jamesp favorites-Rio Grande #2

[captbob]

Today I moved my 14" saw from the garage to the back patio. Figure that it's not supposed to rain for the next week, so I might as well put it where I can play with it all day and not have neighbors bothering me stopping by to chat.

Did some sorting to work up another tumbler load and some cutting. Even cut my very first thunder egg - it's pretty cool inside - thanks drocknut !!

Some of today's rocks from the Zapata trip -

This one had more green on the outside than inside


flip side


and a faced pic. doubt this one will make the cut for going in the tumbler.


This one is going in the next tumbler batch for sure, wanted to face it although it was nice enough as it was


other side - amazing how different two sides of a rock can be! Not necessarily this one, but in general.


face cut - I like it!


Headed to the tumbler as is - I picked up pretty much any green rock while there - easy to spot.


Also not getting cut, I prefer to tumble them whole when possible.


same, toss it in the tumbler whole


This one I showed before, but the bottom third was kinda boring, so I cut it off and it's now headed to be tumbled


this is the bottom of the above rock


This last one here has me very perplexed. Haven't quite figured out what to do with it, so I set it aside to think more about. The inside may be one of my better finds, just gotta figure out how to best get to it!
3 pictures of this one






It's actually a fairly decent sized rock, could be sawed in half, but I don't want to ruin it by cutting it the wrong way. Will sleep on it.

That's it for pictures today. Will post the t-egg from Diane tomorrow - ran out of daylight today.
With the saw on the patio for the next few days, I'm gonna be cutting a lot of rocks. Probably get to some of my what was I thinking rocks to see if they are anything I can use or if I need to throw them in the yard.

Hope no one is bored with our Zapata rocks yet, 'cuz there are LOTS more coming.

[quartz]

Certainly not bored here, that stuff is super. Please do keep 'em coming, we enjoy every one.

[jamesp]

Believe the last one gets plume status Bob. Hard to find them and red is a hot plume.
One above it poppy like.
Two more up, the face cut you like, looks flower garden. The Woodward's may have sent it downstream.
The Rio was kind to you.

[Sabre52]

Zowee what a show you guys! Bob, that last nodule is a west Texas ( Woodward type) red and black plume for sure and man that first one you faced is excellent flower garden. Definitely a drool worthy post guys.....Mel

[txrockhunter]

just amazing! What a variety of world class material! Thanks for taking the time to chronicle your journey!!

[Fossilman]

Awesome! Totally!!! About like I am,anything green,I snag up and take home....LOL
All this material should keep you two busy for a few days....LOL
Keep the photos rolling....

[rockjunquie]

That green on e and the last one are truly the bomb diggity! I kinda wish you would cut that green one. It's so oj-ish and bloodstone-ish. 

[captbob]

I've got plenty of green rocks to cut Tela, that one is just too well shaped to not give the tumbler a shot at it first. I don't have one of those super grinders like James has to fix imperfections for tumbling (yet) so I need to work with what I have.

The saw is running. Going through some of my what were you thinking rocks and going to cut a few. There are actually some pretty cool rocks in that bunch, and also many I don't even want in my yard for landscaping - what was I thinking!!

Learning curve ... *sigh*
jamesp said that he also brought home some questionable rocks from his first trip to Zapata, so I don't feel TOO bad about being a noob. I'll do better next time! *ahem*

Taking lots more pictures while I have good light.

[jamesp]

I got the ID correct !! yippee !
Keep em pumped Bob.

[HankRocks]

Your last 3 pictures are definitely Red Plume of the Woodard/Walker Ranch type. Cutting it has always been confusing as conventional wisdom says the best cut is along the flat axis as that is supposed to be the way the plumes(grow?). I have cut a few biscuits the other way and been very pleased with the results. It could be that if the biscuits are filled with the plumes and not just in a narrow plane, then cutting plane may not matter. I will defer to any more experienced biscuit cutters.

H

[Sabre52]

You know, I lost it during my Texas move but, during my last Woodward trip, I found an odd geode that had plumes growing from the skin inward at all angles and no agate surrounding them and filling in the nodule. Kind of like cave onyx structures. Definitely showed that plume orientation is not always parallel to the flat bottom of the plume biscuits as these were perpendicular to the skin on all directions. Have also cut more than few Woodward examples where the plume extends into tubes/botryoidal structures growing up perpendicular to the base against megaquartz cavities or end to end through the whole depth of a nodule. So, I guess the old rule of thumb is only a very general rule that has many exceptions....Mel

[captbob]

wood?

[Sabre52]

Yep, looks like wood to me....Mel

[captbob]

Got a question for you Mel. Why is there no dino bone in south Texas?

[captbob]

Going off topic for a post here to show the t-egg that I cut from the box packed full of them that I received from Diane drocknut .



I like the green border between the matrix and the agate interior. Very cool.
Then there is this "thing" going right across the center of this double egg. Not sure what caused that, but I find it very interesting.



Looking forward to cutting more of these babies soon!
May have to go on an egg buying spree, these things are pretty neat!

Thanks again Diane!

[captbob]

Alright... moving on. Cut some different rocks today. Don't think I cut any Rio agates, and some of them I have no idea what I cut!

This first one looks to me to be a petrified wood. Different and unusual.



Here's a couple pictures of the face cut







And another of the outside



This next one is out of my what were you thinking bucket. Kind of an ugly duckling rock!
I brought some weird ones home just because I found them uncommon.



flipped over



the cut face
Actually kept quite a few different conglomerate type rocks. I'll get to more of them soon.



Here's a couple Rios that I didn't cut. Hope to tumble them whole.







An odd one. Gonna set it aside and think on this one.





This one is sort of neat, and big. Not sure of its fate yet either. Has some nice areas, but also a bunch of pits and cervices.
Pretty sure the saw will get this one eventually.





other side



Now another unusual find. Big honking rock. Kinda figure it is a jasper

Dry



flip side dry



Had a heck of a time taking good pictures of it wet.





Figured it needed a face cut. Vise opened as far as it will go.



Here are some pictures of the faces of both pieces. A bugger to get a photo of due to reflections.





the outside of the rock again. Bad reflections. Jasper?



Cut a few more today, but didn't get any after pictures. Will post them and more soon.

Thanks for following along.

[jamesp]

Sweet wood and that jasper is a blinder. Sunglasses required.
The wood usually has a thin patina, a good thing. That is one of the best woods. That type is brick schnitt solid.

Some of the prettiest mosses and plumes have this rough texture. Not easy to tumble. But this one will be a show stopper sawn.

[jamesp]

One of those ground up meats with 'parts' in it. Pink conglomerate, special find.

[jamesp]

This may be a fine flower garden, I remember it as moss suspended in clear chalcedony.
Good job slanting the rocks to reduce glare. Easier to do in bright sun than when using artificial light.

[jamesp]

Nov 17, 2016 23:53:47 GMT -5 captbob said:

Got a question for you Mel. Why is there no dino bone in south Texas?

And coprolite ??