oghoagie
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2011
Posts: 17
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Post by oghoagie on Jan 7, 2012 17:15:37 GMT -5
We are still working on our first set of rocks. A beginners mix that came with the tumbler. Very few of the rocks were ready after 10 days. So I took them out. the other rocks were not really close so I replaced the removed rocks with some new ones added water and fresh grit. The rocks that were left were very small I feel that in a week or so some of them will be gone all together.
Is this the way you should do this? Add new rocks and keep rolling? The rocks that are ready for step 2 are very few and also very small at this rate it will take 3 or 4 batches to fill the step 2 barrel. Again is this OK, or normal I only have a 3lb barrel. I just got a second tumbler with 2 barrels again 3lbs barrels.
I picked up a 4th barrel and thought I was getting another 3lb and turns out it was a 1.5. Is that good for my polish stage?
I want to get into posting some picks but my 10 little stones are not very impressive.
Any more help you can give would be great thanks again.
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Post by susand24224 on Jan 7, 2012 19:58:47 GMT -5
To try to answer all of your questions:
1. It is entirely normal to have a handful of small stones ready for the next stage while the rest of the curmudgeons sit there stubornly clinging to their flaws.
2. You have several choices: You can fill up the space left by the ten little ready ones (and the decrease in size of the ones not yet ready) with ceramic shapes, driveway gravel, more rocks, whatever you have handy that won't impede the tumbling activity.
3. 1.5 will be fine for polish.
4. Your ten little stones are perfect. This, alone, is cause for celebration--they are impressive because they are your first. Don't hesitate to post photos.
I have Big Huey the monster tumbler going constantly with appropriate Mohs 7 rocks. After 7-10 days, a handful is done each time; these wait their turn for a smaller tumbler or the Lot-O. Some of that stuff has stayed in there for months.
Susan
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jan 7, 2012 23:26:43 GMT -5
Oghoagie I am only a couple days behind you, but we committed all 3 of our rotary tumbler barrels to rough, adding our own jaspers to them. I opened them a couple days ago and added some smaller bits, so I am only going to be checking again in another few days, although I am a tad worried now if your rocks are so small, that maybe some of ours are teeny now as well.
I'll leave them in until tomorrow night or Monday and we'll see then if there are any we can set aside for stage 2.
I'd love to see what you have, how they are coming align because we are at the same stage!
John
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