Took almost an hour to dig this one out!

[gentleart]

Gonna have fun busting this one up!

Are there good methods of cracking rocks open to see what's inside without ruining the contents or is it mostly a roll of the dice?

 

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[pippinwhitepaws]

why?

 

[gentleart]

I want to see what is inside...

 

[jeff of pa]

best way would be a Saw but $$$ for the right one could be outrageous
small ones aren't cheap.


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[gentleart]

Looks like I will be using a hammer!

 

[jeff of pa]

a chisel may help

 

[JunkShopFiddler]

If you had gotten that big rock outta' the way you could have dug up that hose in half the time!

 

[gentleart]

Haha!

 

[rock]

So are you breaking it to see if there is gold in it?

 

[gentleart]

That would be a definite plus, but I'm also breaking open flint and Iron geodes to see what is inside. I would like to eventually take some classes, but I just moved back to NC and haven't found a job yet, so I can't afford tuition and books.

 

[Jhaddad8]

Tile saws are actually quite cheap and are often used to cut rocks in half and what not. You can also use a chisel to cut a line across the top of the rock and then it will split fairly clean along the cut.

 

[gentleart]

My grandmother actually has a tile cutter! Thank you for reminding me!

 

[rock]

Tile saws are actually quite cheap and are often used to cut rocks in half and what not. You can also use a chisel to cut a line across the top of the rock and then it will split fairly clean along the cut.

How thick of a rock will the tile cutter do?

 

[Jhaddad8]

Not sure, not surprisingly, bigger saws cost more and can cut thicker rock. I have heard of cutting up to about 3in using relatively cheap saws.

 

[Sheldon J]

How thick of a rock will the tile cutter do?

it won't... they are mostly score and break, unless it is a wet diamond saw that is....

Looks like gold bearing quartz, could be, has the right markings, it's a crap shoot, and there could be fine gold in to to boot which would require crushing and panning to get...

Go buy a rock hammer they are cheap and bust her open.. but be sure to wear your safety gear and put it someplace you can recover all the fragments... Once opened have a look with a good lens and let us know if you find anything....

 

[gentleart]

My grandmother's tile cutter is one you use with water and has a diamond blade. It is so heavy that I can barely move it.

Maybe I should get a mask. I have safety glasses.

Can I slice it up to make wire wrapped jewelry? If so, can I just clean the pieces up with water?

Do people make arrowheads out of this kind of quartz?

 

[rock]

My grandmother's tile cutter is one you use with water and has a diamond blade. It is so heavy that I can barely move it.

Maybe I should get a mask. I have safety glasses.

Can I slice it up to make wire wrapped jewelry? If so, can I just clean the pieces up with water?

Do people make arrowheads out of this kind of quartz?

Indians made arrowheads with it but most modern point makers wont use quartz. It is just too hard to make a point with quartz is what I have been told. Find some flint or chert in good sizes and then you will get some attention from some knappers. Im still looking for big pieces without fractures.

 

[gentleart]

I can get flint easily, but I don't know what chert is.

What state do you live in?

 

[gentleart]

Oh, WOW! That stone is beautiful when it's polished!

 

[Sheldon J]

I can get flint easily, but I don't know what chert is.

What state do you live in?

Volcanic glass, when flecked by someone that knows what they are doing can be as sharp as a surgeons schapel...
Will tend to look like glass when it has been broken, Quartz as it has been said is very hard and does not like to fleck at all...