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Post by Tweetiepy on Mar 9, 2005 6:53:24 GMT -5
I got my two orders of rocks in the past two days 13 lbs of various types of rocks (see Canadian vendors in the vendors section). The batch I got last night is amazing - mexican rough has mex lace that is very VERY nice - almost like llana's lace but not quite as red. I wanted to check the progress of my two bbls. I had started one of them in 60/90 and as progress was too slow I reloaded with 40/70 and that went for a week. After I put them in 220, pre-polish & polish - well after checking them last night, these are now ALL in my do-over pile They won't take a shine - more like a dull matte and I know that they can shine up as some are do-overs from my kiddy batch and those shone brightly. So last night I dreamed of rocks. The new batch I just got in, the ones I'll have to redo and the batch that I have in 40/70 - not going to skip a step with that one. So I'm back to spinning a single Here is my question: If I take out the rocks that I'm satisfied with out of my bbl can I add new jagged rocks to the bbl. Will this scratch the rocks that are almost ready to come out or will it just help along? At the bottom of my bbl there are these little "slits" along the bottom seam where there seems to have some slurry that got in there - any one else have this? How do you get it out? Thanks for listening I may get my second bbl going in coarse anyways, that way I'll be able to combine loads as they get nicer. I really need a dose of patience
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Post by Toad on Mar 9, 2005 6:56:06 GMT -5
It will probably set back the ones already done some, but probably not too badly.
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Rose
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2004
Posts: 875
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Post by Rose on Mar 9, 2005 7:03:43 GMT -5
Me too I've bought some small barrels to fit my 3lb tumbler so I can have two stages running at the same time - it means smaller batches will be coming out but I get a load finished sooner as I always have a coarse load on the go and dont have to start over each time. I'm determind not to rush this load and I'm being very picky with what comes out of coarse - but its hard BTW: Don't want to hijack Tweet's thread, I have decided to re-do some of the bigger rocks from my first batch - do I just dump them back into coarse? - Even though they have nice shine some of them are too big and oddly shaped and have some fractures in them. If I'm just trying to rid of fractures can I skip the coarse?
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Post by MichiganRocks on Mar 9, 2005 7:39:56 GMT -5
Hey Tweetie, you can add or subtract rocks from your rough grind at any time. I do it all the time. As rocks become ready, I remove them so that I don't grind away any more than is necessary. I then add more virgin stock to keep the barrel full. Rocks scratching each other is not a problem.
Rose
Grinding in coarse to remove cracks won't work unless you grind off the entire half from the crack. If you want to eliminate a crack completely, you pretty much have to split the rock through the crack. If the crack doesn't go very deep, you can grind the cracked portion off. If you tumble with the crack there, it will tend to go deeper as the crack indicates a stess point in the rock and all that beating against each other will make the stress relieve and the only way it can relieve is to spit apart. It's like working metal by hammering, it will relieve stesses, only metal is maleable so it streches instead of cracks and breaks. I don't really consider a crack a problem unless it opens up. A lot of people that I let pick rocks to keep like the character that the cracks can give a rock.
Ron
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Mar 9, 2005 7:55:51 GMT -5
Tweetie, glad you found some Mex Lace.
I agree with Ron on both the adding rocks to the coarse grind and fractures. I have a 6# bbl. running in 60/90 all the time. When I check it, I take out the ones that are done and add more rough. Unless as fracture opens up a pit in a stone I don't worry about it. It gives character to the stone. Some of my stones, even with a great polish, would be just blah if it wasn't for the interesting patterns of fractures.
Rose, yep, just dump the do overs in with the rest of the 60/90 and let 'em roll. Got alot of experience with those do overs - am doing over a WHOLE bunch of the stones I was happy with when I first started tumbling, but now are rejects because I was impatient and took them out of 60/90 too soon!
llana
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Post by mrbrett on Mar 9, 2005 8:33:25 GMT -5
I do the same. I have two tumblers, both with two 6 lbs. barrels on each. One barrel is mainly for all the mix rocks that I have. When some look good for the next stage I take them out and add more rough. The other barrel is for just one type of agate. Like right now it has montana agate tumbling. Now with this barrel I don't add any more to it because when they are all finish I will start some other type of agate in it. The other tumbler is for the rest of the stages. One barrel is for 120-220,500,1000. The last barrel is for polish. I like to get another double barrel tumbler so I can add the 120-220,500,1000 to it so one double tumbler will be used only for polish. Right now my barrel that I use for the 120-1000 grit is waiting for my course grit to finish. I have a handful of rocks ready for it but not enough to fill the barrel.
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Post by Cher on Mar 9, 2005 10:29:25 GMT -5
I do it all the time too. Gotta keep those barrels full and producing. ;D
Cher
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Mar 9, 2005 10:35:26 GMT -5
Tweet- I add to Course also- What I have started doing is sorting rocks into contairers based on where they should be- it I like the shape the rock is in outa course- it goes into the 120/220- and I add more to the course- Then when the majority of the stuff in course is done (will it ever be done) and I move to 120/220- I can just pull out the container and add it to the batch- After 120/220 I inspect what I have and decide what moves on and what stays behind- I figure by the time I get my second tumbler I'll have enough stuff worked up to always have a course barrel and a polish barrel running! Oh and the rock dreaming- Well I am expecting EYE OF THE STORM today or tomorrow and my dreams have been VERY STRANGE- but here is something to try- take your best rock (what ever one is your favorite) and put it by your bed side (some say to place them under your pillow) it should help induce pleasent relaxing sleep- I was doing it for a while and then some one in my house took the rock (nobody wants to own up to it) Well ever since then my sleep has stunk! I finially decided to find a new favorite but I just can't decide (hmmm maybe I'll move the tumbler to my night stand- then I can listen to all the rock just bouncing around!)
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