Kickstarter

Update: New reward levels added 9/15: PICKAXE and MINECART.

My father spent much of his life collecting rocks in the western deserts of the United States. He gathered geodes, varieties of quartz, silver ore, fossils, obsidian, and wonderstone. Sometimes he would take me along to help. We enjoyed the trips we made. When he passed away most of his collection was left in barrels and crates in his back yard. 

Now the weather won't do too much damage to these rocks, but the thought of them lying there, forgotten and unappreciated, makes me sad. I'd like to bring these stones out of obscurity and turn them into finished stones that can be appreciated and treasured. This is where you come in. With your help I can repair dad's rock saw, replace the tumbler, and process these rocks.

I've set up various reward levels so that you can share in the results of all this work. I will reserve some pieces for my brothers and sisters, but there will be enough for you as a supporter of this project. I've set limits on the larger pieces to ensure that there is enough stone, and that I will have enough time to finish and deliver the items as described. I will also document the project with video and photos.

Now it's true that you can acquire tumbled stones and rock panels for less. If you're just looking for something shiny by all means keep looking. But if you want to help bring my father's legacy out of darkness please become a sponsor of this project.

Technical Details: This project will include geodes, jasper, agate, flint, and rhyolite collected in Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Nevada. I will use the raw rocks to create flat panels (tiles, irregular, ovals and circles) suitable for display. I will also tumble some of the rocks; these will be included at most of the reward levels.

Where does the money go? My budget includes the following: replacement rock tumbler: $120, shipping: $150+ (varies on number of sponsors), website: $120 (includes a cut for kickstarter and Amazon), materials: $80 (rock polish consumables, shipping materials), lapidary class: $50, transportation: $30. I expect to complete the base project as scheduled within this budget.