Recent mining experiences

Thundereggs are a mud matrix outside covering an agate center. Never know just what they will look like inside. I'll post a pic of some cut when I get a chance. The hollow version is called a geode and usually filled with crystals.

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Yep I have some cut and polished eggs, and I will post some pix soon.

I'll see if I can find some unchipped obsidian in the pile, as it has a dull rough exterior usually when undamaged. It kind of looks like basalt but duller and more rounded when unbroken.

Glad you enjoyed the pix The lucky Strike is owned or was once owned by my great uncle, not sure if he still is there or not. He was a rockhound like no other     

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Brian, that sounds great! Will you dig into the hillside and pour a concrete slab or put three sides on stilts? I wish I had that many acres to play with. It's been a long time since I had acres to play with. I want acres. No more aches, just acres.

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		Quote:			Posted by GoldDigger1950
	Brian, that sounds great! Will you dig into the hillside and pour a concrete slab or put three sides on stilts? I wish I had that many acres to play with. It's been a long time since I had acres to play with. I want acres. No more aches, just acres.

It belongs to my sis and bro-in-law (neestaw,) and cement is TOO expensive and too permanent, but we have a siple alternative used a couple times already: this area was a huge freshwater lake, 18,000 yrs ago so underneath, it is mainly marine clay and chunks of sandstone. We have discovered 30 inch steel stakes! They have a square socket, on the top that takes a 4x4 treated green post (copper napthanate pressure treated,) the stake has a 6x6 or 8x8in square plate, just under the socket, so it does not sink.

These stakes are thin looking, but hard to drive, even with a 14 lb fence post maul. Even so, one can make a good platform or ground level shed. We already used  them for a small greenhouse (hothouse to you,) which is 30 inches off the ground on the downhill side, even though it is only about 8 feet wide. The entire hill is not that steep, tho.  

I have all kinds of alternators so running a power-line is not a hitch.... water IS. We use a cistern and fill it from a pond and a *well,* which is really another natural cistern... of course this water is not used for human intake, it serves for laundry and flushing..... never drink it, too much cadmium. For human intake we use rain water (or buy 20 litre jugs,) mostly for cooking, coffee and tea.  

I also want to do some photo-voltaics.

It is iffy, sometimes, especially if it does not rain, as we use about 1200 imperial gallons (5500litres) in 5 weeks....  

When I go into the bush, I take some bottled water, a couple dozen de-alcoholized beer, and a 20 litre jug, which I fill ONLY with running water (avoids beaver fever and giardia,) and use this for cooking. I used to drink the river water, without boiling,  but got sick, one summer, so since then, I will only use fast flowing, icy mountain stream water, for direct consumption. Even that could be iffy in June, July and August. (The same months it is recommended NOT to eat shellfish, on the coast.)

I used to do this almost every summer, but lately it has been every 2 or 3 years.... must be getting old?

goldigger

		Quote:			Posted by Idaho Jones
	The ol homestead here is 40 acres, 20 of which is not farmed so lotta room for rocks My folks were heavily into rocks for a long time and most of the piles were collected on expeditions when I was younger. I was always more of a relic hunter but I found a few good rocks over the years too. Craft fairs and rock shows are all over here if you have the inclination to travel. Most of the folks there didn't look too rich but I think they were having fun Glass Mountain as I recall it was just a huge splatter of obsidian. Some on the surface and some in pockets underground with some big ol hunks laying all over.   I recently found a congregation of tiny bits of obsidian out in the desert. So much that I decided there must be a larger amount nearby. I scoured the whole area but never found a main source or a piece larger than a dime. I am now thinking perhaps it was a meeting sight where trading and knapping was done leaving traces all over. Next year I plan on going back to look for camp sign.

That mountain sounds like one in central America (or was it Mexico?) where Josh Bernstein was doing some archeological filming. He took the camera right into one of the ancient tunnels, while outside, the obsidian lay everywhere. A lot of it had big white or gray bands and lots of spots. That obsidian was in what looked like a yellow clay, which probably was volcanic ash, when it was laid down.

That is the thing about the Spatzizi Plateau.... it is very volcanic. As well, the Kemess Mine area is supposed to consist of ancient lava domes, the non-eruptive kind, that cause much mineralization, as in gold and other hydro-thermally deposited metals. Some of those domes have thunder eggs, but you need a helicopter! 

I do know, from past experience, you do not need fancy, expensive lapidary equipment, to work with, a cheap washing machine motor and a saw arbour can make a slabbing saw, as well, a double ended grindstone, fitted with the correct rock grind stones works well... just make sure the bearings are protected. If you want to facet, THEN buy the right machine, but for cabs, flats and simple settings, the above equipment will do, if you add a small (4 or 5 in) diamond wet saw, (like a tile cutter.) 

I would even buy a simple lap wheel to try my hand at cutting quartz crystals for radio use. 

goldigger

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		Quote:			Posted by Idaho Jones
	Here's a couple more pix Ribbon obsidion note the rough brown exterior. Thunder eggs cut and polished A geode The trickiest part of a rock saw is figuring out the feed. Maybe if you put the arbor on a swing arm and let gravity pull the blade down. Our saw uses a worm drive to move the rock through the blade but its a little complex to build without some machining tools.

Ah! More pictures to add to my slide show-screen saver! Great!

The saw I used, years ago, and home-made, was made in a 10 (Imperial) gallon gas barrel, with part, cut and hinged, for a cover (about 1/4 of the barrel,) The rock clamp/holder swung to the saw, which sat at the barrel center, cross-wise so the bearings and drive pulley were outside. The holder had a very light cable which ran though a hole in the back end, over a small pulley and down to a small weight like a little bucket with a few rocks, so you can refine the (pull) weight.

Inside the barrel, the saw  blade sat flat wise to the sides, with the bottom edge of the blade sitting in varsol.... of course, at that time there was no controversy over whether one should use varsol, or use anti-freeze.

A little trick, for mounting a piece to cut, if it was difficult to clamp, was to set the piece into a small box and pour in plaster of Paris, when set, there is now a rectangular shape to clamp.

Such a saw is cheap and simple but I have not seen a 10  gallon barrel for 40 years! A grease barrel might work, but they are much bigger, by twice. If you want to protect the bearings from grit, they have to be outside the barrel, because that coolant flies everywhere! A grease barrel would require an arbour about 24 inches long!

I have a 12 inch diamond blade, just waiting for a saw to appear under it, and I can get tile cutter blades (7.5 inch) cheap..... they are thicker, but if I want fine cuts, I will buy a couple of thin rock blades. 

Right now, making slabbing saws is moot, it is snowing blue blazes..... we have had 12 inches and are only supposed to have 8 in! Then tonight, it is supposed to RAIN! What a mess.... I thought I might blow snow, tomorrow, but after the rain, it is supposed to be +4C, and snow blowers do  NOT blow wet snow. 

goldigger

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