Lapidaryforum.net
Let's Rock => Rough and Slabs => Topic started by: reefandrockgirl on August 09, 2017, 05:11:47 PM
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Where do you all get your slabs from? Where would you recommend a newbie to start out? Thanks in advance!
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The cheapest way is to get them at a rock club's sale. If you are in San Diego my club, El Cajon Valley Gem & Mineral Society is having ours this Friday :) I spent last night making about about 80 silent auction bid slips.
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what kind of rough slabs do you like?
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I have three medium flat rate boxes of "stuff" left over from doing knives - most identified and hard to get "stuff'". $20. each with about $14. of the cost being postage and another dollar PayPal fees. i figure $5. covers the time I spend writing what the stuff is.
PM me if you want one or more of them.
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Thanks guys,
I don't know what I have in mind yet just getting a feel for what my options are and what others have had success with as well. This is all very helpful for putting
Me in the right direction!!!! I love this forum and all you lovely people willing to help!
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I have not heard from reefandrockgirl but I have about 6 messages wanting the boxes. So, if reefandrockgirl does not request one or more today - I will sell a box to each of the first three who asked.....
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http://www.lapidaryrough.com/Slabs.html
I have NW material.
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The boxes are paid for and will be mailed Monday.
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i could probably throw together some slab boxes also.
I have many different oregon & Washington State area rocks i have cut up over the last few years.
I will see what all i have, even small chunks of pebbles i have cut on my tiny trim saw lol
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I second Barclay's thought of acquiring at club auctions, as well as at rock shows. I just acquired five "grab bags" at $6 each that blew my mind at the Orcutt, CA show last weekend. Amazing out of circulation Nipomo marcasites, rhodochrosite, plume agates of all kinds, sagenites, chrysocola, fossils, the whole gamut. I couldn't sleep that night as I was so excited and what I had acquired. Have fun in the hunt!
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I want to publicly thank Michael Hoover for his generosity in sending the box full of great cabbing slabs I received today. I guess I misread his original post and was expecting a SFRB box, not the chock-full MFRB that arrived on my doorstep. It was the best $20 I ever spent.
Reefandrockgirl really made a mistake by not responding to his offer. It's too bad -- but I'm glad he waited for her non-response before sending boxes to others who requested them. Not only is the material very good but he took the time to label most of what I received, which is time-consuming.
Thanks again Michael.
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gemfeller and socalagatehound - glad you like the "stuff'. I just get so many nice pieces too small for knives and too many for jewelry, so this is good way to pass it forward for me.
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Perfect way to get into some new material without busting the bank! I'm going to jump into this the next time I see you folks selling boxes! I have to agree with other poster, this is a very friendly and helpful forum! Nice to see folks " passing it along", in my experence deeds like that are always rewarded!!! ;)
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Michael Hoover ROCKS!!! Just got my box yesterday and irs awesomeness!!! Great cabbing slabs and most are marked and or bagged! I thoight it wss going to be his rare and beautigul saw scrap but its mostly slabs and slabbetts!!! They are beauties and they are by far the nicest stuff I have! Some questions tho. You can look at flint knapping relics and learn some stuff. Looking at Michaels saw scrap I would like to know what slabbing saw he uses, what type of feed system, what blade and what coolant? These slabs are so very smooth!!! Also what are you using to trim out knife scales? The slabs look like you sawed the circular end out like it was butter with a wire! Once again Michael thanks for your big giving gesture!!! BILL
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Michael Hoover ROCKS!!! Just got my box yesterday and irs awesomeness!!! Great cabbing slabs and most are marked and or bagged! I thoight it wss going to be his rare and beautigul saw scrap but its mostly slabs and slabbetts!!! They are beauties and they are by far the nicest stuff I have! Some questions tho. You can look at flint knapping relics and learn some stuff. Looking at Michaels saw scrap I would like to know what slabbing saw he uses, what type of feed system, what blade and what coolant? These slabs are so very smooth!!! Also what are you using to trim out knife scales? The slabs look like you sawed the circular end out like it was butter with a wire! Once again Michael thanks for your big giving gesture!!! BILL
I have top end Barranca saws and even slab wit the 24 inch MK 303 and the 18 inch with a MK 301. These saws are modified somewhat to ensure that the vise stays true to the blade and I pretty much use JB weld to glue blocks of wood to the rough to ensure no movement in the vise.
I use a modified Gryphon bandsaw - again stiffened to keep the blade tight and running pretty straight. I toss the blades if the get a knife edge back or as soon as any section looses the diamond plating. At times I go through a blade per hour of run time so I buy 100 at a time.
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Ok I need to look up Gryphon wire saws. Never heard of a rock saw thst saws circles. Grear tools make grest work pieces. Thanx for the ingo. I think I need to look into the blade alignment of my saws!