Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Feb 16, 2016 19:08:46 GMT -5
Well, I'm through with tumbling these rocks in there present state. These are a lot of the fractured rocks that I pick up on gravel bars. There would be some beauties in there if it wasn't for all the fracture lines in them. Just due to pits, many of them shouldn't have went into the tumbler anyhow. Out of all of these rocks there might be a full load for the Lot-O...maybe.<sigh> I'm wondering what to do with them...scrap them and say "what a neat learning experience" ? What about taking a hammer and trying to break some of them at the fractures and re-tumbling them in coarse? Save the ones I think I can salvage with my saw/grinder (for when I get it up and running)? Garbage in, garbage out...seems to be echoing in my head. Thanks for any feedback. fracturedrocks (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Feb 17, 2016 6:55:50 GMT -5
I forgot to add that these rocks have only seen a coarse grit so far. I figure the reference to the Lot-O might have given that away, though. From the vast response it seems the consensus is that they would make good pothole filler for the driveway???
|
|
Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,582
|
Post by Mark K on Feb 17, 2016 8:50:14 GMT -5
High grade them. Take to garbage out and then try to split the good stuff on the cracks. If it works, it works, if not, you tried. You could take the crap and hammer it down into smalls to use as sacrificials.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
|
Post by jamesp on Feb 17, 2016 9:12:18 GMT -5
You know what I am going to say. Prepping is everything. I would cherry pick and run them through till polish and put them in a tray to look at. So you will know what not to collect. And get some polishing experience. Those quartz rocks can frost or be a bit tricky to polish at times. Why not practice on those.
My junkers get thrown on the gravel covered areas or wife puts them in her flower pots.
Those quartz pebbles from there do show fractures. The cracks turn white and show up loud and clear. You will find agate to be more pleasant to tumble.
|
|
tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
|
Post by tkvancil on Feb 17, 2016 16:32:26 GMT -5
Yeah ... pick out the best and try to crack them along the fractures. A chisel or point punch added to the hammer may help. There is a method using a vise that may work as well.
Lots of the rocks I find around here look like that. It's tough stuff and does make for good sacrificial smalls.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Feb 17, 2016 18:21:05 GMT -5
Well, looks like I'm set on smalls. I picked through the pile and got a 20oz cup of rocks that I'm going to send through the Lot-O. Might be a few in the cup that I'll cull when I take one more look at them. In the remaining pile there are some that I'm either going to use a chisel on or save for when I get my saw running...that'll give me something to get used to sawing rocks on. Lots of them are destined to become fine sand in a sacrificial kind of way. I've got a big vise...is the vise method simply a squeezing of the rock with the fracture positioned in a particular direction? That load was definitely a learning experience. I'm looking forward to summer so I can get in the water at the creek and find more cobbles to bash my finger, er,..uh...I mean crack open with my dainty jamesp hammer.<grin> The thing about this fractured rocks is....some of them are beautiful, if not for the fractures. Where did they come from? The cobbles that I've seen aren't like some of them...or maybe I just haven't found the right cobbles. I'll just have to keep looking!!!!
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Feb 17, 2016 18:26:17 GMT -5
You know what I am going to say. Prepping is everything. I would cherry pick and run them through till polish and put them in a tray to look at. So you will know what not to collect. And get some polishing experience. Those quartz rocks can frost or be a bit tricky to polish at times. Why not practice on those. My junkers get thrown on the gravel covered areas or wife puts them in her flower pots. Those quartz pebbles from there do show fractures. The cracks turn white and show up loud and clear. You will find agate to be more pleasant to tumble. I'm going to do what you said... I've got some that I picked out and will send them on through polish. Good experience and good education on picking rocks. The problem with this equation is that I would really like to tumble local stuff. No agates down this way is there? I've got some agates stashed back for down the road, though. But I'd sure love to learn to tumble this local stuff...I was looking at clouds of red and orange in clear silica(?) in some of those fractured rocks...it just pulls you into it. If nothing else, I may polish some more of the fractured ones and give them to kids when they come by...
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
|
Post by jamesp on Feb 17, 2016 18:37:16 GMT -5
"Give them to kids when they come by" and don't forget grown up kids. I have another load of that quartzite out of the vibe a few days ago. That is some sexy rock. Let me know when I can post them.
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
|
Post by Fossilman on Feb 17, 2016 18:56:15 GMT -5
My junkers go into the grandkid pile and my rock gardens............Somebody somewhere always likes the different rocks-fractured,cracked and or pitted...
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2016 19:20:10 GMT -5
Use them as filler. Some may improve, others never, but at least they served a purpose,
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
|
Post by jamesp on Feb 17, 2016 19:35:02 GMT -5
Use them as filler. Some may improve, others never, but at least they served a purpose, I cracked up some of that quartzite into small pieces. Used it for filler and it looks mighty fine.
|
|
catskillrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,270
|
Post by catskillrocks on Feb 17, 2016 20:18:23 GMT -5
" Intheswamp " I've got a big vise...is the vise method simply a squeezing of the rock with the fracture positioned in a particular direction? There was a post on here quite awhile ago that explained how to break open large rocks with a vise. First, the vise had to be a pretty heavy duty durable one. You would purchase 2 triangular files and secure them to the opposite sides of the vise, making sure that they were directly opposite each other. Using tape to secure them. You would then put in the rock, tighten to hold in place, and begin putting pressure. Most rocks can be split this way. Also it is helpful to try to align the rock with a weak point (fracture) at the tip edge of the triangular file. Triangular File: www.google.com/search?q=triangular+file&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-rsjxjYDLAhVI9h4KHbGCDyAQsAQIPQ&biw=1319&bih=938#imgrc=nVxamqaFhoXmxM%3AHope this makes sense & helps. Don
|
|
Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,582
|
Post by Mark K on Feb 17, 2016 21:03:00 GMT -5
I have never cared for the vise method. I prefer to tap the fractures with a hammer and chisel. Notice I said TAP.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Feb 17, 2016 23:14:32 GMT -5
"Give them to kids when they come by" and don't forget grown up kids. I have another load of that quartzite out of the vibe a few days ago. That is some sexy rock. Let me know when I can post them. <chuckle> I hear ya on the grown up kids. You might as well go ahead and post'em, jamesp. They've gotta be some purdy rocks!!!
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
|
Post by jamesp on Feb 17, 2016 23:18:01 GMT -5
"Give them to kids when they come by" and don't forget grown up kids. I have another load of that quartzite out of the vibe a few days ago. That is some sexy rock. Let me know when I can post them. <chuckle> I hear ya on the grown up kids. You might as well go ahead and post'em, jamesp. They've gotta be some purdy rocks!!! Done.
|
|