Rock tumbling and jewelry making (Not RC related)

[Velodromed]

Get enough practice and you can get a job in the deli.

I did work in a deli when I was like 18 for a while. I got real good at slicing the meat and cheese
Man, it would be so nice if cutting rocks was that easy. But I am getting closer to ‘jewelry spec’ with these things, I think. I’ve been looking into ways to wrap them using hammered silver or copper wire that will look really nice on a corded or thick silver necklace. I’ll make some earrings out of small agate ones that I will cut/polish, soon as I find the right rocks. I also cut a couple of petrified wood pieces lengthwise. It took over 10 minutes each one, but I really like the way they look. Got an idea in my head for making sun catchers and wind chimes with them. Also working on figuring out which type of tubes I need to get for the wind chime part.

 

[Velodromed]

Wow, this is really different! My step daughter found it when we were hunting rocks earlier today. I’d say it’s a Native American hand tool of sorts if it was limestone or a similar softer rock. But it’s a chalcedony nodule and those are very hard. I’ve never seen one made from such hard rock and am not finding anything online either.

Except for cleaning it with CLR, my wife and I decided this one needs to be researched before messing with it. The first picture is before cleaning and the last picture is a ‘typical’ rock hand tool. Man, it sure does look carved...

 

[RadioHacktive]

Very cool find.

Looks more like a stone bird's nest though ... if the bird was a humming bird.

 

[Velodromed]

Rock hunting trip!
Yup, we spent most of the day looking for a good spot along the llano and Colorado river. We found so much good rocks that it was painful making the mile trek uphill back to the car. Now we’re chilling at the lighthouse bar and grill while looking for a hotel to crash at.
Of course I managed to squeeze 1 rc car in the mix and boy was the flying blueberry fun in the rocks!

 

[Doom!]

Looks like a fun adventure! Man, I need to get away soon.

Rock hunting trip!
Yup, we spent most of the day looking for a good spot along the llano and Colorado river. We found so much good rocks that it was painful making the mile trek uphill back to the car. Now we’re chilling at the lighthouse bar and grill while looking for a hotel to crash at.
Of course I managed to squeeze 1 rc car in the mix and boy was the flying blueberry fun in the rocks!

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[Velodromed]

Looks like a fun adventure! Man, I need to get away soon.

It’s our first get away since my wife’s whole cancer thing so it’s very needed. I’m beyond exhausted and a little snookered. It took us three hours of driving just to find a decent place to look, then five hours of humped over looking for rocks. Rocks that are heavy and deep sand that sucks to walk uphill in now we’re settling into a nice hotel right and all I wanna do is go to sleep. My wife wants me to go down and get all of her rocks out of the car so she can show them to me. I don’t want to see them. I’ve been looking at rocks all fiddlesticking day till crosseyed. Tomorrow will be much better but right now…go away. Dang it, the kids jumping on the bed like a nutcase. She’s not tired at all, the little poop carried like 4 rocks all day
Oh, my did find a rock called Llanite, which is only found in one place in the entire world. Llano, Texas, and we started right near there. So that was really cool. It’s become very rare to find and she found a nice size chunk.

 

[Smilinbri]

It’s our first get away since my wife’s whole cancer thing so it’s very needed. I’m beyond exhausted and a little snookered. It took us three hours of driving just to find a decent place to look, then five hours of humped over looking for rocks. Rocks that are heavy and deep sand that sucks to walk uphill in now we’re settling into a nice hotel right and all I wanna do is go to sleep. My wife wants me to go down and get all of her rocks out of the car so she can show them to me. I don’t want to see them. I’ve been looking at rocks all fiddlesticking day till crosseyed. Tomorrow will be much better but right now…go away. Dang it, the kids jumping on the bed like a nutcase. She’s not tired at all, the little poop carried like 4 rocks all day
Oh, my did find a rock called Llanite, which is only found in one place in the entire world. Llano, Texas, and we started right near there. So that was really cool. It’s become very rare to find and she found a nice size chunk.

Tomorrow's a new day brotha!! Hope you get some sleep.

 

[Velodromed]

Tomorrow's a new day brotha!! Hope you get some sleep.

already there man.

 

[Velodromed]

Gotta love Austin! 1960s diner with 2010 prices. Local catch fried catfish on the way. Yum ! (the cow has GOOGLY eyes btw! GOOGLY GOOGLY!!)

Natures Treasures in Austin, TX!
Wow! I can’t believe the section of rocks, they have everything basically at Amazon prices except I can touch and feel them and pick what I want. The outside back has dozens of more types of rocks even. We spent 2 hours and close to 200 bucks there on rocks!

 

[Velodromed]

Wow…it’s not palm wood like I thought. It’s fossilized extinct coral (Tabulate coral)! I magnified a part and you can really see it. It’s a very unique one at that I was told. Very cool.

 

[Doom!]

Cool, does look coral-ish, of course it still looks palm-ish too. Either way it's a really nice piece.

 

[Velodromed]

Cool, does look coral-ish, of course it still looks palm-ish too. Either way it's a really nice piece.

Yup. It’s definitely coral, just took a 30x lens to see it clearly. Below is coral and the other tan colored piece is petrified palm. The tubes are much larger on the palm and curved. I joined a fossil forum last week to learn more about it.

 

[Doom!]

Maybe it's palm coral. Looks legit to me.

 

[Velodromed]

Llanite. 1.1 billion years old and only found in Llano County, Texas. We picked these up during our rock hunting trip on the Llano river. The first piece is a brilliant one, full of the rare blue quartz pieces that set this rock apart from others. I will lightly tumble then polish it. The second one is not as dramatic, larger and a good shape for cutting. I’ll make a dozen mini slabs from it and am hoping it has more of the blue quartz inside

 

[Ron Burgandy]

Dude I almost took a vid and or pic yesterday at the farm .
As I mentioned there are rocks everywhere….
I had to stop myself from seeing “oooh shiny “ rocks or I wouldn’t have gotten anything done .

 

[Doom!]

Dude I almost took a vid and or pic yesterday at the farm .
As I mentioned there are rocks everywhere….
I had to stop myself from seeing “oooh shiny “ rocks or I wouldn’t have gotten anything done .

That's what happens when we go to the coast, we spend most of the time looking for cool rocks. Lot's of Oooooh shiney, and they are already smooth.

 

[Velodromed]

Dude I almost took a vid and or pic yesterday at the farm .
As I mentioned there are rocks everywhere….
I had to stop myself from seeing “oooh shiny “ rocks or I wouldn’t have gotten anything done .

That’s great man. You really should when you have time someday. I tend to shove rocks that catch my eye in my pockets, a bag or just a pile where I can find them later when hurried. It’s best to wash them first and look at them while still wet anyway. The kid and I even like to rock hunt in light rain because the good rocks stand out so much better.

That's what happens when we go to the coast, we spend most of the time looking for cool rocks. Lot's of Oooooh shiney, and they are already smooth.

When we go to Washington state again this summer we’ll be doing a lot of that. I love the beaches there! So much tumbled rock and drift wood. We usually take an empty, large suitcase just to bring back what we collect.

 

[Velodromed]

Finally achieved the mirror like shine
These are bone dry and the picture does not do them justification.

 

[Smilinbri]

Finally achieved the mirror like shine
These are bone dry and the picture does not do them justification.

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So shiny!!

 

[Doom!]

They came out awesome! Some killer peices.