joshuajbelanger Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 I recently got back from a week long hunt in Kentucky. I have tons of fossils awaiting prep. While I was there, we found and collected a large amount of Ordovician tabulate coral. Some of it looks recrystallized or geodized, and i was wondering if this could be cleaned and polished? Never messed with anything like this, so any direction would be helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 29 minutes ago, joshuajbelanger said: so any direction would be helpful. Pictures would help too. Do You know what the replacement mineral is? Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuajbelanger Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 I'm not sure. They are pretty though. I'll take some pics after work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 Do a hardness test to see if it is calcite or quartz. Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuajbelanger Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 10-4, I bought a kit awhile back and haven't been able to use it yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuajbelanger Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 Ok, so I've tested it, and its quartz. I've taken a few quick pics, I have much better pieces outside, but this is what I'm working with. My pieces range in size from baseball to bowling ball and larger. Can this be made purty?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 It should be good to polish or make cabochons with. If You have a rock/tile saw to get a flat side and a flat lap to polish it, or a cabbing machine. It does look like the piece posted is not solid and this can detract in a cabichone. 2 Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuajbelanger Posted July 10, 2017 Author Share Posted July 10, 2017 I have a rock saw, so that's no problem. Some of the larger pieces are solid, so I don't think that's a problem either. But I don't know what you mean by a flat lap? Are there any online resources that may provide instructions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted July 10, 2017 Share Posted July 10, 2017 9 minutes ago, joshuajbelanger said: But I don't know what you mean by a flat lap? Are there any online resources that may provide instructions? A "flat lap" is a grinding unit that has a flat disk for grinding and polishing a flat surface, as opposed to the typical round grinding wheels for making cabochons. You should be able to find a lot of information on "flat lap" by google. 1 Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshuajbelanger Posted July 11, 2017 Author Share Posted July 11, 2017 Wow, those things are a little more pricier than I would expect. I wonder if I can just attach polishing wheels to my wet saw? Maybe I'll make one...dunno, but the polishing may have to wait a bit, especially with my Kentucky and Iceland trips back to back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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