electricface
starting to spend too much on rocks
First fish of the day
Member since August 2012
Posts: 211
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Post by electricface on Aug 21, 2012 6:54:02 GMT -5
Hi its me again. Face! lol I am ordering my tumbler and some supplies today. Should I spend the extra few dollars to get the dbl 3lb barrel or just go with the single 3lb barrel? Also I need small polished amethyst chips or pebbles in the range or 3mm - 5mm. How can I get something like this without wasting a ton of money?
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fwfranklen (Mike)
spending too much on rocks
Rock-ON--Have you kissed your rock today?
Member since August 2012
Posts: 379
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Post by fwfranklen (Mike) on Aug 21, 2012 7:55:27 GMT -5
It is better to have an extra barrel for just the polish faze.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Aug 21, 2012 8:07:14 GMT -5
I bought a Lortone 33B and a third barrel for polishing. I bought a Lot-O tumbler for finishing the rocks before the first batch was done, so I've never used my polish barrel, but I'll use it when I wear one of the others out. I already want another rotary tumbler, so I would definitely suggest you get a two barrel tumbler. Tumbling is very slow and if you're impatient like me, you're going to want to speed things up as much as possible. If you have two barrels going at different stages, you're going to be able to harvest finished rocks twice as often.
Rob
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cardiobill
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 879
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Post by cardiobill on Aug 21, 2012 9:41:45 GMT -5
Echo Robs statements completely. Spring for the 2 barrel (33b). You wont be sorry. Really not a huge difference in price and you will be happy you did.
Bill
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electricface
starting to spend too much on rocks
First fish of the day
Member since August 2012
Posts: 211
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Post by electricface on Aug 21, 2012 11:37:30 GMT -5
Cool. In that case.....I'm on it! Thanks
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electricface
starting to spend too much on rocks
First fish of the day
Member since August 2012
Posts: 211
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Post by electricface on Aug 22, 2012 22:08:36 GMT -5
I suppose I'll have to get some rough amethyst and hammer it.(i think) Once I get small pieces or chips as you will.....Should I send them through any grit stage for a short time or just go straight to polish? I don't want them to become mud. I don't plan on doing it right now as I need to tumble other stuff first to get the knack of it. However I am taking notes(lots of them) so I can better prepare for what is ahead. I have read that amethyst is not necessarily and easy tumble for a beginner and my tumbler wont be in till Friday. I got one with 2 3lb barrels so I can have one barrel just for polish stage. But only because I have read and taken the advice of ppl on this board. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! Also some people have said to ask local farmers about dump sites. What is being referred to? Tons of farmers around here but I need to know what I'm talking about before I approach a farmer and ask to see his dump site. lol Maybe I have missed it all together, who knows. Anyway I appreciate all the help I am receiving. Thank you.
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Post by deb193redux on Aug 22, 2012 22:41:55 GMT -5
you cannot skip the course and medium stages jsut because the chips are small.
also any attempt to make chips is not going to give you a lot of consistient size. if you need polished 3-5mm chips, you need to get some 7-8mm rough and run it through the stages - or just buy some polished chips from a bead company or on ebay.
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meta99
has rocks in the head
Ohio Flint Ridge flint
Member since October 2010
Posts: 540
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Post by meta99 on Aug 23, 2012 5:59:21 GMT -5
Ditto what Daniel said!
Amethyst is nice and hard and will not turn to mud. I started polishing some chevron amethyst a year ago and I'm almost done! Of course I threw it in with a lot of other rocks, but amethyst isn't necessarily difficult for a beginner, you're just going to have to learn patience! Unless you aren't too picky how your rocks come out.
Read all the tutorials on this board and stick around to hear what others have done. It won't take long, but you will become as picky as most....
Welcome, Sue
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Aug 23, 2012 6:15:45 GMT -5
We do lots of tumbling but if we need polished chips (for gem trees) I use this site. You can get 300 pieces of nicely polished amethyst 5-7mm for $4. www.mysticrystals.com/TREEST.htmlI love to tumble my own stuff but sometimes it just makes more sense to purchase something. Good luck! Chuck
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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 Aug 26, 2012 12:05:17 GMT -5
Yeah it hasn't been economic to polish chips for yourself in my adult lifetime I don't think...
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Post by Jugglerguy on Aug 26, 2012 20:32:25 GMT -5
In response you your question about farmers' rock piles: Around here (northern lower Michigan), there are lots of rocks that need to be picked from fields, so all fields have rock piles. Farmers just see rocks as a major nuisance, so they're usually very happy to let you pick through their piles. I've made several paths and retaining walls from rocks and I've gotten all of them from farm fields. I haven't looked for tumbling rocks in farm field's because they're not small rocks, usually softball size on up to boulders. Here's a ditch that I got a lot of wall rocks from: Usually, they're in larger piles in the middle or edge of a field, but these spread out rocks were much easier to get to and to search through. My college roommate was from near the southern border of Michigan and found the rock piles up here unusual because down there, there were huge farms with no rocks. Here's one I couldn't lift: This is what I did with them (the flat rocks were from a local quarry): More pictures of my outdoor rock projects before my interest in tumbling: wildcatjugglers.com/abram/gardening/index.html
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electricface
starting to spend too much on rocks
First fish of the day
Member since August 2012
Posts: 211
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Post by electricface on Aug 26, 2012 21:37:06 GMT -5
thank you for clearing that up. I have not seen any piles of rocks around here. Big fields no rocks. The only thing they pile up that I've seen is fallen trees. lol
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