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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 16, 2010 14:39:10 GMT -5
So I asked Jo (Naturenut) for one of the medium FRB's of moonstone. Good golly! I can't believe what she sent me! What a haul! Well, first here's the box of mixed moonstone and amazonite: But packed in on top, were these, all individually wrapped and labelled: Actinolite Albite moonstone Blue quartz Bronzeite Gold moonstone Perthite Tremolite with actinolite and some rose and yellow quartz It took me 3 hours just to separate out and photograph all this - no telling how many years it'll be before I run out of moonstone! Talk about Christmas in March .... Wow! Thanks a TON, Jo! Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 14, 2010 22:58:26 GMT -5
Wow! That's a really nice set of rhodo's. Somebody will undoubtedly find that they cannot live without them!
Tom
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Labs
Mar 14, 2010 22:56:58 GMT -5
Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 14, 2010 22:56:58 GMT -5
OK, I found my labradorite stash - most of it is too big for tumbling, but will cut into slabettes quite nicely. That's what I'll work on next, probably.
Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 14, 2010 14:52:42 GMT -5
My luck with grocery shopping is that often the lady in front of me has 4 or 5 items that won't scan and the cashier calls for price checks, which take forever. Then, when the total is finally reached, the shopper starts looking through her suitcase-sized purse for the checkbook, only finding it after finding everything else but the kitchen sink! I often arrive home with thawed TV dinners, melted ice cream, etc.
Tom
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Labs
Mar 14, 2010 14:40:43 GMT -5
Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 14, 2010 14:40:43 GMT -5
Yep, I'm convinced that labs just will not tumble polish at all. I'm looking for 2 or 3 nice labradorite slabs that I can cab, and see if I can do better that way.
Meanwhile - onward and upward to more productive pursuits, right? LOL!
Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 13, 2010 18:25:26 GMT -5
Nice work! I like that you've come up with groove wraps with an extra flair to them.
Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 13, 2010 18:23:45 GMT -5
Stoner, I only have 3 words for these cabs: Out Freaking Standing!
Tom
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Labs
Mar 13, 2010 18:20:19 GMT -5
Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 13, 2010 18:20:19 GMT -5
This batch of labradorites has been through all the grits from 60 through polish 3 times. This time, I left them in each stage 2 weeks. They did 60/90, 120/220, 500, Lusterite II prepolish, then tin oxide. I'll give you before and after pics, from the end of the 2nd run, and from the end of this run. Here's how they looked after the previous run through the polishes: And here's how they look after this final run through the stages: Here's a closer look at what I think is the best one in the batch: They all still have lots of fracturing and pitting, and I quit. I guess the only way I'll ever get a good lab will be if I can find a labradorite slab somewhere, and cab it with the wheels. Anyway, thanks for looking! Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 12, 2010 22:58:55 GMT -5
Awwwww - ain't much that's purtier'n a brand new calf!
Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 12, 2010 22:51:53 GMT -5
Mary Ann, I got this chunk from one of the lovely RTH ladies (I'm sorry that I cannot remember which!) and it was called "white turquoise". It has a lot more black and a lot less white than your piece, but I think they might be the same material, or very closely related. Hope this helps Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 10, 2010 23:36:35 GMT -5
Hi, Jo - I just found this thread! I'd love a medium FRB if you still have enuf - as far as "rough" is concerned, anything smaller than about 2" works well for me, as my saw kinda sucks.
I'll PM you with my addy. Does paypal work for you? If so, just PM me your email addy and I'll push the button on it!
Thanks so much,
Tom
PS: Well, am I dumb or what - I just saw that the email addy is in the profile. And I'm not even blonde! LOL!
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 8, 2010 23:05:44 GMT -5
Those are really nice, Nancy! I guess one of these days I need to take the risk and go ahead with the smithing, using actual silver instead of cheap brass! The first one's always the hardest, isn't it?
Your artistry really came through on these. Great job.
Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 8, 2010 22:57:31 GMT -5
By golly, Nancy, I believe you've got it! Fabulous cabs, all of them. I'm really impressed by the moonstone - terrific job!
Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 8, 2010 13:59:11 GMT -5
Yep, I do see that the first one is a bit "buggy". I'm thinking of praying for it! LOL!
Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 6, 2010 13:30:10 GMT -5
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 6, 2010 13:26:30 GMT -5
I had ordered 3 slabs from rockhobbit's web site, but 2 of them, she couldn't find. So I asked her to just pick some to substitute. So I received a small FRB, and when I opened it, looky here what I found stuffed inside! The whole thing Closeups - I don't know what most of them are, but they are all huge, and gorgeous! If anybody wants to give me names for them, I would appreciate it. This one might be rainbow obsidian, or maybe nephrite - I just don't know The next 3 look to me like they might be either Mary Ellen or perhaps St Johns Flower. Or maybe something else? Unknown Ocean Jasper maybe?? Wild horse? Owyhee? Dunno And this neat end-cut of .... pigeon blood? OR ? Thank you very much, Sheri! Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 6, 2010 0:12:26 GMT -5
"Going on 35" I think I remember some 30-odd years ago when I, too, was "going on 35" ....... now I find myself wondering when the hell those "golden years" I keep hearing about will kick in! ;D Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 4, 2010 10:49:29 GMT -5
Mary Ann, Are y'all coming to the Live Oak (San Antonio) show on the 20th of this month? (only 1/2 as far as Florida!) Sure would like to see your display! John (jsgems) will be there, and I'm looking forward to seeing everything.
Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 3, 2010 12:06:35 GMT -5
Beatiful wraps, Marie! So did you find that working with silver wire feels any different from working with the base-metal wires?
Tom
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Post by tkrueger3 on Feb 28, 2010 18:02:36 GMT -5
Thanks, everybody - on the next one I do, I promise it will be more decorative, and I will exercise a LOT more care in the process, because I can't afford to waste a lot of sterling sheet or finesilver bezel tape! That stuff is EXPENSIVE!!!! I actually have a pendant/earring set of cabs that I've had sitting aside, waiting for me to get brave enough to set them in silver - some kind of dark reddish-purply translucent stuff that's really pretty. Don't want to waste those, cause I don't have any more of that material. I don't think I ever took a pic of the whole set, but this is a different pendant cab from the non-translucent, non-purply end of the same slab, where I didn't like the shape it ended up with: Tom
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