jamesp favorites-Rio Grande #2

[captbob]

Busy sorting and sawing rocks today from our Zapata trip. Fun stuff.

Being my first true rockhounding trip, I was rather excited and picking up pretty much any rock that interested me during the first couple days. I would have all my treasures laid out on the tailgate to look over at the end of the day.
Shoulda taken pictures along the way...

Anyway, I'm sure that Jim was thinking that I must have arrived in Texas on a Short Bus.

I knew what we were after, but that didn't stop me from gathering up "pretty" rocks.
Jim was like - "yeah, this is chert, that's chert, that's very old cow poop ..."
You get the picture.

I got kinda worried that I was bringing home crappy rocks. Which I did, but not in the numbers I was concerned about.
But, some of my "pretty" rocks are turning out to be extremely (to me!) cool. Maybe not top shelf Rio Grande agates, heck I don't even know what many of them are, but turning out to be some rocks that I'm happy to have brought home.
Another positive is that the dogs seem to be really enjoying the old cow poop!

Have taken lots of before cutting pictures today, lost my good lighting for taking after pictures, so that will be tomorrow.

Going through my "what were you thinking" buckets, I'm finding that I brought home a lot more wood than I had thought I had.
I also have buckets of what I call "oddities". I need to do a photo shoot of these rocks as there are some peculiar rocks in there as well. Will get to that soon. Hope they aren't cow poop...




Kidding about the cow poop! I did bring home a turtle (tortoise) shell that the dogs do approve of.

[captbob]

I'm supposed to commit 3 a day. Was running short the day I picked that up, so what's a guy to do...

It's pretty flat, more like a soft shell turtle, but it was very far from the water. I'll take a pic for ya.

ETA: Well, this doesn't make sense anymore. Above is a response to a deleted Shotgunner post warning me that having a tortoise shell may be a felony. It's just the top plate, and I don't think the critter needed it anymore.

[captbob]

All that cutting was fun! Pictures tomorrow. That's the most I've cut on this new saw in one day, could get used to this.

Saw lives in garage, and cutting a couple rocks in there is no big deal. Problem is I need to keep the lid closed so the oil mist can settle for quite a while when it's in the garage. Rolled it outside today and could open it up as soon as a cut was finished.
Turn and burn!
Still set up my wind fan to blow mist away quickly, don't want to be breathing that stuff if I can help it.

Gonna do it again tomorrow. Not cutting slabs from these rocks, just putting a nice flat face on some of them, trying to keep the rock as large as possible. Will tumble them large and faced. Need to make time to get a couple more of my 15 lb barrels running. Need a 40 lb tumbler!

[jamesp]

You should have seen the amount of junk I bought back first trip(only 3 days on a return leg from Alpine).
Mostly basalts and rhyolites. And these rocks which sent me back a month later:

www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157627611858808

Discovered it was darn cool to cut fancy rocks that you found personally.
Stunned at the variety and good quality. Knew the place was special.

Happy cutting Bob.

Looking forward to the photos.

[jamesp]

radio, this wood has cracks pretty bad.




And it has lack of fill



It's yours if you want it.

[jamesp]

This one bizarre

[radio]

Nov 12, 2016 19:32:07 GMT -5 jamesp said:

radio , this wood has cracks pretty bad.




And it has lack of fill



It's yours if you want it.

Will it cab ok without fracturing?  The colors and patterns are super cool and caught my eye

[HankRocks]

James

The one fracture in the first two pictures that I see running north south, seems to be filled(healed) with whatever agatized the wood. Not sure I am seeing that right. It might hold up to tumbling/polishing.

off the subject; where did you stay on your trip to South Texas, Camping? Motel? any suggestions?

Thanks

H

[jamesp]

It's coming to you Arlen. Seems delicate, wanted to let you know. Will make a beautiful cab if all is healed well.

[jamesp]

Nov 12, 2016 20:24:56 GMT -5 HankRocks said:

James

The one fracture in the first two pictures that I see running north south, seems to be filled(healed) with whatever agatized the wood. Not sure I am seeing that right. It might hold up to tumbling/polishing.

off the subject; where did you stay on your trip to South Texas, Camping? Motel? any suggestions?

Thanks

H

There is at least 4 hotels there Henry. Stayed at Best Western and was pleased with the place.
I think I had seen campers occupied, not sure if they were workers or vacationers.
The lake has world class bass fishing , the fisherman were staying at the hotels as far as I could tell.

[jamesp]

Please feel free to cut and post, fingers have had enough saw oil on my end. Time for gloves for a good while.
That dry Texas air does a number on skin too.

[captbob]

What do you use for saw oil?

[jamesp]

Nov 12, 2016 22:46:46 GMT -5 captbob said:

What do you use for saw oil?

The worst. 75% kerosene and 25% 10W-40. Brazilian recipe. Cheap but efficient. Saw is outside under shed roof.
Just need to get disposable gloves to protect hands.

Jumbo size bottle of Dawn and a 5 HP electric pressure washer right next to the saw. Gravel covered area. Shallow 3 gallon tubs to soak rocks in water laced with Dawn.
Coral was bad about soaking saw oil due to it's thick porous coating. Had to set it on a drain rack and collect the oil as they were cut.
These rocks smaller and smooth so skipping the drainage thing.

18 inch saw blade down to less than 1/8" diamonds. Will need a new one soon. Top of line segregated MK. Sped saw(Covington) up to MK specifications for segregated blade.
But I cut on the slowest of 6 speeds. I only saw when welding since saw is 15 feet away from welding station. Slow speed OK, easier on blade smoother cuts.

[jamesp]

rockjunquie may have solved a long time mystery. (4 years)
Sci fi jasper also known as porcelain from North Mexico mirror's many rocks I find on the Rio.
Especially after looking at images.

Description:

Porcelain (Sci Fi jasper)

This material is located high in the mountains near the Sonora, Chihuahua border in Mexico. Evidence indicates that the deposit only 10 yards wide was at one time as sedimentary formation which became highly silicated and as such fractures formed which were filled with iron. The high amounts of iron as they filled the cracks over time are now seen as the veins of purple and red. The cream color base is the perfect back drop to this natural masterpiece that has a truly exotic and sensual feel.

One of the samples from the Rio, but many others. My camera dulls purple.
Am sure this is not from actual vein as described above, but conditions must be favorable in close by areas for similar formations.



I dragged a bunch of this mysterious purple stuff home and am pumped about getting an answer after several years of searching.

Proximity to Rio



Sabre52

Sawed this Sunday morning, got many more and all sorts of patterns. Many brecciated like Sci Fi.

[jamesp]

Another jasper that is a dead ringer for that found on the Rio, red conglomerate jasper from North Mexico. Lots of this in S Texas.

Educational on jasper, photos a descriptions www.desertrosedirect.com/stone-database/jasper.html

"Red conglomerate
Red conglomerate is a new form of jasper that is hand mined in northern Mexico."



See Confetti, Cabernet, jasper from North Mexico also.

Imperial, Fossil, New Scenic, Silver Hills and Viper are other Mexican agates but not sure if they are in the Rio Grande drainage.

Possible Confetti jasper, fairly common on Rio

My find:



From above article:

[jamesp]

Mind bender jasper (made up). Plenty of brecciation. Need blue...

[jamesp]

May have made a big mistake in hunting large wood. There were miles of two distinct shorelines at low lake level.
Each had a pile of 2 inch and smaller pebbles 12 inches deep and 5 feet wide(variable).
Wood sprinkled all in them.
This a small wood 2" X 2" X 1" and of very fine quality.
Betting the small woods may have been the quality stuff. Must go back now.
Sit on my butt in the shade and collect 10 five gallon buckets, keep me busy for a lifetime.
No bleach, ready to tumble, perfect single cab slabs. Dang dang dang
You ready Bob ?

[Sabre52]

Yep, that brecciated jasper is definitely the same as the Rio stuff. I'm sawing a hunk of it right now. Hard as tacks and smooth and solid. Usually sealed together with red or gold mossy agate. Only problem I have with it, is the hunks I find are mostly way to big for my little saw. Another really pretty and mostly overlooked rough.

Those little hunks of wood are most likely the hardest and most solid gemmy stuff. After all, they've survived a long long tumble down stream...Mel

[jamesp]

Nov 13, 2016 9:15:41 GMT -5 Sabre52 said:

Yep, that brecciated jasper is definitely the same as the Rio stuff. I'm sawing a hunk of it right now. Hard as tacks and smooth and solid. Usually sealed together with red or gold mossy agate. Only problem I have with it, is the hunks I find are mostly way to big for my little saw. Another really pretty and mostly overlooked rough.

Those little hunks of wood are most likely the hardest and most solid gemmy stuff. After all, they've survived a long long tumble down stream...Mel

The jasper is as you said 'hard as tacks' and tumbled it from last visit. Bulletproof.
2-4 inch ones seemed best quality, but there were big ones too with quality.

Depressed, thinking I should have collected those darn pebble shores for the gem wood.
Hearing you about their journey. ALMOST sat my butt down and did a day picking those morsels up.
Photos make them big showing all the details, what the hell.

This little one looks like the George West stuff.

[captbob]

I can be out the door in two hours.