Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Aug 24, 2014 10:07:24 GMT -5
I bought this believing it is Wingate, albeit a lower grade maybe. Not singling out Sabre52 but I do hope that you and others can help put my mind at ease or break bad news to me if the likelihood of it being Wingate is very high, very low, or inclusive. Thanks! Tommy
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Post by roy on Aug 24, 2014 10:20:50 GMT -5
kinda looks like it
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2014 10:55:56 GMT -5
If that is wingate, that has to be a million dollar's worth. That sh\t's expensive! and that is a big piece! You get so flippin' lucky! Must have agate juice in your veins.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Aug 24, 2014 11:01:37 GMT -5
Haha Scott my luck has got to run out at some point ... I just hope it's not this time. The rock is just under 3 lbs and is clumsily face polished on the two sides shown above.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2014 12:36:55 GMT -5
Is wingate in death valley or the military base?
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 24, 2014 13:53:16 GMT -5
Scott: part of the Wingate Pass collecting area is in China lake Military area, part is in Death Vally Monument now cause it was expanded in sixties or 70's.
Tommy, that looks like Wingate Plume to me.....Mel
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Aug 24, 2014 14:40:42 GMT -5
Tommy, that looks like Wingate Plume to me.....Mel Yahoo! Thanks Mel!
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1nickthegreek
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Post by 1nickthegreek on Aug 24, 2014 15:00:15 GMT -5
SCORE, Tommy......sure looks to be fine quality Wingate!!!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2014 19:25:25 GMT -5
Tommy, that looks like Wingate Plume to me.....Mel Yahoo! Thanks Mel! You are a millionaire with that rock!
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Aug 24, 2014 19:49:25 GMT -5
Haha now if we can figure out what to do with it. Cabs? slabs? sell-as is? hmmm...
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 24, 2014 20:31:58 GMT -5
Haha now if we can figure out what to do with it. Cabs? slabs? sell-as is? hmmm... I think it's ugly as hell and not very likely wingate. I think you should send it to me right away so you won't feel so ripped off every time you see it.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Aug 24, 2014 20:39:31 GMT -5
Haha now if we can figure out what to do with it. Cabs? slabs? sell-as is? hmmm... I think it's ugly as hell and not very likely wingate. I think you should send it to me right away so you won't feel so ripped off every time you see it. Thank you Tela! I really feel better knowing you will help in this way!
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 24, 2014 21:39:01 GMT -5
*LOL* Cab it Tommy. We love to see your cabs. Wingate can be problematic due to all the vugs and soft oxide spots which are often found in the yellow plumes but it ain't gettin any commoner and that piece looks pretty dang fine. You'll hate yourself if'n you don't cut one of your big ole fancy cabs out of it.....Mel
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 9:30:15 GMT -5
$75 cabs for sure - 20-30 pieces makes $1500-$2000! from a single rock!
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Aug 25, 2014 18:02:34 GMT -5
You would throw up on your shoes if I told you how little I paid for it at the SF Gem and Mineral show. I plucked it out of a "random rough" bin and Eva is my witness that I showed it to the dealer and asked him if he thought it was Wingate - he said he had no way of telling and showed it to two old club members ... their eyes lit up and they both said they thought it was Wingate. I thought Eva was going beat up one of them to get it back...the old dude just kept holding on to it a little too long and lovingly haha. A few minutes later a bright looking young man wearing a backpack walked up and took one look at it and said "you know what that is, right???" ... I said yuuuup I do. So anyway the dealer didn't seem to care - so I bought it at his asking price with no further qualms about it. The young man in the backpack kept giving us dirty looks when we passed him in the show hall.
I wonder if I can muster the courage to cut it haha.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 18:46:43 GMT -5
has anyone ever weighed a rock, cut the entire thing into slabs/cabs and then weighed the result?
With faceted gems it's ~30% yield. I wonder what you guys get with cabbing.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Aug 25, 2014 20:01:16 GMT -5
That's a really good question and one that I've wondered about too. My guess is that the answer would be shockingly low ... like maybe in the 10 to 20% yield range by the time you slab it, pick the sweet spots then trim it, then grind the dome. My problem with the idea of even testing is that I rarely if ever can cut a rough rock and cab the entire thing without either give pieces away or getting bored and dropping it for a while. I have ADD when it comes to focusing on a particular material for longer than several cabs haha.
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Post by vegasjames on Aug 25, 2014 20:42:52 GMT -5
has anyone ever weighed a rock, cut the entire thing into slabs/cabs and then weighed the result? With faceted gems it's ~30% yield. I wonder what you guys get with cabbing. I have done this with meteorites since these are sold by the gram. The losses were pretty considering the amount lost per slice. But the amount of loss will depend in large part the thickness of the blade.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Aug 25, 2014 22:26:02 GMT -5
But the amount of loss will depend in large part the thickness of the blade. Yeah that's part of my hesitation on cutting this - I don't think I have the right blade - need to go thinner. Doing so would probably yield at least one more slab over the course of the cut.
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 25, 2014 22:36:20 GMT -5
Yeah, I used to run a 20 inch blade and it ground away about one slab for every two or three cut and then you lose a lot to the heels too. That's one of the reasons I went back to a ten inch slab saw. When I trim for cabbing, I take a huge loss as I try to chose only the best part of the slab. Most trimmings then go to the tumbler. That's why I kind of like smaller one cab wonder slabs I can cut free form. I'd guess rough- to- cab, I probably have less than a 50% yield at best. Much less if I really get picky.....Mel
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