70karmann
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2011
Posts: 190
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Post by 70karmann on Feb 9, 2015 9:57:51 GMT -5
Here is what is on the go:
6# Covington St Johns Flower / Tiger Eye / Blue Lace Agate / Montana Agate
6# Lortone Aventurine--Blue / Yellow / Orange
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Feb 9, 2015 10:07:13 GMT -5
I've got a 12# load of a really random mix right now... I threw in a bunch of stuff that I wasn't sure how it would polish... there are some Montana agates and some Pet wood in there, but mostly random stuff that I dont even know what it is... will post pics in a month or so after it shines up. Some jasper... some granites and other "pretty" rocks... hehehe I fired up a 15# barrel on Friday. My goal was to go with 100% pet wood, but I found three other pieces I couldn't resist throwing in... a core sample of some sort of marble, a little unidentified agate that really has me thinking about where the heck I found it... probably in the Yellowstone River... but its not a Yellowstone Moss agate... it "may" be a derivation or some such of a dryhead agate from the Pryors... and then a little piece of stromatolite I believe... Gonna start a new thread to show the start of this tumble! Will be looking forward to the new thread. Followed your last one with interest. We have talked about granite here before. When it doesn't undercut it makes a nice polished stone. For me it does better in the rotary, seems to undercut more in the vibe. I think that you will really like the stromatilite when it gets polished. Did some in '13 and it's been one of my favorites.
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Feb 9, 2015 10:14:50 GMT -5
Here is what is on the go: 6# Covington St Johns Flower / Tiger Eye / Blue Lace Agate / Montana Agate 6# Lortone Aventurine--Blue / Yellow / Orange Wow, lot of us are rolling Montanas, very cool. I looked up the St. Johns and that sure is a beautiful rock, one more to add to my "wish list" I guess.
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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 Feb 9, 2015 10:20:39 GMT -5
I have two experiments rolling -- iolite in one batch and a load of mini thundereggs in the other. I hope one if not both of the experiments work out! I still have TONS of agates to tumble but I didn't have any shaped on the wheel ready to go because of this cold winter. I hope to do some more shaping soon so I'll be ready for a new Crazy Lace etc. batch...
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hornseeker
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 268
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Post by hornseeker on Feb 9, 2015 10:23:05 GMT -5
Oh yeah, I have a nice darker green piece of Aventurine in my 12# load also. Got a little story to tell about it... I have sat next to a nice man for about 5 years... he showed me the Aventurine 5 years ago and since I've picked up a bunch... About 3 weeks ago I asked him if he'd like me to polish up a chunk for him and he was like "hell yeah, please" so its been rolling for a few weeks now. Well... last Wednesday I came to work to find out he passed away very suddenly and tragically on Tuesday night... sad deal... so now I have this piece rollin along... I hope to put a dandy polish on it... I am not sure if I'll keep it in memory of Tom... display it proudly and remember him for many years to come... or give it to his daughter... I have no idea if she is into rocks like he and I were... She's 17 years old... I am inclined to give it to her... we'll see how it turns out...
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Feb 9, 2015 10:44:01 GMT -5
Sorry to hear about your friend hornseeker. Sad indeed.
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Feb 9, 2015 10:51:00 GMT -5
I have two experiments rolling -- iolite in one batch and a load of mini thundereggs in the other. I hope one if not both of the experiments work out! I still have TONS of agates to tumble but I didn't have any shaped on the wheel ready to go because of this cold winter. I hope to do some more shaping soon so I'll be ready for a new Crazy Lace etc. batch... Iolite ... another I had to google. Looks awesome and hope it turns out well. I feel you on the cold, so ready for warmer weather.
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rockit
starting to shine!
Member since January 2015
Posts: 44
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Post by rockit on Feb 11, 2015 20:03:04 GMT -5
A bunch of 'random whatever', that came with my tumbler from TRS, mixed with bots and some Montana Moss Agate from Tony.
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victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,984
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Post by victor1941 on Feb 11, 2015 21:44:11 GMT -5
I just finished a batch of cabs from the Woodward ranch and surrounding area this evening. This material consists of plume agate and some that looks like jasper. It is now dark so tomorrow will tell how it turned out. The next load of similar material is now in the uv-18 with the 120-220 grit. My mix consists of plenty of media and various sizes cabs for a good tumble that should be finished in 11 days.
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Post by broseph82 on Feb 11, 2015 22:30:24 GMT -5
Started a new load in Lot-O after sealing up the bottom nipple hole. I have pink, yellow, white quartz with a couple pieces of jasper(from rotary). Cape May diamonds (quartz) Lace agate from GA (cracked slab that I broke today into smaller pieces and other nicer smaller slabs) Have 2Tbs sugar and 2Tbs of 120/220 Sounds like an interesting mix. I didn't know that Georgia had lace agate. Will be nice to see that when your done. These were straight out of the 120/220. Scrap piece I threw in there just to see how it would turn out.
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Feb 12, 2015 9:27:09 GMT -5
Thanks for the pics broseph82 its a really cool rock.
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meviva
Cave Dweller
Member since July 2013
Posts: 1,474
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Post by meviva on Feb 14, 2015 14:41:40 GMT -5
I've got a 6# barrel of Amethyst and Smoky Quartz from the Rockshed, and another 6# barrel of mixed obsidian. I'm going to do the Feather River Lapidary 2015 world tumbling contest also but this batch is practice before I start the ones I got from them. I'm trying to come up with my own method using different things I have read about. I'm sure I won't win but I wanted to participate.
Andrea
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Feb 14, 2015 19:38:22 GMT -5
I've got a 6# barrel of Amethyst and Smoky Quartz from the Rockshed, and another 6# barrel of mixed obsidian. I'm going to do the Feather River Lapidary 2015 world tumbling contest also but this batch is practice before I start the ones I got from them. I'm trying to come up with my own method using different things I have read about. I'm sure I won't win but I wanted to participate. Andrea I'm doing the contest as well. Just opened the barrel today and have a mess. Obsidian often gives off gas. My barrel was swelling up about every 12 hours so I added a tablespoon of borax last Tuesday. The slurry had gotten so thick that all the small stuff and ceramics were glued to the outside of the barrel. The larger pieces were all frosted and chipped up. I've probably set my coarse grind time back 2 or three weeks. Restarted it all and will put up with the twice a day burps. Watch your obsidian barrel for swelling. First time I ran obsidian the top came loose on a 12# barrel when it gassed up. Quite a mess to clean up. If you use a thickener like sugar or borax pay attention to the sound. If it starts making that clunking a too thick slurry makes be sure and thin it out. Best of luck in the contest. Maybe we will have an all RTH top three this year.
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meviva
Cave Dweller
Member since July 2013
Posts: 1,474
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Post by meviva on Feb 14, 2015 21:32:35 GMT -5
I'm having the opposite problem with my test batch, which seems to be the same types of obsidian that was sent to me for the contest. I have done three 10 day courses of 80 grit and the slurry is always very thin. The first two times there was grit that still looked like I just put it in when I checked it about 5 days into it. I knew there could be a gas problem so I watched for it and the barrel never swelled. I set the alarm on my phone and everyday it told me to burp the obsidian…lol but I never had to. I opened it up today and they are looking good, I may be able to take a couple out and the rest maybe done after the next round of 80 grit. I will be sure to keep an eye on the batch with the contest obsidian for signs of swelling.
Good luck to everyone participating in the contest.
Andrea
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chazrocker
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
Posts: 24
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Post by chazrocker on Apr 7, 2016 20:13:57 GMT -5
Picked up a Lortone QT12 last Saturday. Running a mix or quartz, carnelian, jasper, chert, and whatever volcanic chalcedony is stuck to each piece. All personally collected on the Oregon coast. New tumbler is running strong and I'm stoked to process a large batch at once.
-Chaz
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,342
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Post by quartz on Apr 7, 2016 23:06:37 GMT -5
Running a mix of pet. wood, jasper, and beach agate in my homemade vib. Still trying to make it work better, got a good polish on the load, then blew it trying for a really good polish. Made some modifications on the machine, runs better. Found that sugar doesn't work, but corn starch is working great, a real stinker to get the slurry right, but I'm up to a good polish+ as of this evening. If tomorrow improves like today, I'll have that really good polish.
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Apr 8, 2016 9:41:31 GMT -5
Picked up a Lortone QT12 last Saturday. Running a mix or quartz, carnelian, jasper, chert, and whatever volcanic chalcedony is stuck to each piece. All personally collected on the Oregon coast. New tumbler is running strong and I'm stoked to process a large batch at once. -Chaz Hey Chaz welcome to the forum. The QT is a nice machine. Have one myself. Can't beat tumbling self collected material. Good luck and looking forward to seeing your results.
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Apr 8, 2016 9:54:17 GMT -5
Running a mix of pet. wood, jasper, and beach agate in my homemade vib. Still trying to make it work better, got a good polish on the load, then blew it trying for a really good polish. Made some modifications on the machine, runs better. Found that sugar doesn't work, but corn starch is working great, a real stinker to get the slurry right, but I'm up to a good polish+ as of this evening. If tomorrow improves like today, I'll have that really good polish. Went and looked at your homemade vibe. Impressive build.
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Apr 8, 2016 10:30:40 GMT -5
A mixture no-no. Big Sur jade, agate, jasper, Arizona pet. wood, moss agate, lake superior agate and labradorite. Trying a new method...sorta.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,688
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 8, 2016 15:21:40 GMT -5
Now I have some glass,Obsidian and Sunstone in the small tumbler and a bit of everything in the larger tumbler (Jasper,agate,petwood,Amethyst) and a bit more...
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