Is this Flint

[50cal.cliff]

I am not sure if this is the right place or not, if not I trust the powers to be will move this.
Quick story when I was a kid, which has been a while! :shocked2: :redface:
I use to be a rock hound, after I had kids I gave my rock collection to my son. My Sea shells to my daughter.
Neither ot them has kept up with the collections well! :shake:
Anyway to try and conclude this story this is the only rock that still survives from collection my son gave it back to me the other day when he was moving out.
I told him when I gave the collection to him I thought it was a piece of Petrified tree but wasn't really sure. All I remember is that I had picked it up out in Yellowstone Park on a small side trail. It was laying right out in the open beside the trail.
After I regained possession I layed it on my work bench. That's were it has been laying till today. For about the last week I have been passing this everytime I go in and out my back door, suddenly it struck me yesterday. I think that may be a huge piece of flint! :shocked2:
So today I took my fire striker and turned off the light to see how well it would spark and it sparks extremely well. Here is the pics of the stone.

That's a piece of copy paper to refrence it's size

This thing is about 1" plus at it's thickest

This is the back side it's relatively smoot compared to the front.

So what do you think is this a piece of flint?
If it is how is the best way to cut it for use?

 

[tg]

Flint is a general name given to many of the quartz family of stone that will fracture roperly to shape items and spark against steel chert and chalcedony are a few examples strike what you have against stell and see if it sparkc, if so then find some literature on the proper angle to strike to form flakesand knapping in general.

 

[bingo1952]

I'm not sure but it looks like a piece of agate to me. :hmm:

 

[bob4st]

...tough to tell from pics but it certainly looks like a silicate... the initial pics have an exterior surface which resembles bark before it was replaced by silica... petrified wood possibly... you could conduct a few hardness tests (scratch tests) on some clean surfaces and compare the results to same tests on some known Fuller flint or agate... also test how the material breaks and sparks... is it tough and does it break harder or easier than flint...does it break with a conchoidal pattern (resembles BB damage to window) or otherwise (along linear cleavage planes)...
Ok, if you think all that is a pain in the back side, wait till you try to knap some flint... that can be a fairly frustrating challenge initially... check out some of the "flint knapping" web sites... there aren't very many... the knapping tools are simple and easy to aquire... a couple of 4" to 6" copper or brass bars, a copper nail or two, leather pieces to protect leg and hand, safety glasses, broom, dustpan, tarp, patience of a saint, etc...
Lastly, after years of chert/flint hunting and knapping, I found ordering T. Fuller flints on-line (@ T.O.W., etc.) was remarkably faster, cheaper (gasoline), easier, and cleaner... not to mention far better than the unnecessary pain and doctor bill after getting a few very sharp and nasty shards stuck in your foot ... I'd give it up:surrender: ... but DO got to a few "Knap Ins" if you get the chance... they are unique and educational!!
Good luck,
Bob

 

[Runner]

That is pertified wood, or wood that rotted away and the cavity was filled with agate replacement. Some areas will be relatively pure agate and others will included by other things that did not rot away on the same schedule as the rest of the specimen. Since this material was caused by hot volcanic solutions and many applications over time, it is cracked, striated, and layered together in fractured masses roughly laid out like the original wood. It makes a very good rifle flint if you can cob out pieces solid enough to work. I am using pretty much the same material for my flints right now. I have some of the tourist trap material that was smashed up to be sold. Some of this material is very hard to work. By the way, I work it with a diamond saw and lap.

 

[Lead Chucker]

I agree with runner, looks like petrified wood to me.

BTW: You might not want to advertise where you got it. :nono:

 

[50cal.cliff]

So today I took my fire striker and turned off the light to see how well it would spark and it sparks extremely well.

tg, already tried it and it works better that what I bought from TOTW for a fire flint!

Runnball, I ran a Google on agate and after alot of reading I am not sure if that's what you call it but, it kinda sounds the same.

bob4st, The color and grain looks of the front side is what always made me think it was Petrefied Wood but, also the front has the looks of flint. The pictures may not show it but it has that fractured look like a piece of known flint. the back has more of the look of a piece of sedimentary rock, like it split of as a slab, It's not perfectly smooth but, much closer than the front!

Runner, I wondered if it couldn't be cut with a diamond wheel, like a tile! So I am with you on the diamond wheel but, what do you mean by a lap?
Any advice how to attack it with a diamond wheel as to direction or angle?

 

[Dphar]

Find someplace that sells "rocks" and see what its worth. If it is agate it may be worth enough to allow buying flints.
Agate will spark very well.

Dan

 

[Runner]

My saws run wet with a rope and weight attached to the slide. It takes forever to make a decent cut if you want to blade to last.
HF sells some 4 inch diamond cutting blades with segmented rims that should work ok if you have a way to run them wet. I have saws from 24 inches down to a 4 incher that is thin enough that it doesn't waste too many carats. I have never had to try to cut it on other equipment.
A lap is just a flat grinding disk that is used to cut the little flat spots on gemstones. Again, that is part on my cutting equipment. The diamond sharpening laps that HF sells for 15$ will allow you to slowly remove material for sharpening. Roundball and others here have discussed using mizzy wheels and small diamond wheels to shape flint. Agate is tougher and slower to work, but takes the same tools. HF is also selling about 2.5 inch drill chuck type grinding wheels as a set. That is a shaping option also. I saw some little dremel diamond cut off disks that should work for touch up also the other day. Wet work and don't breath the dust!
Flint decays in that broken manner like your sample shows, and it shows circular banding like pertified wood does. Difference is that the wood is curved in one direction and straight in the other. Flint is curved in both directions usually. My photo posting skills are not working right now, or I would go dig out a sample of each and post a picture.
Do be careful about discussing any minerals collected on state or government ground these days. There are a bunch of folks out there with no life of their own that want to make sure you don't get to have one either! I watched a lady almost get arrested because she was wearing a small turtle shell medicine dangle about a year ago. A big fossil plate was legally collected and sold out of the country 70+ years ago. Years later it was returned for display and sale at the largest show in the US. They sent in undercover agents to buy it and to arrest the guy when he delivered it, even tho they knew it was completely legal. The European owner could not fight them and they knew it. They piled up enough BS charges on the agent to make so that there was no economic way for him to win fighting them. He now has a criminal record for doing nothing wrong. Yes, there are rock huggers too, and they have the same moral outlook as the tree huggers.
Hope that helps. I started cutting stone and hung around some educated rock people for a few years. That is not to call me an educated rock person, cause I know cutting and polishing. I did not pay a lot of attention to the technical parts that did not apply to something that had to do with the Lapidary end.

 

[50cal.cliff]

:shocked2: me a crimminal! Now sir you got me confused with some one else. :youcrazy: :shake:
Now I remember I picked that up out in Idaho somewhere! :wink: :wink: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[mazo kid]

If it sparks that good, and you don't want to sell it, you have yourself a great chunk for flint-and-steel fire making as well as a wonderful conversation piece! Emery

 

[TANSTAAFL]

All I remember is that I had picked it up out in Yellowstone Park on a small side trail.

Have you got your get out of jail card? :grin:

 

[50cal.cliff]

All I remember is that I had picked it up out in Yellowstone Park on a small side trail.

Have you got your get out of jail card? :grin:

You didn't see my other post? I remembered I found it somewhere in Idaho. Seems like it was up around, Sandpoint or maybe it was Bonner's Ferry!
Ain't it just great how clear a man's memory get when provided with an incentive!! :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: Yes I am sure it was up there somewhere because were going to Glacier National Park, and I definately didn't find it there! :wink: See it don't take me but one time! :slap: :slap: :slap: Stop that! :youcrazy: :haha: