Collecting Cool Rocks! Minerals, Crystals, Fossils, Geodes, etc.

[janiedoe]

Pants and Trousers, lol!!!

Dremel is a handy tool for carving and even small amounts of polishing. They do create a good bit of dust because they aren't wet tools so keep that in mind. There are hand polishing cloths and sponges that would be easier for getting a polish by hand. That's the method I would use for hand polishing because it's already much more work, I would at least want the appropriate grits. When I'm using my tumbler I will sometimes rub a stone on my pants vigorously at stage 3 to see if it's ready for the final polishing stage. I won't lie, it takes quite a lot just to get a minor polish on my pants leg, lol. It's not something I would make a habit of doing but yes, it can work.

I may have to reconsider this. I had read that tumbling produces only round stones? I'd sorta like to keep natural shapes and just polish a bit. I read about vibrating tumblers too, but it seems more complicated.
The harbor freight tumbler would be my choice I think if i buy one.

Pants & Trousers look like their names from the rear.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I may have to reconsider this. I had read that tumbling produces only round stones? I'd sorta like to keep natural shapes and just polish a bit. I read about vibrating tumblers too, but it seems more complicated.
The harbor freight tumbler would be my choice I think if i buy one.

Pants & Trousers look like their names from the rear.
View attachment 2465465

Vibratory tumblers keep the natural shape much better but I was told some rough stones can damage the barrel for stage 1 so a lot of people start to round them in their rotary tumblers and finish the polish in their vibratory tumbler. I personally really like the natural beauty of stones as well and I go back and forth on what I want to do with rough pieces. The small stones I can't work with otherwise are usually what I put in the tumbler.
We just recently decided to slice a chunk of quartz included shattuckite and I personally think it looks like a stormy ocean, I'm not sure anyone else sees that though, lol.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

What are these?

I found this today, I think is a fossilized butterfly. I think the butterfly is on coral.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

What are these?View attachment 2465613View attachment 2465614
I found this today, I think is a fossilized butterfly. I think the butterfly is on coral.View attachment 2465615View attachment 2465616View attachment 2465617View attachment 2465618

Nice! The first one looks like an impression of crinoid stem fossils and the others are likely shell and other marine plant life. The one that looks like a butterfly looks like it may be specifically a spirifer brachiopod. These are my novice impressions.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

What are these?View attachment 2465613View attachment 2465614
I found this today, I think is a fossilized butterfly. I think the butterfly is on coral.View attachment 2465615View attachment 2465616View attachment 2465617View attachment 2465618

That's really impressive that you were able to find some so quickly when you didn't even think you had any locally! Very cool!

 

[janiedoe]

So, do you all "candle" your rocks?
Is there a name for that? I know you check for luminosity by shining a light on the rock. But what is it called?
I tried it and was shocked at the light that came through some of them.
This is my "Brach's candy" rock

 

[CluckNDoodle]

So, do you all "candle" your rocks?
Is there a name for that? I know you check for luminosity by shining a light on the rock. But what is it called?
I tried it and was shocked at the light that came through some of them.
This is my "Brach's candy" rock
View attachment 2465657

I find myself using my UV light on EVERYTHING. I always check for fluorescence first, lol. I'm working on a little shelf in one of my display cabinets that I want to mount a light in that would all have some fluorescence.

As far as what it's called...I'm not really sure I ever questioned if there was a proper term. I'll have to pay more attention. Lol

 

[janiedoe]

I find myself using my UV light on EVERYTHING. I always check for fluorescence first, lol. I'm working on a little shelf in one of my display cabinets that I want to mount a light in that would all have some fluorescence.

As far as what it's called...I'm not really sure I ever questioned if there was a proper term. I'll have to pay more attention. Lol

That's so cool...display shelf. We "downsized" a few years ago, sold our house in town and built a 3/2 house out here in the country. Since then we've gotten 6 new grandchildren. That's in addition to the 5 we already had!
So. No room for displays here..unless I put them in one of the chicken coops.
@Egg Snatcher I'm very impressed with your moth fossil! Now I have to look for a fossil of my own.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

That's so cool...display shelf. We "downsized" a few years ago, sold our house in town and built a 3/2 house out here in the country. Since then we've gotten 6 new grandchildren. That's in addition to the 5 we already had!
So. No room for displays here..unless I put them in one of the chicken coops.
@Egg Snatcher I'm very impressed with your moth fossil! Now I have to look for a fossil of my own.

I have rocks in the coop too. I use jade eggs instead of porcelain eggs in the nest boxes.

 

[Egg Snatcher]

That's really impressive that you were able to find some so quickly when you didn't even think you had any locally! Very cool!

Thanks! I found the month by walking in our field to find a goat. It was just fitting there. Is it setting on coral? There is a little shell cast. The other cast a found thim months ago. I was hoping the 2end pic was fossilized skin. There is a lot of it on a huge rock in our yard, along with some shells.