delvings - wordpress.com · 2016 art of adorning / annual bead bazaar saturday, april 23rd 10am...
TRANSCRIPT
Delvers Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. - mailing address: 1001 West Lambert Rd. #18, La Habra, CA 90631-1378
DELVINGS The Newsletter of the Delvers Gem & Mineral Society
Volume 69 Number 4 April 2016
Fossil Turritella: 16 million years old, Topanga Formation, Santa Monica Mtns. (A.Hoekstra)
DELVINGS April 2016 Page 2
Taps from the Gavel – Fred Dexling
I hope everyone has sprung forward, has their taxes done and, as I have, started a vegetable garden
(see page 5), as well as continuing with lapidary work.
All membership cards have been given out or mailed. Anyone who has not re-upped for 2016, hurry and
send $7.50 to our treasurer (Doreen Wong, 10050 Mattock Ave., Downey, CA 90240).
The club has donated $500 to the Cerritos College Foundation to be used for the Delvers Gem & Mineral
Society scholarship, awarded each year to outstanding earth science students.
Spring and rock trip season has arrived. If you go on a field trip, or visit a museum or rock show, let the
membership know by writing an article, or in show and tell (display).
If you have missed meetings, you have missed excellent programs and a chance for terrific door prizes:
where else can you win a colorful fire agate?
Board Meeting Minutes 03/11/16 - A. Hoekstra
The board approved commercial advertising in the Delvings (remember, ads for members are free).
General Meeting Minutes 03/11/16 – Teresa Taylor
The meeting started after 7 PM. The program was Geology of Joshua Tree National Park, presented by
Cerritos College professor Tor Lacy (he explained that the appearance of the landscape, with its jointed
rocks eroding to rounded boulders, is due to the origin of the rocks: monzogranite formed as batholiths
underground - see page 4).
For display, Dale brought very nice native copper specimens from Arizona. Dale also offered freebies
including obsidian, Tecopa opal in mud concretions, small realgar crystals on matrix, vanadinite, and
something that looked like malachite within a crusty looking copper mineral, among other things.
Fred Dexling showed a beautiful woven chain made from 166 fused rings of 18ga. silver: this took him 6
hours to fabricate it looked about 25in in length. Free grapefruit was offered by Maria Dairo (I like mine
mixed with avocado in a salad on hot days when it's too hot to cook). Chuck Pierce showed several
lovely cabs he recently made: Australian feldspar (peristerite?), Stinking Water plume agate, Tiffany
Stone, and one I particularly liked, a leaf shaped turquoise that is a new direction for Chuck’s work.
Raffle winners were Bill Bozarth (amber dolphin), Valeria Jaramillo (opal triplet), Andrew Hoekstra
(amethyst), and I myself (fire agate). The meeting was adjourned at 9 PM.
From the Editor’s Desk – Andrew Hoekstra
The club’s display has moved from the Bellflower library to the Cerritos Senior Center. Members are
welcome to loan items for the club display, which will be moving to new venues later this year.
BLM personnel* at the Needles Office told me that, for the moment, collecting rocks, minerals, and even
fossils is still allowed within the new national monument. Other people have been told the same thing.
The new rules remain to be written. Rock hounds will have to write letters, attend the public meetings,
and take all opportunities to argue our viewpoint, if we desire to continue collecting in the future.
*I spoke primarily with Ramona Daniels, Outdoor Recreation Planner, [email protected], 760-326-7021
DELVINGS April 2016 Page 3
F I E L D T R I P S & S H O W S
April 23rd – Multi-Club Field Trip to the Santa Monica Mountains, for agates and fossils
Meeting Place: 9 AM at the SW corner of Kanan and Agoura Roads, Agoura (HWY 101, Kanan exit)
Car-pooling is strongly encouraged due to limited parking at some sites. Trip leaders: Jason Badgley,
[email protected], 818-388-3220, & Andrew Hoekstra, [email protected], 562-584-3190.
If there is sufficient interest, Andrew Hoekstra may lead a fossil collecting trip to Woodland Hills Sunday April
17th so that participants can continue that day to the Conejo show to attend a 2 PM fossil program for juniors:
Juniors can earn a AFMS fossil patch by attending the talk “Fun with fossils” presented by Mike Havstad - the hands-on
session is open to the public with no advance registration required. If a participating kid is a member of a CFMS-affiliated
club, they will earn the AFMS/FRA Fossils Badge upon completing the session. For further details, contact Mike at
[email protected]. (note: this program for juniors is also being offered on Saturday the 16th at 11 AM, same place).
If interested in collecting fossils on April 17th instead of on April 23rd, please contact Andrew Hoekstra
April 9-16 – Rockhound Field Trip Fanatics (w/ Kris W. Rowe) – “Central California Rockhound Odyssey”
April 23 – Ventura – Cady Mountains: Luther Brown, [email protected], 805-649-9657
April 29-May 1st – CFMS North - Topaz Mtn., Utah: Jim Hutchings, [email protected], 916-995-7380
2016 Art of Adorning / Annual Bead Bazaar
Saturday, April 23rd 10AM until 4PM at the Bowers Museum (Directions & Map)
The Bead Society of Orange County hosts an annual Bead Bazaar each spring. This event highlights creators, importers and distributors of historic and contemporary beads along with handmade adornment, fabrics, buttons and artifacts. The Bead Bazaar is free to the general public, and is held on-site at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, in Santa Ana.
April 8, 9 & 10: VISTA, CA Vista Gem & Mineral Society Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum 2040 N. Santa Fe Avenue Hours: 9am – 5pm Daily Ray Pearce (760) 726-7570 Cell (760) 535-5524 [email protected]
April 16 & 17: NEWBURY PARK, CA Conejo Gem & Mineral Club Bouchard Park Community Center 190 Reino Road at Bouchard Road Hours: 10am – 5pm Daily Robert Sankovich (805) 494-7734 http://www.cgamc.org
April 23 & 24: PASO ROBLES, CA Santa Lucia Rock Hounds Paso Robles Event Center 2198 Riverside Ave. Hours: Sat. 10 - 5; Sun.10 – 4 Mike Judy (805) 238-4469 [email protected] http://www.slrockhounds.org
April 23 & 24: LANCASTER, CA Antelope Valley Gem & Mineral Club Lancaster High School 44701 – 32nd Street West Hours: 9 am – 5 pm Daily CJ Quitoriano (661) 209-9092 [email protected] http://www.avgem.weebly.com
April 23 & 24: ESCONDIDO, CA Palomar Gem & Mineral Club California Center for the Arts 340 N. Escondido Blvd. Hours: Sat. 10-5; Sun. 10-4 Gayle Hamilton (760) 726-0131 [email protected] http://www.palomargem.org
May 7 - 8: ANAHEIM, CA Searchers Gem & Mineral Society Brookhurst Community Center 2271 W. Crescent Avenue Hours: Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4:30 Margaret Hogarth(909) 597-7033 [email protected] http://www.searchersrocks.org
Nancy Bird will be a dealer at Vista, April 8, 9 & 10, and Dale Harwood will be a dealer at Conejo, April 16 & 17
DELVINGS April 2016 Page 4
Joshua Tree National Park: Geologic Formations – from nps.gov The geologic landscape of Joshua Tree has long fascinated visitors to this desert. How did the rocks take on such fantastic shapes? What forces sculpted them?
Geologists believe the face of our modern landscape was born more than 100 million years ago. Molten liquid, heated by the continuous movement of Earth’s crust, oozed upward and cooled while still below the surface. These plutonic intrusions are a granitic rock called monzogranite.
The monzogranite developed a system of rectangular joints. One set, oriented roughly horizontally, resulted from the removal—by erosion—of the miles of overlying rock, called gneiss (pronounced “nice”). Another set of joints is oriented vertically, roughly paralleling the contact of the monzogranite with its surrounding rocks. The third set is also vertical but cuts the second set at high angles. The resulting system of joints tended to develop rectangular blocks (figure 1). Good examples of the joint system may be seen at Jumbo Rocks, Wonderland of Rocks, and Split Rock.
As ground water percolated down through the monzogranite’s joint fractures, it began to transform some hard mineral grains along its path into soft clay, while it loosened and freed grains resistant to solution. Rectangular stones slowly weathered to spheres of hard rock surrounded by soft clay containing loose mineral grains. Imagine holding an ice cube under the faucet. The cube rounds away at the corners first, because that is the part most exposed to the force of the water. A similar thing happened here but over millions of years, on a grand scale, and during a much wetter climate (figure 2).
After the arrival of the arid climate of recent times, flash floods began washing away the protective ground surface. As they were exposed, the huge eroded boulders settled one on top of another, creating those impressive rock piles we see today (figure 3).
Visitors also wonder about the “broken terrace walls” laced throughout the boulders. These are naturally occurring formations called dikes. Younger than the surrounding monzogranite, dikes were formed when molten rock was pushed into existing joint fractures. Light-colored aplite, pegmatite, and andesite dikes formed as a mixture of quartz and potassium minerals cooled in these tight spaces. Suggesting the work of a stonemason, they broke into uniform blocks when they were exposed to the surface.
Of the dynamic processes that erode rock material, water, even in arid environments, is the most important. Wind action is also important, but the long-range effects of wind are small compared to the action of water.
The erosion and weathering processes operating in the arid conditions of the present are only partially responsible for the spectacular sculpturing of the rocks. The present landscape is essentially a collection of relict features inherited from earlier times of higher rainfall and lower temperatures.
DELVINGS April 2016 Page 5
GEOLOGY AND HISTORY OF MINES OF JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK By D.D. Trent: http://pages.pomona.edu/~wsteinmetz/id1/jotrmines%20draftfinal.pdf
See this excellent illustrated article to answer your questions concerning the many old mines at Joshua Tree.
“…There are 288 abandoned mining sites in Joshua Tree National Park with 747 mine openings. Gold was the commodity
of greatest interest. In the Pinto Mountains, immediately outside the Park, are two mining districts with numerous
abandoned mines. As recently as 1998, there were eight claimants having mining claims in the Park. The sites include
mill and mine sites, gravel pits, some open pits, but most were underground operations…”
COLLECTING ROCKS
I think that there shall never be An ignoramus just like me, Who roams the hills throughout the day To pick up rocks that do not pay; For there's one thing I've been told I take the rocks and leave the gold. O'er deserts wild or mountains blue I search for rocks of varied hue. A hundred pounds or more I pack With blistered feet and aching back, And after this is said and done I cannot name a single one. I pick up rocks where e'er I go The reason why I do not know, For rocks are found by fools like me Where God intended them to be.
Author unknown, found in a recent estate
THE ROCKHOUND
Who's the stranger mother dear?
Look, he knows us, ain't he queer?
Hush, my child, don't talk too wild,
He's your father, dearest child,
He's my father? no such thing;
Father died away last spring.
Father didn't die, you dub;
Father joined the Rockhound club
But now the snow has come and so
There's no place else left for him to roam
That is why he came back home
Kiss him, he won't bite you, child,
All those rockhounds look that wild.
By Chuck Hull, Chucks Rock Shop,
Rapid, SD (probably long gone)
poems contributed by Nancy Bird
Soil Mixes for Container Culture
Container grown plants do best in soils mixes for three reasons:
(1) Fast drainage of water through the mix;
(2) Air in the mix after drainage;
(3) A reservoir of water in the mix after drainage.
The simplest mix which can be used with almost all types of plants from
cacti to tropical is 50% peat moss to 50% Perlite or Vermiculite (or 25%
Perlite and 25% Vermiculite) plus 5-10-10 fertilizer.
These ingredients should be thoroughly mixed. That means they must be
mixed so that each portion, even a 2” potful, has the proper portions of
each ingredients.
This mix will fertilize your newly potted plants for 30 days after which a
regular program should begin.
- by Bob Emrich, from the April 1985 Delvings
DELVINGS April 2016 Page 6
Broom Casting – by Dennis Chapman
Direct casting is an easy, low-tech method of making beautiful freeform jewelry. In this article I will focus on using Sterling Silver and broom straw. This broom casting gives you a great stalagmite and stalactite effect. If you do larger pieces you will should bright burnish it to get a polish, and that is the most costly part, but I think it is money well spent, and can be used in other projects.
Supplies
• Silver: I use silver scraps, or get a 1 oz. fine silver coin (.999) and add 2.5 grams of copper (I pay 35-50 cents over spot at a local refinery or coin store), or finally you can buy Sterling Casting Shot (about $2+ over spot).
• Crucible: A block of wood (6 in. long 2x4), or a magnesium block, or a well used charcoal block. Make a little indent near one side to melt your silver in the wood or magnesium block.
• Empty Soup Can: To stand the bundle of straw upright.
• Broom Straw: Old straw broom, decorative broom straw from a craft store, long pine needles etc…
• Dish Pan: Or anything big enough for the straw to soak in water.
• Rubber Bands
• Casting Flux: Borax works fine for the 2x4, but is too messy for the magnesium block or charcoal block, there I use regular Casting Flux (it only uses a few granules to
clean the molten metal). Optional.
• Torch: Hand held propane torch will work fine or an acetylene & air torch. Magnesium blocks melt at 2000 deg., and acetylene & air torch flame is also around 2000 deg., so it will eventually melt the block.
• Large Cup Of Water: To extinguish the straw and cool casting.
• Cookie Sheet: Anything with a lip around the edge to catch the silver when you open the straw.
• Silver Solder
• Soldering Flux: For soldering.
• Pickling Acid: To clean the metal.
• Copper Tongs: A flattened copper tube will work. Flatten and bend, like tongs.
• Baking Soda: To neutralize the pickling acid.
• Rotary Power Tool: Smaller pieces you can just use a steel or brass wheel for a hand held rotary power tool, and some white diamond pre-polish. (Optional if you bright burnish)
Bright Burnishing Supplies
• Small Rock Tumbler: Flat sides inside preferable.
• Steel or Stainless Steel Shot Mix: Enough to fill tumbling drum 1/3-2/3 full. Seasoned with a little extra Pin Shot (stainless shot costs 3 times more, but doesn’t rust).
• Lapidary Soap and/or Burnishing Compound
• Abrasive Plastic Media Pyramids: Medium & Fine (Optional, but will reduce bright burnishing time).
Polishing Supplies
• Polishing Cloth
Extras: Solder, Bails, Chains, Stones, etc…Wait until you are finished, and you have let your imagination loose.
Let’s Get Started
Prepare the Straw
1. Bundle the straw (about 2-3 inch) in a rubber band.
2. Soak it in a pan of water for about 20 minutes.
3. Put bundle in the soup can and spread top end. The more the straw is spread, the larger and fatter the piece.
Melt & Pour Silver:
1. Put some of your Sterling Silver into the bowl in the crucible (I like to use no more than a 1/3 oz. on each piece, and do several in a sitting).
2. Light the torch and begin melting. You will know if you need casting flux, if you have some bright glowing floaties on top of the silver when it starts to ball up. If needed, remove torch and add casting flux (a pinch of Borax or a few grains of casting flux), and then reheat.
3. When it starts getting fluid (it will jiggle when you can shake it), lift crucible to the top of the broom straw. While keeping the torch on the metal, quickly tip and let the metal roll off the crucible.
continued on the next page…
DELVINGS April 2016 Page 7
Important: you have 3 visual levels of the metal. 1st Crusty ball. 2nd Spinning, this is actually the copper & silver separating, this is when you pour. 3rd Boiling, TOO HOT, it jumps around and looks like tiny fireworks coming off the metal, the metal is actually vaporizing. If it gets this hot you will have air bubbles in the silver that you won’t see till you’re done. Note: I don’t like to use a carbon rod on direct casting, but stirring with one will reduce air bubbles.
4. Set crucible down and pour water over the top of the straw to put out any fire and cool metal. It doesn’t hurt to submerge straw in the same pan you soaked the straw in to make sure the metal is cool. If you are using a 2x4 you will need to drench it too.
5. Place bundle on the cookie sheet and take off rubber bands and look for the pieces of silver in there. The small pieces make nice accents for other jewelry.
Finishing
1. Clean the pieces of all burned & unburned straw, you may need to reheat with the torch to burn it off excess. Be careful not to melt the small prongs.
2. Solder on a bail. And if you want, a crown or cup for a stone if you want.
3. Throw in an acid pickle to remove any dark oxidation on the silver. Pull out the piece with copper tongs and drop into the baking soda and water mixture to neutralize the acid. Then rinse.
4. Put a steel or brass wheel on your hand held rotary power tool, add a little white diamond pre-polish to the wheel and lightly work off any white residue left on the
piece. You can skip this step if you bright burnish.
Bright Burnishing: Optional but better results.
1. Steel Shot only: Add ½ tsp. to 1 Tbsp. of burnishing compound, to your steel shot, and your pieces to the tumbling drum. Add enough water to cover shot. Tumble for 2-8 hours (depends on how much white residue you have).
2. Abrasive Pyramids & Steel Shot: Mix it same as above (except use lapidary soap for the pyramids), but tumble for 1 hour with medium pyramids, 1 hour with fine,
1-3 hours with steel shot. For a smoother texture double time with pyramids, more texture use only steel shot.
3. Drying Steel Shot: If you use plain steel, rinse and put on cookie sheet, pop into a 250 deg. oven until dry. It will rust if stored damp!!!
Note: Vibrating Tumblers are faster, but finding one that can handle the weight of the shot is harder to find.
Polishing:
1. If you didn’t bright burnish it, you will need to polish by buffing it with some zam. 2. When it comes out of the bright
burnishing it is pretty well polished, but a good wipe with a polishing cloth will improve the looks.
Setting A Stone:
1. Put your stones in your setting. Small needle crystals & tourmalines look wonderful in the grooves. You can set them with a little instant glue or epoxy.
References:
Don Norris’s Needle Casting: http://pineneedlecasting.homestead.com/Main.html
Jay Bown: http://www.tech-inc.com/gcbook/
And Many Other Good People
Thanks to Quartzsite Roadrunner Gem & Mineral Club for allowing me to photograph & use their equipment for this article.
Delvers Gem & Mineral Society, Inc. - mailing address: 1001 West Lambert Rd. #18, La Habra, CA 90631-1378
Delvers Gem & Mineral Society
DELVINGS, c/o A. Hoekstra, editor
16643 Chicago Ave.
Bellflower, CA 90706
FIRST CLASS MAIL
Regular Meeting of the Delvers Gem and Mineral Society
April 8th, @ 7:00 PM at the Holy Redeemer Church,
14515 Blaine Ave., Bellflower, CA
Program: Broom Cast ing
presented by Chuck Pierce
Board Meeting (all members invited) 6:30 PM
The Delvers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization promoting education in the earth sciences, including the study of minerals, gems and fossils, and the lapidary arts. Founded in 1948, the club was incorporated in 1954 in the City of Downey, CA. Visitors are always welcome at our monthly meetings. The Delvers support a scholarship for geology students at Cerritos College. https://delversgemclub.wordpress.com/
And we also can be found at facebook
The Delvings newsletter is published monthly. Submissions and suggestions are welcome. Articles and photographs not otherwise credited are the responsibility of the editor. Permission to reproduce original material published herein will generally be granted, provided that the editor is notified and confirms the author's consent, and the sense or meaning of the material is not altered.
Delvings Editor, Andrew Hoekstra: [email protected]