chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,233
|
Post by chris1956 on Aug 23, 2023 13:29:26 GMT -5
I found a small piece of chain coral along with some larger pieces in Michigan this year (Some in Petoskey and some in Wilderness State Partk). I was mainly collecting them for a couple people that are interested in fossils. I didn't think they would polish well because of the soft brownish/tan material between the chains. I decided to polish this small one and it turned out pretty good. The brown/tan material at least took a little polish.
|
|
ashley
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2023
Posts: 914
|
Post by ashley on Aug 23, 2023 13:39:15 GMT -5
Awesome job! That looks cool. Chain coral is so pretty.
|
|
rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 2,513
|
Post by rockbrain on Aug 23, 2023 14:41:34 GMT -5
Wow! That looks great. Never heard of it, thanks for sharing.
|
|
pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Purchased another UV mini bowl for tumbling
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,422
Member is Online
|
Post by pebblesky on Aug 23, 2023 15:07:44 GMT -5
Looks very cool! I guess you meant you hand polished it right?
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Aug 23, 2023 15:10:39 GMT -5
I'd never heard of Chain Coral! That looks amazing Chris!!
|
|
chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,233
|
Post by chris1956 on Aug 23, 2023 15:48:45 GMT -5
Awesome job! That looks cool. Chain coral is so pretty. Thanks. Wasn't sure how it would turn out. Wow! That looks great. Never heard of it, thanks for sharing. Thanks. Finding something both you and Jason haven't heard of is an accomplishment. Looks very cool! I guess you meant you hand polished it right? Thanks. I polished it on a Kingsley North cabber. It is probably soft enough to polish by hand. I'd never heard of Chain Coral! That looks amazing Chris!! Thanks.
|
|
pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Purchased another UV mini bowl for tumbling
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,422
Member is Online
|
Post by pebblesky on Aug 23, 2023 15:57:55 GMT -5
Oh by hand-polish I actually mean using the cabbing machine versus using the rock tumblers. Never considered the option to use the sandpaper by hand The result looks indeed very nice!
|
|
|
Post by Pat on Aug 23, 2023 16:18:34 GMT -5
New to me. Doesn’t look real! Nice job. I’ll be in the lookout for some.
|
|
chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,233
|
Post by chris1956 on Aug 23, 2023 19:23:43 GMT -5
Oh by hand-polish I actually mean using the cabbing machine versus using the rock tumblers. Never considered the option to use the sandpaper by hand The result looks indeed very nice! I should have figured that out. If you tried to tumble, I don't think it would turn out well as the rock between the coral sections is much softer. I think you would get a lot of undercutting like happens with granit or Petoskey Stones.
|
|
chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,233
|
Post by chris1956 on Aug 23, 2023 19:30:05 GMT -5
New to me. Doesn’t look real! Nice job. I’ll be in the lookout for some. Thanks.
|
|
chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,233
|
Post by chris1956 on Aug 23, 2023 19:33:22 GMT -5
Here are photos of one before polishing. Might not look as well as the other one becasue the surrounding rock is lighter color plus there are some voids in this one. Side view below Back side ground on 220 wheel
|
|
dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,592
|
Post by dillonf on Aug 23, 2023 21:20:36 GMT -5
I found a small piece of chain coral along with some larger pieces in Michigan this year (Some in Petoskey and some in Wilderness State Partk). I was mainly collecting them for a couple people that are interested in fossils. I didn't think they would polish well because of the soft brownish/tan material between the chains. I decided to polish this small one and it turned out pretty good. The brown/tan material at least took a little polish. Oh yeah - that is awesome!!
|
|
pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Purchased another UV mini bowl for tumbling
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,422
Member is Online
|
Post by pebblesky on Aug 23, 2023 22:11:02 GMT -5
Wow the before and after comparison is so impressive!
|
|
|
Post by fernwood on Aug 29, 2023 7:06:54 GMT -5
Nice work. Chain coral is so cool. What was the hardness difference in the matrix and coral? I keep all I find rough, as the matrix is about 4-5 and the coral about 6-7.
|
|
chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,233
|
Post by chris1956 on Aug 29, 2023 12:14:50 GMT -5
Nice work. Chain coral is so cool. What was the hardness difference in the matrix and coral? I keep all I find rough, as the matrix is about 4-5 and the coral about 6-7. Thanks. I haven't tried to figure out exact hardness difference but it is a lot. I think the coral chains in this rock have been replaced with chalcedony so they are very hard. The matrix material is so soft that I had a hard time keeping a curve between the strings of chain coral. Cabber kept wanting to make it flat.
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Aug 29, 2023 13:07:49 GMT -5
That is very nice.
|
|
electrocutus
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2020
Posts: 331
|
Post by electrocutus on Aug 29, 2023 13:33:37 GMT -5
Wow, it looks amazing. I didn't even know this existed :-)
|
|
chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,233
|
Post by chris1956 on Aug 29, 2023 13:55:45 GMT -5
|
|
chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,233
|
Post by chris1956 on Aug 29, 2023 13:57:05 GMT -5
Wow, it looks amazing. I didn't even know this existed :-) Thanks. I am not sure if they will all look this spectacular.
|
|
chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,233
|
Post by chris1956 on Aug 29, 2023 13:58:32 GMT -5
Here is a pic of another one that is not as spectacular. Still cool but doesn't have the white accents around the "chains".
|
|