HIr - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

LAPIDARY WORK WAS NO
CINCH 20 YEARS AGO
Twenty years ago lapidary work was a
far cry from what it is today, reports J. L.
Gore of the El Paso, Texas, Mineral and
Gem Society. Gore was taught how to saw,
shape and polish semi-precious rocks into
gems by H. L. Zollars in a little room in
the Zollars basement. Zollars didn't use a
diamond saw, wet-or-dry sanding cloth,
spinning dry-sanding drums and the dozens
of other aids for fast gem polishing. Far
from it. The small agates and jaspers they
worked on were worn in two, not sawed.
To do this a plain round metal disc, running
in a mixture of clay, abrasive grains and
HILLQUIST
COMPARE!
• Put the Hjflquist Gemmaster beside any lapidary
machine — cheaper, flimsy "gadgets" or units that
sell at twice the price. Compare construction! Compare
ease of operation! Compare how much you
get for your money and you'll say, "I'll take the
Gemmaster!'
Here is a worthy companion for our larger and
more expensive Hillquist Compact Lapidary Unit.
Tho smaller in size, the Hillquist Gemmaster has
many of the same features. It's all-metal with spun
aluminum tub. You get a rugged, double-action rock
clamp, not a puny little pebble pincher. You get a
full 3 babbitt sleeve bearing and ball thrust bearing.
You get a big 7" Super Speed diamond saw
Ond all the equipment you need to go right to work.
USES ALL ACCESSORIES
You can use all the regular Hillquist accessories;
with the Gemmaster: The Hillquist Facetor, Sphere
Cutters, Laps, Drum and Disc Sanders, etc.
WRITE FOR FREE CATALOG
I COMPLETE, READY TO USE! YOU GET ALL THIS-
BIG 7" Diamond Saw • 6 x V Grinding
Wheel • 6" Felt Buff • 6" Backing Wheel
6" Disc Sander • Double-action Rock
_ Clamp • Oil Feed Cup • Water Feed
| Hose & Clamp • Dop Sticks & Dop Wax*
| Polish, Compound, Etc.
BUILT FOR ILONG SERVICE!
No other low-cost lap unit
gives you full 3" sleeve
bearing, ball thrust bearing
and pressure lubrication.
Of&(4Mtf EQUIPMENT CO.
INC
1545 WEST 49TH ST., SEATTLE 7, WASHINGTON
water, was used. It often took hours to cut
a slab that can be divided in minutes today.
The abrasive mixture had to be of the
proper consistency or it would not do the
work. Even then, however, it splashed all
over the little room.
To remove scratches after grinding Zollars
turned shallow bowls out of poplar
wood and then mounted them on the end
of an arbor shaft. To polish the gem one
of these bowls was lined on its inner walls
with a strip of saddle leather or a piece of
discarded felt. Tin oxide and red rouge
were used as polishing compounds. El Paso
Mineral and Gem Society's The Voice.
• • •
The First Annual Gem and Mineral Exhibition
of the Santa Clara Valley Gem
and Mineral Society takes place September
17-18 at the I. E. S. Hall, 1401 East Santa
Clara Street, San Jose, California. This
will be the first dealer participation show
ever held in the city and members expect
a large attendance. There will be no admission
charge. • • •
George J. Huss was elected chairman of
the Marquette Geologists Association. Other
officers for the new year are Arch J. Nisbet,
vice president; Mary Riordan, secretarytreasurer;
Mrs. Harold Schwendeman, delegate
to the Midwest Federation Convention;
and Paul J. Keller, Ray C. Mitchell, G. J.
Huss and G. G. Putman, directors.
BLANK MOUNTINGS
for
AGATE JEWELRY
WHOLESALE
Rings — Ear Wires — Tie Chains
Cuff Links — Neck Chains
Bezel — devices — Shanks
Solder — Findings
Send stamp for price list No. 3
O. R. JUNKINS & SON
440 N.W. Beach St.
NEWPORT, OREGON
Felker DI-MET Continuous
Rim METAL BONDED BLADES
—Although more expensive in
original cost/ DI-MET Metal
Bonded. Blades repay in
longer ultimate life and un- i
usually fast cutting. Usually
preferred In production cutting.
Diameters from 2"
through 12"
LIMESTONE CAVES
BECOME COLD STORAGE
Limestone caves have been turned into
refrigerated food storage rooms near Kansas
City, 30 members of the Lawrence, Kansas,
Rock and Mineral Club discovered on a
recent field trip.
About 15 acres are now under refrigeration,
the members learned, with different
rooms being cooled to different temperatures
for storing a wide variety of foods.
According to club members, the limestone
is being mined and sold from wider areas
and about 45 acres of underground rooms
will furnish refrigerated storage when the
project is finished.
L. D. Henderson, of Lawrence, has been
elected president of the club, which is sponsored
by the Lawrence Recreation Commission.
• • •
BLOCK OF EARTH'S CRUST
FOUND THRUST 40 MILES
Dwarfing the power of the H-bomb,
mountain-building processes in the West,
millions of years ago shoved a huge block
of the earth's crust 35 to 40 miles from its
original position.
The block was recently located in a remote
Nevada area by U.C.L.A. geologists.
Dr. Donald Carlisle and Dr. C. A. Nelson
found the phenomenon while geologically
mapping a 400-square-mile area in the north
central portion of the state.
The block consists of rocks formed hundreds
of millions of years ago, when life
on earth consisted predominantly of simple
organisms. It was thrust over rocks of
equal and even younger ages, forming what
is known as a thrust fault.
During the mountain-building processes,
huge segments of the earth's crust were
shortened as the block folded over in many
places. Dr. Carlisle and Dr. Nelson report
silver-lead-zinc deposits are associated with
this field.
(From The Sphere, bulletin of the Hollywood,
California, Lapidary and Mineral Society
and reprinted from Science News
Letter.)
Felker DI-MET
LAPIDAW EQUIPMENT
Diamond Blades • Core Drills • Machines
Felker DI-MET
RIMLOCK BLADES
Accepted for years as the
standard for favt, smooth
cuts, long life, low cost!
Finish requires a minimum
of polishing. Wheel
bodies are mode of copper
or steel. Diameters
fiom 3" through 36".
Felker DI-MET Diamond
Abrasive CORE DRILLS—Drills
rock samples in a few seconds.
Produces exceptionally smooth,
straight holes and removable
cores. Drill diameters from Vfl"
Felker DI-MET UNILAP—A universal lapidary machine
designed for multiple operations: grinding, sanding, polishing
and tapping! Spindle operates in either vertical or
horizontal position for maximum convenience and efficiency.
Accessories quickly interchangeable.
Felker DI-MET Model
DH-1-Operates like a
circular saw, but blade
dips into coolant stored
in aluminum base.
Blade tan't run dry*
Uses 6" or 8" Di-Met
Rimlock or Metal
Bonded Blades. Includes
rip and angle fences.
Ofner machines available—Write for circulars
on all Di-Met equipment!
FELKER MANUFACTURING CO.
Torrance, California
44 DESERT MAGAZINE