gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 15, 2024 17:58:22 GMT -5
Me three. Also, clear quartz for capping doublets. Do you need just the quartz or are you looking for calibrated quartz caps?
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 15, 2024 15:44:22 GMT -5
I need to cut some doublets and my stash of basanite slabs apparently was left behind when I made an intestate move. Does anyone know of a source? My slab saw is temporarily out of service so I can't cut from rough. Don't need a lot. Black onyx or black jade might do the trick if sizes are right. Need pieces several inches square. TIA.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 15, 2024 12:34:44 GMT -5
Welcome from Arizona.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 14, 2024 21:36:21 GMT -5
For a couple of years I only owned 2 DVDs, The Meaning of Life and Search for the Holy Grail. Yep, anything by Monty Python. And nearly anything with or by Clint Eastwood: Play misty for Me, the Dirty Harry series, Unforgiven, The Outlaw Josey Wales, the whole schmear.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 14, 2024 16:06:59 GMT -5
O Brother Where Art Thou, and all the Coen Bros. movies, especially Blood Simple, Barton Fink, Fargo of course, and Miller's Crossing There are so many! it's hard to select favorites.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 12, 2024 20:28:38 GMT -5
I don't have an official streak plate. Can you just use any type of unglazed ceramic? Might have some of that around somewhere. The back of a ceramic tile will usually work fine. The unglazed part. Heck, even the unglazed inside bottom of your toilet tank cover works if you don't have a tile lying around.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 8, 2024 0:27:29 GMT -5
As soon as I saw the title, I was going to tag realrockhound...but I'm a few hours too late! LOL I do love the tones in that slab Rick! I figured he'd be among the first to respond Thanks, it's good solid agate too.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 7, 2024 16:13:32 GMT -5
It is. It’s just not what you usually see with the caramel browns. It has the hints of it in there just not as pronounced Thanks. That's what threw me -- some of it is almost pure black and white while 1 small piece is nearly black with with dense dendrites.
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 7, 2024 14:48:29 GMT -5
I bought some slabs of this material long ago from a rock shop in Boise, ID. It tended to carry mostly local and Northwest material but not always. I've been under the impression it's Snake River Dendritic Agaate but I didn't mark the slabs when i bought it. It doesn't quite resemble what I'm finding in web searches. Can anyone confirm -- or if not, tell me what it is?
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 7, 2024 13:18:03 GMT -5
Robin said what I was thinking: that yellowish matrix looks like it could be very soft. Some I've cut just melted away under the wheel. That's why I think opalpyrexia is about starting with nothing coarser than 600 grit. If you use the 220 use a VERY light touch until you can gauge the hardness.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 5, 2024 11:51:02 GMT -5
It seems to me it’d be logical for the points to be eased just enough to be safe for wrapping or setting and just not obviously radiused. jasoninsd
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 4, 2024 20:18:30 GMT -5
Nope. Equilateral. More challenging Does that knife sharp points or can they be rounded slightly for actual setting? I'm thinking of giving it a go.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Mar 3, 2024 18:51:14 GMT -5
Yowzah! Silicated I assume.
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gemfeller
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Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 29, 2024 14:10:16 GMT -5
Nice group. Great polish on that Noreena.
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gemfeller
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 28, 2024 19:55:48 GMT -5
Rick, they are all beautiful, but the half dome is phenominal! Vince would have been proud. Thanks Robin. He did a fantastic job of finding the good rutile but some pieces tested my cutting ability to the max. Wish he were here to critique them!
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 28, 2024 19:41:44 GMT -5
I missed seeing this yesterday. Happy belated natal day. Hope it was a memorable one!
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 28, 2024 14:03:32 GMT -5
Been tackling more cutting work, especially some rutilated quartz from an old stash. I worked on it with very mixed feelings: happiness at finally getting it to the wheels, and great sadness because it brought memories of my late friend Vince (hummingbirdstones2). I have ruined more good stones with the trim saw than any other way. Vince kindly took on the job of carefully trimming out some cabbing blanks from my material and he had an extremely good eye. What follows is the result. (An observation: I am totally unsuccessful at getting a personally acceptable polish on quartz using all diamond. The stones came out with a "foggy" polish even after 14K. I had to get out the Super Cerium to finally make the fog go away.) Thanks for loopking! Rutilated Oval Rutilated Half-Dome Angel’s Hair Pear Long Oval Swords Triangle Angel’s Hair I somehow left a few nice ones out - will post them later along with some variscite cabs I cut a couple of days ago. Below are some new cabs I finished along with the utilated and more to come. Mookaite Tiger’s-Eye
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 27, 2024 12:26:55 GMT -5
Love that Amazonite! Keep grindin'!
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 26, 2024 15:08:46 GMT -5
Best Wishes! Hope you have a wonderful day.
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,810
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Post by gemfeller on Feb 26, 2024 15:03:12 GMT -5
Hope you have an exceptionally great day celebrating with your grandkids Brent.
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