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This weekend a friend emailed me the following information about another attack on the rockhounding hobby.  In 1966 Rockhound State Park near Deming, New Mexico was established as a destination for rock collectors.  Today government bureaucrats want to eliminate rock collecting in the park and change the park’s purpose to educating a respect for the natural environment.

Most rockhounds agree that educating a respect for the natural environment is a good thing and welcome the efforts to do so.  However, they don’t like losing their rights to collect rocks as a way to enforce these efforts.  A system to both allow rock collecting and promote a respect for the natural environment is possible.

Please read the following then help save the rockhounding hobby in a park that was established and named for the hobby.

Email from Laura Joki:

RE-POST EVERYWHERE!!!

The proposed plan may be read at the following web site:
http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/documents/RockhoundPMPPublicReviewDraftMarch2011.pdf

But, to save you time, the following is the important part from the proposal
bout rockhounding:

Rockhound State Park was originally established as a destination for
rock collectors. At the time, in 1966, rock collecting was a popular
pastime. Visitors were encouraged to visit the Park in order to collect
rocks, and were allowed to take home up to 15 pounds of rocks.

Today the Division promotes a respect for the natural environment
through interpretive and educational programs. Not only does rock
collecting in a public park contradict the principle of natural resource
protection.

There is only one state park in the United States that permits rock
collecting: Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas, which has a
8-acre plowed field set aside for collecting. Nearly all municipal,
state, and national parks prohibit the removal of natural artifacts from
parks. The practice of rock collecting at the Park would need to comply
with NMSA 1978, Section 16-2-32:

“A person who commits any of the following acts is guilty of a petty
misdemeanor and shall be sentenced in accordance with the provisions of
Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978:

A. cut, break, injure, destroy, take or remove a tree, shrub, timber,
plant or natural object in any state park and recreation area, except in
areas designated by the secretary and permitted by regulations adopted
by the secretary, such regulations shall only permit the removal of a
tree, shrub, timber, plant or natural object for scientific study or for
non-commercial use by an individual as a souvenir, the quantity of
material authorized for removal from any area shall be strictly
regulated by park personnel in order to minimize resource damage.”

If the Division were to continue to allow the public to collect rocks at
the Park, the EMNRD Cabinet Secretary would designate a specific area
and adopt rules pertaining to the collecting of rocks on Park property
such as the amount and location).

The once popular hobby of rock collecting has declined significantly
since the 1960s. There are local businesses that cater to rock
collectors and can guide or direct them to similar opportunities outside
of the Park. Safety is also a concern with the public collecting rocks
n the Park, as there are steep and unstable slopes that are becoming
more hazardous as the collecting alters the stability of the hillside.
There is also a concern that some visitors may go beyond the Park
boundaries in their quest for rocks.

Park staff has already begun the transition away from rock collecting
and will need to educate the public about the need to respect the
natural resources. One crucial step is to modify all Park information
signage, brochures, website), so that this activity is no longer
encouraged. All materials need to state that it is a prohibited
activity. The namesake theme can continue through educational programs
and interpretive information about the rocks that occur in the Park and
the geology of the region.
ØRevise written materials by removing all mention of rock collecting
and add a reference to the state statute which prohibits rock collecting
on Park property.

Written and oral comments on the plan will be accepted. Comment letters
can be dropped off at the park; mailed to P.O. Box 1147, Santa Fe, NM
7505; e-mailed to nmparks@state.nm.us or faxed to (505) 476-3361.

PLEASE, everyone reading this message, email, snail mail or fax a
written comment in opposition to the proposed plan to discontinue
rockhounding in Rockhound State Park. You have until April 18, 2011 to
make comment, so please get on it today.  Let’s show the NMSPD personnel
that rockhounding has not declined since the 1960s and the park should
remain true to its namesake. Also, all you club members out there,
please let everyone in your club know about this by mass email so we can
get all rockhounds throughout this country engaged in the battle to
save yet another of our fleeting freedoms. This may be in far away New
Mexico now, but in your backyard tomorrow.

PLEASE HELP NOW BECAUSE THERE IS NO TIME TO WAIT!

The following information on collecting petrified wood was provided by the Bureau of Land Management.

Collecting:

(1) The maximum quantity of petrified wood that any one person is allowed to remove without charge per day is 25 pounds in weight plus one piece, provided that the maximum total amount that one person may remove in one calendar year shall not exceed 250 pounds. Pooling of quotas to obtain pieces larger than 250 pounds is not allowed.

(2) Except for holders of permits to remove museum pieces, no person shall use explosives, power equipment, including, but not limited to, tractors, bulldozers, plows, power-shovels, semi-trailers or other heavy equipment for the excavation or removal of petrified wood.

(3) Petrified wood obtained shall be for personal use and shall not be sold or bartered to commercial dealers.

(4) The collection of petrified wood shall be accomplished in a manner that prevents hazards to public health and safety, and minimizes and mitigates environmental damage.

(b) Additional rules. The head of the agency having jurisdiction over a free use area may establish and publish additional rules for collecting petrified wood for noncommercial purposes.

Permits:

No application or permit for free use is required except for specimens over 250 pounds in weight.  The authorized BLM officer may issue permits for the removal of such specimens if the applicant certifies that they will be displayed to the public in a museum or similar institution.

Designation of Areas:

All public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation are open to or available for free use removal of petrified wood unless otherwise provided for by notice in the Federal Register.  Free use areas under the jurisdiction of said Bureaus may be modified or cancelled by notices published in the Federal Register.

The heads of other Bureaus in the Department of the Interior may publish in the Federal Register designations, modifications or cancellations of free use areas for petrified wood on lands under their jurisdiction.

The Secretary of the Interior may designate, modify or cancel free use areas for petrified wood on public lands which are under the jurisdiction of other Federal departments or agencies, other than the Department of Agriculture, with the consent of the head of other Federal departments or agencies concerned, upon publication of notice in the Federal Register.

Hampton Butte Petrified Wood

In late December, 2010, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar issued “Secretarial Order 3310″ which establishes the new designation of “Wild Lands”. This designation could be applied to any BLM lands that are determined to have wilderness characteristics.

The “Wild Lands” designation is separate from Wilderness areas which must be designated by Congress and wilderness study areas, a precursor to Wilderness designation. This places significant and sweeping authority in the hands of unelected federal bureaucrats. The designation will affect rights-of-way access to BLM land which would deny access to many recreational outdoor activities including rock hounding.

Click Here to View Secretarial Order 3310 (sec_order_3310.pdf)

On Wednesday, January 12th, Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter wrote a letter to United States Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar asking that he “immediately withdraw this Secretarial Order”.

Click Here to View Letter (idahoso3310wildlands.pdf)

Please help getting “Secretarial Order 3310″ withdrawn by writing or calling your elected officials and United States Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

Secretary Ken Salazar
United States Department of Interior
1849 C Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240

Senator Mike Crapo
251 E. Front St.
Boise, ID 83702
208-334-1776

Congressman Mike Simpson
802 W. Bannock St.
Boise, ID 83702
208-344-1953

State of Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter
Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720
208-334-2100

Last Friday I received a box of Juniper Ridge Fire Opal from a friend at Cascadegems.com.  I always believed precious opal was fire opal because the bright flashy color in it is often referred to as the fire.  You can imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found pieces that were transparent amber and red in color.

Juniper Ridge Fire Opal

The next day a trip to the Idaho Gem Club’s Whang Doodle claim was planned. At this claim precious opal can be found in basalt rock where opal has filled in gas bubbles. I took the fire opal to the friends that were going on this trip since they were more familiar with various opals. They explained that opal known for the play of color and reflections from within is precious opal and fire opal is named for its fiery colors, including yellows, oranges, and reds.

Fire opal may or may not show a play of color, but is valued mostly for its intense colors. The best fire opals are very transparent and can be cut as faceted stones, cabochons, spheres, and sculptures.

Precious has iridescent color flashes that change with the angle at which the stone is viewed. Two well known varieties are Spencer Opal and Virgin Valley Opal.

Spencer Opal and Virgin Valley Opal – Precious Opals

Spencer Opal comes from Eastern Idaho. This opal comes mostly in layers of extremely high quality. Occasionally the layer will be thick enough for cutting a solid cabochon but most of it is very thin and requires the triplet or doublet process to get a cabochon.

Opal doublets are thin slices of precious opal glued onto a matrix material such as basinite or obsidian. These gems are considerably cheaper than solid opals, yet provide the same play of color. Opal triplets are doublets covered with a thin layer of clear quartz to make them more resistant to scratches.

Virgin Valley Opal comes in many verities from Humboldt County, Nevada. They include black opal, white opal, crystal opal, fire opal, and opalized woods. The rarest and most valuable Virgin Valley Opals has bright colors in black.

Common opals come in many colors and can be found in many places. I have collected common opal in the Owyhee Mountains on the Idaho – Oregon border. Most of this opal comes as opalized wood and thunder eggs. It can also be found in vain form in the Squaw Creek / Sommer Camp Area.

Opalized Wood – Common Opal

Owyhee Blue Opal – Common Opal

Opal has a hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs’ Hardness Scale which makes it a brittle, heat sensitive material that breaks and scratches easily. Some varieties also self-destruct through the loss of water. This loss of water causes a condition called crazing (internal cracks). Opal typically contains from 3 to 30 percent water, making it very sensitive to stress. Opal should never be put into harsh cleaning fluids or in ultrasonic cleaners.

2010 was not the best year for Pebblepup.com. Chaos was running rampant in my personal life so very little lapidary work was done and even fewer rock hounding trips were taken. Actually there were only four trips. The last two trips were late in the season and would not have happened without rock hounding friends from Portland, Oregon coming for a visit. In 2009 there was a trip almost every weekend.

2011 looks very promising. My personal life has calmed and the dust is settling. I am hoping to get some new post done in the near future and to add some new products to the online rock shop.

I am also planning many more trips this year. In fact I have already done a mini scouting trip north of Eagle, Idaho and found a small piece of jasper that looks promising and an area to explore where hiking is allowed. This area is where Willow Creek Jasper comes from but most of it is now private property so rock hounding has become very hard to do.

Anyway, I just wanted to wish you all a happy new year. I hope the coming year is good to you and you have many good lapidary and rock hounding days.

When making cabochons I love to do freeform shapes.  The classic round and oval cabochons are ok but not exciting to me.  Cutting freeform shapes (pre-forms) can be a challenge.  Using a trim saw you can make multiple cuts then clean up the curves with a grinding wheel.  This wastes a lot of the material.   After trying many different trim saws I knew that I needed to find a better way to cut freeform curves.  I found two possible options, a ring saw and a diamond band saw.  Due to price of the ring saw I decide to try the diamond band saw.

The next step was to decide what band saw to buy.  I always try to do thing cheap as possible (not really a good thing when buying lapidary equipment) so I looked at the Inland lapidary band saw and the Diamond Tech Speedster-XL band saw.  Since I am not a fan of Inland products I was already leaning towards the Speedster-XL.  After reading about the metal inner frame, the extra blade and the three year warranty I chose the Speeder-XL.

Diamond Laser Speedster XL

The best price ($219.00 shipping included) I found for this saw was from the company Timeless Tiffany,  a stain glass shop in Elkton, Maryland.  I placed my order that was shipped the next day and a week later UPS delivered it.  I was so excited to have my new band saw.  I spread all the parts out on the table and started reading the manual and assemble instructions.  That is when I noticed a piece still in the packaging that didn’t look right.  After a brief examination I discovered that it was one of the legs from the saw base that had broken off.  There was no way to fix it and the saw was useless.

I immediately called Timeless Tiffany and left a message about the damage since they had already closed.  The next morning they called and told me they were shipping out a replacement and would have UPS pick up the damaged saw.  A couple days later they called again to let me know there was a delay with shipping and that the saw was being shipped that day.  A week later the replacement arrived.

The first night I assembled the saw which took about 10 minutes then did a test cut on a jasper slab.  It was awesome.  I didn’t have time to cut more that night so the next day I went work on a couple more slabs.  Everything was going well at first then it became very slow at cutting.  The problem was most likely caused by cutting a slab of Snake River Agate, a very hard material, and I being a bit heavy handed when pushing the material trough the saw.  I tried dressing the blade by cutting some obsidian which helped a little but not much.  I next tried dressing the blade with a silicon carbide grinding wheel, 220 grit.  This did a better job than the obsidian but the blade still wasn’t that great.  I switched to the second blade and so far have not had any problems with it.  I am being very careful not to push material to fast, almost letting the blade pull the material instead.

For the most part this saw is ok.  It works but not as well as I was hoping.  With some improvements it could be better.  A metal plate on the bottom to reinforce the legs would have prevented the damage on the first saw.  Second the motor need to be more robust.  It seems to have slowed down a bit but that could just be my perception because of the blade getting dull.  And last is the blade.  I believe that the problem with the first blade was my fault.  I am very glad that a second blade was included with the saw.  When it is time to switch the blade again the replacement is going to cost $83.29.  “OUCH!”  I sure hope the second blade lasts a lot longer than the first one.  A that price this saw will be put aside quickly if the blade does not last longer and I will go back using grinding wheels to cut curves.

The blade that comes with the Speedster-XL is 36”.  Before setting this saw aside I might try using Gryphon blades which are 37”.  This will depend on there being enough tension to use the slightly larger blade.  The cost of these blades form Timeless Tiffany is $97.99 for a twin pack of the regular black diamond blades and $57.39 for one fuser blade which is a heavier duty blade.

SPEEDSTER-XL BAND SAW by DIAMOND TECH FEATURES:

Quiet, dual speed 1/8HP motor – could be stronger

Improved water nozzle and guide mounting block – good

Lower wheel drain – good

Sturdy metal inner frame – good

Large capacity cooling system – still gets used up quickly

Long lasting seamless stainless steel blades – 50/50 still deciding not optimistic

Angle cutting guide – cheap but I will never use it anyway

Easy preset blade tracking and tension – good

3 Year warranty and FREE tech support – haven’t needed yet -  I wonder if they will replace the first blade; I doubt it.

Includes FREE extra diamond blade – great, it saved me right away

Includes FREE extra blade guides – good, haven’t needed these yet

This spring a new rockhound book for Idaho, “Rockhounding Idaho”, written by Garret Romaine was published by Falcon Guides.  I have been anticipating this book for quite some time since my fried Jason Estes, who told me about the book, had been in contact with the writer.  Jason actually took the photo that is on the cover of the book and included with the Dismal Swap write up in the book.  After about a year of waiting I finally have the book in hand.

Rockhounding Idaho

The biggest issue I have with many rockhound location guides is how current the information in the book is.  It can be a real bummer if the information provided was originally provided by somebody who visited the site in his model-t.  Each site listed in this book was visited by Garret in person so the information is up to date as possible.  Garret has also weeded out many sites that are well know but no longer accessible.  He does mention sites like Beacon Hill and Hog Creek (original claim) but clearly states that they are not always accessible due to locked gates and posted access roads.

In each of the locations in this book the following information and more is provided:

GPS Coordinates – WGS84 standard in decimal format to five places.

Best Season – When it is best to visit the location.

Materials – What is collected at the site?

Tools – What you will need to collect the materials.

Vehicle – Do you need and 4X4 or can you access the site in your sedan?

Accommodations – What kind of camping is available, are there nearby accommodations?

Special Attractions – Other points of interest in the area.  Not necessarily rockhound collection points.

Finding the Site – Detailed directions to the site.

Rockhounding – A report on finding the material and pointers to help you find material.

There are many sites in this book that I have not visit yet.  I look forward to checking some of them out.  One thing I noticed about some of the sites I know like Graveyard Point and McBride creek is that Garret’s information is good a start.  In both of these locations his information will defiantly guide you to collectible material but there is much more to be found in these areas.  I would suggest starting with the information in the book and if you have time hike the next ridge or gulch.

Over time as I explore the sites listed my opinion of this book my change but for the time being I am very excited about it.  It holds promise of being a must have for rockhounds who will be visiting Idaho and live in Idaho.  The book’s cover price is $16.95.

Friday was a long day at work.  The plans were to head to Twin Falls, Idaho after work and spend the evening with my folks before heading to Pocatello, Idaho the next morning for a gem show.  Everything went as planned and by 8:00 Saturday morning I was on the road.  I arrived at the show just after 10:00.

Upon entering the building I was greeted by some friendly folks from the local gem club.  When they realized I was from Nampa, Idaho they asked if I was there for the horse show that was happening at the same location.  They seemed surprised when I told them I was there for the rock and gem show.  There must have been many visitors that came by just because they were there for the other event.

After talking rocks for a little bit and promoting this site I started to check out the vendors and displays.  There were many dealers that had a good assortment of finished items.  What I was hoping for was some good rough or slab materials.  About half way through the show I found a few slab bins but felt the prices were a bit high.  It is hard to buy slabs at prices I would not be comfortable charging if I were to sell them.  The second to the last dealer I visited had great slabs at a great price.  I ended up buying many slabs of cobra stone and rain forest jasper plus two slabs of chip board rhyolite.  I was not familiar with the chip board rhyolite but it looked nice and the price was even better.  This purchase made the trip worthwhile.

After checking out the dealers it was time to take a closer look at the displays.  There were many good displays and many of them with Blue Forest petrified wood from Wyoming.  Pocatello is not far from the Wyoming border so the Blue Forest is almost a local trip.  There were many rounds of this petrified wood on display and they were my favorite item.

Blue Forest Petrified Wood

My favorite display was presented by Chuck and Sharon Strom.  It was a mixture of Blue Forest petrified wood, Grassy Mountain petrified wood and Texas Springs pink limb cast.  I had a nice chat with Chuck about all these materials.  The mail discussion was on the Grassy Mountain wood.  This material comes from Eastern Oregon not far from the Idaho border (my neighborhood).  We talked about how this material was previously known by an offensive name (n*@#% wood) and what lead to its current politically correct name (renamed decades ago).  Chuck then explained that the material is no longer available which I found amusing.  A few weeks ago I went exploring with a couple of friends and we stumbled upon the old digs for this material while looking for something else.  The reason we knew what we found is one friend found a piece on the surface.  I explained that there was still material to be found but it would require a lot of digging.  Only one piece was found the day we found the location.

The total time spent at the gem show was less than an hour.  I left the show and immediately headed towards Twin Falls.  On the way back I did decide to hunt down an address I had for a rock shop in Paul, Idaho.  I found the address but didn’t find a rock shop.  What I had was old information.  As I headed back to the freeway I got pulled over for doing sixty-five in a fifty-five mile zone.  I couldn’t believe it; this trip was about to get expensive.  To make things worse my insurance card was not up to date.  The officer let me off with a warning on the speeding but gave me a ticket for the expired card.  Luckily that ticket will be dismissed when I send in a copy of an up to date insurance card.  The funny part is when I got home I found the updated card was delivered in Saturday’s mail.

Once I returned to my folk’s house in Twin Falls the family decided to go to Balance Rock which is located near Castleford, Idaho.  I was hoping to find some collectible rock there but found nothing.  It was a nice trip however and it was nice to spend some quality time with my folks at a beautiful location.

Balanced Rock

The next morning I left Twin Falls and headed to Gooding, Idaho to meet up with Tony Funk (idahorockshop.com).  The rest of the morning was spent digging through his rocks piles.  I ended up purchasing about seventy pounds of awesome material.  At about 2:00 we then headed to Tony’s house where we ate lunch.

After lunch it was time to head home to Nampa, Idaho.  The freeway entrance was about ten miles away.  About five miles down the freeway I blew a tire.  I felt the tire problem coming a few miles before and had already slowed down and had the hazard lights on.  I was pushing hoping to get in the nearby rest stop.  The tire blew about 100 feet before the exit to the rest area.  I tried to get my spare tire put on but had a problem getting one of the lug nuts off to remove the wheel.  Tony had to come recue me.  He thought it was going to be a simple project but I had custom wheels that required an insert to get the lug nuts off. This insert piece and the lug nut were both stripped.  He ended up having to pound a steel rod into the lug while I twisted the rod with a wrench to get the lug nut off.  (Thank you, Tony)  After the spare tire was on I then had to drive the rest of the way home at fifty miles an hour.  I pulled into the drive at 7:30 that evening.  The next morning I purchased new tires and wheels.  Yep, this trip got expensive.

Blown Tire

Even with the unplanned adventure and expenses this was a great trip.  It was nice seeing some different places and spending time with family and friends.  I am already thinking of the next trip.