Good evening from Sweden!

Just wanted to say hello as a new member here.

I'm a lad who has a interest in many things;
Rock hounding, prospecting (hard rock ore deposits and alluvial), lapidary work (mainly cabbing), Metal detecting to name a few.

See ya all around!

Hi Voltaire,

Welcome to the Colorado Prospector forums, sounds like you'll fit in very well with those interests and more. We've got some great lapidary enthusiasts around here and many prospectors. Post up some of your lapidary work and prospecting finds when you can, we'd all like to see some.
We'll all be looking forward to your future participation too, make yourself right at home browsing around.

CP

Thanks CP. :)
Will get some pics to share. ;)

Hey Voltaire,

I am pretty new to the forum too. I just wanted to let you know that both Dan and Denise and others on the forum here are awesome and you have come to a great place. I am just getting started and don't even have any of my own equipment yet but I have learned so much here its like I already know the playbook. I just started a Beginning Cabochon class and feel and felt very comfortable because I have learned in theory what I am starting to apply hands on. If you have questions search the forums and ask questions, there are lots of people who enjoy sharing their knowledge, expertise and experiences. I know you are not a beginner like I am but you came to the right place for sharing, learning and laughing.

Hey GC,
Thanks. :)

Generally forums that share the same interest as you are great. ;)
But the people in the forum make it special.

Good luck with your cutting.

I remember my first cutting class... We got a pair of stones (Quartzite, Vulcanite and marble) and certain sizes/shapes we should cut.
After that we where got all safety instructions and then sent to the machines. No further instructions unless you'd ask for it.
Interesting times indeed.
All my fine-tuning ironically was made with opal. That was what really got me into this mess in the first place.

Thanks Voltaire. I feel like I now have a enough info in my head to tackle getting started with basic lapidary skills. I wish we had open workshop times besides when we are there taking the class. In this club the only time people can use the equipment is during the classes they are taking. I know some other clubs have experienced club members that are there at assigned times on specific days and people can come in and pay like $2.00 an hr to use the equipment to work on things as long as someone is there to oversee things. Since we don't have this it just makes me want to get my own equipment soon!

What kind of equipment do you have?

Well our equipment is available 08:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
We have to pass a "test" to see if we know how to handle all the equipment that we may use.
Otherwise you may not cut or work there at all.
If you pass, well then you may work there under the time frame noted above. :)


I personally don't own any equipment YET, my school pays a company to let us (students) use the company's equipment. (or most of it!)
I am hoping to get some equipment somewhere around Christmas.

Which involves:
Rock saws (small) but also a few larger which we may not handle
Cabbing machines
Flat laps
A few faceting machines..

Pretty much anything you want.

Hello Voltaire, Jim from Mississippi here. I see you have stumbled across one very popular website. Welcome to C.P.. I have been coming here for years now. A great site for us rockheads as well as gold. Be sure to look the site over well. Lots to see. I have posted many times so look for me. I even had the rare pleasure of spending time with the C.P.'s. Lots of fun.
P.S. It's about time for another contest ain't it? Jim

Hey Jim!
Sounds promising, I have already looked around a bit.

Catch you around!

P.S Contest??

Voltaire,

That is great that you can go in to use equipment! We do have 2 Saturdays from 10am to 3pm that for $10 you can go and complete projects. I may attend them since that is worth it. The club I am taking this class at is about 1.5 hrs away so after this class ends I will have to get my own equipment unless I take another class but I am not interested in the other classes and the long drive is not fun

Darn! 1½ hours away!? Almost sounds like you would live in northern Sweden (Lappland) as I do.

I'm just lucky to have a 5-10 min walk to the lapidary workshop.
Sometimes they offer us to work from 5 PM to 9 PM extra overtime for approx 20 USD, three hours extra on a full 5 day week.

However for rock hounding here you have to travel a lot.. Interesting will be for spring when I might be heading for Norway to visit a friend.
He thinks he knows a place that could host gemstones.

Voltaire

Yes, I know 1.5hrs is quite a drive. There is actually a earth sciences club 10 minutes away but they do no lapidary activities and have no workshop.

I am a guitar teacher and my interest in lapidary started a few months ago after being intrigued with an agate guitar pick I was given. I started to look into what type of rocks were used for stone picks and how they were made. I learned from several sources that making cabochons uses the same basic techniques. Everyone here has been great with sharing their knowledge and I am learning a lot. When doing some searches for local rock clubs I found that the closest lapidary club offered a course called Beginning Cabs I looked into it and decided to take the class. I am planning on getting my own set-up sooner than if I had easier access to lapidary equipment .

Another contest? Why yes there is always a contest/drawing going here at the Colorado Prospector website in the form of "seasonal drawings" which all patrons of the Colorado Prospector club and Miners Market get entries into for their patronage.
For anyone who's not seen the details on the seasonal drawings yet, just click on the link to view them.

We also have free geocaches for club members too, anytime club members wish to head to find one and do, then they get their choice of treasure chest goodies.

CP

The contest that I mentioned was in another site and I didn't want to mention it here. Both Voltaire and I were in it. I reminded him of it through a p.m.. I don't think that he reconized me right off. jim

I have not received any PM?

But I think I know what you are referring to.
And, I thought I recognized you; but wasn't sure.

Um Jim, does your drip system have enough water in it?




Voltaire, I just sent you a pm to test the system on the board but I'm sure the pm's are working fine. Let me know if you don't receive the one I just sent this morning.

CP

Dan,
Works perfectly!