Strict Micromounters

Indeed Alfredo, there is a difference, that is why, before I set up our little swap project, I tested how deep the water was
in this thread

Micromount definition?

I concluded, as expected, Europeans do not 'mount' like Americans understand that.
We also care less about the overall size of a specimen. We will never break it up, just so it
would fit in a micro box...
Microcollecting would be a more appropriate term indeed.

Greetings from France,

Eddy



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2009 08:52AM by Eddy Vervloet.

Well, I am glad to see this has stirred up so much discussion. I got my mindset decades ago while I was in high school and I got my hands on the pink Milton Speckles book. I am tickled now to have some mounts that were mounted and labelled by Mr. Speckles. And I think I particularly value another persons mounts when I actually know the other person.
(I never actually met or knew Milt Speckles, but I kind of feel I know anyone whose book I have read, if I ever happen to have a Neal Yedlin mount come my way I will feel the same).

I certainly do find mineral tack foul and oily, but my nose isn't sensitive enough to detect the stench. I do sometimes use tack to perserve some of my "material for trade", but I pray that the material doesn't stay on the tack very long, and that it will get into the hands of someone who will properly mount it before the matrix becomes saturated with oil. In general, I despise tack and commend Alfredo for telling it like it is. Maybe I will switch to mounting my trade material with white glue and eschew tack altogether. I do know a fellow who takes a few empty perky boxes and a bit of tack into the field to preserve some really delicate items that would be unlikely to survive any kind of packing and this certainly has merit. Never say never.

For me I guess if I had to boil down what most appeals to me: It is all about the crystals! And I seem to come across the greatest diversity of really exciting crystals in micros. As for mounting - it is all about preserving those crystals.
I never really rest until I have a finished and labelled mount - up to that time all kinds of misfortunes can come along.

Tom, there is a lot of different tack out there!
But the good stuff contains no oil at all! The big advantage of tack is (providing we are not talking
about micro-micro-micro pieces...), that you can quickly and easy take a specimen out of the box
to take a picture or so and just as quickly put it back in. I personally hate it when one is glued in...
I always re'mount' new specimens and I hate to have to use whatever it takes to disolve the glue...
And of course I also take a dozen boxes with some tack to the collecting site!

Greetings from France,

Eddy

For those micro micro micro pieces, cat whiskers work great. Here kitty kitty !
Bill

lol Bill! You guys never stop to amaze me!

Greetings from France,

Eddy

Hi ,
I have e new web site on micromounts
www.micromounts.it
I suggest you to have a look.
Thanks for your visit.
Gianni Porcellini - Italia

Hello Gianni;

I visited your site and I think it is the start of a very good one. Great picture of Toscano! (and the sphalerite and ennargite are not bad either). I will look forward to following the development. Bellisimo!