RROOCCKKEETT CCIITTYY RROOCCKKSS AANNDD GGEEMMSS

The Monthly News Bulletin of the Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society

Huntsville, Alabama

Volume 44 No. 6 “We’ll go to the Moon for a Rock” June 2012

16 June Annual Picnic & Rock Swap/Sell/Buy 9:00 - 1:00

Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society (HGMS) 2012. Reprinting Rights are granted for all material (except for minutes of the meeting and copyrighted articles) to any organization officially affiliated with the American

Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS) or Southeastern Federation of Mineralogical Societies (SFMS), provided credit is given to the author, the original publication, and this newsletter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

President’s Message……..2

May & June Birthdays & Anniversaries ….…. 2

No Minutes from May Mtg

Hours for Lab ………….....3 Lab Update …………………4 Webpage Update…………5 Picnic Update ……………..6

2012 Officers and

Committee Chairmen …..7

Calendar .…………..….…..8

Check out the Newly Revised & Updated HGMS Website at www.huntsvillegms.org

May 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 2

July Birthdays Ed Kiker 1 Sharon Bedard 25 Erin Michael 13 Angela Kowalczyk 27 Bob Csikos 24 Kristine Beadle 29 Bruce Kowalczyk 30

Anniversaries Jim & Bonnie Treadway 3 Steve & Sheila Tesh 28

President’s Message - June 2012

First, I hope everyone is surviving the heat. It sure is hot, and remember, the heat can be deadly. So, take care to stay cool and drink plenty in the heat.

Remember, our June meeting and get-together will be on Saturday, June 16

th at the TBE (Teledyne Brown Enterprise) Park. For those new members, this meeting is a picnic.

The club will provide meat and everyone is

asked to bring a dish to share. Be sure that it is picnic-friendly for there are no microwaves available. The club will also provide drinks, plates, napkin, etc. While there are a couple of tables and some benches, it is always good to bring additional chairs and tables if you have them. This get-together will be in the same location as we have used the last several years, and directions to it are supposed to be in this

month’s newsletter. The entrance is off of Sparkman Drive, just North of Technology Drive. And, I would like to remind everyone that this is the one opportunity every year to swap (or sell) rocks, or tell stories and exchange ideas.

Lastly, I have to bring up our Annual Show scheduled for October 12, 13, and 14 in the VBC – South Hall. I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to it. As always, we are in need of committee chairmen and members, and this offers a chance for members, new and old, to get involved with the club. Let us know if you can help. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at the Picnic! Charlie Willhoite, President Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society

Minutes of the HGMS for the Month of May 2012 will be available at the Picnic and in the July newsletter

June Birthdays James Honey 3 Ann Cobb 18 Elizabeth Kowalczyk 4 Jonathan Kowalczyk 23 Duane Southerland 12 Terry Alexander 25 Allison Kowalczyk 15 David O’Dell 26 Joe DeFiore 17 Dianna O’Dell 27 Lori Willhoite 28

Anniversaries Bill & Peggy Sweetman 7 Charlie & Lori Willhoite 8 Wayne Falkenberg 12 Lawrence & Diana Nelms 21 Bob & Bonnie Neuschaefer 27 Michael & Carolyn Griffin 30

June 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 3

Lapidary, Silver Jewelry and Wood Carving To use lapidary equipment, you must be certified unless a licensed instructor,

is present - currently: B. Friday, J. Treadway, W. Falkenberg Monday 7:30- 9:00am Open Lab: Silver and Lapidary, Seniors Only

9:00- Noon Silver Jewelry - Ron West Instructor - Seniors Only 12:30-4:00 Lapidary Class - Jim Treadway [through June]

Tuesday 7:30-10:00am Open Lab: Silver and Lapidary, Seniors Only 10:00-Noon Silver Jewelry - Ron West Instructor- Seniors Only 1:00-3:00 pm Silver Jewelry- Terry Clarke Instructor - Seniors Only 3:00-4:30pm Open Lab: Silver and Lapidary, Seniors, HGMS 18+ 6:00- 9:00 pm Open Lab: HGMS Members 18+.

Wednesday 7:30 -4:30 pm Open Lab: Lapidary and Silver Jewelry - Seniors Only Thursday 7:30-11:30am Open Lab: Lapidary and Silver Jewelry- Seniors Only

12:00-3:00pm Wood Carving - Copeland Instructor Seniors Only 3:00-4:30 pm Open Lab: HGMS 18+

Friday 7:30 - 11:30am Open Lab: Lapidary and Silver Jewelry - Seniors Only If you are interested in taking a Lapidary Class, contact Bill Friday or Jim Treadway

Halite -By Dave Jacobson, “Moonstone” Canaveral Mineral & Gem Society

This month I am writing about a mineral we all should be familiar with, halite, NaCl, Sodium Chloride, also known as rock salt. Halite is a member of the halide group of minerals. Halite is formed as an evaporate mineral in ancient, dry, salt lakebeds. It is also found in sedimentary deposits on bedrock where ancient saline bodies of water have evaporated. These sedimentary halite deposits are plastic and in the gulf coast states such as Texas and Louisiana have pushed up the overlaying sediment due to tectonic forces (pressure and heat) forming salt domes trapping minerals such as sulphur, gypsum and anhydrite. Salt domes can also form traps for petroleum deposits. “In a salt dome, a cylinder or cone-shaped formations of salt pushes up through sedimentary rocks, causing the rocks to arch and fracture in its path. Petroleum may accumulate above or along the sides of such a formation.” The sedimentary deposits are also mined for the salt. Halite is found all over the world. There are large deposits at Stassfurt & Salzburg, Germany; Wieliczka, Poland; Cardona, Spain and Salzkammergut, Austria. In the UAS there are major deposits in New York, Michigan, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah and Searles Lake, California. Halite is in the isometric crystal system. Crystals typically grow in cubes. It also grows in an interesting shape called a hopper crystal. Envision a cube with steps into the cube from the outer edges, forming a stepped hopper. Most commonly

it is found as massive material. It can also be granular and fibrous. Halite can be colorless, white, red, yellow, orange, pink, green, blue, violet and gray. Hardness is 2 –2.5.

Specific Gravity is 2.1. Streak is white. It is salty to taste, but I don’t recommend you go around tasting minerals as some can be harmful. Some minerals that resemble halite are poisonous. Some specimens fluoresce red under short wave UV Halite takes its name from the Greek, hals meaning “salt. Halite is an industrial mineral, which has many uses. Some are table salt and salt licks for livestock. Rock salt is used for deicing roads in northern climates. It is also a source of both sodium and chlorine which are used in the chemical industry. The following reference materials were used in preparing this article: A Field Guide to Rocks And Minerals by F.H. Pough. Mineralogy For Amateurs by John Sinkankus. Simon & Schusters Guide to Rocks And Minerals. Audubon Society Field Guide to N.A. Rocks& Minerals Amethyst Galleries Mineral Gallery on the Internet at http://mineral.galleries.com. http://www.minerals.net/mineral/halides/halite/halite.htm Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Halite from the Wieliczka

salt mine, Malopolskie,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Halite

June 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 4

The Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society Lapidary Lab The Lapidary Lab at the Madison County Senior Center features an enviable array of rock saws, grinding machines, and polishing equipment. The fact that we can enjoy such a facility is due in large part to the strong support we are accorded by the Center, in that we are the only member group allowed to have active participation by members as young as age 18 (who have completed the certification training). The Center owns all of the equipment for insurance purposes, but all maintenance is provided by a crew of dedicated volunteers. Oil becomes thick with sludge from the rock kerf, saws, belts & wheels gradually wear out and must be replaced, and disabled equipment must be repaired, or sometimes be replaced. The cost of this upkeep generally runs around $800/year, paid from the HGMS general budget to the Center for this purpose.

Some of the saws predate the association with the Senior Center, which began in 1976, but with good ongoing maintenance over the years, are still serviceable. The selection includes five slab saws from 10” to 24” (one of which is new), four trim saws from 4” to 10”, eight diamond grinding wheels with 100 and 220 grit, eight carbide belts from 220 to 400 grit, and two leather polishing wheels. On a recent very busy Tuesday evening, there were a dozen participants, most of whom could find an empty machine of some sort to use in pursuit of the creation of genuine treasures. I should hasten to add that the fellowship of swapping stories, swapping rocks, and admiring each other’s skills and accomplishments is a significant part of the attraction.

Classes are offered to members of the HGMS and to any senior citizen, who cares to get deep into the smelly oil, risk broken fingernails, and spend long periods bent over a grinding wheel to help a tiny chip of stone reveal its secret colors and patterns. Jim Treadway has been carrying most of this load since Bill Sweetman gave it up and Nolie Bell was lost to us. Recently Bill Friday joined the teacher staff and now Wayne Falkenberg is pitching in.

There are two purposes for these classes -

one is to educate members in how to choose good lapidary material and to properly & safely use the lab equipment. The other purpose is to keep the equipment safer from the members. There is little detectable outright abuse, although some woodworkers were discovered sharpening chisels on the diamond wheels - a serious no-no! Most problems occur when users forget, get in a hurry, or never learned basic rules for safe and proper techniques. Stones set insecurely in the rock vices have damaged many an expensive diamond edged saw blade when they slip halfway through a cut. Too much pressure applied to a blade or belt will shorten the equipment life significantly. Failing to check oil level, leaving a saw mid-cut to go pursue another task, or choosing a trim saw to make a cut on a large stone are all observed from time to time - often with bad, or even disastrous, results.

Frustrations arise when a piece of equipment develops a loose blade, slipping pulley, or just simply stops in mid-cut. In the best of these circumstances, a repairman is handy and the problem is soon fixed, or a sign is added declaring the unit to be out of service until later when a repairman can come make the rescue. Need for routine maintenance is really why this article is being written. After many cuts on a saw, the oil turns to mud, and is no longer able to lubricate the blade - resulting in very much shortened blade life if continued. Belts become slick and no longer can remove saw scratches

Members Enjoying the Lab

Some of that Fellowship

Wayne Falkenberg cleaning a saw

Bill Friday dumping sludge

June 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 5

prior to polishing. Jim Treadway is the chief maintenance guru, and he has a small crew of other volunteers who assist him - recently including Bill Lokken, Wayne Falkenberg, Ray Baxter, Ben Carroll, Marty Martinez, Mike Soroczak, and Bill Friday. Some photos are included here to illustrate how nasty some of this work can be. But we do it because we love the art, support the club, and benefit ourselves from having properly working equipment.

So next time you use a fine-tuned saw to cut a gorgeous slab of agate, or trim out an incredible scene buried within a solid stone, or shape this sliver into an attractive cabochon or other shape, or rinse the polishing paste from your brilliantly shining jewel, remember that a dedicated crew of fellow HGMS members, volunteers like yourselves, is backing you up replacing oil and sanding belts, tightening loose pulleys, ordering and changing out burnt motors and drive-belts, and teaching proper operation of equipment.

Please do your part to observe the safe rules of operation, report equipment problems, keep the place clean, and log your time in the lab. With these simple steps, the lab will remain available and ready for all of our use and enjoyment. Wiping the surfaces of slab and trim saws, removing bits of leftover stone, mopping spilled water or oil from the floor, and when leaving turning off the water supply, unplugging the dop heater, and turning off lights, are all simple steps which will prolong the equipment life and insure our continued tenure in the Senior Center. Tactfully reminding others to observe these same procedures when

infractions are detected is the duty of each lab user. At times each of us is prone to forget and a gentle nudge will set us straight.

So come on down, during the weekdays during open lab periods or on Tuesday evenings. The lab is truly a treasure, to be enjoyed by each of us. And did I mention the great fellowship opportunities?

Bill Friday - one of the instructors and maintenance guys

The Newly Revived Web Page It wasn’t easy, requiring lots of background investigation, consultation with past webmasters, requisition of government forms, re-establishment of access credentials with our server, and then rebuilding the web page itself. But Jennifer Pinkley and Erin Michaels have put our web page back on line. In this computer age, having the website is crucial. Vendors from all over the country use this resource to work us into their show schedules. Visitors to Huntsville use the information to plan their things-to-do lists while in our area. Newcomers to town find us to get themselves back into lapidary activities. And we the members will use it to keep track of what is happening - late breaking show data from other Clubs, upcoming meeting info for our own Society, archives of past newsletters, field trips (we will be having some - promise), and reports on all the good stuff we do, starting with the picnic next week. Keep checking in, because it is just going to get better and better.

Many thanks to our heroes Jennifer and Erin.

Bill Lokken mopping spilled oil

Jim Treadway replacing a belt

Check out the Newly Revised & Updated HGMS Website at www.huntsvillegms.org

June 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 6

The Annual HGMS Picnic and Rock Swap/Buy/Sell -

16 June 2012 - 9:00 till 1:00

The club will provide meat and everyone is asked to bring a dish to share. Be sure that it is picnic-friendly for there are no microwaves available. The club will also provide drinks, plates, napkin, etc. While there are a couple of tables and some benches, it is always good to bring additional chairs and tables if you have them. *********************************************************************************************

The Big Slab Saw is back in service Jim Treadway ordered a new diamond saw blade for the 24” Highland Park slab saw in the lapidary lab at the Senior Center, and it is now installed. It is with regret that we have to inform the members that there is now a lock on this unit. The rock vice has become worn and erratic, prone to lock on itself instead of the rock, and because of that an inattentive user who didn’t check to see that the rock was solidly gripped allowed the rock to slip and destroy an expensive newly installed blade. The blade which has just been installed cost the Society around $800, and it is just as susceptible to being destroyed by careless mounting of a rock in the vice. Thus the need for the lock. The saw will be made available any time that prior arrangements can be made with Jim Treadway or Bill Friday, and it will be open every Tuesday during Evening Open Lab - 6-9pm. Keep in mind that it cuts at the rate of 6 inches per hour, no matter how big the rock, so plan your activity accordingly.

Swapping Rocks Enjoying the Potluck goodies

What a great place for a picnic!

How to get there

June 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 7

PURPOSE OF THE SOCIETY: The Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society is a non-profit educational organization for people interested in mineralogy, geology, paleontology, and related lapidary arts. Its primary purpose is the education of the members and the general public in these areas. This purpose is accomplished through programs, shows, lectures to school children and organizations, and exchange of rocks, minerals and artifacts. DUES: Annual dues are $15.00 per person, $20.00 per family, and are due on January 1st of each year MEETING PLACE: Huntsville/Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL at 6:30pm Fourth Monday of each month except for June picnic/rock swap, Christmas Dinner and major holidays: Federation Liaison Mail: Huntsville Gem & Mineral Society, 449 Comet Dr., Toney, AL 35773, Attn: Susan Burch

This Society is affiliated with the American Federation of Mineralogical Societies and the

Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies

2012 COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Membership: Lori Willhoite (256) 340-3448 Property: Jim Treadway, (256) 859-1484 lewillhoite@hotmail.com jtreadway51@mchsi.com 2705 Jarvis Street S. W. Decatur AL 35603 Scrapbook: Dianna O’Dell, (256) 828-1813 Curator: Bob Neuschaefer, (256) 650-0400 Librarian: Susan Burch, (256) 828-1727 2012 Show Chair: Tony Smith, (256) 852-3210 Club Publicity: Jeff Neely (256) 572-0448 2012 Show Volunteer Chair Lori Willhoite (256) 340-3448 Education & Craftsmanship: 2012 Show Vendor Chair: Marcia Stone, (256) 653-4744 Bill Sweetman,(256) 539-8503 2012 Show Publicity Chair: Tony Smith, (256) 852-3210 Hospitality: Bonnie & Jim Treadway 2012 Show Treasurer: Floyd Mims, (256) 778-8097 (256) 859-1484 Field Trips: Bill (trying hard) Friday, (256)-527-8227cell Mineral ID: Vacant (William Holland offers a class for this) Constitution & Bylaws: Peggy Sweetman, (256) 539-8503

2012 HUNTSVILLE GEM & MINERAL SOCIETY OFFICERS

President: Charlie Willhoite, (256) 340-3448 cdwillhoite@yahoo.com Vice President: Dianna O’Dell (256) 828-1813 swamp_rat_2@yahoo.com Recording Secretary: Leslie Malakowsky

af71@mchsi.com

Treasurer: Floyd Mims, (256) 778-8097 fmims1@bellsouth.net

Newsletter Editor: Bill Friday, (256) 883-8487 bill.friday@earthlink.net Directors at Large: Mike Soroczak (256) 446-9938 mjsoroczak49@yahoo.com

Wayne Hall (256) 232-6575 novacar65@aol.com Ben Carroll (256) 772-0185 bensadspec@knology.net

June 2012 ROCKET CITY ROCKS AND GEMS Page 8

2012 CALENDAR

16 Jun ’12 - Saturday Annual HG&MS Picnic, revised date from last newsletter Teledyne Brown Engineering Park - same as last two years, map next month 23 Jul ‘12- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 27 Aug ‘12- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 24 Sep ‘12- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 12-14 Oct ’12 Rock Gem & Mineral Show, Von Braun Civic Center 24 Oct ‘12- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 26 Nov ‘12- Regular HG&MS Meeting, Madison County Senior Center, 2200 Drake Ave, Huntsville, AL 6:30pm 4 Dec ’12 Annual Christmas Dinner - TUESDAY 4 Dec in the cafeteria

Rocket City Rocks & Gems Bill Friday, Editor 2508 Excalibur Dr. Huntsville, AL 35803

HGMS June 2012

Deadline for the next Newsletter will be 11 July 2012