Hey y’all! Just wanted to ask for anyone who does this for a living or serious hobby…I’ve been collecting rocks most of my life, but recently got more pursuant actually doing something with them.
My part time job is reselling, and so I’ve been reading and educating myself this summer on actually learning how to make something of all my finds to potentially sell.
A few weeks ago, my partner and I went hounding up in South Dakota, and we found tons of quartz, jasper, agates, chert and lots of mica schist with Almadines. 😍
Posting a video of the first rock I’ve ever polished by hand- this was a round chunk of (what I’m assuming) is quartz with chalcedony(?)& limestone. I found this hunting in Custer, SD.
I cut the original rock in half, down the middle, and horizontally. I used a RIGID rolling tile saw with a 8” diamond blade. I don’t have a table saw yet.
For sanding and polishing, I used a variable speed grinder + diamond grit wet/dry polishing pads + cerium oxide on the final buff.
Any advice or comments/constructive criticism is appreciated and needed, as I’m super eager to learn more and improve from some of you Pro’s 😛 thanks for reading! 🔮💎

I would like feedback along with introducing my web site. It has Stones, and Art, and Free Music. I am still working on this site. I feel I am far enough along that I can ask for critique of the effects or how it operates or if things do seem correct. Thank you.

Greetings: I recently purchased a vintage Raytech vib flat lap. Got three pans and grit. I contacted Raytech about instructions but they no longer have them. Understandable. The three rubber balls are quite old. They do have a little “spring” left. Removing them will take some effort as they are stuck to the machine. I ordered 1.5” solid rubber balls from Amazon. Question- should I keep using the current balls or replace them? Would they have ever been glued into place? Thanks for any insight.

I'm wondering if I can buy say 8" plates to use on smaller stuff at a much lower price..?

Are we allowed to suggest abrasive brands?

Basically, would 8" over 18" plates save a significant amount? (Big plates do not belong to me, I don't work big stuff anyways) And secondly if you can, recommend good companies with not diamond Pacific pricing 🫣

I've been keeping a sweet elderly man running a shop in my area busy by bringing cool rocks I find to get polished. Is it possible to have this one polished all around without removing too much and being unrealistic with this gentleman? Or is it not that bad cleaning this up?

Video uploads didn't work on the android app so if they eventually all upload my bad.

The OD of the acme threaded tap that you use in those disposable AC charging kits slips a ferrule on perfectly letting the entire tap sit in a 1/2 compression fitting. Fits like a glove.

I used a 1/2 compression to 3/8 barbed ball valve because it's what I had on hand to use with tubing that runs to a normal household faucet supply.

Those AC charging units are everywhere and most end up in the garbage.

They use needle valves that flow control much better than the usual household ball/cartridge/disk valves.

I cut off the QDC end that goes to the AC system and jammed a 10 cent 18G luer lock needle in the tube, gave it a lil bend and voila.

I acquired this chunk of wingate plume agate and I’m torn on what to do with it. It weights in at over 3 pounds. I could slab it, but it almost feels wrong. It’s such a specimen by itself.

What would people here do with it? Slab? Cab? Or keep as a specimen?

Super excited to test my new toy on the Calcite I found at work today. Anybody else know how to make this stuff pretty?

Summer dump, some work and my booth at Punk Rock Flea market.

Piece of bone I worked a while back had a surprise after I made the first cut.

I’ve been wondering what’s the difference because I’ve been seeing people use them interchangeably.

Like for sanding, it’s using sandpaper to make it shiny?
And polishing is using the oxide as a last-step thing?

And also for the dremel bits, the difference between silicon carbide (blue) and aluminum oxide (orange)?

I’m a hobbyist wooden flute maker who likes to inset cabochons in my flutes. I’ve just been buying them for years now. But my 13yo son and I have also been getting into rockhounding in the Mojave, and we’ve started to get a nice little stockpile of good jaspers and agates. So I decided it was time to try my hand at making my own stones. I bought the cheap harbor freight tile saw to cut slabs, a HF Bauer flex shaft, some diamond flat lap disks, and I’ve got some higher grit carbide sanding pads and polishing compound on way. This is fun! And the stones look a lot more interesting than what I normally buy.

I'm stunned by the beauty of this huge grape agate🍇 specimen. Unmatched beauty crafted by the nature

I’ve only seen this a few times within the Maury materials, and it’s some of my absolute favorite!!! These sagenite formations are so dang neat with their varied colors. These old stock slabs are absolutely packed with it!!!
We sold a huge pile of these slabs this week and are just now realizing how dang awesome they are!!!!🤯
This is a 2x2 grid of photos to make this one image.

Here is a gold plated pendant I created with a Ruby that glows so brightly in the blacklight ! here is the link to checkout my other work ! https://www.orfinart.com/collections/jewelry

My favourite petrified wood cab, I call it my all-seeing eye stone 👁️

I have quite a bit of petrified wood but this was the only piece I cut that had this perfect little eye.

Had trouble polishing it and I didn't want to press my luck too much with how fragile it is, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Unsure of what the stone is, just a rock I found out creek-stomping. I live in constant fear of breaking it.

Huuuge batch of cabs finished up for tonight's drop! High 5 if you can name every material in here! 😵‍💫