The Carrasite will not beat me.  So far I have only been able to get one preform round.This is after 2 months of working on this material.  The challenge is that the color bands are forming cracks that go under them.  They layer then breaks off forming huge crackers.  I have gone through a lot of finger nail polish filling them and then long grind times to grind off the finger nail polish.  It then starts all over again.

I have now order a chamber vacuum and a special bonding agent to see if I can stabilize these color bands to prevent this from happening.  Have always felt if a material needed this, I would just discard it, but I now have so many hours and so much $$ into this that I will attempt this.  The challenge is on!

In need of cutting oil, we braved a trip to Quartzsite.  Our dealer was set up at Tyson Wells.  No Covid related precautions there.   We basically ran thru, found Kevin, and got out of there.  Wen did stop at Desert Gardens hearing that they had precautions in place.  To get into the parking lots required a temperature checks at which time you were given an arm band with the day on it.  Masks were required.  Dealers we know said that for them 2 warnings were all they got if found without a mask and on the third they would be required to dismantle and leave.  Needless to say, everyone was masked.

I did pick up some Hyacinth Jasper, new out of Nevada, and a chunk of what was being sold as Ocean Jasper.  Both were expensive but should make beautiful spheres.  No work on them until I complete my commitment on the Carrisite and Grave yard Point Pink Lady.

Total drive time for the trip was 5 hours.  Total time in Quartzsite was 2.5 hours.  That has to be a record!

Thanks for reading......