A Publication of thePeoria Academy of Science Geology Section

P.O. Box 10294Peoria, IL 61612-0294

Banner Caption: Some of “Outback Bob” Shall’s pendants are finished.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 22, 7:00p Forest Park Nature Center 5809 Forest Park Drive Peoria Heights, IL 61614 Program: Silent Auction Treats: Nancy Jones

Mineralogy Study Group: Tuesday, May 10, 7:00p Hosted by the Eggers at 307 Peach Street Washington, IL 61571 309.745.3558 This Month’s Topic: Plate Tectonics Meetings always begin with a show-and-tell, where we identify mystery samples. Bring samples, food, and/or drink to share!

Lapidary Shop: The Lapidary Shop is open at the Miller Center in Pekin EVERY THURSDAY from 6 to 9pm, except during holidays or when the Miller Center closes due to weather.

Cedar Valley Rock Show April 16 & 17, 9:30a-5:00p Hawkeye Downs Expo Center 4400 6th St. SW / Cedar Rapids, IA

Central Illinois Gem Show April 16 & 17, 10:00a-4:00p Lester Building, Progress City Decatur, IL

Chicagoland Mineral Show May 28 & 29, 10:00a-5:00p DuPage County Fairgrounds 2015 Manchester Road / Wheaton, IL

March 22, 2016

Matthew had the program on 3D Printing and Scanning. Mary brought cake and Sharon brought the other goodies. Eighteen members were present. The program began with the materials 3D printers can use (including plastics, metals, plaster, wood- and stone-like materials). 3D printers work by drawing lines of material and printing layer by layer. 3D printers can produce objects based on models from 3D scanners, including standard cameras, satellite imagery, and laser scanners. 3D scanners can be used to create replicas of fossils and other rare finds. There were many 3D printed fossils as door prizes, including skulls and remains of ammonites, trilo-bites, and several crinoids as well as hominids. Jim announced the programs at Bradley on Earth day, including a fossil exhibition from 8-10:30 and the presentation by paleontologist Jack Horner. Jim also told us about the Peoria Academy of Science’s Banquet at Barracks Inn on April 8. Paul shared some upcoming shows, which appear in the sidebar. Daryl is planning a gold panning workshop. Please let Daryl know if you are interested in participating. Paul is considering a trip to a gated gravel pit about 30 miles from here; details forthcoming. If you are interested in a weekend trip to Missouri to collect druzy quartz and some other materials, contact Paul or Marshall. If you would like to coordinate a day trip tocollect geodes, there are several places to go -- see Paul for details. Next month will be the annual silent auction for the club. Please bring specimens to donate to be auctioned as well as cash to purchase new items. Bid sheets are attached to this newsletter. Scott Braley had crystals to show and Daryl brought a fossilized crab to show from Coon Creek, Tenn. Respectfully submitted,

Linda Kahila, Secretary

By club member “Outback Bob” Schall, originally published in Rock & Gem Magazine. Included with the permission of Bob Schall. I'm a great believer in trying to use up all the bits and pieces of nature's bounty that come into my possession. I go from my home in Illinois to Arizona each winter and spend a lot of time rockhounding. I've been quite lucky at finding a great number of really interesting slabbing rocks in the last few years. After slicing these rocks into slabs for display pieces and so forth, I often end up with some small pieces or bits that are still to pretty to just throw away. Many of the leftover slabbed pieces contain brightly colored, swirling patterns. I've also found quite a few small (usually broken) quartz geodes and “desert roses” on my trips to the desert. I bought an old, 10-inch rock saw from a friend a couple of years ago, and promptly did what any self-respecting rockhound with a new toy–I mean tool–would do: I went nuts cutting up every rock in sight to see what the “innards” looked like! Some of these experi-

ments resulted in surprisingly pretty, but small, specimens. I soon found myself asking, “What do I do with this pile of pieces?” I knew that people with talent might carefully cut and shape these pieces to an exact outline, round out and polish the tops, and make nice cabochons of them, but how many belt buckles can one person use? Others, with even more talent, might shape and polish them, and then artfully wrap them with silver or fold wire to make beautiful jewelry. The problem I run into here is the “talent” part of the equation. When I was just a kid, I was told that you needed some special talents to success-fully make it in life. So I asked my folks what special talents they thought I had. After a long (and embarrassing) silence, they both said, “Well, you are a pretty good eater!” Unfortunately, things haven't really improved much since then on the “talent” front.

That being the case, I am a great proponent of the “KISS” (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle. I ran into this dictum when I was building home-built aircraft with by buddy, Kenny. When designing and building something, the simplest solid design is usually the best and safest. I've come across the word “freeform” and decided it is my favor-ite “artsy” term when working with rocks. To a lapidary artist, it means “shaping an item into a random, but pleasing, shape”. To me, it means “just leave the danged chip the shape it came out when you sliced it!” I might break off an odd corner or protrusion and cut a short flat across the top where the necklace eyelet (the bail) will go. (A bail, by the way, is the “sticky-uppy” eyelet thingy that a necklace chain goes through to hold up the hangy-downy thingy so that it doesn't fall down into your sweetheart's cleavage.) In this way, I have come up with quite a few “artsy”-looking necklace pendants. A person can get fancy and drill holes for attachment loops or, again do some fancy wire-wrapping for the necklace attachment. However, apply-ing the “KISS” principle, I ran into an easier solution. I discovered glue-on bails. These glue-on bails are actually a very good solution to the pendant problem. While building airplanes, I was surprised to learn that a lot of parts on many planes (including jetliner control surfaces) are actually glued together. The next time you are travel-ing at 30,000 feet and 450 miles per hour in turbulence, try not to think about that! Actually, if you use the right glue and technique, your pendant and your glue-on bail should never part compa-ny. The glue I used is called E6000 clear adhesive, and it can be found in craft stores (even Walmart has it). I tried two-part epoxy and actually had pendant failures with this miracle glue. The E6000 seems to say very tough, but somewhat flexible, so it won't let go.

My wife, the computer expert, ordered the bails for me from Amazon. You can also get these bails at hobby stores like Hobby Lobby, with possibly even better quality. The most-used size will usually be the 27mm by 8mm size (8mm eyelet). Smaller sizes will fit only very small-diameter necklaces. You may also want to try glue-on earring clips to make up matching sets. Glues can be great if you take the time to do the job right. Even if you rock seems porous enough to accept the glue, rough it up a bit with fine-grit sandpaper where the glue will go. Also, make sure it is as flat as possible in that area. You probably should “rough” the glue area on the bail also, to give the glue more “bite”. Then, thoroughly wipe all sanding dust off both pieces. Apply a small amount of glue to both pieces and press them together. I leave them overnight before I handle them again. Keep it simple, but do it right, or you could watch a beautiful pendant fall off and break in two as it hits the floor! Now comes the “rocky” part. This can be any piece you have left over that is pretty enough. If it is too small, or too thin, for a normal cabochon, it can be ideal for this. If it is too big, find the section with the most interesting pattern on it and break the chip down to the proper size using pliers or tile nippers. If your leftover piece is too thick and heavy, take it back to the saw to get the ideal thickness. Usually, you should cut it parallel to the front side, although there are times when you might want to taper the thickness for a special effect. Use your judgment. Here is a handy trick to use if your rock saw has no guide to help you cut your slabs at a uniform thickness: After you have cut the rock once and gotten a nice surface for your pendant, use a 2-inch by 2-inch piece of wood to hold your piece perpendicular to the saw deck. Then you can hand-feed the rock into the saw so that both sides are parallel. Normally, you will want slabs to be

about 1/4 inch thick to 3/8 inch thick. Sometimes, more thickness gives a nice, solid feeling to the piece, but it could be too heavy. Cutting them too thin can lead to the catastrophe of breaking along a stress line or make them fragile in use. Necklace pendants will probably be dropped at some time, and very thin pieces have a habit of breaking. Again, experiment, and use your judgment. I have a lot of what I call “mini-ge-odes”, which I found in the Western deserts. Many of them are half-geodes, already broken by nature. They can be cut in half, then cut again into a ¼-inch-thick slice with an open center, resulting in a very pleasing quartz-line hold through the resulting pendant. This can be very striking. Other things that work well are chalcedony “desert roses”. Many pleasingly colored rocks of the proper size can be simply cut to the right thickness, and the flat side becomes the back of your pendant. Then, either polish the front side or, if it is too rough, use my “KISS”-principle “polish” (described later). You have to determine where to place the glue-on bail to allow the pendant to hang to the best effect. Often, this will require cutting a short, flat spot across the top of the piece. Remember, these are usually small, broken pieces of rock, so you can “nip” off an awkward protrusion or sharp corner to make it look better or hang better. Use the “nature supplied” random shape as much as you can. Before we go on, I've got another “KISS” principle tip for you. Most rockhounds, when searching for good polishing rocks, get into the habit of licking their “finds”, thereby wetting them, to find out what they will look like when polished. I often find that, out in the desert, my mouth gets too dry for this. I found a simpler method. My old dog, Jake, slobbers like a leaky fire hydrant, so I take him with me and wipe the rock across his muzzle when necessary. If this doesn't work thoroughly enough, I used to ask my

hunting partner, Jack, to lick it some more. I forgot to tell him I had tried Jake first. For some reason, he won't hunt with us anymore. Some people really are sooooo touchy! Now, if you have the equipment, the very best finish you can give your rock pendant is to polish it. This beautiful effect can't be beat when properly applied to flat or domed specimens. Polishing on the various polishing machines takes many steps, but you will get better and better with experi-ence. However, this brings up the two ugly subjects of “talent” and “work” again. Getting the perfect shiny finish on the many different kinds of rocks takes a learned “talent”. Remember, some of us have a distinct problem in this area. (I also have a problem in the “work” area: I really think it is a four-letter word!) Luckily, I have also discovered an easier way to come up with almost as good a finish on most rocks. I simply spray them with clear lacquer from a spray can. Make sure you lay the pendant flat, so that the lacquer does not run to one side or the other of the piece. Then apply as many layers as needed to get the proper “depth effect” you want. I have discovered an aerosol product called Clear Glaze, made by Krylon. (Again, available at Walmart.) This gives a deeper-looking finish, and lets you apply additional coats only three minutes apart. Spray your glaze onto the pendant under a bright light so that you can see when all areas have run together and dried smoothly. Often, the rock will be porous enough to absorb a few coats before leaving a glossy finish. This finish will closely replicate the gloss of a polished stone, but doesn't take as much talent. Always experi-ment on a few sacrificial stones to learn the technique before going to your good stuff. The finish probably cannot be quite as good as a really professional rock-polish job, but certainly comes very close.

I'm sure it will not last as long, either, because it will become scratched or hazed after a few years of handling. The good news, though, is that it can be brought back to its proper luster simply by applying another coat of lacquer. I always spray the front side of the pendant first and let that dry overnight. Then I glue the bail onto the back of the stone so that I am not gluing onto a layer of lacquer, but to the stone itself. After the glue dries, I spray the back of the pendant to seal it. You can cover the bail with a piece of tape to keep overspray off it. This lacquering process works especially well on pendants that have a rough or uneven front surface, which you cannot properly polish anyway. It is also good for items that would tarnish with age, like native copper in matrix. This is the way to keep many metals from becoming dull with expo-sure to air. If you wish to put a little more effort into your pendants, you can trim them on the saw into definite shapes. I've found the easiest shapes are made with straight saw cuts: crosses, rectangles, triangles, etc. You can make rounded shapes, such as teardrops, ovals, and circles, but they are definitely more work. You have to nip of the excess rock and then finish smoothing the edges with a sanding drum. I've done a few of these, and they definitely don't fit the “KISS” principle. If you want to make a pendant into a definite shape, cut a hole of that shape and size out of cardboard. Place the cardboard on your slab and move it around until the most pleasing part of the slab shows through the “window”. Mark the template shape on the slab with a pencil, go to your saw, and cut it out. I've already made quite a few of these simple necklace pendants. Most have come out pretty darn nice. I'm sure you can do as well. I suppose then our new motto should be: If you want a simple jewelry design, don't lick it. Just “KISS” it instead.

March 22, 2016

Matthew had the program on 3D Printing and Scanning. Mary brought cake and Sharon brought the other goodies. Eighteen members were present. The program began with the materials 3D printers can use (including plastics, metals, plaster, wood- and stone-like materials). 3D printers work by drawing lines of material and printing layer by layer. 3D printers can produce objects based on models from 3D scanners, including standard cameras, satellite imagery, and laser scanners. 3D scanners can be used to create replicas of fossils and other rare finds. There were many 3D printed fossils as door prizes, including skulls and remains of ammonites, trilo-bites, and several crinoids as well as hominids. Jim announced the programs at Bradley on Earth day, including a fossil exhibition from 8-10:30 and the presentation by paleontologist Jack Horner. Jim also told us about the Peoria Academy of Science’s Banquet at Barracks Inn on April 8. Paul shared some upcoming shows, which appear in the sidebar. Daryl is planning a gold panning workshop. Please let Daryl know if you are interested in participating. Paul is considering a trip to a gated gravel pit about 30 miles from here; details forthcoming. If you are interested in a weekend trip to Missouri to collect druzy quartz and some other materials, contact Paul or Marshall. If you would like to coordinate a day trip tocollect geodes, there are several places to go -- see Paul for details. Next month will be the annual silent auction for the club. Please bring specimens to donate to be auctioned as well as cash to purchase new items. Bid sheets are attached to this newsletter. Scott Braley had crystals to show and Daryl brought a fossilized crab to show from Coon Creek, Tenn. Respectfully submitted,

Linda Kahila, Secretary

By club member “Outback Bob” Schall, originally published in Rock & Gem Magazine. Included with the permission of Bob Schall. I'm a great believer in trying to use up all the bits and pieces of nature's bounty that come into my possession. I go from my home in Illinois to Arizona each winter and spend a lot of time rockhounding. I've been quite lucky at finding a great number of really interesting slabbing rocks in the last few years. After slicing these rocks into slabs for display pieces and so forth, I often end up with some small pieces or bits that are still to pretty to just throw away. Many of the leftover slabbed pieces contain brightly colored, swirling patterns. I've also found quite a few small (usually broken) quartz geodes and “desert roses” on my trips to the desert. I bought an old, 10-inch rock saw from a friend a couple of years ago, and promptly did what any self-respecting rockhound with a new toy–I mean tool–would do: I went nuts cutting up every rock in sight to see what the “innards” looked like! Some of these experi-

ments resulted in surprisingly pretty, but small, specimens. I soon found myself asking, “What do I do with this pile of pieces?” I knew that people with talent might carefully cut and shape these pieces to an exact outline, round out and polish the tops, and make nice cabochons of them, but how many belt buckles can one person use? Others, with even more talent, might shape and polish them, and then artfully wrap them with silver or fold wire to make beautiful jewelry. The problem I run into here is the “talent” part of the equation. When I was just a kid, I was told that you needed some special talents to success-fully make it in life. So I asked my folks what special talents they thought I had. After a long (and embarrassing) silence, they both said, “Well, you are a pretty good eater!” Unfortunately, things haven't really improved much since then on the “talent” front.

That being the case, I am a great proponent of the “KISS” (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle. I ran into this dictum when I was building home-built aircraft with by buddy, Kenny. When designing and building something, the simplest solid design is usually the best and safest. I've come across the word “freeform” and decided it is my favor-ite “artsy” term when working with rocks. To a lapidary artist, it means “shaping an item into a random, but pleasing, shape”. To me, it means “just leave the danged chip the shape it came out when you sliced it!” I might break off an odd corner or protrusion and cut a short flat across the top where the necklace eyelet (the bail) will go. (A bail, by the way, is the “sticky-uppy” eyelet thingy that a necklace chain goes through to hold up the hangy-downy thingy so that it doesn't fall down into your sweetheart's cleavage.) In this way, I have come up with quite a few “artsy”-looking necklace pendants. A person can get fancy and drill holes for attachment loops or, again do some fancy wire-wrapping for the necklace attachment. However, apply-ing the “KISS” principle, I ran into an easier solution. I discovered glue-on bails. These glue-on bails are actually a very good solution to the pendant problem. While building airplanes, I was surprised to learn that a lot of parts on many planes (including jetliner control surfaces) are actually glued together. The next time you are travel-ing at 30,000 feet and 450 miles per hour in turbulence, try not to think about that! Actually, if you use the right glue and technique, your pendant and your glue-on bail should never part compa-ny. The glue I used is called E6000 clear adhesive, and it can be found in craft stores (even Walmart has it). I tried two-part epoxy and actually had pendant failures with this miracle glue. The E6000 seems to say very tough, but somewhat flexible, so it won't let go.

My wife, the computer expert, ordered the bails for me from Amazon. You can also get these bails at hobby stores like Hobby Lobby, with possibly even better quality. The most-used size will usually be the 27mm by 8mm size (8mm eyelet). Smaller sizes will fit only very small-diameter necklaces. You may also want to try glue-on earring clips to make up matching sets. Glues can be great if you take the time to do the job right. Even if you rock seems porous enough to accept the glue, rough it up a bit with fine-grit sandpaper where the glue will go. Also, make sure it is as flat as possible in that area. You probably should “rough” the glue area on the bail also, to give the glue more “bite”. Then, thoroughly wipe all sanding dust off both pieces. Apply a small amount of glue to both pieces and press them together. I leave them overnight before I handle them again. Keep it simple, but do it right, or you could watch a beautiful pendant fall off and break in two as it hits the floor! Now comes the “rocky” part. This can be any piece you have left over that is pretty enough. If it is too small, or too thin, for a normal cabochon, it can be ideal for this. If it is too big, find the section with the most interesting pattern on it and break the chip down to the proper size using pliers or tile nippers. If your leftover piece is too thick and heavy, take it back to the saw to get the ideal thickness. Usually, you should cut it parallel to the front side, although there are times when you might want to taper the thickness for a special effect. Use your judgment. Here is a handy trick to use if your rock saw has no guide to help you cut your slabs at a uniform thickness: After you have cut the rock once and gotten a nice surface for your pendant, use a 2-inch by 2-inch piece of wood to hold your piece perpendicular to the saw deck. Then you can hand-feed the rock into the saw so that both sides are parallel. Normally, you will want slabs to be

about 1/4 inch thick to 3/8 inch thick. Sometimes, more thickness gives a nice, solid feeling to the piece, but it could be too heavy. Cutting them too thin can lead to the catastrophe of breaking along a stress line or make them fragile in use. Necklace pendants will probably be dropped at some time, and very thin pieces have a habit of breaking. Again, experiment, and use your judgment. I have a lot of what I call “mini-ge-odes”, which I found in the Western deserts. Many of them are half-geodes, already broken by nature. They can be cut in half, then cut again into a ¼-inch-thick slice with an open center, resulting in a very pleasing quartz-line hold through the resulting pendant. This can be very striking. Other things that work well are chalcedony “desert roses”. Many pleasingly colored rocks of the proper size can be simply cut to the right thickness, and the flat side becomes the back of your pendant. Then, either polish the front side or, if it is too rough, use my “KISS”-principle “polish” (described later). You have to determine where to place the glue-on bail to allow the pendant to hang to the best effect. Often, this will require cutting a short, flat spot across the top of the piece. Remember, these are usually small, broken pieces of rock, so you can “nip” off an awkward protrusion or sharp corner to make it look better or hang better. Use the “nature supplied” random shape as much as you can. Before we go on, I've got another “KISS” principle tip for you. Most rockhounds, when searching for good polishing rocks, get into the habit of licking their “finds”, thereby wetting them, to find out what they will look like when polished. I often find that, out in the desert, my mouth gets too dry for this. I found a simpler method. My old dog, Jake, slobbers like a leaky fire hydrant, so I take him with me and wipe the rock across his muzzle when necessary. If this doesn't work thoroughly enough, I used to ask my

hunting partner, Jack, to lick it some more. I forgot to tell him I had tried Jake first. For some reason, he won't hunt with us anymore. Some people really are sooooo touchy! Now, if you have the equipment, the very best finish you can give your rock pendant is to polish it. This beautiful effect can't be beat when properly applied to flat or domed specimens. Polishing on the various polishing machines takes many steps, but you will get better and better with experi-ence. However, this brings up the two ugly subjects of “talent” and “work” again. Getting the perfect shiny finish on the many different kinds of rocks takes a learned “talent”. Remember, some of us have a distinct problem in this area. (I also have a problem in the “work” area: I really think it is a four-letter word!) Luckily, I have also discovered an easier way to come up with almost as good a finish on most rocks. I simply spray them with clear lacquer from a spray can. Make sure you lay the pendant flat, so that the lacquer does not run to one side or the other of the piece. Then apply as many layers as needed to get the proper “depth effect” you want. I have discovered an aerosol product called Clear Glaze, made by Krylon. (Again, available at Walmart.) This gives a deeper-looking finish, and lets you apply additional coats only three minutes apart. Spray your glaze onto the pendant under a bright light so that you can see when all areas have run together and dried smoothly. Often, the rock will be porous enough to absorb a few coats before leaving a glossy finish. This finish will closely replicate the gloss of a polished stone, but doesn't take as much talent. Always experi-ment on a few sacrificial stones to learn the technique before going to your good stuff. The finish probably cannot be quite as good as a really professional rock-polish job, but certainly comes very close.

I'm sure it will not last as long, either, because it will become scratched or hazed after a few years of handling. The good news, though, is that it can be brought back to its proper luster simply by applying another coat of lacquer. I always spray the front side of the pendant first and let that dry overnight. Then I glue the bail onto the back of the stone so that I am not gluing onto a layer of lacquer, but to the stone itself. After the glue dries, I spray the back of the pendant to seal it. You can cover the bail with a piece of tape to keep overspray off it. This lacquering process works especially well on pendants that have a rough or uneven front surface, which you cannot properly polish anyway. It is also good for items that would tarnish with age, like native copper in matrix. This is the way to keep many metals from becoming dull with expo-sure to air. If you wish to put a little more effort into your pendants, you can trim them on the saw into definite shapes. I've found the easiest shapes are made with straight saw cuts: crosses, rectangles, triangles, etc. You can make rounded shapes, such as teardrops, ovals, and circles, but they are definitely more work. You have to nip of the excess rock and then finish smoothing the edges with a sanding drum. I've done a few of these, and they definitely don't fit the “KISS” principle. If you want to make a pendant into a definite shape, cut a hole of that shape and size out of cardboard. Place the cardboard on your slab and move it around until the most pleasing part of the slab shows through the “window”. Mark the template shape on the slab with a pencil, go to your saw, and cut it out. I've already made quite a few of these simple necklace pendants. Most have come out pretty darn nice. I'm sure you can do as well. I suppose then our new motto should be: If you want a simple jewelry design, don't lick it. Just “KISS” it instead.

I bought an old, 10-inch rock saw and started cutting up rocks to see what the "innards" looked like.

This solid geode, cut in half, and then cut into a slice, will make an interesting pendant.

By club member “Outback Bob” Schall, originally published in Rock & Gem Magazine. Included with the permission of Bob Schall. I'm a great believer in trying to use up all the bits and pieces of nature's bounty that come into my possession. I go from my home in Illinois to Arizona each winter and spend a lot of time rockhounding. I've been quite lucky at finding a great number of really interesting slabbing rocks in the last few years. After slicing these rocks into slabs for display pieces and so forth, I often end up with some small pieces or bits that are still to pretty to just throw away. Many of the leftover slabbed pieces contain brightly colored, swirling patterns. I've also found quite a few small (usually broken) quartz geodes and “desert roses” on my trips to the desert. I bought an old, 10-inch rock saw from a friend a couple of years ago, and promptly did what any self-respecting rockhound with a new toy–I mean tool–would do: I went nuts cutting up every rock in sight to see what the “innards” looked like! Some of these experi-

ments resulted in surprisingly pretty, but small, specimens. I soon found myself asking, “What do I do with this pile of pieces?” I knew that people with talent might carefully cut and shape these pieces to an exact outline, round out and polish the tops, and make nice cabochons of them, but how many belt buckles can one person use? Others, with even more talent, might shape and polish them, and then artfully wrap them with silver or fold wire to make beautiful jewelry. The problem I run into here is the “talent” part of the equation. When I was just a kid, I was told that you needed some special talents to success-fully make it in life. So I asked my folks what special talents they thought I had. After a long (and embarrassing) silence, they both said, “Well, you are a pretty good eater!” Unfortunately, things haven't really improved much since then on the “talent” front.

That being the case, I am a great proponent of the “KISS” (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle. I ran into this dictum when I was building home-built aircraft with by buddy, Kenny. When designing and building something, the simplest solid design is usually the best and safest. I've come across the word “freeform” and decided it is my favor-ite “artsy” term when working with rocks. To a lapidary artist, it means “shaping an item into a random, but pleasing, shape”. To me, it means “just leave the danged chip the shape it came out when you sliced it!” I might break off an odd corner or protrusion and cut a short flat across the top where the necklace eyelet (the bail) will go. (A bail, by the way, is the “sticky-uppy” eyelet thingy that a necklace chain goes through to hold up the hangy-downy thingy so that it doesn't fall down into your sweetheart's cleavage.) In this way, I have come up with quite a few “artsy”-looking necklace pendants. A person can get fancy and drill holes for attachment loops or, again do some fancy wire-wrapping for the necklace attachment. However, apply-ing the “KISS” principle, I ran into an easier solution. I discovered glue-on bails. These glue-on bails are actually a very good solution to the pendant problem. While building airplanes, I was surprised to learn that a lot of parts on many planes (including jetliner control surfaces) are actually glued together. The next time you are travel-ing at 30,000 feet and 450 miles per hour in turbulence, try not to think about that! Actually, if you use the right glue and technique, your pendant and your glue-on bail should never part compa-ny. The glue I used is called E6000 clear adhesive, and it can be found in craft stores (even Walmart has it). I tried two-part epoxy and actually had pendant failures with this miracle glue. The E6000 seems to say very tough, but somewhat flexible, so it won't let go.

My wife, the computer expert, ordered the bails for me from Amazon. You can also get these bails at hobby stores like Hobby Lobby, with possibly even better quality. The most-used size will usually be the 27mm by 8mm size (8mm eyelet). Smaller sizes will fit only very small-diameter necklaces. You may also want to try glue-on earring clips to make up matching sets. Glues can be great if you take the time to do the job right. Even if you rock seems porous enough to accept the glue, rough it up a bit with fine-grit sandpaper where the glue will go. Also, make sure it is as flat as possible in that area. You probably should “rough” the glue area on the bail also, to give the glue more “bite”. Then, thoroughly wipe all sanding dust off both pieces. Apply a small amount of glue to both pieces and press them together. I leave them overnight before I handle them again. Keep it simple, but do it right, or you could watch a beautiful pendant fall off and break in two as it hits the floor! Now comes the “rocky” part. This can be any piece you have left over that is pretty enough. If it is too small, or too thin, for a normal cabochon, it can be ideal for this. If it is too big, find the section with the most interesting pattern on it and break the chip down to the proper size using pliers or tile nippers. If your leftover piece is too thick and heavy, take it back to the saw to get the ideal thickness. Usually, you should cut it parallel to the front side, although there are times when you might want to taper the thickness for a special effect. Use your judgment. Here is a handy trick to use if your rock saw has no guide to help you cut your slabs at a uniform thickness: After you have cut the rock once and gotten a nice surface for your pendant, use a 2-inch by 2-inch piece of wood to hold your piece perpendicular to the saw deck. Then you can hand-feed the rock into the saw so that both sides are parallel. Normally, you will want slabs to be

about 1/4 inch thick to 3/8 inch thick. Sometimes, more thickness gives a nice, solid feeling to the piece, but it could be too heavy. Cutting them too thin can lead to the catastrophe of breaking along a stress line or make them fragile in use. Necklace pendants will probably be dropped at some time, and very thin pieces have a habit of breaking. Again, experiment, and use your judgment. I have a lot of what I call “mini-ge-odes”, which I found in the Western deserts. Many of them are half-geodes, already broken by nature. They can be cut in half, then cut again into a ¼-inch-thick slice with an open center, resulting in a very pleasing quartz-line hold through the resulting pendant. This can be very striking. Other things that work well are chalcedony “desert roses”. Many pleasingly colored rocks of the proper size can be simply cut to the right thickness, and the flat side becomes the back of your pendant. Then, either polish the front side or, if it is too rough, use my “KISS”-principle “polish” (described later). You have to determine where to place the glue-on bail to allow the pendant to hang to the best effect. Often, this will require cutting a short, flat spot across the top of the piece. Remember, these are usually small, broken pieces of rock, so you can “nip” off an awkward protrusion or sharp corner to make it look better or hang better. Use the “nature supplied” random shape as much as you can. Before we go on, I've got another “KISS” principle tip for you. Most rockhounds, when searching for good polishing rocks, get into the habit of licking their “finds”, thereby wetting them, to find out what they will look like when polished. I often find that, out in the desert, my mouth gets too dry for this. I found a simpler method. My old dog, Jake, slobbers like a leaky fire hydrant, so I take him with me and wipe the rock across his muzzle when necessary. If this doesn't work thoroughly enough, I used to ask my

hunting partner, Jack, to lick it some more. I forgot to tell him I had tried Jake first. For some reason, he won't hunt with us anymore. Some people really are sooooo touchy! Now, if you have the equipment, the very best finish you can give your rock pendant is to polish it. This beautiful effect can't be beat when properly applied to flat or domed specimens. Polishing on the various polishing machines takes many steps, but you will get better and better with experi-ence. However, this brings up the two ugly subjects of “talent” and “work” again. Getting the perfect shiny finish on the many different kinds of rocks takes a learned “talent”. Remember, some of us have a distinct problem in this area. (I also have a problem in the “work” area: I really think it is a four-letter word!) Luckily, I have also discovered an easier way to come up with almost as good a finish on most rocks. I simply spray them with clear lacquer from a spray can. Make sure you lay the pendant flat, so that the lacquer does not run to one side or the other of the piece. Then apply as many layers as needed to get the proper “depth effect” you want. I have discovered an aerosol product called Clear Glaze, made by Krylon. (Again, available at Walmart.) This gives a deeper-looking finish, and lets you apply additional coats only three minutes apart. Spray your glaze onto the pendant under a bright light so that you can see when all areas have run together and dried smoothly. Often, the rock will be porous enough to absorb a few coats before leaving a glossy finish. This finish will closely replicate the gloss of a polished stone, but doesn't take as much talent. Always experi-ment on a few sacrificial stones to learn the technique before going to your good stuff. The finish probably cannot be quite as good as a really professional rock-polish job, but certainly comes very close.

I'm sure it will not last as long, either, because it will become scratched or hazed after a few years of handling. The good news, though, is that it can be brought back to its proper luster simply by applying another coat of lacquer. I always spray the front side of the pendant first and let that dry overnight. Then I glue the bail onto the back of the stone so that I am not gluing onto a layer of lacquer, but to the stone itself. After the glue dries, I spray the back of the pendant to seal it. You can cover the bail with a piece of tape to keep overspray off it. This lacquering process works especially well on pendants that have a rough or uneven front surface, which you cannot properly polish anyway. It is also good for items that would tarnish with age, like native copper in matrix. This is the way to keep many metals from becoming dull with expo-sure to air. If you wish to put a little more effort into your pendants, you can trim them on the saw into definite shapes. I've found the easiest shapes are made with straight saw cuts: crosses, rectangles, triangles, etc. You can make rounded shapes, such as teardrops, ovals, and circles, but they are definitely more work. You have to nip of the excess rock and then finish smoothing the edges with a sanding drum. I've done a few of these, and they definitely don't fit the “KISS” principle. If you want to make a pendant into a definite shape, cut a hole of that shape and size out of cardboard. Place the cardboard on your slab and move it around until the most pleasing part of the slab shows through the “window”. Mark the template shape on the slab with a pencil, go to your saw, and cut it out. I've already made quite a few of these simple necklace pendants. Most have come out pretty darn nice. I'm sure you can do as well. I suppose then our new motto should be: If you want a simple jewelry design, don't lick it. Just “KISS” it instead.