Slicing Rocks in the Lab w/ Geochron

I've received several comments from viewers requesting some lab videos, so here is the first of many to come. When using wet saws such as the water saw or oil saw used here, be sure to take heed to the following:

1.) No loose clothing or bracelets.
2.) Always wear eye protection.
3.) A respirator is a must.
4.) Hearing protection is a must.
5.) A rubber apron is a must.

Be careful when dealing with brittle rocks, they can chip very easilly. Always be sure that you understand the cleavage characteristics of the rocks and minerals you're dealing with before attempting to cut them.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• wet
• oil
• rock
• saw
• geochron
• lab
• geology
• shawnee
• state
• university
• ssu
• portsmouth
• ohio
• slicing
• cutting
• sawing
• thin
• sectioning

[pilgrimpater]

So great to see geology in the lab as well as in the field. Obviously two venues that have never been visited by any YEC "geologist". Bit worried about you reaching across the blade at 2:49 to switch it on. And i would hate to sneeze while holding the rock against the blade. You are very lucky to have embarked on such an interesting career. I wish i had stuck at it when i was younger but at least i have retained enough knowledge to debunk Young Earth nonsense.

[Geochron]

My right arm is well above the blade at 2:49, so no worries there. The deck of the saw is actually quite large as well.

[winstonsmith00]

So can you use vinegar to give rocks an acid bath and get rid of softer materials? Some of the nice specimens she's found are included in sandstone and something else that appears to be sandstone but is much harder.

I really need to learn more about this stuff since my daughter is always bringing home rocks with fossils in them. I polished up a few Petoskey stones (fossilized corral) but would love to do some cross-section cuts of them.

Thanks

[Geochron]

Vinegar is often used to remove organic material. Sandstone has a high quartz content and won't dissolve using vinegar alone.

[kalamain]

This may seem like a silly question. But why would you 'cook' a rock??

Would you be melting it?

[Geochron]

You bake them to remove the latent moisture from the sample so that you run more specialized tests that require dry rocks. Certain mineralogical tests actually require you to basically melt and flux powdered samples, which also need to be anhydrous.

[themanwhoknew]

You guys are just looking for excuses to use dangerous machinery

It's pure genius

[WERTY1112]

Getting more intressted in geology here. Might have to take a few courses in it!

[JBarracudaL]

Oh dear! Fascinating to see but I would never get my hands anywhere near that saw!

[bailesie]

Yay! I remember working in our rock lab, prepping samples to be made into thin sections. Oy, I had some good times in there. (even fell asleep from late night work!) Good ol' OU

[metalorg]

Interesting stones

[pilgrimpater]

That's great. I was worried about the possible threat to your informative videos.

[hotcrotch]

...coool :P

[Leadman1989]

so it's like a tile cutter