Thunderegg Cutting Done Correctly // Geometric Pressure Ridges

The whole process of cutting thundereggs is a lot of fun, and sometimes you get really lucky and end up with a perfect cut, but what if you could be more strategic with it?
If you intend to cut thundereggs you won't want to miss this one!
Thanks for watching!
Did you enjoy this video and find it to be informative? You can help ensure that more videos just like this get made by supporting the project on Patreon. / currentlyrockhounding
#CurrentlyRockhounding #Thundereggs #Lithophysae

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Did you enjoy this video and find it to be informative? You can help ensure that more videos just like this get made by supporting the project on Patreon. www.patreon.com/currentlyrockhounding

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Spoiler alert: Using a big pair of scissors is most definitely the wrong way to cut thundereggs.

[@Ontario_Rockhound]

lol

[@graemero5532]

😂

[@sandmaker]

How about a really, really, really big pair of scissors 🤣

[@gwynnfarrell1856]

😆 They'd be one of those pairs of "miracle scissors" you see advertised. So tough you can cut a thunder egg in half!

[@mikedodge3910]

I hear you can get agate cutting scissors on Amazon or harbor freight, haha 😄

[@BackcountrywithShaughn]

Thanks as always for sharing Jared, much appreciated! Back in 2009 or 2010 was over in Madras digging and talking with John Richardson who told me to "Always cut the longest path around the egg for best representation" and personally that advice has never served me wrong!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I think generally that's good advice but I do like exploring the reasoning behind these things.

[@ResortDog]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding You are then cutting thru the biggest pressure ridges (use a tape) getting the maximum agate face. (In more words)

[@nikkihoo627]

I'm a person who appreciates the science behind everything, which makes watching your videos a real treat! I've just starting cutting rocks myself and have sacrificed a few now into bits like that just to understand how they formed. So very fascinating to me! We are off to Kentucky for the weekend hoping for some fluorite, malachite, geodes, agates, jaspers and pet wood. I dont want much do I? Hehehe I'm planning to film the trip and have it been my 1st KZbin rockhounding video! Thanks for always inspiring people, even my "cough cough" older generation! 🤫🤣🦉💜🪨

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Dang that's quite the list to find! Good luck! Well count me as your first subscriber. I'll be looking forward to the video!

[@RagnarRocks]

Thanks for doing this experiment! Always wondered what they would look like cut the other way. THUNDEREGG THURSDAY!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The best day of the week!

[@RockandRoadRockhounding]

It's really interesting to see how different they look when cut in different orientations. I actually just cut one into a cube shape yesterday as an experiment, just to see how much variation there was - each side ended up being totally different.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

A really big part of rockhounding is testing and cutting things like this.

[@jimvanzee2845]

Thanks for following up on the best way to cut a thunderegg. I have a number of rocks that I wish I had been more careful about cutting.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Likewise I have some that I would say I cut incorrectly.

[@hollyfritz9230]

Thank you so much! You helped me understand how to cut Thunder eggs properly! My family and I received some mini thunder eggs to cut this Christmas! With your video I felt confident on cutting them nicely. I can't wait to get more. Thanks again.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you found it to be useful! I hope you have some good cuts in your future.

[@RyderSRocks_A10]

Just as for certification, the guy who made the image, Robert Paul Colburn, came up with one of the main theories on the formation of lithopsae, famously known for owning baker egg ranch. Sadly he passed away about a decade ago. I'm friends with his buddies Jeffrey and Christopher. This guy dedicated his entire life to geology. He loved specifically studying the geology of The little Florida mountains in Deming, New mexico. He also is not as well known for have carrying on the amazing polishing method he used for eggs. Ill tell you what, I have seen this method on some eggs, and I got to say, it is the best polish I have ever seen. Literally no scratches. So yea, this guy is pretty credible.

[@RyderSRocks_A10]

There are many different types of thundereggs. It takes years and years to learn how to do this stuff really well. It takes a lifetime to do it perfectly. Remember, just because you cut a thunderegg the right way,doesn't mean it will guarantee a good polish. You have to use a specific polish based on the hardness and silica, ryholite, porous percentage, and much more.

[@CityRockhounding]

Oh man, I'm always learning so much from your videos. This was so cool to see samples along the way to help explain it, I'm a visual learner. I appreciate your work Jared!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you very much!

[@AvalonDreamz]

I like them cut both ways how you have it. Polished and cut in 4's like that looks really cool to.

[@largent45]

Your videos are always so educational and i learn so much, without having to buy and read the books myself! I never knew there was a right way and a wrong way to cut thunder eggs! But it totally makes sense now. Not only do you explain things, but a visual demonstration of what you are talking about, makes all the difference, as to whether the masses understand it or not! Thank you!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you! I really enjoy making this kind of content.

[@jimlancaster6120]

Just love cutting thundereggs!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

They always are a lovely surprise.

[@cliffmiller1021]

Didn't know I needed it til I seen it. My wife brought home a thunder egg from a garage sale last week and it's been looking at me wonky. I now have a better idea what I'm looking for in desired results. Sadly for being softball sized and about three pounds, I won't know anything geology wise, and I wouldn't like spreading hear say on it's rumoured origins. Thanks for the experience!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I think if I saw one at a garage sale I would also have picked it up. You gotta go cut that guy open and see what it has!

[@spetkovsek57]

Great educational video on Richardson's Ranch Thundereggs. Unfortunately that does not apply to many others. Sometimes you can see the pressure ridges on Lucky Strike eggs and some of the other area, but most McDermitt eggs don't show pressure ridges. Friends Ranch eggs sometimes will. For the most part, if your Thunderegg show pressure ridges, use them for orientation for the best cut as you described in this video. After that? find the best way to safely grip it in your saw vice. Again, great video. Thanks.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Oh I agree. I will add that I have personally collected some thundereggs here in Washington from places like Little Naches that also had pressure ridges and I think the advice using those as an indicators for getting the best cut is good advice regardless of the location they came from but like you said many beds do not.

[@jdiamond9513]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding I just found this video today, and it’s ironic that you mention Little Naches thundereggs. I’ve been cutting some of those over the last 2 weeks and couldn’t figure out the best way to cut them. I definitely got some some cool ones, but a couple of them haven’t been impressive. Tomorrow I’m going to look back at those and see if I cut them wrong based on this video. I have more to cut, so hopefully this will improve my yield. I’m also cutting some Boston Bar t-eggs from BC, Canada, and they don’t have the pressure ridges so it’s much more hit or miss with them. Thanks for making this video!

[@stinkasscat]

Excellent tutorial!!!! You are a fellow Infoglut and sharing all your knowledge and experiences are greatly appreciated. I hadn't learned how to cut correct orientation of a thunderegg, and everytime I watch one of your videos, I learn something new to me. I also appreciate your sharing what books you read, books help me in my rock hounding greatly!Thank you!

[@patriciamckean4186]

Lots of info. Found broken thundereggs. I love learning, maybe I find an intact one someday.

[@motherofangels1710]

Thank you for simple to follow tutorial.

[@centralparkcoffeeco.cafeba6634]

That was excellent! You are very good at this!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you! I have made a lot of videos at this point! :)

[@tenaedmonson1213]

I learned so much from this video, all this time I just did not think about it, Thank you so much.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@ocklawahaboyrocks]

Excellent illustration. The story of his first trip to Richardsons was almost as cool as Edward Abby's first time seeing the Rockies.

[@phild8095]

I've been playing around with a saw and flat lap for six months or so. You have taught me so much. Thank you. I have cut and polished some interesting slabs, an agate, some petrified wood, some quartz and some Iowa stones that have silt layered with similar banding.

[@dennis1954]

Great visual representation with the pieces. From the drawing shown at the beginning and thousands of words I would still be wondering what you meant, but, now with the red highlighted pressure ridges and the multi-cut thunderegg it makes total sense. Many thanks “Professor” Jared!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you! :)

[@rocksinmypockets5191]

Excellent timing! I have been looking for exactly this information. I have a box of T-eggs that I’ve been reluctant to cut because I figured there was a right way and a not-so-right-way. Thank you So much!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Good luck with your cuts!

[@sunqwest1]

Thanks for showing what you know and have found to be true

[@Ontario_Rockhound]

A very nice video, I will have to try and get my hands on some thundereggs.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

You might fall in love with them.

[@mattrichards1492]

Richardson's Ranch will ship them, and most else you might want.. They are $2/lb. Rough.

[@Ontario_Rockhound]

@@mattrichards1492 is there an online store I can order from? And if so do they ship to Canada?

[@olmilfishrock]

Very cool video!! Thunder eggs are so beautiful inside!! Great explanation on how to cut them. We don’t have them around me . I wish I could find someone who wants to trade a box of them for a box of geodes and quartz crystals. Lol !!

[@MrFmiller]

I’m glad you posted this. Most of what I’ve got are geodes but even those will benefit from proper cutting.

[@kslinaz5668]

You answered my questions; as I've watched people cut the eggs, I'd been wondering where to make the cut.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@AZRockhoundExpeditions]

Very informative! Thank you! I’ve been hanging onto a 13 inch diameter geode/ thunder egg, because I was weary about how to cut it. Never knew this! Awesome video!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Oh that's a big one, do you know where it's from?

[@AZRockhoundExpeditions]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Yes! I got it at Dugway. I saw just the top of it right in the road, we dug it up and it was the biggest I’ve ever seen! It has pressure ridges like the thunder egg.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

@@AZRockhoundExpeditions Now you just need a really big saw to cut it!

[@AZRockhoundExpeditions]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding we are in a rock club that has saws to do it, but the club we joined is an hour away.🤣 Finding time to go do it has been challenging. Maybe on the one year anniversary of extraction.🥳😂

[@KatyDidRocks]

HHAHAA, "Just because YOU don't know doesn't mean other people don't." :D

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

:)

[@oldandtired1434]

Delightfully informative. I wish I could cut rocks with scissors, lol.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That would really save me a ton of time.

[@AliceinMineralLand]

This was cool! Thank you for making this.

[@cherylburkitt9722]

Really interesting and very informative.. thankyou for explaining the right process to evaluate how to cut the thunder to expose it most beautifully...❤

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@aurysage3043]

Very interesting. I'm thinking of cutting some of the Rhyolite to form the eggs into cubes and see what that looks like.

[@WorldofRockhounds]

This was definitely a good video for those wanting to know how to properly cut thundereggs! Thank you for taking the time to make this video :)

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Sometimes the best things to do is to just see it first hand vs. a diagram.

[@DeeDeeDIY]

Very informative, and like you said, side by side comparison is so cool. 👌

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@lolajo2850]

Thank you for the educational video.

[@markattardo]

Fantastic presentation! 👍👍

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@marjiebutler4211]

Thank you!

[@cb175s]

Great video Thank you for sharing 👍👍

[@patrickkillilea5225]

Great Video!

[@emkay9508]

great video! thanks for all you do 👍👍

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@klairesprengel9335]

Loved this vid xx

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@nouradel6763]

Awesome video

[@elissagardner5116]

Great video! The pressure ridges make so much sense! Luckily I only have a tile saw, so the only eggs I have been able to cut were very small. Now I have to go inspect them to see if I got it right by chance.

[@gwynnfarrell1856]

Excellent demonstration! Now I'm curious about what would happen if your second cut wasn't horizontal (parallel to the water lines) but again vertical at 90° from the first, exposing a different plane that would again be perpendicular to the water lines, something like sectioning an orange and looking at the faces of the segments.?? Thanks for this satisfying video for the curious minds among your subscribers! Always thought provoking!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That's a good question, I think I might have to test this and do some more cuts.

[@gwynnfarrell1856]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Cool!

[@paigelee6321]

Absolutely love learning about rock so informative love it 😍 thank you 😊💙

[@mattthomas1547]

Great concept, great video, that's about it.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@mosstrooper999]

Great video!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@DonohueLabs]

Looks like your drill press didn't follow proper safety protocols, because it only has one eye. 👀 This was a great explainer vid!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I told him to look away and he didn't. He really needs an eye patch.

[@gemstonebrad4481]

What a very informative video, and I think you like doing the research.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@savagesquirrel9828]

Great explanation. Thank you. I had no idea.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I'm glad you liked it.

[@paulettejabbar5661]

Super explications

[@danksmoker420]

Very informative video.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you! :)

[@ebybbob]

good stuff thanks for the education! you might be surprised that I find agates on the regular even at seattle beaches (near alki). just not as big typically ;)

[@pdemkovich]

Thanks!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Oh my gosh thank you so much!

[@mattrichards1492]

Very well done and helpful video Jared. I'm only about 100 pages into that 500 page book. Ive have to re read those pages at least twice....so it's kinda like I'm 200 pages into 1000. It's a fascinating read!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I wish I had his other books as well.

[@gator83261]

Good video

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Thank you!

[@sandmaker]

Did you cut on the vertical pressure ridge or between the vertical pressure ridges? I now know top and bottom. Great tips. Thank you very much. Keep the goodness coming. Be happy, safe and stay healthy 😷⚒

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I cut between the vertical ridges.

[@sandmaker]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding thank you

[@joshualeedy5271]

So..polka dot eggs don't seem to have any ridges correct? I had the boys cut some for me and using there pattern I've deducted that the scar with some crystal crust is the bottom? This seemed true on all except the small ones. Those I have no idea how to cut. Thoughts?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The do not have any ridges. A lot of the larger ones do seem to have a scar at the bottom, really the best thing to do is mark the top of the egg as you pull it out.

[@kerickwalters2749]

I'm curious as to what would occur if these were cut at angles, as the picture jasper was cut to give them greater exposure. Just a thought. Keep up the awesome work

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That is a neat idea, however it might be a little hard to test to see if its worth it as you really don't know what you're getting wish a thunderegg and you only get one chance.

[@nubnub9635]

Hi, what locations have you found have the "best" thundereggs? I watched your other video where you cut a bunch and didn't open till the end and a lot seemed like duds?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

That's a good but hard question to answer, how do you define best? Also what video are you talking about? I have a whole playlist of thunderegg videos.

[@nubnub9635]

@@CurrentlyRockhounding Hey! Yeah hah been working my way through all the vids! It was the pony butte are there any winners video. I'd define "best" ones with good color or details. A few of the pony ones had good detail but were almost just grey scale? Thanks for your insights!

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

@@nubnub9635 Oh yeah most of the Pony Butte eggs were not really that good. I have done really well with my Richardsons Ranch eggs and my Lucky Strike eggs. I have good photos of them up on my website. Go check out the Lucky Strike stuff!

[@activitytimewithcruz4795]

I may be getting some thunder eggs from my local gemstone shop is there an y way to tell if they have some kind of pocket of crystals inside them?

[@ResortDog]

Not really, but if ya had a bucket & a scale, specific gravity.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

You can't really tell but over time if you handle eggs from the exactly same bed you can get a feel for something being a little lighter.

[@graemero5532]

The correct way was defo best, but if I had one of those cut the other way it would not break my heart. As you said there are muppets saying no one knows how these come about, where online could I find out how they are formed, and what makes them so different in terms of colour, lines or crystal pockets ? 🤔

[@terryleasa161]

Maybe @CurrentlyRockhounding would make an in-depth video on Thunderegg formation and features. wink, wink

[@graemero5532]

@@terryleasa161 Sounds like a fine idea Terry

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I have a really basic video up on how they are formed but a 15 minutes isn't a replacement for reading a book on the subject.

[@nhrockaholic6038]

How do you tell the too from the bottom on an uncut egg? I understand how you describe to cut it correctly but not how to determine the “top”. Thanks

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

Most eggs you can not determine the top until it's cut.

[@chocolateandbooks]

Love your videos. I know nothing is as good as sawing; but, I have developed neurological tremors and cannot saw. I can still use a chisel, which is good for geodes, but not thundereggs. Is there anything else that I can do which is better than using a light sledge and chisel, but, understandably not as good as a table saw

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I would look into some of the different rock holding clamps that you can buy, which will mean you can do hands off cutting.

[@chocolateandbooks]

@CurrentlyRockhounding thank you so much! I now know what I'm going to be looking for for my Valentine's Day gift from my husband, lol

[@sboydrocks9412]

Hi Jared- thanks for this video as it just one of those thing that everyone thinks that oh well to you learn the principles behind cutting geodes. Could you share the books name and authors name you referenced please. Thanks for your work. Scott

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The book is called The Formation of Thundereggs by Robert Colburn It's a good book but pricey.

[@sboydrocks9412]

Thank you J off to look it up

[@leonalbert4319]

Mind blowing information, but it makes sense, I wonder if this might help tell the difference between thundereggs and geodes? anyway good to know, thanks Jared.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

The easiest way to tell the difference between them is the host rock they come out of. Thundereggs must come from Rhyolite.

[@leonalbert4319]

Ok thanks

[@BackcountrywithShaughn]

Watching...I'll be super critical, so this really better be good! 🤔🤔 hahaha

[@carolgay2503]

I'm trying so hard to understand the correct way to position the egg but its very confusing can you help me?

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I thought the video was very clear. What exactly did you find confusing?

[@paulettejabbar5661]

But you havé à big expérience

[@joniangelsrreal6262]

👁👁 🍺 ….👑 Rock Professor

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

:)

[@macmcabee328]

I am wondering if you have a degree in Geology.

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

I do not.

[@llllllllllilillii]

Thunderegg Cutting Done Correctly... Step 1: Get $10,000 worth of equipment...

[@CurrentlyRockhounding]

You might want to stop leaving comments that make you sound completely clueless.

[@TruthWillSetYouFree832]

This is very useful to me, thank you! I recently acquired some Richardson thundereggs and searched your channel for the info on cutting them and there it was. 🪨