Thread: I Found It Over There

The stones I posted about a while back are definately jadeite. Hard stuff, it basically laughed at my DMT 325.

I'd love to find some slates or something. I need to check geological surveys for my part of northern California.

Originally Posted by Bram

did she know why you picked that particular hike? these things can be dangerous

here is a picture of the Eidsborg hones I picked up in Norway, the one on the right broke after I put it on the campfire, it's a lot softer then the other ones and will be my future slurry stones. I will try to burn the other ones as well one by one, this time using a gradual heating process
Attachment 177384

Just wanted to add the Video here to the Eidsborg Quarry...sorry didnt found a good thread to post it...and as Bram posted some of the stones i thought it might fit...

http://nrk.no/skole/klippdetalj?topic=nrk:klipp/863185

For those of you that want to explore the slate angle.
I live half an hour away from Delta Pennsylvania.
There are huge old abandoned slate quarries that they used to make shingles and all sorts of things a long time ago.
I would be willing to box up and ship out a few pieces to anyone that would like to experiment with them. The flat rate boxes at the post office are like 12 bucks anywhere in the US. I would take pictures of whatever I found and then number them and you could tell me which ones you wanted me to send. Or just give me a dimension size and I will look for rocks that are already in that area.
Anyone interested just send me a PM and we can work out the details. Ken

Originally Posted by Maryland998

For those of you that want to explore the slate angle.
I live half an hour away from Delta Pennsylvania.
There are huge old abandoned slate quarries that they used to make shingles and all sorts of things a long time ago.
I would be willing to box up and ship out a few pieces to anyone that would like to experiment with them. The flat rate boxes at the post office are like 12 bucks anywhere in the US. I would take pictures of whatever I found and then number them and you could tell me which ones you wanted me to send. Or just give me a dimension size and I will look for rocks that are already in that area.
Anyone interested just send me a PM and we can work out the details. Ken

Nice offer Ken. I may take you up on it if it keeps snowing out here and I can't go rock hunting. Actually the small 'priority mail' box is plenty big enough for anything that I would want to lap and is only $5.95.

Originally Posted by Maryland998

For those of you that want to explore the slate angle.
I live half an hour away from Delta Pennsylvania.
There are huge old abandoned slate quarries that they used to make shingles and all sorts of things a long time ago.
I would be willing to box up and ship out a few pieces to anyone that would like to experiment with them. The flat rate boxes at the post office are like 12 bucks anywhere in the US. I would take pictures of whatever I found and then number them and you could tell me which ones you wanted me to send. Or just give me a dimension size and I will look for rocks that are already in that area.
Anyone interested just send me a PM and we can work out the details. Ken

I was over that way picked up a few pieces over the summer. Just haven't figured out how I'm going to cut them. Maybe if it's good they'll open the quarry again LOL, The property is posted everywhere, I picked my pieces up a long the road. It was tempting to scale the bank to get nicer/larger pieces. It's called Peach Bottom Slate and believe it's been used world wide and is quite famous for it's quality . Here's an article I found Delta – The Slate Story | Rocks Beneath Your Feet

Originally Posted by Trimmy72

I was over that way picked up a few pieces over the summer. Just haven't figured out how I'm going to cut them. Maybe if it's good they'll open the quarry again LOL, The property is posted everywhere, I picked my pieces up a long the road. It was tempting to scale the bank to get nicer/larger pieces. It's called Peach Bottom Slate and believe it's been used world wide and is quite famous for it's quality . Here's an article I found Delta – The Slate Story | Rocks Beneath Your Feet

Check roads cuts and railroad cuts and areas along rivers. There are plenty of outcrops in that area. Also if you know who owns the old area often times they will let you collect for a small fee. Along the Delaware River near the water gap there's all the free slate you could ever want.

Yes some areas are posted. But there are literally mountains of cast off piles. Lived here all my life. Know where to go so as not be trespassing. And also know several people whose property is next to or on top of the old quarries. I work for the local Highways division. Most of the old roads around here were made using slate for the road bed. In Delta there is a lot of slate sidewalks. It is not viewed as valuable ironically. I plan on doing some hunting in the next few days and fill up some milk crates with a representative sampling of it and post some pictures. not sure if this type of slate is good for making hones. But if it is then it is then our cup would runneth over.
The only problem I can think of might be. Is that the cast off piles will be a jumble of the different layers so if one layer is good and others not. Then it will not be a simple thing to go back and get samples from the same exact layer.
If anyone has any insight on what to look for as far as color or other features to look for I am all ears. Plan on looking for consistent color with very "tight/fine" grain.

Well I hope it's good honing material....I had posted a while back in this thread a piece of Peach bottom slate shingle I had lapped. I never followed through to see what it could do. it kept flaking layers. I'm guessing long term weather exposure. It came up a real nice blue/grey. I have a belt sander now so maybe I'll give it a go again.
Now don't go tearing up peoples side walks .... If I understood correctly I was told the foundations of the houses in the area were slate also.

I have some shingles I use them to edge my flower beds. Maybe the shingles were made from the "softer" slate. Or it could be that it being exposed to the weather it's layers got compromised. I with try to be selective about relative hardness if possible.

Being exposed to the weather, with any loose sedimentary layers the stone will only tend toward falling apart. You'll want to look for tight, thick pieces and coloration can be an indicator but only after you test some pieces. I have found slates from black to red to green to yellow that work fairly well. One of the important factors will be hardness as well, a good consistency/hardness will allow you to slurry the stone with a like rubbing stone but won't self-slurry too much if at all when using straight water.