Incidentally, I'm currently testing an unusual native stone which is showing itself to have useful qualities as a finisher, not to mention being visually appealing. Need to get more, get it slabbed, and send it out to a few people for comparison with other rocks.
Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Pick me!
In all seriousness, it is really cool that you may have found something new to play around with. Or should I say something really really old?
Gamma, that's beautiful! Understanding more is better and that will make for interesting study!
Good information Woodash! Thanks for adding to my little hone making experience. I rather enjoy a good conversation between open spirited intelligent creatures such as you guys here. I am still working on synthetic whetstones and the recipes. I poured a couple more hones and will take pics soon as they cure/cook.
I found this information on a description of a ceramic hone made for space age quality and found it informative:
Spaceage ceramic is manufactured by pressing alumina oxide at 15,000#PSI and scinted at 3,000F. Ceramic products can withstand temperatures of 3,000F, have a compression of 300,000#PSI and a hardness of 9.5
And this is space age ceramic but the same process. Just with more pressure and higher temperatures. My dad gave me the idea of using his 10 ton jack and using one of our old dump trucks to apply the tons of pressure. And When I plan on building a knife forge I will also build a small kiln. When I have the cash of course. As for now I will keep experimenting. And hope I can build a makeshift rock saw in the near future soon.
I molded a polishing stone that is very ceramic like. I'll post the pics as soon as It's done cooking/curing. Keep up the good work fellas!
Reserve the right to stop, clean the blade, strop, and continue!
approx 400x
Sounds very intresting, it's been a long time since I played with with scopes/metal edge testing. Pretty sure I have some of the books and will have to dig them out. I remember a section on blade edges. Pictures showing different looks with different sharpening methods effect. This was for high tolerance metal work but a lot of it relates. I know there is topics very similiar to what your showing about how edge looks with explanations etc. A few times know that I am suprised at how many times everything relates. I hope this contunes to work out for you. Be nice to see some more home options. Also people who make primitive arrowheads (knapping) but there is a other source of rock cutters and slab makers. It's common for some suppliers or individuals to have machinery to cut an slab for those looking for a source to have something cut. They can be a very helpful bunch. The harbor and freight water tile saw is used too. Theres is some pretty descriptive info About how to do it. If anyone can't find, let me know and I'll look it up, I have it saved somewhere, plus have links etc to people that do it or sell blades. I can't wait to see some more pics. If you need another tester I'd be glad to be one as well.
I've never been able to tell much about an edge magnified like this - my first thought is that the edge seems rounded somewhat. Not that that is a bad thing, but that is how it looks to me.
Very nice work Nobody (don't know your name). Those cuts look just beautiful to me. Maybe someday after we have honed in our whetstone making capabilities we can trade one for another. What sucks for me is that I live in the lower peninsula of Michigan so there are only a few good places to hunt for rocks, but man the upper peninsula is just loaded with every kind a rock hound could dream of (the glaciers deposited rock here from the whole continent). I really like the way that top right one looks with the green striping. I just bought a bunch of tools for designing razor backs so I have to post pone getting a diamond saw. Thinking since tomorrow is Sunday I may just drive out to a beach I know of that is covered in stone deposits just to take a gander and collect a couple before winter covers them.
I'm really excited to have some like minded people working toward to making some very cool tool equipment.
They look like Jasper... maybe the lower of the two green ones in the top left could be a moss agate.. chalcedony type stone.
Like you said - they're all related.
People in the knife forums speak well of using Jasper for finishing the edge on utility knives... I'd guess the right stone could prove to be a winner for straights too.
Watch the inclusions... I'd suspect many to be full of toxic veins.
Not so long ago was shopping around for a slab of Jasper to try out... my interest had faded but this thread revived it a bit.
From all the research I have done, ceramic seems to be a pretty loose term. It can be made from only clay, molten glass, aluminum oxide. It seems to be more of a noun for reference of a descriptive quality. They have ceramic and porcelain tile at lowes and home depot, but they are glazed. I think I am going to buy 1 and have them cut it there "for free". Take it home and sand off the glaze.
Actually I just found out they do have unglazed ceramic tile at home depot. Looks like I have a new project this week. lol