Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14687
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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Here is a tidbit of advice for you folks with Iron specimens in your collections. This tip comes straight from a "guru" of meteorites - one of the major collectors who started me off.
Quote:
A couple words on taking care of your specimens in case we haven't talked about this. If you buy irons, be sure to purchase a metal protectant spray and use it a couple times a year. I use something called Sheath that is now under a different name. It's available in outdoors stores and gunshops. Spray your irons, let set 20 minutes and then gently wipe off. This will help preserve them. I also make it a point to keep most irons in a tupperware container with a packet of dessicant when I'm not out looking at or showing them.
I'm getting me some of that sealer spray. 
Edited by Glassthrower (01/28/08 12:45 PM)
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Jim7728
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/10/05
Posts: 4009
Loc: Stoop Landing Observatory, NYC
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Interesting. Never thought that an iron meteorite would actually oxidize.
I remember touching those large iron meteorites at the Hayden Planetarium and it felt like the meteor had some kind of urethane coating. No rust
BTW Mike, I thought you were the "Guru" of meteorites. Least around here. 
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Jim
TV-76 -40mmHa/5mm BF
Vixen NA-140
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matt
Vendor (Scopemania)
Reged: 07/28/03
Posts: 10022
Loc: Chaville, France
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Quote:
Interesting. Never thought that an iron meteorite would actually oxidize.
I remember touching those large iron meteorites at the Hayden Planetarium and it felt like the meteor had some kind of urethane coating. No rust
That was the oily (and something-elsy) film deposited by the thousands of people who had touched it before you.
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Jim7728
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/10/05
Posts: 4009
Loc: Stoop Landing Observatory, NYC
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Quote:
That was the oily (and something-elsy) film deposited by the thousands of people who had touched it before you.
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Jim
TV-76 -40mmHa/5mm BF
Vixen NA-140
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LivingNDixie
Lord of Ferrets
Reged: 04/23/03
Posts: 15790
Loc: Hoover, AL
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My iron meteorite has a little rust one it. I have not sprayed it with anything yet. I keep in a box, never thought about the packet of dessicant, but that is a good idea.
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Preston
Celestron 11" Nexstar GPS XLT
Lunt LS60T/Ha 60mm f/8.33 (on order)
It’s not finishing something when your tank is empty that makes you a stronger person. It’s brushing yourself off and refacing the foe that defeated you with the same determination and willingness to fight that you had when you began your journey.
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molniyabeer
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/08/05
Posts: 2061
Loc: Central Coast, California
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Irons will definitely rust! I have a cut Canyon Diablo that I have to get re-etched due to rust.  Natan irons from China are reputed to be especially quick rusters.
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Steve
16" Meade LightBridge (Beowulf)
10" Hardin DSH, StarMax 127mm Mak, PST H-a
Oberwerk 11 x 70 binocs, Tasco 10 x 50 binocs
Santa Maria Clear Sky Clock
Figueroa Mt Clear Sky Clock
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LivingNDixie
Lord of Ferrets
Reged: 04/23/03
Posts: 15790
Loc: Hoover, AL
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Guess I better get some of that spray stuff then.
Mike,
What did you end up getting, and any suggestions on what to use to take rust off with?
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Preston
Celestron 11" Nexstar GPS XLT
Lunt LS60T/Ha 60mm f/8.33 (on order)
It’s not finishing something when your tank is empty that makes you a stronger person. It’s brushing yourself off and refacing the foe that defeated you with the same determination and willingness to fight that you had when you began your journey.
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molniyabeer
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/08/05
Posts: 2061
Loc: Central Coast, California
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I've also noted somoe of my stony meteorites will rust, too, due to the minute specks of metal in them. Several that were sitting on paper lables left little rust spots on the paper when I moved the stone.
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Steve
16" Meade LightBridge (Beowulf)
10" Hardin DSH, StarMax 127mm Mak, PST H-a
Oberwerk 11 x 70 binocs, Tasco 10 x 50 binocs
Santa Maria Clear Sky Clock
Figueroa Mt Clear Sky Clock
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14687
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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Preston,
Right now I only have two iron specimens. One is a Canyon Diablo that weighs about 1.5 to 2 grams. It has a tiny bit of rust on it, but is otherwise in great shape. The other is a heavily-weathered and oxidized fragment, about 1-2 grams, that I found in one of my Morocco batches. I'm not sure what it is, but it's either 100% metal or close to it - perhaps a large inclusion from a main mass that was weathered or ejected away?
I haven't tried to clean my Canyon Diablo yet. I'll ask my meteorite guy what to do about the rust.
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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matt
Vendor (Scopemania)
Reged: 07/28/03
Posts: 10022
Loc: Chaville, France
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Maybe there will be more to collect from soon... two nights ago there was a "fersh fall" in central France, a greenish fireball trailed over Central France and is believed to have made landfall near Bourges, after being spotted from places 400 miles apart - to the point where firefighters where dispatched in case it was a plane, not a meteorite.
The bad news is the area has a lot of forests and ponds, so recovering meteorite(s) is not likely.
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14687
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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Wow, I bet that was something to see Matt. If anything hit the ground, it will likely turn up.
BTW everyone, Meteorite Mecca is SOON :
http://www.meteorite-times.com/tucson/
How I *wish* I could go! One day, but not this year.
This is the who's who and the be-all-end-all of Meteorite auctions and sales. The biggest and best from around the world will be there with the latest finds and specimens. Serious meteorite collectors show up wearing a drool-bib and with all their credit cards primed and ready. I was going to post the big Meteorite Auction page, but the owner is already over his bandwidth limit and the photos will not load.
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14687
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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Here is a photo of my current favorite. It's a 500 gram unclassified NWA meteorite - the whole thing, not just a part. I am sending off 20 grams to Dean Bessey in New Zealand to get it officially classified. Once it receives a provisional ID, I will have a "main mass" in my collection. I suspect it's an ordinary H5-type chondrite and most bigtime collectors would not bother with having it classified, but I want to do it just so my name will be in the literature - having this done is a sign that a collector has "arrived on the scene" and is getting serious.
It has been cut in half with a lapidary saw. The inner matrix has some nice nickel-iron inclusions and some subtle chondrules.
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14687
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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A shot of the insides :
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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LivingNDixie
Lord of Ferrets
Reged: 04/23/03
Posts: 15790
Loc: Hoover, AL
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How much would it be worth if it were classifed? Looks like a biggie
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Preston
Celestron 11" Nexstar GPS XLT
Lunt LS60T/Ha 60mm f/8.33 (on order)
It’s not finishing something when your tank is empty that makes you a stronger person. It’s brushing yourself off and refacing the foe that defeated you with the same determination and willingness to fight that you had when you began your journey.
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14687
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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It weighs a little over 500 grams, or about 1.1 pounds.
It's hard to put a dollar value on it when classified. I'll put it this way - there are collectors who like to have micromounts of every classified meteorite they can get their hands on, even the redundant types. So, once it becomes classified, there will be a waiting market for people wanting samples from it. I could slice off tiny 1/2 gram micromounts and sell them for $5-$10 a piece all day long until the cows come home, or until my main mass dwindles down to nothing. What a lot of collectors do, and what I will probably do in the end, is get the specimen classified and then sell enough samples from it to recoup the classification fees. The lab I am sending mine to charges $79 for classification. The lab is in Australia, so shipping the sample there will probably cost around $20-$30. So, I figure I'll end up selling about a $100 worth of micromounts from it before I lock it up in the display case and keep the remaining mass. Of course, this is all assuming that the classification comes back as a typical common chondrite. If there is a surprise in the classification and it comes back as something rare, then the value would go up tremendously. But judging by the look, feel, and inclusions, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on a rare-type classification. It's 99% likely that it's a relatively-common H4 or H5 chondrite.
Regards and clear skies,
MikeG
PS - it makes a heckuva paperweight! 
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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JanM
professor emeritus
Reged: 03/07/05
Posts: 626
Loc: Sheffield UK
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Hi guys,
This is all very interesting and i'd love to have a collection some day.
I'm wondering if you're out activley looking for these things what differentiates their appearance from ordinary rocks ?
thanks,
Jan
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- AP 130 EDF
- Trifid-2 SA-6303E-C2, SXV-M7
- AP 900 GTO3
- Observatory Progress - Just the roof left
Website - http://www.pbase.com/janmclare/
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molniyabeer
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/08/05
Posts: 2061
Loc: Central Coast, California
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If you find a fresh fall, the black burned-looking fusion crust is a good indicator. Another is magnetism. Most stony meterorites contain enough metal to attract a magnet. Cut or filed down surfaces (I've used a Dremmel grinder) will often show flecks of metal.
It would be neat to find my own. So far, I've purchased what I have.
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Steve
16" Meade LightBridge (Beowulf)
10" Hardin DSH, StarMax 127mm Mak, PST H-a
Oberwerk 11 x 70 binocs, Tasco 10 x 50 binocs
Santa Maria Clear Sky Clock
Figueroa Mt Clear Sky Clock
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LivingNDixie
Lord of Ferrets
Reged: 04/23/03
Posts: 15790
Loc: Hoover, AL
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Jan,
For me it is the idea of holding a rock that didn't come from Earth is why I buy/collect them.
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Preston
Celestron 11" Nexstar GPS XLT
Lunt LS60T/Ha 60mm f/8.33 (on order)
It’s not finishing something when your tank is empty that makes you a stronger person. It’s brushing yourself off and refacing the foe that defeated you with the same determination and willingness to fight that you had when you began your journey.
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Scott Horstman
Vendor- Backyard Observatories
Reged: 03/11/04
Posts: 4833
Loc: Wherever the boss sends me.
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OMG! Anybody here ready to open the bidding at 10k for a Fukang Pallisite? 
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Scott.
My Gallery
12.5" f/8 EQ w/Byers gears
178ED/LXD750
102ED
100mm f/13 Carton refractor
PST
DSI, ST7
www.backyardobservatories.com
www.m1OASYS.com
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14687
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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Scott,
Here some nice links with some drool-worthy specimens, including a $100,000 slab of Pallasite! 
Eye candy time!
Place an absorbent bib around your neck before viewing these.
Make sure all credit cards are securely locked away before clicking on any of these links.
Purchase of the linked specimens could lead to poverty and/or divorce.
http://www.nyrockman.com/pages/seymchan2545g.htm
http://www.nyrockman.com/pages/seymchan5.44kg.htm
http://www.nyrockman.com/pages/seymchan8.3kg.htm
Small, but striking - http://www.nyrockman.com/museum/gujba-19.1.htm
http://www.nyrockman.com/museum/imilac.htm
LOOK OUT BELOW! - http://www.nyrockman.com/pages/peekskill-today.htm
Brahin Pallasite, arguably the world's most beautiful type of Pallasite - http://www.michaelbloodmeteorites.com/MK8BrahinW.jpg
Rare GREEN olivine - http://www.michaelbloodmeteorites.com/SA1BrenhamW.jpg
Irons can be beautiful also - http://www.aerolite.org/gallery/sikhote-alin-121.htm
Iron steals the show when etched - http://www.aerolite.org/museum/glorieta-mountain.htm
To give an idea of what my 500+ gram monster rock is worth, scroll down to the unclassified NWA specimens for sale on this page. One smaller than mine is listed at over $500. Once I have mine classified, the value will triple or quadruple, or more if the analysis reveals anything unexpected - like microscopic diamond inclusions. - http://www.aerolite.org/stone-meteorites.htm
Not be outdone, impactites can have beauty as well - http://www.aerolite.org/impactites.htm
How would you like to find this in your meteorite - http://www.meteoriteman.com/collection/peridot.htm
Ok, I have saved some of the best for last. (scroll down) - http://www.meteoriteman.com/sales.htm
On a lighter meteoritic note - http://www.nakhladogmeteorites.com/aboutnakhladog.htm
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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