jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,178
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Post by jamesp on Oct 23, 2012 7:21:29 GMT -5
Chips are slower to tumble.As in all cases must run w/a mix of shapes and sizes Attachments:
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Oct 23, 2012 21:50:48 GMT -5
Looks like you`ve been busy with the drill! They look darn good I think.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,178
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Post by jamesp on Oct 24, 2012 4:38:31 GMT -5
Thanks jspencer The art shop in downtown Atlanta has bought a good bit of tumbled stuff for pendants and beading.It is a collective of 70 artists,about a dozen make jewelry.Most interest is larger chip shaped stuff for tribal and bohemian style-popular right now.My cut is about $3 per stone.I hate drilling though.If i chain or leather the stone i get $15.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2012 7:00:20 GMT -5
I like the drilled stone best for some reason. Probably because it is all rock and not a lot of other stuff. With the pinch ends you can make leather necklaces at a rate of about a hundred an hour. Fast and easy and a lot of people like them.
Good job. I know the drilling sucks but with a good ball head burr you can drill them really fast. Jim
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Oct 24, 2012 10:15:30 GMT -5
Jim, you don't go all the way through with the ball-head do you? Do you just start with the ball then switch?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,178
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Post by jamesp on Oct 24, 2012 11:01:40 GMT -5
I have never used a ball end bit.All mine are 1.5 or 2 mm flat ended.What am i missing with this ball end and what is it designed to do?
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riverrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2010
Posts: 1,395
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Post by riverrock on Oct 24, 2012 11:55:55 GMT -5
Did you drill them after or before you polished them?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2012 13:43:40 GMT -5
I go all the way with the ball head. But I back up the stone with a piece of tile so the ball does not fall through. Flip the stone over and finish the hole. No break out the back this way. I just had so much trouble with the flat end bits that I gave up on them. The diamonds would wear off the corners real fast and they would not drill any more. If you have a hard and soft stone the ball will cut off to one side if it hits a seam between the hard and soft. A crooked hole has never been a problem though. You can also buy burrs with a convex face that work pretty good. I bought the most expensive flat face bits out there, drilled under water and used the two second up and down motion and still had problems.
The biggest problem is if you want a very small hole and the stone is a bit thick the shank is going to hit the stone before you get through. I have spun the burr in the drill press and ground the shank down smaller with the dremel. Worked pretty good until I twisted the ball off in a piece of Wyoming nephrite just as it was starting through the bottom. I flipped the stone and drove the ball out with a wore out flat faced bit and the stone never broke. rah rah Wyoming nephrite. Easy to work with and takes a real nice shine. I may go exclusive with it except for the rings. It drills five to ten times faster than agate. And it sells pretty good too. Jim
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,178
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Post by jamesp on Oct 24, 2012 18:51:40 GMT -5
I drilled those after polish,Riverrock. Never
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,178
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Post by jamesp on Oct 24, 2012 19:11:07 GMT -5
Never had luck witha drill press on drilling with flat bit.But 30,000 rpm dremel with stone barely under water(using a flex bit to avoid electricity) does well-if I constantly rotate the drill at about 20 degrees off vertical.Like a tornado-am i making sense?I push hard too.So the end result is a cone hole.And the drill lasts about 15 holes 3-4 mm thick agate. Polyethylene tray is a good target for the bit to hit as it digs in without running off and breaking the stone.If i use a drill press it does exactly what you said;smooths the edge off and stops cutting.I gave up on drilling till i tried the fancier dremel.It is big,adjustable and powerful. Deep holes have cut the bit above the diamond.Wish agate would drill like Nephrite.But the ball end is on the shopping list and thanks much for your suggestions Wampidy.
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