nevadaselkie
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2023
Posts: 3
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Post by nevadaselkie on Jan 9, 2023 14:09:45 GMT -5
Hi there! I'm from northern Nevada and while I am definitely not new to picking up whatever rocks that can fit in my pockets, bra, and backpack I'm new to rock tumbling. (My husband HATES moving with all my rocks and books) We geocache and head out any which way out of Reno every Saturday to explore. Early December I gave my husband an ad and money and told him this is what he's getting me for Christmas. While it's not on the high end of tumblers, I'm now the owner of a dual drum Chicago rock tumbler. I was asking questions, on the Nevada Rockhounding group on FB, if I could skip step 2 and go onto 3 or 4 when a member pointed me to this forum. I listened to their No! No! and now some of my petrified wood (collected NW of Gerlach, NV), beach agates from Newport, OR, and wonderstone from outside of Fallon, NV are ready for the pre-polish stage.
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hypodactylus
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2021
Posts: 434
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Post by hypodactylus on Jan 9, 2023 15:07:09 GMT -5
Welcome to the addiction hobby!
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idearthmover
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2022
Posts: 20
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Post by idearthmover on Jan 9, 2023 15:26:12 GMT -5
Hello from central Idaho. Only been tumbling a year it's a dirty habit and it never ends. You are in trouble now because all you'll be able to think of is rocks and more rocks and more. The more you learn the more addicting it becomes.
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rocknewb101
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2022
Posts: 1,323
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Post by rocknewb101 on Jan 9, 2023 15:32:42 GMT -5
Welcome from NE Ohio! If I lived in your neck of the woods I'd be out every weekend too! I started with one tumbler and now I have 2 rotaries, 1 vibe tumbler, a dremel and a slant lap machine (which is a drop in the bucket for several RTH members) It will take hold and not let you go - which is a great thing lol...
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 9, 2023 16:30:39 GMT -5
Hi there! I'm from northern Nevada and while I am definitely not new to picking up whatever rocks that can fit in my pockets, bra, and backpack I'm new to rock tumbling. (My husband HATES moving with all my rocks and books) We geocache and head out any which way out of Reno every Saturday to explore. Early December I gave my husband an ad and money and told him this is what he's getting me for Christmas. While it's not on the high end of tumblers, I'm now the owner of a dual drum Chicago rock tumbler. I was asking questions, on the Nevada Rockhounding group on FB, if I could skip step 2 and go onto 3 or 4 when a member pointed me to this forum. I listened to their No! No! and now some of my petrified wood (collected NW of Gerlach, NV), beach agates from Newport, OR, and wonderstone from outside of Fallon, NV are ready for the pre-polish stage. I've heard it called an "over the shoulder boulder holder" before...but apparently you REALLY mean it! LOL Welcome to the forum from South Dakota!
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 9, 2023 19:43:06 GMT -5
Welcome from Southern Nevada.
You are in a great area to collect. Done a lot of collecting up that way. The area was once called "Ormbsy County" and back then was also referred to as the Mineral Capitol of the World.
Unfortunately, several of my favorite locations up there, including Dead Camel Mountains and Wonderstone Mountain are being taken over by the Military (Fallon Air Force Base).
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 9, 2023 21:36:44 GMT -5
Welcome from Northern Arizona!
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nevadaselkie
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2023
Posts: 3
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Post by nevadaselkie on Jan 10, 2023 16:16:52 GMT -5
Hi there! I'm from northern Nevada and while I am definitely not new to picking up whatever rocks that can fit in my pockets, bra, and backpack I'm new to rock tumbling. (My husband HATES moving with all my rocks and books) We geocache and head out any which way out of Reno every Saturday to explore. Early December I gave my husband an ad and money and told him this is what he's getting me for Christmas. While it's not on the high end of tumblers, I'm now the owner of a dual drum Chicago rock tumbler. I was asking questions, on the Nevada Rockhounding group on FB, if I could skip step 2 and go onto 3 or 4 when a member pointed me to this forum. I listened to their No! No! and now some of my petrified wood (collected NW of Gerlach, NV), beach agates from Newport, OR, and wonderstone from outside of Fallon, NV are ready for the pre-polish stage. I've heard it called an "over the shoulder boulder holder" before...but apparently you REALLY mean it! LOL Welcome to the forum from South Dakota!
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Post by Peruano on Jan 10, 2023 16:57:30 GMT -5
I'm partial to opalized wood which I have some access to locally, but I've seen some wonderful opalized wood from NV. You are in a rock hounder's heaven (as am I being in NM). Keep on tumbling.
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 10, 2023 19:28:00 GMT -5
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Post by Son Of Beach on Jan 10, 2023 20:17:42 GMT -5
How is opalized wood different than petrified wood? I can see they look different, but is that the biggest tell?
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 10, 2023 20:50:16 GMT -5
How is opalized wood different than petrified wood? I can see they look different, but is that the biggest tell? Opalized wood is a form of petrified wood. The others being "agatized wood" and pyritized wood.
"Agatized wood" is older as it was once opal. As opals lose water and the water content drops below 3% the opal gains density and the opal will start to crystallize in to some form of chalcedony such as agate, jasper or chert/flint. So the easiest ways to ID opalized wood is by the lower density and hardness.
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Post by Son Of Beach on Jan 11, 2023 5:01:39 GMT -5
How is opalized wood different than petrified wood? I can see they look different, but is that the biggest tell? Opalized wood is a form of petrified wood. The others being "agatized wood" and pyritized wood.
"Agatized wood" is older as it was once opal. As opals lose water and the water content drops below 3% the opal gains density and the opal will start to crystallize in to some form of chalcedony such as agate, jasper or chert/flint. So the easiest ways to ID opalized wood is by the lower density and hardness.
Thanks James, makes perfect sense đź‘Ť
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Post by Peruano on Jan 11, 2023 6:40:11 GMT -5
vegasjames Yes, like that. I did not misspeak; that is beautiful stuff. Son Of Beach And its a bit more difficult to work with. Tends to fracture especially if you get it to hot on the wheel or treat it roughly.
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 11, 2023 12:30:30 GMT -5
vegasjames Yes, like that. I did not misspeak; that is beautiful stuff. Son Of Beach And its a bit more difficult to work with. Tends to fracture especially if you get it to hot on the wheel or treat it roughly. Some opal is more stable than other opal. Several factors play a role such as water content, aluminum oxide content and how fast the opal reduced in water. The lower the water content and the higher the aluminum oxide content the harder and more stable the opal will be. The faster the water content of the opal reduces the more prone it is to fracturing. For instance, if opalized wood is suddenly exposed to the surface due to floods or lands;ides the opal will lose water faster than it can restructure and the opal will develop a lot of cracks or be more prone to cracking. This was the case with a couple of opalized logs I found here in Southern Nevada. They were exposed due to flooding and so they heavily cracked and I did not find any significantly large pieces. If the opal loses water slow enough though, such as being just under the surface of the soil for an extended period of time the opal can properly restructure as it reduces in water content giving the opal much greater stability.
I have had pretty good luck with a lot of this opal and opalized wood from Nevada.
Opalized wood
Common opals
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Post by mohs on Jan 11, 2023 14:25:24 GMT -5
dig the yellow stones Welcome to RTH! nevadaselkie Mohs
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dirtsifter
Cave Dweller
Co to za kamyczek?
Member since September 2022
Posts: 402
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Post by dirtsifter on Jan 12, 2023 1:16:56 GMT -5
Welcome from north central New York! So much to learn here!
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