🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Porphyry Hunt

[ToddsPoint]

I spotted a big porphyry rock about a dozen yrs ago along the river. I couldn’t hardly lift it and never bothered to try and get it. After telling a friend about it, he volunteered to help me get it and brought a 2 wheel cart. It was a beautiful day at the river. The river has sorted the rocks by size. Bigger rocks are higher up in the brush. This is all glacial till from Canada.

I thought I could walk right up to the rock but I couldn’t find it. After walking by it several times I finally spotted it. The river had been up and added a layer of crud to the surface of the rock. When I flipped it over I was sure. I’m guessing it weighed 50 lbs.

We hauled it home and put it right on the rock saw. It just barely fit in my 16” saw.

This is rhomb porphyry. Worldwide, it’s fairly rare. I’m just lucky enough to live where the glacier brought some of it down from Canada. This porphyry is about 2 bil yrs old. I’ll carve it into some Indian style pipes and whatever else I decide to make.

 

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[ToddsPoint]

I put it on the 10” saw and started trimming. I’m not seeing any cracks so far.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Here’s something interesting. When cutting a rock on my saw, the last little bit of stone connecting the two parts usually breaks before the blade makes it all the way through. You can see the rough spot where it broke.

This is the exact same reason ancient megalithic structures have “knobs” on some of the blocks. After the block was quarried the rough broken knobs were rounded and smoothed. So many people think this is some sort of big mystery, but it’s just normal stuff to a stone worker.

 

[newnan man]

Here’s something interesting. When cutting a rock on my saw, the last little bit of stone connecting the two parts usually breaks before the blade makes it all the way through. You can see the rough spot where it broke.View attachment 2195858
This is the exact same reason ancient megalithic structures have “knobs” on some of the blocks. After the block was quarried the rough broken knobs were rounded and smoothed. So many people think this is some sort of big mystery, but it’s just normal stuff to a stone worker.View attachment 2195859

I wonder why they didn't smooth them completely off the face of the stone?

 

[ToddsPoint]

I wonder why they didn't smooth them completely off the face of the stone?

I think it was a time saver if the knobs pointed outward. They obviously had to remove them if they ended up on the sides. Pecked with softball sized nodules of quartzite. That’s all you need to shape those stones. Our local Indians used the same type of really hard white quartzite for hammerstones. They end up round after much use. The hammerstones here are much smaller than the size Egyptians used and are a bit smaller than a baseball on average.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I cut my first preform this morning. Not bad considering it was just a big rock laying by the river Friday. I think I’ll try and make a southern great pipe. I like this duck pipe and I think it’s authentic. I’ll see what I can do.

 

[pepperj]

It's going to look really great when you get it into shape.

 

[ToddsPoint]

 

[ToddsPoint]

Holes are drilled!

I’m hogging what I can with the 10” saw. I’m leaving plenty extra.

 

[ToddsPoint]

 

[BennyV]

Dude you’re a master craftsman.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I hit one small crack and a chip fell off. I’m hoping I don’t find more. This stone works nicely and should also polish well. The lighter colored spots are feldspar crystals called phenocrysts. They should stand out when it’s polished. More to come…

 

[fuss]

Nice! you could set up at rock shows and probably do quite well selling these.

 

[ToddsPoint]

It’s coming along slowly. I need to get back outside on the big grinder but it’s too darn cold. I flattened the top of the bowl and cut around the edge to form the “hat”. I’m thinning down the ducks fat head.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I’m still grinding. I laid out some guide lines. I got more shape to the bowl and have taken down the overall width. It still needs to be narrower. Still quite a bit to remove before I start fine tuning it.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I took off quite a bit with the big grinder. I’ll switch to the dremel with diamond burrs now. Head and bowl still need more work. Wings will be cut before long.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I’m still working on the duck. Head and wings. Quite a bit of work to do on the bowl.

This is with a bit of olive oil to show the color.

 

[pepperj]

I’m still working on the duck. Head and wings. Quite a bit of work to do on the bowl.View attachment 2197963

This is with a bit of olive oil to show the color.View attachment 2197964

It's really taking shape now, well done.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I cut in the bowl and all grinding is finished.

The next step is to remove tool marks and any waviness or small dips. I’ll do this with a diamond file.

After that I can start polishing. I started on Feb 28th so I’m 3 weeks in. Hopefully another week will do it.

 

[pepperj]

I cut in the bowl and all grinding is finished.View attachment 2199050

The next step is to remove tool marks and any waviness or small dips. I’ll do this with a diamond file.View attachment 2199051

After that I can start polishing. I started on Feb 28th so I’m 3 weeks in. Hopefully another week will do it.

It's really starting to look fantastic 😍