My Last Lucky Strike Thunderegg

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

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[@1erinjames]

The lil one in the beginning..... I've never seen one that looked like that! Absolutely LOVE that one!!! Cool video!

[@1erinjames]

You show it again at 10:20 min mark! Something about that one. It gets to my heart!!

[@kerickwalters2749]

That clamp set up you designed is bad ass Jared

[@largent45]

For your last lucky strike egg, it wasn't bad! I'm was interesting and like all lucky strike eggs the rhyolite is a problem. But all in all, the fact that you would recommend them says a lot about them. Thank you Jared for recommending them , it's definitely someplace I would love to have some eggs from in the future myself! Admittedly that crumbly rhyolite does put it lower down on my list than other comparable sites. Thanks Jared for the honest recommendation of this site!

[@ThundereggEnthusiast]

I don’t know if it will prevent it completely but I thoroughly blow off my eggs with compressed air before putting them to a polishing wheel to encourage grit or loose shell to take a hike. I haven’t had much trouble with wheel contamination since taking this step. I actually keep a blow gun at my bull wheel to blow out powder before moving on as well.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Perhaps it's time for me to take it outside and blow it out as well. Thank you for the advice on that.

[@cliffmiller1021]

Cute druzy pockets. Digging the warm red and orange glow like a sun rise on a foggy morning peeking over a mountain range. It might not have been the most perfect shine compared to the others on the table, but by far better then I could do. I think it defiantly shows the depth and beauty of this thunderegg. Natures pretty, good job.

[@775Rockhounding]

Very interesting! I only have richardsons thundereggs and a lot of them are very similar. I love how those have so many variations in one piece. Thanks for sharing Jared!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The Lucky Strikes are some of the best thundereggs in my opinion.

[@BackcountrywithShaughn]

Always our own biggest critics. You have a beautiful selection of LS Thundereggs IMO. Great colors and varieties, waterline, moss, fortification and ones with the white polymer that has eyes/orbs. Agree wholeheartedly about the crumbly rhyolite and even crumbly quartz and have been frustrated on dozens of pieces with the same dilemma and end up typically going back to 140-180 grit stages. So far though, If I couldn't get the kind of polish on my first try I never could really satisfy what I wanted and most times have settled with a less than exceptional polish on the ones that caused me so much frustration. (there's just so much other stone to polish! haha) Thanks for the post!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Have you tried or had good luck polishing the lucky strike eggs with your vibratory lap?

[@BackcountrywithShaughn]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding I haven't even tried. Been scared that 1. they're not heavy enough to maintain good surface contact with the slurry and 2. Never even thought about doing em that way? haha Now I know how Ima do the ones from Polka Dot Agate mine! 🤔🤔

[@garypomreinke5694]

Vibrating laps work great for the thundereggs that are too large for the Richardson. I use an assortment of lead weights to keep them snug to the bottom but still jiggle about. Damn messy process though!

[@jennifershipp2599]

Thank you for sharing your collection and your process. 😊

[@Mike-br8vb]

Excellent thundereggs! I particularly love the depth in some of those.

[@charlenecastaldo3602]

Wow! Those are gorgeous and interesting thunder eggs! Thanks Jared.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@Metalingots]

Another great video! Helping people like me learn more about some of the reason's you can't always get the perfect look because of different minerals in rocks.

[@hubrigant]

I like your design for the clamping jig you used. I'm going to have to remember it for later.

[@patriciamckean4186]

Thundereggs are awesome. I have a couple to cut. Waiting to see what's inside.

[@dustinfindsrocks]

I really like the depth you can see in the one you cut. I think it's fantastic! You'll have to go get some more. Hope you get the opportunity to!

[@CacklingChick]

Excellent specimens! I was just collecting at the Hauser Geode Beds in Southern California (video coming soon). I enjoyed watching how you polished yours! ROCK ON!! 😁👍🏻🪨⛏️ - Laura

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Oh, cool how was it?

[@jw7956]

Beautiful Thunder Eggs! Enjoy your videos!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@tott3457]

Those are beautiful!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@kimberlysulak2394]

I like that egg. The little druzy pocket is a nice look.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@richardfletcher489]

Very nice looking, tells me what mine should come out like. I got mine when I was nine back in 1984 on a trip with family. They are still uncut in a milk crate.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Dang, that's wild man! You gotta cut those!

[@ernestedwards4073]

237th! Awesome work! I have couple Thunder eggs I believe from the same area! I heard that people who love Thunder Eggs can recognize the origin of where they came from. That each area provides its own attributes.

[@zx10chewy]

Thanks for showing your work! It’s hard to perfect those polishes!!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@RockandLap]

Beautiful specimens, wonderful results! Very nice.

[@geoffjohnson6555]

extraordinary pieces, i actually really liked the mossy purple one the best. wish we had good thunder eggs here in utah. dugway doesn't count though, lol, theyre rarely filled in as nicely as the oregon/washington stuff

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Dugway does produce some nice thundereggs, but I do agree that some of the best variety come from Oregon.

[@josephpotterf9459]

Thanks

[@StevenC.Shoner]

Very nice! It does look like maybe there was something scratchy on the polishing pad, but getting a good polish always seems to be a back and forth process. How big a group do you think would induce Lucky Strike to open? Is there a way to contact them?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That's a good question. You can reach out to them on Facebook, I think you would need a solid 8-12 people willing to really throw down some money on a dig to get them to open up just for you.

[@Ontario_Rockhound]

That not a bad egg eh, love the depth of this one.

[@NevadaFarms]

I just watched your video from 2 years ago and we have a silver mine that is possibly loaded with orpiment. We’re located east of Reno Nevada.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That is not out of the realm of possibility.

[@jodyscheppmann6078]

Thundereggs are the bomb!!!

[@laurafolsom2048]

Thank you, love the videos

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you like them!

[@jonathanrood3548]

Great video!

[@valsummers5330]

I like the ones with water lines Look like beach scenes

[@ocklawahaboyrocks]

Sounds like a trip to Mitchell is in order. I can't bring myself to cut the last egg from any spot.

[@BackcountrywithShaughn]

Personally love going directly to the mine and visiting with Janice, she's a unique personality. 😂😂(Must admit though that her mom at the shop in Mitchell is quite a character herself! haha)

[@ocklawahaboyrocks]

@@BackcountrywithShaughn I agree on both counts. Janice winters about 45 min from me, here in FL. I like to dig eggs but I also like that Cindy has other locations represented at the shop. The brewery in Mitchell isn't bad either.

[@BackcountrywithShaughn]

@@ocklawahaboyrocks Oooh, never stopped there. Gonna have to give it a try next time through. Thanks for sharing your adventure~

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

It is nice to have one in reserve, isn't it?

[@Lunchmeat_Larry]

Beautiful work Jared! I recently picked up one of these Richardsons high speed sanders and am still learning how to use it. I'm having trouble getting a nice polish on my stones. So far I've worked a few thunder eggs, as well as some Montana agate and petrified wood. I converted my machine to accept hook & loop discs without the hole in the center. I've been using silicon carbide discs all the way up to 2000 grit, then finishing on the Richardsons leather polishing wheel with cerium oxide. They all come out pretty shiny, but with a very slight "orange peel" texture to them. I say "texture" but it's not something you can actually feel, only see when the light hits just right (wish I could attach some pics). I don't get that on rocks I work on my cabbing machine. I've also noticed that my stones get very hot while on the high speed sander. Could this be part of the problem? Should I be periodically cooling them off while working? Am I pushing in too hard on the disc? Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Hello! I do have some other videos on this subject which you might want to check out if you haven't ready, but it sounds like you're really over doing it. For something like a thunderegg going beyond 800 grit really is not necessary at all to do. I have a video you might want to check out called "Which One Gets a Better Polish?" If your rocks are getting very hot, then you are spending too much time on the sander.

[@Lunchmeat_Larry]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Thank you for your response! This has helped with my results. I've watched all of your videos using the high speed sander and really appreciate the content.

[@raymondfink9580]

Could you do some of us newbie’s a favor? Please clarify something for us who don’t know, what is the definition of a Columbia basin agate? I understand there are agates in the Columbia basin aria that are not CBA’s, what exactly defines it as a CBA and what excludes one from being a CBA??

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That's a big question to try and answer in a comment. Generally speaking, CBAs will be mostly opaque and have features such as waterline banding, fortification, and eyes...etc. You can also find carnelian and chalcedony, which some people might want to call agates or CBAs, but I think they are somewhat misusing the name in those cases. I have a video up here discussing CBAs with Jason Shull which you might be helpful as well.

[@frankchenoweth5405]

What rpm does your flat lap run and like wise the carpet wheel?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The Richardsons High Speed Sander runs at 3450rpm and the carpet wheel spins at 200rpm

[@michaelfickel]

Nice vice!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@GaryFord-y3y]

Why not paint your thunderegg with glue before you cut it. Might stop the crumble.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Well, then you have glue all over the rock, which is not very pleasing to the eye, and after all, the goal here is to make something that looks beautiful.

[@2HighNoon]

😊✌️

[@markattardo]

IMO they don't need to be perfect to be cool.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Very true.

[@Lowellian1]

I love all of them. Just like the surprise of seeing it open up after the millennials a of secrecy.

[@chiaricharlie6608]

So cool , glade to have found ya. Be well.