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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 26, 2015 6:29:06 GMT -5
I did not really intend on doing a full trip report as this was really just a normal trip up to the cabin but we did do some rock hounding I did take some pictures so I thought I would share. My older kids both worked all weekend so I just took my 10 year old up this time. The trip takes about 5.5 hours so this is always a welcome sight I liked this photo with the American flag waving for Memorial Day on the ferry The weather was perfect when we arrived at the cabin. Nice blue skies. The winds were just bad enough to keep us out of the kayaks so instead of hounding the shores we did it the hard way in the woods. The area we were hunting has been closed off to four wheelers so that means all the rocks were carried about a half mile back to the trail head. Here's my boy carrying the shovel and a 40 pound 1" diameter pry bar up a rocky hill (pry bar is taller then he is) The loggers work all winter so part of my secret is to follow them and hound where they have cleared. This is a new 80 acre clearing we searched. I really did not have much luck but my boy sure had the eye for them and found a bunch. I told him it was because he is lower to the ground. Heres a few pictures showing how hidden they are. Very easy to walk right next to one and not see it. This was the total haul. I am guessing about 250 pounds. I busted up the three 50 pounders into sizes I can cut with my 14" saw I could not have him do all that work and not let him play a little. notice the pudding stone landscape boulders in front of the quad. When we got home I reduced 30 pounds for tumbling Normally with any other rock the small chips would be garbage but I have an idea for these And last but not least the first of what will be several hundred cuts this summer from this latest batch of rocks. Thanks for looking Chuck
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Post by orrum on May 26, 2015 8:24:50 GMT -5
I was hoping for a report Chuck. What's the green area in the slab rock?
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Post by Toad on May 26, 2015 9:02:46 GMT -5
Very productive. Generally do these tumble pretty well?
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 26, 2015 9:15:39 GMT -5
Very productive. Generally do these tumble pretty well? Thats a trick question. They do not tumble as good as a jasper or agate due to the varied hardness but they sure do sell better. I can pretty much sell as many as I can tumble at $25 per pound. I have two gift shops that buy all I can tumble. They sell them on the counter in a basket and lower quality with just one jasper go for $3 each and higher quality more colorful ones go for $5 each. The prices for this stone on the Island would be very similar to the prices of Petoskey stones at a gift shop in the Petoskey area. I never intended to sell my tumbled pudding stones so when I was asked if I would sell some I tossed out $25 a pound thinking that would keep demand low but it didn't work. I have probably sold almost 20-30 pounds but I have a large collection of the best ones in a bowl at the cabin. Chuck
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 26, 2015 9:17:30 GMT -5
Very productive. Generally do these tumble pretty well? Thats a trick question. They do not tumble as good as a jasper or agate due to the varied hardness but they sure do sell better. I can pretty much sell as many as I can tumble at $25 per pound. I have two gift shops that buy all I can tumble. They sell them on the counter in a basket and lower quality with just one jasper go for $3 each and higher quality more colorful ones go for $5 each. The prices for this stone on the Island would be very similar to the prices of Petoskey stones at a gift shop in the Petoskey area. I never intended to sell my tumbled pudding stones so when I was asked if I would sell some I tossed out $25 a pound thinking that would keep demand low but it didn't work. I have probably sold almost 20-30 pounds but I have a large collection of the best ones in a bowl at the cabin. Chuck Dug up an old photo I had posted a couple years ago Chuck
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Post by Toad on May 26, 2015 9:20:03 GMT -5
Cool
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,666
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Post by Fossilman on May 26, 2015 9:48:57 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing the photos and looks like a great score on the rocks-Thumbs up
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 26, 2015 20:35:08 GMT -5
I was hoping for a report Chuck. What's the green area in the slab rock? more of a yellow then green and I am not sure what that chunk is. Every once and a while something new pops up in these. I have even hit pockets of copper in my slabbing.
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,334
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Post by quartz on May 27, 2015 1:07:57 GMT -5
Thanks for the show, very different than what we find in Oregon, we like it. My wife says it looks to her like some of the taffy candy available at the coast.
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 27, 2015 10:27:52 GMT -5
I thought I posted something here last night, but I guess something went wrong.
I'm surprised that you break pudding stone into tumbler sized pieces. I thought it would be worth more made into slabs and then jewelry. But at $25 a pound for tumbled stones, maybe not.
Are you going to leave us hanging on what you're doing with the small pieces? Are you making beads like I did, or is it a top secret project?
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 27, 2015 10:38:30 GMT -5
I thought I posted something here last night, but I guess something went wrong. I'm surprised that you break pudding stone into tumbler sized pieces. I thought it would be worth more made into slabs and then jewelry. But at $25 a pound for tumbled stones, maybe not. Are you going to leave us hanging on what you're doing with the small pieces? Are you making beads like I did, or is it a top secret project? When I broke the real big stuff down to 5" chunks for my saw there were a bunch of pieces of scrap that would not have been big enough for slabbing so that's where all the tumbling rough came from. I know $25 a pound sounds like a high number but the gift shops sell all they put out at $3-$5 per rock. I am trying something now with the small shards but it will probably be a failure. The resin molds I have seen posted here would probably have been a better plan and thats still on the table if my idea tanks. I wonder how hard it would be to make a resin mold in the shape of the Island? Hmmm .... whats your take on the yellow/green chunk in the slab saw photo? Chuck
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on May 27, 2015 12:26:08 GMT -5
Looks like paradise, am on the way up. That place is a forested rock pile. Looking at the trail, all rock. Awesome
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 27, 2015 13:59:56 GMT -5
I have no idea what the yellow rock is. I was going to ask about it too, but the question had already been posted. I have handled much less pudding stone than you and have never seen that color. I did have a rock with yellowish matrix though.
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Post by iant on May 28, 2015 7:28:13 GMT -5
Always great to see the story behind the rock. Really interesting read and pics, and appreciate the hard work in getting this stuff to it's final beautiful finish! Thanks Ian
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on May 28, 2015 14:34:07 GMT -5
What do they quarry on that island Chuck ?
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 28, 2015 15:50:35 GMT -5
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