QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 8, 2018 23:17:20 GMT -5
Has anyone had to change out the Arbor on the Raytech 10" Slab Saw? While installing a new blade I noticed a noticeable wiggle in the new blade. Removed it and found that the shaft was loose, the arbor mount was tight the play was between the shaft and the sleeve bearing. I sent an e-mail to the new owner's of Raytech, Scott Enterprises to see if they carry the part. Is the part, I assume the sleeve bearing?, something I can buy and install myself or do I need to find the complete Arbor assembly? Thanks Henry I ordered a new Raytech 10" saw arbor/bearing assembly from Rick Scott a few months ago and just got around to installing it a couple of weeks ago. I would imagine someone with a bearing press could replace just the bearings and still use the same arbor and housing as long as the arbor isn't too worn where it makes contact with the bearings. But I don't have a bearing press and haven't tried doing that yet. I saved the old arbor/bearing assembly and figured I'd take it to a machine shop and let them give it a try at some point in the future if their estimate for doing so isn't too high. Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 8, 2018 23:04:01 GMT -5
Nice brecia - looks like Burro Creek jasper to me. Do you see any signs of pink sections in it at all? Yes. The color balance of the photos is off a little. They have more flesh-tones and a few small pink areas, and are not as yellow tinted as they appear in the photos. Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 7, 2018 2:26:24 GMT -5
I agree with Mel - Agua Nueva Agate.  Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 5, 2018 13:06:08 GMT -5
I don't think it is chert. It has some areas of plumes and also a couple green crystal cross sections embedded in it which are probably chlorite quartz, which is found in some localities in the piedmont regions of NC and Va.. To my eye it more resembles a type of seam agate.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 4, 2018 23:26:10 GMT -5
Ever toss a rock on the discard pile only to later see it "in a different light"? I've done it a few times and the slabs shown below are from one such rock. It came out of an estate collection I purchased and the previous owner had cut a slice off of it which only exposed an ugly bland brown color. So in my mass sorting I had tossed it on the discard pile along my fence. Some time later, after many rains, it caught my eye one day while passing. After further examination decided to cut it in a different direction from the previous owners cut and this is what I got. Not sure what it is but in some respects it resembles some of the Chapenite I've seen. Managed to get several decent slabs off of it.   Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 4, 2018 23:08:51 GMT -5
The last couple of days I've been going through some slabs that I purchased from old collections and ran across this one. It has an old yellowed piece of tape on it marked "Agate NC" in pencil. We don't have a lot of agates here in NC but what I have seen of what we do have are usually not very interesting. Not sure where in NC this is from, or even if it is labeled properly, but I sure wouldn't mind finding out where it is from if it is indeed NC.  Backlit:  Old tape label:  Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 4, 2018 22:53:44 GMT -5
I could use some I.D. help on these thundereggs. I few years ago I bought out an old collection that had a few lots of various thunder eggs. Most of them were recognizable as being from the Northwestern U.S. but the eggs from this one lot I do not recognize. The outer matrix is light tan to cream colored with some reddish orange mineral staining. The interiors of most are translucent bluish, grayish and/or white to nearly clear agate with other mineral inclusions, some of which appear to be metallic inclusions. A couple of the eggs have crystal lined vugs. Several have somewhat of a "turtleback" figure in the agate and when wet and backlit appear to want to iris a little. I'll attach photos of slices of a few of these eggs below. One with vugs:  Exterior:  Slice No. 1:  Slice No. 1 backlit:  Slice No. 2:  Slice No. 3:  Slice No. 4:  Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 20, 2018 3:16:28 GMT -5
rmf is correct about number 3. There was a lot of that material from Tennessee floating around at the rock & gem shows in the Southeastern U.S. back in the 1970s being called "Flint Conglomerate". Later some folks were (and still are) calling it "Tennessee Puddingstone". I think I still have some of it around here somewhere. Best I remember it was sort of soft, at least in areas, but did take a good polish.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 18, 2018 2:30:18 GMT -5
Rainforest has always been one of my favorites but those first three photos of Imperial are fantastic! Especially those in the second photo of Imperial - absolutely stunning!
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 18, 2018 2:19:51 GMT -5
A.K.A. Awesomeite! Fantastic cab!!!
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 6, 2018 0:29:33 GMT -5
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
|
Post by QuailRiver on Mar 5, 2018 21:44:38 GMT -5
The type of pump used on that model saw is called a Teel coolant pump. Dayton used to, and maybe still does, make them. Try doing a search for "Dayton Teel coolant pump" and see what turns up. I've seen similar ones on eBay before as well.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Mar 4, 2018 1:33:26 GMT -5
Most any abrasive material will work (SC lapidary wheels or sticks, AlO wheels or sticks, the old Garnet wheels used for grinding glass, bricks made with coarse sand, etc.) as long as the binder used to hold the abrasives together isn't too hard like many of the metal grinding wheels found on common bench grinders are. If the binder in the abrasive wheel/stick is too hard it can pull the diamond particles out of the blade matrix.
I usually use old SC lapidary wheels between 100 to 220 grit. But prefer, when I can find them, old crumbly hand made bricks from the early to mid 1800s. These older bricks were fired at lower temperatures than the later ones and were not as vitrified. So the sand in the bricks does a good job removing metal matrix from around the diamond particles on the blade while the clay and feldspar particles are soft enough to be worn away without causing any damage to the diamond particles. I wish I had loaded up on them 30+ years ago when they were still easy to get around here and were often free for the asking. But now most of our historic structures have either been restored or bulldozed and hauled away.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Feb 28, 2018 0:05:57 GMT -5
Still not sure yet if I will be able to make it. But I have been looking for accommodations in the area and found that there is a state maintained campground (Dillion State Park) only 12-1/2 miles from the Nether's Farm. DSP has RV & tent camp sites plus cabins for rent. They look reasonably priced and have a 4.5 star review on Google. Generally speaking most state run campgrounds I've seen in the east are maintained better than the privately owned ones. I know we have some potters in this group as well, so those of you who "turn & burn" may be interested to know that about 40 miles east of Nether's Farm is a Laguna Clay distribution center and the manufacturer of Miller Clay products. www.lagunaclay.com/contact/Laguna/Miller no longer appear to have their wholesale price list linked on their web page but they used to give serious discounts on bulk buys, especially if you have a resale number. I haven't priced clay from them in many years but 15+ years ago a thousand pounds of clay picked up at their dock was about half the price of what I could buy it for from our local Laguna Clay distributor in NC. Obviously a big part of that price difference was the savings on freight costs to the local suppliers that gets added in to their cost/sale price. But hey if use their products and you're gong to be in the neighborhood anyway... P.S. Loved Laguna's cone 10 Soldate 60 stoneware clay! It was the best turning clay I ever used. (That Moonlite candelabrum Face Jug in the lower right corner of my member avatar was made from it.) Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Feb 17, 2018 10:14:41 GMT -5
I just looked at Barranca's web page and they make three styles of 7" blades suited for lapidary stone work. The 303C (.030" & .050" kerfs), the 303P (.067" kerf), and the 305 (.050" kerf).
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Feb 17, 2018 10:06:53 GMT -5
Seven inches is not a standard size for lapidary blades. I think Barranca Diamond sells one or two types of blades marketed specifically for lapidary use in the 7" size but to my knowledge that is it.
Larry C.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Feb 3, 2018 12:48:08 GMT -5
Thank you for the fast shipping and great product! You're welcome and thank you! When I was filling your order I knew I recognized the name and address but couldn't place it. It wasn't until after I had emailed you your shipping notice that I realized, hey "That's Chicago Dave!". Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Jan 31, 2018 18:03:07 GMT -5
I know that egg is too pretty of a specimen to ever cut up for cabs...but I just can't help but imagining the possibilities!  Larry C. |
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
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Post by QuailRiver on Jan 27, 2018 4:45:16 GMT -5
As of this posting time I have 111 lots of Faceting Rough & Accessories, Jewelry Fabricating & Casting Tools & Supplies, and books on Faceting and Gemstones all listed on eBay now which can be seen at the following link: www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ipg=50&_ssn=quailriver&_sop=1Or if this link doesn't work for your devise you can just go to eBay's "Advanced Search" page and do a Seller search for QuailRiver. Included are used Facetron and Raytech-Shaw index gears & dops, UT dops, a dop chuck and a table dop for the old style Stanely made Ultra-Tec machines, plus a few other other faceting accessories. Also several books on Faceting and/or gemstones. And 57 lots of faceting rough. Plus 38 lots of jewelry fabricating and casting tools and supplies. And since natural faceting rough can be difficult to photograph and descriptions can be subjective. On all natural Faceting Rough lots we offer a No-Risk Guarantee. If you're not happy with a parcel or lot then just notify us within forty-eight hours of receiving it that you would like to return it. And ship the whole parcel (No Cherry-Picking) back to us within seven days in the same condition it was originally shipped to you in and we will refund your entire purchase price plus shipping costs (both ways). All other items may be returned for a full purchase price only refund. Thanks for looking! Larry C. |
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