Turquoise

[Tom Winship]

What is your source of crushed turquoise for filling cracks and voids. Any special tips?
Thanks.

[Marvin Hasenak]

For the real thing I use Gilmer Rock Shop in Gilmer, TX, they have a website, and have crushed turquoise, and a lot of other crushed stones. For the easy way I use Inlace, it is softer, not real turquoise, but looks great.

[Jeremy Leasure]

I've tried that website several times over the past year and the inventory seems always to be empty, or near it. Maybe I just don't know how to navigate it.

[Tim Leiter]

I have a small plastic baggie of the stuff but I can't remember where I purchased it. I did a quick google search and found some here: http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/Crushed_Stone.htm

Tim.

[jared herbert]

Call Colbaugh Processing in Kingman Az. They are a turquoise processing company. Phone 928 565 4650. I have purchased what they call floor sweepings from them. I think the minimum order is like 3-5 pounds but it is reasonably priced. The turquoise varies in size, and will have to be crushed but it is much cheaper than any other place I have seen. I made a small iron box with a mortor [sp?] to crush it with, just beat on it with a hammer and then sort it through a collander. Jared

[Jim Burr]

I get it from CSUSA. The stuff is harder than nails. A tip I picked up was to sand it down with an electric sander of some sort, I us a Mutabo ROS. Knock it down to just proud of the wood and scraper the rest. Refill small voids with powder and repeat. Finish with normal "What-ever-looks-cool" method. on a non-level surface, I'll wedge the opposite side to level out the side being worked on. I use a 7mm pen tube bevelved on one end. Scoop and pour, scoop and pour. I'll do about an inch or whatever works and add thin CA. Just mist it with accelerator from 2-3 feet. Repeat. I do it on a piece of newspaper so I can recycle what fell off. Hope that helps!

[Tony Pridmore]

I've tried that website several times over the past year and the inventory seems always to be empty, or near it. Maybe I just don't know how to navigate it.

Try calling. My experiences with Gilmer Rock Shop have been very positive. Excellent service and great prices.

[James Roberts]

Got some small tumbled rough (5-12 mm) from eBay and crushed it myself with a piece of 1 1/2" square tube welded to a piece of flat steel for a stable base, then use a length of 1 1/2" square bar stock as a mortar. Beat with hammer, sift through various screens to get the size you want. +1 on the hard as nails! Watch where the material ships from, I got some from Hong Kong and it took weeks to ship. There have also been issues with quality from foreign sources, buyer beware. Quite a few US sellers with reasonable prices and shipping. Hope this helps.