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Specimen cleaning, Tips and techniques
swizz
post Apr 7 2010, 04:46 PM
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It's coming along great!
The Stromatolite is finished, just lightly washed with the gun and toothbrush was all it needed. Same deal with the breccia, just a light cleaning sufficed. The piece of white quartz on the far upper right is boring.
I'm still soaking the bottom three in vinegar (separately). Once they're all done I'll try and recreate the picture for an 'after' shot. I ordered some SIO which should be here by Friday. I may try soaking the bottom-center one in that to see what happens.
stirthepot.gif


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jim
post Apr 8 2010, 01:17 PM
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Swizz have you checked with home depot for the sio? You might even find it at wally world.
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swizz
post Apr 8 2010, 01:36 PM
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QUOTE (jim @ Apr 8 2010, 02:17 PM) *
Swizz have you checked with home depot for the sio? You might even find it at wally world.


Unfortunately not a convenient option, I live in the middle of nowhere (actually on the top of nowhere). We have a local Ace Hardware and an Alco store. It wasn't a problem to have Ace order it for me. Plus.. I get to help out the local Mom & Pop business since they are privately owned and usually cut me a deal. [At the risk of sounding like a politico] I despise large corporations and try my best to avoid them like the plague. Even if I have to pay a little more for something at times or wait a little longer, I feel a lot better giving my hard earned money to the small business folk when it's an option (although the products I purchase are often produced by corporate America [or worse, outsourced to China by an American corporation], wherein lies my unavoidable hypocrisy regarding the matter).
smileyflag.gif wacko.gif


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Denise
post Apr 9 2010, 05:12 AM
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Dont forget If your using Super Iron Out, to use distilled water NOT TAP WATER! The tap water can leave mineral deposits on the specimen.


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swizz
post Apr 9 2010, 01:45 PM
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happy088.gif
I have two specimens soaking in SIO + distilled water now (separated and covered). The rest are finished.


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swizz
post Apr 13 2010, 01:22 PM
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Here are the before/after results:

BEFORE


AFTER


a. Stromatolite - cleaned up nicely using textile gun lightly, toothbrush, and distilled water soak.
b. Marine Breccia - no huge difference, same process as the Stromatolite.
c. turned out to be just a boring piece of white Quartz - vinegar soak, textile gun, toothbrush, distilled soak.
d. Pink or Rose Quartz is my guess - this got every treatment except SIO to come out this clean, the vinegar did wonders!
e. cleaning revealed that this is an encrusted piece of Stromatolite. Not sure what it's encrusted with but some of the crystals have a bright green hue (other side of specimen). - This got every treatment plus SIO X2 and distilled soaking X2.
f. I believe this to be a nice cluster of Smokey Quartz with a greenish material stained inside and out throughout part of it, possibly nickel? - this required vinegar soaking, textile gun, toothbrush, and distilled soak

Overall, I'm really happy with the results considering this was my first attempt at cleaning. Definitely couldn't have done it well without Denise's tutorial.
What else did I learn?
1. You only have to nip your finger or hand once or twice with the textile gun and your body will never let you do it again. unsure.gif
2. SIO really, really smells bad. When I first mixed it I thought "this doesn't smell so bad, what was Denise talking about?", then I pulled the lid after a day and almost chundered. puke.gif

Great fun! I already have some more specimens lined up to clean.


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Denise
post Apr 13 2010, 02:40 PM
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Great job Chris!! I especially like how well the rose quartz came out! Sure is pretty! happy088.gif
Oooooooooo, you may have a nice specimen of Colorado Rutilated Quartz.(F) I havent been lucky enough to find any myself, but we were given a small broken piece to work. Really neat stuff, as it had this crusty green coating on the outside, but inside the crystal revealed green rutilated strands. Very thin and hard to detect so you may want to check it out closer with a 20x loop and some light. thumbsupsmileyanim.gif

Thanks for the before and after pics! You sure brought out the beauty in those specimens!
greensmilies-012.gif


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swizz
post Apr 13 2010, 03:07 PM
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hmmmm, interesting regarding the possibility of Rutilated Quartz.... now I have to figure out what that means. tomatoes.gif
I'll have to break out the small Pentax and take some super-macro shots with backlighting and study it on the screen.


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Denise
post Apr 13 2010, 03:13 PM
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Rutilated Quartz link to Mindats database. They have a location listed for Colorado, but no pictures. Its beautiful stuff!

QUOTE
I'll have to break out the small Pentax and take some super-macro shots with backlighting and study it on the screen.


Oh yes, you will definately have to do that Chris! excited.gif happy112.gif But you need to share the results with us. tongue.gif


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swizz
post Apr 13 2010, 03:25 PM
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Well... I'm not sure that it's Rutilated. The only decent windows into the piece are the prominent shard (which actually may have that going on inside) and the bottom (not pictured). The bottom is a nice sharp formation of interlocking shards and has no greenish color inclusions and no obvious Rutilation on that side. May never know unless I zip it in half on GB's saw. Dare I? stirthepot.gif
I'll take some pics before deciding to do anything harsh like that. char098.gif


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Denise
post Apr 14 2010, 07:14 AM
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ohmy.gif "I don't know how you could cut that and still live with yourself." tongue.gif

I wouldnt cut that beautiful crystal, but thats just me. Especially if you dont have another one.
wink.gif Its sometime hard to decide to cut or not to cut isnt it? biggrin.gif



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swizz
post Apr 14 2010, 05:57 PM
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yeah, I don't think that I can cut it... maybe if I had a box of 'em


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CP
post Apr 15 2010, 04:11 PM
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Nice job on the clean up Swizz, those turned out nicely.

Don't let Mrs.CP's no cuttin' influences sway ya..... smiley-shocked003.gif smiley-laughing021.gif
Here's how it can be cut and one can still live with themselves. thumbsupsmileyanim.gif

Very fine green hairs within a beautifully clear quartz. These are small cabs (under 5/8") so that's almost finer than frogs hair. chores017.gif

Only 2 cabs I've ever seen made from the Colorado rutilated Quartz crystals too. happy088.gif Wonder how many other cabs from this material might be out there?


Attached Image


Pardon my turritella tip..... laught16.gif


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swizz
post May 14 2010, 10:35 AM
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GB & I have been doing a little rockhounding up here.... specimen cleaning today. stirthepot.gif


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Coalbunny
post May 20 2010, 01:51 AM
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QUOTE (ColoradoProspector @ Apr 15 2010, 04:11 PM) *
Nice job on the clean up Swizz, those turned out nicely.

Don't let Mrs.CP's no cuttin' influences sway ya..... smiley-shocked003.gif smiley-laughing021.gif
Here's how it can be cut and one can still live with themselves. thumbsupsmileyanim.gif

Very fine green hairs within a beautifully clear quartz. These are small cabs (under 5/8") so that's almost finer than frogs hair. chores017.gif

Only 2 cabs I've ever seen made from the Colorado rutilated Quartz crystals too. happy088.gif Wonder how many other cabs from this material might be out there?


Attached Image


Pardon my turritella tip..... laught16.gif

Looks like cough drops.


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