[meteorite-list] Admire Pallasite Destruction!

From: Adam Hupe <raremeteorites_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:44:32 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <1353350672.75579.YahooMailNeo_at_web122006.mail.ne1.yahoo.com>

I appreciate the kind words.

I find it funny that you mention a 16" saw needing a lot of coolant. I almost went broke filling up my 24" Highlands Park with 100 gallons of mineral oil.? When the price of mineral oil went from $2.79 a gallon to over $6.00 gallon, I finally switched to purified water knowing that the saw had to be cleaned and dried after every session.? I don't know if anybody has cleaned the sludge out of a big saw running oil as a coolant but it can take weeks due to filtering.? I have done it several times and don't wish this task upon anyone.


More important than equipment is the operator.? The real costs can be measured in time.? It takes a great deal of time to prepare meteorites right.? I have seen "meteorite preparers" go from 80 grit to 600 grit skipping every grit in-between without even cleaning the polisher.? They may have saved a few hours worth of work but the end product looks like crap.? Hurried workmanship and shortcuts may save a dealer a few bucks but it will leave an indelibly bad impression on the collector who will spend his hard-earned money on other things once dissatisfaction sets in.

It seems pride in workmanship is one of the first things to go in a competitive and depressed market.? There are still a few craftsman who do it right but I see more and more poorly prepared material than ever before.? Some find it acceptable to deal in slices that haven't even been polished.? Saw marks can be seen on specimens all over eBay and in some major auction houses including planetary slices!? The standards are much lower these days than they were ten years ago.

The good news is that there are some dealers still ready and willing to put in the time but you will more than likely not find them on eBay.? You will find that most that do it right actually enjoy cutting and polishing and are proud of the final product.

Best Regards,

Adam





----- Original Message -----
From: MikeG <meteoritemike at gmail.com>
To: Adam Hupe <raremeteorites at yahoo.com>
Cc: Adam <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2012 9:45 AM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] Admire Pallasite Destruction!

Hi Adam and List,

Very nice cutting station.? I am jealous!? Mine is a simple 6" trimsaw
and a light.? But there is always a couple gallons of distilled water
nearby.

Nobody has ever accused you Adam, or your brother Greg, or poorly
preparing specimens.? Without a doubt, Hupe preparation is
consistently some of the best in the business.? Even your small
micromounts of OC's have top-notch preparation and quality.? I've
never had a single complaint about the hundreds (literally) of Hupe
specimens I have owned over the years.? Good job and keep it up.? You
guys set the preparation bar pretty high.

To answer Matt's question about how long a dealer should "guarantee" a
specimen, well, in my opinion, that is a tough question.? I think it
depends on how that dealer markets a specimen.? If the specimen is
promoted and marketed as "stable", then I think a year, maybe two
years, is a reasonable period for a dealer to stand behind a "stable"
specimen.? Anything beyond that is unrealistic.? Even under the best
of circumstances, meteorites are alien to this world and everything
about our environment is poisonous to them.? The surefire solution is
to store them the same way NASA does - in a 100% clean controlled
environment.

And as Adam said - DISTILLED WATER IS CHEAP.? One measly dollar spent
can help ensure a more stable specimen.? Dealers and cutters take
notice.

Best regards,

MikeG

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On 11/19/12, Adam Hupe <raremeteorites at yahoo.com> wrote:
> I go to great lengths to purify water myself before it comes near a
> specimen.
>
> Here is one of my cutting workstations.
>
> Links to water purification system for wafer saw:
>
> http://themeteoritesite.com/adam/Station-1a.jpg
>
> http://themeteoritesite.com/adam/Station-1b.jpg
>
> http://themeteoritesite.com/adam/Station-1c.jpg
>
> http://themeteoritesite.com/adam/Station-1d.jpg
>
> In my opinion, if a dealer is too cheap to prepare specimens properly, then
> they shouldn't be in business.? Come on, distilled water is cheap!
>
> Adam
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Received on Mon 19 Nov 2012 01:44:32 PM PST