morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Nov 20, 2011 10:27:27 GMT -5
Hello from the land of BIFS! I've been collecting them for quite some time as they are thick up here. Recently starting tumbling with a tumbler I built. I've had some luck with BIFS in glacial til because they are much smoother but some of the really pretty stuff I find is very jagged and oddly shaped. Has anyone developed techniques for tumbling these. I've toyed with the idea of a sand tumble with steel BB's to try to knock some of the edges down.
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Post by tandl on Nov 20, 2011 10:49:01 GMT -5
BIF`S are cool ! most of us use a trim saw and grinders to shape or smooth of jagged edges.
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Nov 20, 2011 11:58:46 GMT -5
This stuff? I guess I didn't know you could tumble it. We saw slabs or rough shapes then grind. Actually, we only did the first saw steps on the sphere above and we got another guy to make the sphere.
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morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Nov 20, 2011 12:21:37 GMT -5
Well we're going to find out if we can or can't. The glacial til bifs are in the prepolish phase but they're looking fantastic. I'll post the results when they're done.
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Nov 20, 2011 14:03:45 GMT -5
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morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Nov 20, 2011 16:25:54 GMT -5
Wow those are beautiful!!!!!
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Nov 21, 2011 1:26:30 GMT -5
Get yourself a tile saw and trim the high spots, ridges and sharp edges off before you tumble them. Around $80 at Menards or Home Depot.
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Nov 21, 2011 4:39:38 GMT -5
We have them over here also in Jasper polishes up very good jack Yorkshire uk
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Nov 21, 2011 9:50:28 GMT -5
I really like the polish on Northshore's photographs. I haven't thought to make up a tumbler batch because I thought to get a polish like that, I would have to do the polish on each stone by hand. If you guys have any secrets or tips you want to share, I for one would love to hear 'em.
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Post by tandl on Nov 21, 2011 9:57:48 GMT -5
Those are Fantastic - North
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Nov 22, 2011 17:37:46 GMT -5
Hi Steve
That last Pic is amazing for colour and dynamic movement a truly awsome rock
Jack Yorkshire uk
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Nov 22, 2011 20:32:40 GMT -5
Peach... the stuff I've found and worked (looks like your sphere) has been mohs 7 and tumbled fine with small helper lakers. You do run into some mixed hardness and have to watch for some softer Hematite layers which undercut. Sometimes the jasper will be mixed too and stubborn to gloss up, but I treat them (cut, grind, polish) just like any other hard stone.
Thanks Jack, Tandl & morsefire!
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morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Nov 23, 2011 7:37:43 GMT -5
Yep on the mixed hardness. I had a few that came out of the first grit completely undercut. BTW, I opened up my barrel today to check on the progress. Quite beautiful. I did forget to mention that the bifs I'm tumbling are quite large. @ Daniel: I bought a 4" diamond blade for my grinder and have been shaving the nastier edges for my next batch. Thanks everyone! Pics to come.
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bushkraft
having dreams about rocks
Public nuisance Number 1
Member since July 2011
Posts: 65
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Post by bushkraft on Nov 23, 2011 9:27:40 GMT -5
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morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Nov 23, 2011 14:13:54 GMT -5
These are alot of what I find. Both of these weight about 2 lbs.
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morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Nov 23, 2011 16:35:29 GMT -5
Whoops. Lets try that again.
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morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Nov 23, 2011 16:37:42 GMT -5
One i found today.
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morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Nov 28, 2011 19:25:44 GMT -5
Prepolish Phase on my newest batch. Little rough but these are pretty big.
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morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Nov 28, 2011 19:29:06 GMT -5
Here's the newest batch of the masher. 60 Grit/Pea Gravel/Innertubes. Ready for the 60/90
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Dec 1, 2011 23:12:07 GMT -5
Thanks, folks. To Northshore, I really appreciate the hints, and to Morsefire, these updates are very interesting and helpful. I do like to see what can be done with the bigger guys, call 'em specimens, cabinet pieces, decor pieces...what have you. A girl can only wear so much jewelry but I can still fill cabinets. Heh heh. When Kindle obsoletes all my books, I will have LOTS of new shelf space crying out for polished goodies...
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