morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Dec 4, 2011 13:47:31 GMT -5
For about 8lbs of rock, how much Borax should be used and for how long. I assuming I want to go heavy on the pellets for cushioning.
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Post by gr on Dec 4, 2011 17:54:54 GMT -5
Assuming you are in the burnish stage, 1 or 2 teaspoons (or) tablespoons. I really haven't noticed any difference. I usually use a tablespoon in my 12 lb'er. And yea, load the pellets to it or, leather strips if ya got it.
gr
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morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Dec 4, 2011 20:43:01 GMT -5
Thanks gr
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2011 21:49:23 GMT -5
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Dec 4, 2011 21:59:39 GMT -5
Borax water is so toxic to plants that it's hard to find a place to dump it so I use a teaspoon of Dreft soap as burnish in a UV-10. Works swell and is yard safe....Mel
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Post by johnjsgems on Dec 4, 2011 22:06:39 GMT -5
Powdered Tide laundry detergent works really well too.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Dec 5, 2011 22:08:19 GMT -5
Weekly I'd dump 10 gallons of tumbling rock snot at work, a gravel construction yard. It would kill all the weeds. Worked better than weed killer. Don't ask me why. We had these 7'+ tall wild sunflowers that would just curl up and die within days. It would kill all weeds. So I don't dare dump it in my yard. You'd think all that finely ground agate & jasper would add minerals to the soil? I'd burnish using grated Ivory soap but that went down the drain.
LarryS
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Post by johnjsgems on Dec 5, 2011 22:14:09 GMT -5
Larry, are you tumbling arsenic, lead and mercury? Most rock slurry is beneficial to the plants.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Dec 6, 2011 0:49:35 GMT -5
Hi John,
No, using just your standard silicon carbide grits. And most of the rock I tumble come from your neighborhood. That's it! Weekly change out (2) 6# & (1) 12# barrels and after rinsing, I fill up (2) 5 gallon buckets. Kills the living weeds and nothing goes back in that area. My company wanted me to dump more for weed control. Told them to buy me more tumblers & grit, I'd be more than happy to kill the weeds. They ended up laying me off and moving out of state instead. Now I don't know what to do with all the rock snot!
LarryS
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Post by rocklicker on Dec 7, 2011 16:36:54 GMT -5
So has anyone come up with a good water filtration system? I am reluctant to dump sludge in the back yard. I am going to start using dreft however I still don't like the idea of dumping out sludge near our trees and garden without knowing the effects of silicon carbide being absorbed into the surrounding soil. Steve
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Dec 7, 2011 17:11:38 GMT -5
This past year I have been dumping all my barrels and washing them in my outside 5 foot wide by 50 foot long bed in my garden.About ten tumblers going all times.I took this photo a few minutes ago to show how its affected my plants.I dont put borax in it. Dont know about it hurting the plants. snuffy
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Dec 8, 2011 0:23:48 GMT -5
I use Covington's grit carrier & dump cerium oxide into the rinse buckets. Kills the weeks at work. Don't know what to say. Maybe I'll experiment and dump some on my neighbor's bushes before I try it in my yard!
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Dec 8, 2011 13:47:18 GMT -5
Larry,you got me curious now. Seems like it would have to be the grit carrier or the cerium that is killing the plants.No experience with the carrier,and dont use cerium oxide for polish.I save all my ao polish in containers,so very little polish residue gets poured on mine.Maybe somebody can find the answer.
snuffy
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Post by johnjsgems on Dec 8, 2011 15:08:04 GMT -5
Maybe their grit carrier has borax in it. The SC and minerals off the rocks (most rocks) should not hurt plants but be beneficial even.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Dec 8, 2011 16:46:41 GMT -5
No way would Covington say what is in their "Old Miser" product. Trade secret I'm sure. I've been using this stuff since day one and like it. I use more water than suggested and it makes a thick slurry. It's a brown powder with a flour consistancey. I use 1 heaping table spoon per 6# load. I actually stopped tumbling a couple months ago when I got laid off because I don't know what to do with the waste. But last week I fired up my 12# machine to tumble new Last Chance Canyon stones, which is super nice material and probably the best looking local rocks I've tumbled so far. Fingers crossed!
I have a couple weeks to come up with a solution. The buckets I use are these special 6 gal ones with screw on lids. I live on the edge of town & have the option of dumping it out in the country but don't want to do that. My luck I'd get caught. I tumble hard jasper & agates. I tumble first stage 6-8 weeks, rinsing & changing grit weekly. Cerium won't be for a while.
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Post by johnjsgems on Dec 8, 2011 19:58:25 GMT -5
Let it dry and put it in the trash. With the price of cerium maybe you should recycle it.
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LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
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Post by LarryS on Dec 9, 2011 0:04:28 GMT -5
John & Snuffy, Mystery solved. After deep thought, I figured out what was killing those weeds. For years, even before I started dumping tumbling snot next to my shop at work, me & the president of the company would pee there. Then I started dumping 10 gallons of the waste and it was probably reactivated all the urine acids, etc and killed the near by weeds. I was ready to run to Home Depot and buy a bunch of cheapo potted plants and experiment by pouring all the different ingredients into the plant and see which one would die. I always fess up to my mistakes and I learned my lesson. Use the bathroom! Don't know if you remember what I look like John, we met at Yucaipa. When you see me at Quartzsite, I give you permission to slap me on the side of my head! This is me on the right, Diane is on the left. LarryS
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Post by NatureNut on Dec 9, 2011 7:36:49 GMT -5
Hahahaha...
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Post by johnjsgems on Dec 9, 2011 9:19:13 GMT -5
You are looking a lot like Christopher. I do remember our visit at Yucaipa show. Looking forward to another visit at Quartzsite.
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morsefire
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2011
Posts: 83
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Post by morsefire on Dec 16, 2011 18:30:42 GMT -5
So I'll put this out there as somewhat of a newbie. Why not just rinse them well and run them through the dishwasher for a cycle or two?
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