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TallTomSr |
60. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 10:53 AM EDT
I would suggest getting a water pick to clean between grits. a friend turned me on to it. Tom 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
aubreyreynolds9@gmai |
61. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 11:10 AM EDT
Another tip I use is to take my rocks to a car wash. That includes crystals, agates, cutting rough, and tumble stones. The rocks need to be in a basket with openings andthe high pressure wash cleans great. But don't wash delicate mineral specimens or they will be distroyed. Bill 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
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TallTomSr |
62. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 11:25 AM EDT
"I would suggest getting a water pick to clean between grits. a friend turned me on to it.do not use wifes dishwasher between grits makes for a bad day,,lol tom 1 out of 1 found this valuable. Do you? |
cbh45 |
63. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 1:23 PM EDT
"do not use wifes dishwasher between grits makes for a bad day,,lolOK, probably good advice but just out of interest, does it get them clean? Anyone with the courage to try it? charles Do you find this valuable? |
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cbh45 |
64. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 1:24 PM EDT
"I would suggest getting a water pick to clean between grits. a friend turned me on to it.Thanks. Sounds like a good idea. I'll try it! charles Do you find this valuable? |
pvjjh |
65. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 1:32 PM EDT
"do not use wifes dishwasher between grits makes for a bad day,,lolTom, is this the voice of experience? Hmmm.... lol Vib tumblers must work well, but for only certain rocks. Jeff ran ours (I think too large of rough to start with) and had the same problem as chb45. What I ended up doing since the grit and grim was imbedded into the nooks and crannys of the stones was to just put them into a regular tumbler and ran the coarse grit again and for about 10 days. That cleaned things out and rounded the stones much better than the vib lap. I think they would be good for round small stones, but anything that is too large and irregular just doesn't move right in the pan. Our pan is ruined for anything by coarse grit now as there is actually grit imbedded into pan. I will try again, but with smaller rounder material. Anything else will be put into the tumblers for grinding. Takes longer but I know it works. lol I know all you vib lap die hards think this is wrong, but I can't argue with success. Paul Do you find this valuable? |
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TallTomSr |
66. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 1:57 PM EDT
"OK, probably good advice but just out of interest, does it get them clean?yes it gets them clean but the fury of the wife and the cost of repaires prohibit a second attempt,,lol However after a soak in bar keepers friend and a quick hose down a rinse in the dishwasher insures all the chemicals are off and safe to let kids handle. Tom Do you find this valuable? |
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aubreyreynolds9@gmai |
67. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 2:52 PM EDT
"yes it gets them clean but the fury of the wife and the cost of repaires prohibit a second attempt,,lol However after a soak in bar keepers friend and a quick hose down a rinse in the dishwasher insures all the chemicals are off and safe to let kids handle.I would be able to put my rocks in the dishwasher just once.My wife is part Blackfoot ,part Cajun with a little German thrown in for good measure. That is one voitile mixture. Kind of like Napalm and a lighted match or nitric acid and glycerene. Bill Do you find this valuable? |
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TallTomSr |
68. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 3:05 PM EDT
"I would be able to put my rocks in the dishwasher just once.My wife is part Blackfoot ,part Cajun with a little German thrown in for good measure. That is one voitile mixture. Kind of like Napalm and a lighted match or nitric acid and glycerene.Amen too that. only did the grit thing once too cause my wife is part sweet part sour and all fangs when angry. however a rinse to ensure removal of chemicals for safety is alright to protect the grand babies. But I better hose them good first,lol Tom Do you find this valuable? |
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havermap |
69. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 9:49 PM EDT
Nice pics Paul, looks like you had a lot of fun.For anyone~ Since I live in Michigan and I don't dig anything (except snow!) I was wondering how you people decide where you are going to dig. What makes you dig at one spot instead of the other? Just wondering. Pam Do you find this valuable? |
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pvjjh |
70. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 22 2008, 10:13 PM EDT
"Nice pics Paul, looks like you had a lot of fun.Ewww, this is going to be a tough one. First of all you have to be in an area that is noted for stuff. Generally you will see lots of other dig sites. In my case it is just find an old dig and if it looks like the area around the site hasn't been distrubed I may start in that dig site. Sometimes it is just hit and miss. Find a place, start digging if you find something continue, if not move (if you can force yourself too. lol) But if Tom is around, watch his spidyman bucket. When it twitches or he says he has the feeling, dig there! I just have to figure out how to get Tom to go when I go diggin'.. He has a knack about knowing where to dig. In my case, I think I will just take Tom. lol That probably didn't help you much though. ;-) Paul Do you find this valuable? |
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TallTomSr |
71. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 23 2008, 1:33 AM EDT
Hey PamAs Paul said itis best to go where material is reprted to have been found before. Once you are there old diggins indeed offer clues to where you might look. Look for similiar formations or ground color and texture. In my case I have another way also. I take a few minutes and settle myself and feel the wind and the energy of the area. I then offer a little tobacco to the earth and say a prayer that all who may be searching that day with me find what they are looking for and that I might be able to help them. Then I simply walk till told to stop and I dig there. As you can see from the post's of saddle mountain and Lucas creek and Adna everyone got nice pieces to bring home so it must work,,lol. That is honestly what I do. Hope that helps. Tom Do you find this valuable? |
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debaker |
72. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 23 2008, 1:39 AM EDT
I think a lot of it has to do with experience, just getting the feel for how things end up. It's sort of like cutting thundereggs. After cutting enough of them, you usually just sense how to cut them. That probably doesn't help either. I also look at land formation, like flat areas below hillsides. Gravity often brings things down, and they have to collect somewhere. I also look for where others have been digging. If it's a big dig, hopefully there was a reason they dug a lot. If it was just tiny little exploratory dig spots, there probably was a reason they didn't continue. Best advice if to find someone who has had success in an area and ask what they look for, like soil type or color. And, if all you dig is snow, wear heavy gloves, lol.
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syonix |
73. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 23 2008, 6:19 PM EDT
"Ewww, this is going to be a tough one. First of all you have to be in an area that is noted for stuff. Generally you will see lots of other dig sites. In my case it is just find an old dig and if it looks like the area around the site hasn't been distrubed I may start in that dig site. Sometimes it is just hit and miss. Find a place, start digging if you find something continue, if not move (if you can force yourself too. lol) But if Tom is around, watch his spidyman bucket. When it twitches or he says he has the feeling, dig there! I just have to figure out how to get Tom to go when I go diggin'.. He has a knack about knowing where to dig. In my case, I think I will just take Tom. lol That probably didn't help you much though. ;-) Paul"My best luck so far as been to look where others are digging, and go off from there. if the location is in a creek, go father up or down the creek. if the location is a quarry, then you might just be breaking the same ol rock as the last guy in any case look for where others went. If the location is a dig site in a forrest then you might just start where someone else left off on a big hole, or if you feel lucky strike your own. most of it is just guessing.. heace the "hunt" or "hound" hehe ... I do like Tom's approch, i think meditation and becoming calm and peaceful helps me find the rocks which of course are and have been waiting for me ;) Once you get a feel for what it looks like before you say find a quartz vein, then you will know where to look next. It's take a number of years for me and i'm still a total novice at this. Books, USGS, Books and most importantly others who hunt will offer you the most clues.. if you can, try and find others around your area who are doing it and join up with them .. it is not only fun you get to meet new people and who knows you just might make a friend. Do you find this valuable? |
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syonix |
74. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 23 2008, 6:20 PM EDT
"Hey syonix just go to ebay and do a search on oxalic acid. You can "buy it now" for a little of $2 per ounce and that includes shipping. You can get a 1/2 pound or more. Paul"just ordered 1.5lbs for $10.15 including shipping. Paul thanks a ton for the idea!! Do you find this valuable? |
Rock-A-Teers |
75. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 24 2008, 5:23 PM EDT
We all had a great time! Can't wait to go back there. It was absolutely amazing. Wore dad out, but he said it was worth it. Ron finally met Tom, and Ron, Dad, and I met Jake and Andy for the first time. What a great bunch o guys to hunt with. They're a real hoot.LOL:). Going to try to post some pictures soon, I hope.LOL Chow for now!
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washatonian |
76. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 24 2008, 5:32 PM EDT
Leslie it was great to meet you and Ron & Dad. Can't wait to see the pic's of your goodies
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pvjjh |
77. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 24 2008, 8:05 PM EDT
"just ordered 1.5lbs for $10.15 including shipping.Hey np. That is where I get my oxalic acid too. :-) Now I just need something to clean.. lol ;-) Paul Do you find this valuable? |
patagonianstar |
78. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 26 2008, 9:44 PM EDT
Hi friends.We also are crazy about agates.Claudia , my wife and I , are agate collectors , specialized in the Patagonia Region in Argentina. Posted some pictures just now. All our best from far away Argentina Ricardo & Claudia Birnie Argentina Do you find this valuable? |
PyriteCube |
79. RE: Agates agates agates
Jul 26 2008, 10:07 PM EDT
"Hi friends.Are all the posts your agates? They are truely beautiful. Do you find this valuable? |
