At the college of Idaho there is an incredible gem and mineral collection. I first saw the collection on a field trip with a geology class I was taking at Boise State University. At the time I was not a rock hound yet so the thought of photographing it never occurred to me. Since becoming a rock hound I have had the opportunity to view this collection two more times. Both times I didn’t have a camera.
Last night the Owyhee Gem and Mineral Society arranged to view the collection before their monthly meeting which meets down the hall from the collection. I was excited about this and made sure that I had a camera this time. Upon arriving at the Boone Science Building where the collection is housed I was informed that the key to open the room where the collection was housed could not be found. Instead of viewing the gem and mineral collection we would be viewing the natural history museum which is in the basement of the same building.
I was disappointed that I would not be viewing the gem and mineral collection but the opportunity to view the natural history museum was not a bad second option. About a year ago at a Owyhee Gem and Mineral Society meeting there was a presentation of some of leaf fossils that museum had that were collected in the area. The little bit that was shown then was fascinating so the complete displays had to be worth viewing.
The first display that can be seen as you enter the museum is of African antelope and mammals of North America. Following that there is an insect collection. Then came the parts I was more interested in, Indian artifacts and fossils. The piece that I liked the most was a very large chunk of petrified dino bone. This piece was behind a main display in a work area. I kept thinking it would be nice to cut it up into slabs. Anyway, the museum had many interesting items on display. Even the non rock related displays were interesting.
I am not sure what hours the museums are opened. Every time I have been able to view the Gem and mineral collection it was by special appointment. It was the same for the natural history museum. I asked for a flyer about museums but was not given one. If you do get the chance to view either of these collections it will be well worth your time if you like gems, minerals or fossils.
The galleries posted below show part of the gem and mineral collection that can be seen from outside the collection room and the photos from the natural history museum.
Gem and Mineral Collection
When I purchased my used 16” slab saw the blade that came with it was not in the best of shape. I knew that I was going to have to replace it in the near future. Back in November I was cutting some Cripple Creek Jasper when a piece broke off and became lodged between the blade and slab catch tray. This damaged the blade beyond repair; I could not put off ordering a blade any longer.
After doing some research I found two blades on eBay that were reasonably priced at around $100. It took me a week to decide which blade to purchase. One was a tradition lapidary blade but I knew it was a Chinese blade (the same brand of blade that was in the saw to start with) that needs frequent conditioning using obsidian, fire bricks or silicon carbide grinding wheels to keep it sharp. The other was a heavy duty blade that had a 1/8” kurf to it. I decide that since I don’t cut a lot of expensive materials that the heavy duty blade was the way to go.
I ordered the new blade a week before Thanksgiving hoping to have it by the holiday. The vendor shipped it and sent me tracking numbers right away. Thanksgiving came and went and no blade came. It was over a week later that the postal service finally made the delivery. I don’t know what the delay was since I sent out packages that arrived to my customers within a couple of days during the same time period. Anyway, I was excited to finally have the new blade.
Within an hour of receiving the blade it was installed and cutting a piece of obsidian (this material is good for dressing a new or dull blade). The first cut was horrible. After another cut nothing changed. That’s when I realized the new blade wobbled just as bad as the old blade. “Oh no!” Did I buy a bad blade or worse yet did I already damage the new Blade? Next time I buy a blade I will be sure to check that it is flat before installing it. After the blade was removed I checked it and found that it was just fine.
New Saw Blade
Once I knew the blade was ok I took apart the bearing and shaft part of the saw. That’s where the real problem was. One of the bearings was so loose you could stick your finger in it and wiggle it. The other issue was on the shaft where it connected with the bearing. There was a grove in it that was almost a 1/16 on an inch deep. Replacing the bearings was easy but they did cost $40.00. The flanges were also replaced at this time. The shaft was a bigger problem. A new one was needed. Once again I turned to my friend Bill Solt who is a machinist. He was able to make a new shaft within a week. Thanks again Bill.
Old Parts
Once all the new parts were assembled and the blade was installed the saw was running very smooth and the blade did not wobble at all. I was very excited until I checked the first cut and found that it was very rough. Once again I felt a sinking feeling. Did I but a crappy blade? I then cut a few slices off an old silicon carbide grinding wheel before attempting another rock cut. The second cut was much better but still not where I wanted it. After a few more cuts things were looking very good. What a relief it was to know I didn’t waste $100 on a bad blade.
A couple of days later I set the saw to do a cut and went inside. All of a sudden a horrible screeching sound was coming from the garage. I ran quickly to the saw and turned it off. What happened was the rock broke and part of it jammed between the blade and the vice. Luckily when the rock was pulled out the blade popped right back in place; there still was no wobble. If the regular lapidary blade had been there I would have been buying another blade already. Buying the heavy duty blade was the right choice.
Feed Pulleys
A little wile after buying this saw I had changed the pulley on the feed motor from a 2” pulley to a 1” inch pulley. This slowed down the feed rate which was too fast for the old blade that was in it. This kept the saw from locking up while cutting large or very hard materials like agate. With the new heavy duty blade this was not an issue. I have been able to cut even larger stones than before without slowing down the saw at all even with the 2” pulley on the feed motor.
The following gallery shows some of the material I cut since replacing the blade.
Happy New Year!
The updates are finally complete. All the links photos and galleries should now be working.
Thank you for visiting pebblepup.com. May 2010 bring you many great rock hounding experiences and joys.
