jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2014 14:17:38 GMT -5
Looks like the hole at the end of the tunnel close at hand. Fluorite recipe: AO 46 and AO 220 in rotary for 3 days each, 40% glass filler, 7/8 full barrel.(Correction-65% glass filler) Straight into AO 1000 in vibe for 4 days, 40% glass filler, vibe turned down to soft setting.(correction-65% glass filler) Then AO 14,000 for probably 2 days, below photos taken at only one day. This was only 3 pieces of test fluorite running with a batch of soft heat treated rhyolite. The green fluorite was in for 4 days, the two purple ones for only 2 days and still have 220 pits. Left fluorite only 2 days in 1000, right fluorite 4 days Fluorite back lit Two test obsidians, in same vibe recipe, but had a different rotary recipe. Smaller obsidians way friendlier to tumble. A damn miracle, polished obsidian, in shock The most difficult to polish is the heat treated rhyolite. Obsidian scratches it, so real soft. This only a matte polish. Would guess that another day in AO 14,000 may better the polish. May do 50,000, especially for the rhyolite.
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Post by 1dave on Dec 23, 2014 14:42:50 GMT -5
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2014 14:55:01 GMT -5
“That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased” - Ralph Waldo Emerson Another way to say that- learn what not to do thru many failures. This one was a long road. Love that Emerson saying. Those two are your original mahogany sheen obsidian Dave. They are tired of tumbling.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Dec 23, 2014 15:08:50 GMT -5
Very nice, James. What do the rest of them look like? Oh, you're saying that's all of them? LOL! Just kidding. I knew if you spent enough time and energy on them, you'd get it right eventually.
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Post by snowmom on Dec 23, 2014 17:10:57 GMT -5
wow! Very rewarding, a lesson for all of us as well. Patience and persistence prevail! Those are great! Merry Christmas!
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Post by Pat on Dec 23, 2014 17:16:34 GMT -5
Looks like you aced the shine thing! Very nice!
What's the next challenge?
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Post by gingerkid on Dec 23, 2014 18:19:44 GMT -5
Your tumbles look mighty fine and shiny, jamesp. Still think you should consider the obsidian tumbling contest 'cause those are outstanding. Love the fluorite and rhyolite, too. Awesome backlit shot of your fluorite tumbles! Merry Christmas!!
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Post by orrum on Dec 23, 2014 18:26:50 GMT -5
You got er done pardner!!!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2014 19:02:00 GMT -5
Thanks all. May the tumbling begin. Merry Christmas to you guys
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 23, 2014 20:54:53 GMT -5
looks like your getting your process dialed in now James.
Chuck
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2014 21:38:26 GMT -5
looks like your getting your process dialed in now James. Chuck Seems that way Chuck. It's been a long road.
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droseraguy
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 426
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Post by droseraguy on Dec 23, 2014 22:29:45 GMT -5
No coal for you this year young man. Thanks for taking us along on the ride, it has been enlightening.
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stonemaster499
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since July 2014
Posts: 97
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Post by stonemaster499 on Dec 23, 2014 22:34:15 GMT -5
Excellent job James! Where did you even get the idea for AL Ox 46 and 220? Then such a large grit jump 200-1000 very interesting. Thanks for sharing your formula. I'm curious why you didn't try "the rock shed or "mamma's minerals" (not sure who to credit, since they have the same formula posted) formula for fluorite? This works perfect for all stones < 5 hardness. Most people cannot turn down their vibes, so will require cushioning agents (sugar or corn starch), and i would be using them even with a slowed down vibe! The secret is the dry polish in any organic media (corn cob, walnut shell, apricot shell, rice hulls, sawdust, small wood filing...etc) www.therockshed.com/instructions3.htmlIncredible posts you have been sharing, with great information.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Dec 23, 2014 22:38:38 GMT -5
Great looking tumbles........Thumbs up
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2014 22:42:16 GMT -5
No coal for you this year young man. Thanks for taking us along on the ride, it has been enlightening. Coal may not be so bad, can it be tumbled ?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2014 23:18:02 GMT -5
Excellent job James! Where did you even get the idea for AL Ox 46 and 220? Then such a large grit jump 200-1000 very interesting. Thanks for sharing your formula. I'm curious why you didn't try "the rock shed or "mamma's minerals" (not sure who to credit, since they have the same formula posted) formula for fluorite? This works perfect for all stones < 5 hardness. Most people cannot turn down their vibes, so will require cushioning agents (sugar or corn starch), and i would be using them even with a slowed down vibe! The secret is the dry polish in any organic media (corn cob, walnut shell, apricot shell, rice hulls, sawdust, small wood filing...etc) www.therockshed.com/instructions3.htmlIncredible posts you have been sharing, with great information. After a couple of days in the AO 1000 all looked good with the fluorite. It is in the vibe with some big pieces of rhyolite. Not a very gentle environment except the fact that the vibe was real gentle. Those grits were used because that is what was in the cupboard. The 46 scars seemed gone after 12 hours in the AO 220, that is a real soft stone. They were pulled from the 46 early because the 220 ground off plenty, worried about loosing too much material. The 3/8-1/2 inch glass filler may be at 50% by volume in the vibe. Will get an accurate measure at clean out. thanks stonemaster
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Post by captbob on Dec 23, 2014 23:35:01 GMT -5
wanna buy an r ?Excellent job James! Where did you even get the idea for AL Ox 46 and 220? Then such a large grit jump 200-1000 very interesting. (emphasis mine) I'd go as far as perplexing. All the earlier posts about the jumps between micron sizes, and how the jumps need to be lessened - hence the 5,000 you had sent from Europe. Now, you are jumping from 220 to 1000? I might could see that after one of my 220 runs, because the run is so long that the rocks are usually well past an average 500 grit run. But, you are running 220 (after a very coarse 46 run) for only 3 days and wanting 1000 to clean that up. I'm keeping you on the naughty list for now. aside: any fracturing or cleaving issues with the fluorite in that PVC? oh, and ... Merry Christmas to jamesp
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Post by gingerkid on Dec 23, 2014 23:37:52 GMT -5
I'm keeping you on the naughty list for now. ROFL!
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on Dec 23, 2014 23:52:47 GMT -5
You did well, pays to stick with it and you certainly have, our compliments.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Dec 24, 2014 0:28:55 GMT -5
wanna buy an r ?Excellent job James! Where did you even get the idea for AL Ox 46 and 220? Then such a large grit jump 200-1000 very interesting. (emphasis mine) I'd go as far as perplexing. All the earlier posts about the jumps between micron sizes, and how the jumps need to be lessened - hence the 5,000 you had sent from Europe. Now, you are jumping from 220 to 1000? I might could see that after one of my 220 runs, because the run is so long that the rocks are usually well past an average 500 grit run. But, you are running 220 (after a very coarse 46 run) for only 3 days and wanting 1000 to clean that up. I'm keeping you on the naughty list for now. aside: any fracturing or cleaving issues with the fluorite in that PVC? oh, and ... Merry Christmas to jamesp The fluorite ground so fast with 46 it was a blitz captbob, and after a few hours in AO 220 the 46 pits were gone. The 1000 ate through it fast too, even with a very slow vibe speed. And the 14,000 had a polish on it after several hours. It just cuts fast. The two obsidians polished fast too. It came from AO 500 in the rotary though. I had a problem with the obsidian that was recently discovered. The 46 and 220 grit did fine in the 32 RPM barrels. When I went to AO 500 in the 12 RPM barrel I kept getting bruises. I thought the AO 500 was exposing the bruises. Last week i found at 12 RPM the glass filler had separated to one side of my long barrel from the obsidian and the obsidian was beating itself badly since there was no filler. So there was poor mixing in the slow barrel. Add the fact they were big obsidians hitting hard. This has been happening for a long time and I never figured it out until last week. Wiil do AO 500 at 32 RPM and then move to AO 1000 in the soft vibe for the obsidian. Figuring on the obsidian AO 46 till rounded in 32 RPM rotary AO 220 for 2-3 days in 32 RPM rotary AO 500 for 2-3 days in 32 RPM rotary AO 1000 for 4 days in slow vibe AO 14,000 for 2 days in slow vibe 40% glass filler, 7/8 full barrel Because that is basically what I did to the two obsidians in this thread. Maybe all is ironed out. Thanks for the suggestions and hints captbob Merry Christmas to you and yours
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