ton!
I did that acid thing with a chain coral I found this spring. I started by grinding the bottom flat and painting the bottom with a couple coats of polyurethane. I put about 6-8 inches of water in a five gallon bucket and poured in about a tablespoon or two of muriatic acid. I continued adding a little acid almost every day for a couple of weeks. One side crumbled a bit, but the other side turned out perfect. I'm not sure if I should have added the acid faster or slower. I'd post a picture of it, but I dropped it and it shattered into many, many pieces. I'm almost done crying. I have one more piece to try.
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,332
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Post by quartz on Aug 21, 2014 0:42:12 GMT -5
Thanks for "taking us along", looks like a fine haul, great variety, something to keep you busy for quite a while.
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mibeachrocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since September 2013
Posts: 198
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Post by mibeachrocks on Aug 21, 2014 7:44:43 GMT -5
Wow, you did well! I was under the impression that Leland Blue was harder to find. You got a ton! I did that acid thing with a chain coral I found this spring. I started by grinding the bottom flat and painting the bottom with a couple coats of polyurethane. I put about 6-8 inches of water in a five gallon bucket and poured in about a tablespoon or two of muriatic acid. I continued adding a little acid almost every day for a couple of weeks. One side crumbled a bit, but the other side turned out perfect. I'm not sure if I should have added the acid faster or slower. I'd post a picture of it, but I dropped it and it shattered into many, many pieces. I'm almost done crying. I have one more piece to try. Large pieces are harder to find. Most that you see on the market came from when they dug up the harbor in Leland. Most of what I find along the beach is less than 1". The slag is much lighter than most of the other stones in the lake so they move around a lot. It is nearly impossible to find them on a normal day with waves. As you can see from the pic though, we had at least two really nice mornings. My daughter and I hit the beach about 6:30 AM. All you have to do is walk down the beach picking them out of 1" to 2" of water. Like taking candy from a baby. I will try casting some in resin cabs this weekend.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Aug 21, 2014 7:45:44 GMT -5
That's a whole lot of cool material and sounds like a real fun trip. I am starting to think I am the only rock hound in Michigan that has never hunted for Petoskey stones. Well I have hunted for them on Ebay does that count,lol
Chuck
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Post by Jugglerguy on Aug 21, 2014 8:05:15 GMT -5
Nope, doesn't count. You'll have to make the trip some day. I'm surprised that you can't find some in the Drummond island area. Maybe not the island, but the beaches on the mainland should have some.
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mibeachrocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since September 2013
Posts: 198
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Post by mibeachrocks on Aug 21, 2014 9:02:20 GMT -5
That's a whole lot of cool material and sounds like a real fun trip. I am starting to think I am the only rock hound in Michigan that has never hunted for Petoskey stones. Well I have hunted for them on Ebay does that count,lol Chuck Sorry, does not count. Despite having spent all of my life in Michigan, I only started collecting them a few years ago. Now the whole family is hooked. I taught my daughter two years ago how to spot them. She did OK but I had to point most of them out for her. Last year she found a few on her own. As you can see from the wagon, she ID'd all of these herself this year. I think that she is more hooked than me. She insisted that she get up with me at 5:30 each morning to go out. What 9 year old actually wants to get up before the sun rises and walk through cold wet sand? Come to think of it, what adult wants to do that :-)
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