jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 26, 2014 14:38:09 GMT -5
I need to saw a few to appreciate the skin pattern. Here is a few windows. These are versatile for tumbling. Lot of skin colors and a few inside colors. Heating them makes both inside and outside change colors. Tumbling deep or lightly changes the skin patters a lot since the silica feathers out in the jagged skin. Small ones collected for tumbling and maybe future wraps if I knew how.
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Sabre52
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Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
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Post by Sabre52 on Aug 26, 2014 16:17:31 GMT -5
Daaaaaaang! That's some raht purdy stuff James. The gray one with the polyp patterns is freaking awesome....Mel
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 26, 2014 16:37:30 GMT -5
Some nifty corals, James. Definitely worth waiting for. Surprised with all the coral hunting over the years, you'd not found that before. Lucky that you found that spot.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 26, 2014 17:33:28 GMT -5
Some nifty corals, James. Definitely worth waiting for. Surprised with all the coral hunting over the years, you'd not found that before. Lucky that you found that spot. I found that spot Jan 2013. Another small 40 foot area piled deep. I carried a bunch home and tumbled /heat treated it and figured out which to collect. That darn coating takes a while to figure out. I guess I am just slow. this is the variety from one 25 pound tumbler load, some heated Closer view
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Post by kap on Aug 26, 2014 18:32:16 GMT -5
Very Nice! Lots of color!
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FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
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Post by FLrockhound on Aug 26, 2014 19:46:31 GMT -5
Very nice find!
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 26, 2014 20:08:39 GMT -5
Closer view I think I have some of that on my dresser!
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Thunder69
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Post by Thunder69 on Aug 26, 2014 20:15:59 GMT -5
Dang James ..You are making me want to call in sick to work for a week to go hunt some of that.....JOhn
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Post by gingerkid on Aug 26, 2014 21:07:18 GMT -5
See why you call it lightning bolt coral, jamesp! Gorgeous stuff!! Are you going to heat-treat these? Hope the one that you're holding with the cool gray and white polyp patterns gets to stay au-natural.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2014 2:22:25 GMT -5
Jan-Those come in so many sizes from 1-3 inches. None big. You can just pile them in buckets as they are about all well formed. I was selective and picked shapes that tumble best, like whole small ones and pieces that were shaped w/out pits/fractures. Picked by color too. Some of the ugly ones are show stoppers when heated. The river was a bit high so I could not collect as easy as at lower water. As you collect off the exposed shore to the center of the river they change color a lot. That is why it is better when the river is low. Yes some will get heated. They are quick to tumble. They make pure white slurry until the bulk of the coating is ground off. I get a whole bunch tumbling and separate them since some need to tumble longer due to that coating being thicker. Once I can see the color within they can be heated as some change better than others. I hand grind some individually to get the exact surface texture too. The Suwannee River stuff shows polyp patterns much better than most locations. This is the hell location that is 15 miles upstream. The first vein of coral for many miles. It also is the first location with 2 drinkable water springs for about 10 miles. So the natives partied here big time-water and coral available. In the first photo on the right you can see stained windows that the natives removed to get to the core to make artifacts. So a lot of this stuff has been broken and reduced by native people.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2014 2:39:13 GMT -5
This is the spot. Coral to left of boat, under boat, and out to the other side of the river under water. This is the bank. You can see some of the shapes are jagged and poor tumbles. Most of these broken by native man. The untouched ones are more common in the river. Some of these have been pre-ground and heated. The reds and oranges are from heat. Ready for tumbler. But some of them are shaped poorly to tumble. So I avoided those this trip and was selective. It is a learning process.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2014 3:12:22 GMT -5
Not heated, black stain underneath, white center, brown coating Heated, black stain underneath, white center, brown coating Not heated, grey w/no stain, brown coating, tumbled heavily Heated, yellow stain, white center Not heated, yellow stain, white center Not heated, dirty yellow stain, white center, half ground Heated, black stain, partially ground hybrid ? Heated, jet black solid The variations go on and on from this spot. Hard to keep up w/them.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2014 3:38:11 GMT -5
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2014 4:19:17 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2014 4:42:33 GMT -5
Dang James ..You are making me want to call in sick to work for a week to go hunt some of that.....JOhn A few photos should satisfy you John.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2014 4:43:45 GMT -5
I think I have some of that on my dresser! I told you I can see thru those corals.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 27, 2014 6:48:17 GMT -5
I think I have some of that on my dresser! I told you I can see thru those corals.
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Post by kk on Aug 27, 2014 9:06:38 GMT -5
Wow, what a show yet again. Way to hard to choose a favorite. But then again, I do like the look of two of them: the one in the third picture in the original post (looks like to have a lot of translucence to it), and the jet black one.
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 27, 2014 9:24:33 GMT -5
James,I'm sure you could get a wire rapper to help out with ya' on those beauties....I know we have a few on our forum....Thumbs up
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2014 12:40:08 GMT -5
thanks Michael.
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