huskeric
spending too much on rocks
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Post by huskeric on Aug 19, 2016 10:03:14 GMT -5
If any of you have read my posts of late, it is about trying to learn the tumbling process and get better and better. I think I am pretty solid on stage one now, with pre-forming and selecting material. From there, I still have quite a bit to learn. I really want to make sure I get better and better, because when I see these rocks, I want to do justice to them. This is another set of the rocks that we picked up in Wyoming on a family trip. These were almost exclusively picked up out of the hotel parking lot islands (long story). I think these are some beautiful stones, and I really want to get them done right. These are just stage one, heading into stage 2. I like these because they are the seam between two different types of rocks, and you can see how they're melded together. I LOVE this one, here are both sides of it... It reminds me of raspberry jam on the back side. That color is just beautiful. This one, and many of the others from the larger batch have a really cool irridescence as you catch them just right. This one has a really cool orange/pink color. I would say peach, but it's not quite peach... This one is an agate that I didn't see coming. It looked nothing like this when it went into the barrel. Now you see part of the reason I want to get good at doing this. I have some really neat material to work with. Thanks for taking a look!
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stonedape
starting to spend too much on rocks
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Post by stonedape on Aug 19, 2016 10:31:24 GMT -5
Looking good! Do you have any before pictures? I am trying to learn what "rough" stones look like that are worth tumbling. I seem to only hound ones that are preshaped by nature.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
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Post by ubermenehune on Aug 19, 2016 17:33:13 GMT -5
Nice job man. Unakites are some of my favorite tumbled stones.
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 19, 2016 20:00:08 GMT -5
Those are looking great!
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glacialtilly
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Post by glacialtilly on Aug 19, 2016 21:14:29 GMT -5
I am in the same boat as you, Huskeric. I too don't want to mess up those rocks that look so much better from rough to stage 1. But, I think it's kinda like learning to cook...we have to experiment and get messy with some failures, but great yummy things happen in the process. I love how you are experimenting with different kinds of barrels. After reading so much on here about homemade tumblers, I asked my lovely very handy husband if I could use the piece of conveyor belt he snagged from work to build a tumbler. He's all about that!!
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Post by Garage Rocker on Aug 20, 2016 0:51:01 GMT -5
Looking good, anxious to see them all finished up.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Aug 20, 2016 6:37:17 GMT -5
Looks like some granites Rick. Granite can be finicky about undercutting and getting a final polish. They round fast and look great during coarse grind. But I have found them fussy in the final stages. Here in Georgia I have snuck them out of parking lots and some of the best from the railroad tracks where they are deposited from quarries all over the state. Georgia has some really fine and diverse granite. But can not master tumbling it. And am not positive that your stones are granite but sure looks that way. If granite and you nail a good finish then you deserve an ovation and please tell your mastery. Unakite an easier tumble. And yours are fine examples. Some of our granite is remelted or reheated and recompressed into gneiss. It tumbles much better. As the silica and felspar have blended. Here is a link on some Georgia granitoids in the rough and during tumbling if it helps ID www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157651560573935
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huskeric
spending too much on rocks
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Post by huskeric on Aug 22, 2016 14:12:13 GMT -5
I'm sure a LOT of it is granite, and I've already seen some undercutting, but am hopeful that they won't completely go to hell, because there is some really beautiful stuff in there. I would tell you also that if I nail a good finish, I don't deserve an ovation, but I should maybe buy some lottery tickets as well! =) I will post some pics of the larger rough that came from CO. Some of that is very...granitey, I know that's not a word, but they are very fragmented and some are full of mica, and I know they won't polish, and I believe the mica-laced ones can screw up an entire batch. They are darn-sure pretty rocks though.
I will post some more pics as these come out of stage 2, I just fired them up yesterday.
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huskeric
spending too much on rocks
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Post by huskeric on Aug 25, 2016 17:09:34 GMT -5
I sneaked a peek at them, and here are some more pics from Wyoming that are four days into stage 2 The coloration of this one is off, and I can't get it quite right, but the rocks look pretty true to color. They are coming along beautifully, better than my photography. I was afraid that the black/pink one wouldn't polish and would really undercut, but it seems to be doing well, at least for now.
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richardh
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Post by richardh on Aug 25, 2016 23:14:25 GMT -5
Those look really nice!
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stonedape
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Post by stonedape on Aug 29, 2016 10:08:30 GMT -5
I sneaked a peek at them, and here are some more pics from Wyoming that are four days into stage 2 The coloration of this one is off, and I can't get it quite right, but the rocks look pretty true to color. They are coming along beautifully, better than my photography. I was afraid that the black/pink one wouldn't polish and would really undercut, but it seems to be doing well, at least for now. Looking great! Do you have any pics of them as rough? Keep up the good work!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Aug 29, 2016 11:48:26 GMT -5
Usually granite will start undercutting around 500 to 1000 grit steps. I am still assuming those may be granite. Fingers crossed that you will nail these. Especially if they are granitoids.
If they are granite perhaps you can share your method with many others that get frustrated with granite. The Great Lakes guys find the killerest of granite, and here in Georgia it gets real fine looking.
please put the wet shine on them
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huskeric
spending too much on rocks
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Post by huskeric on Aug 29, 2016 16:32:14 GMT -5
Usually granite will start undercutting around 500 to 1000 grit steps. I am still assuming those may be granite. Fingers crossed that you will nail these. Especially if they are granitoids. If they are granite perhaps you can share your method with many others that get frustrated with granite. The Great Lakes guys find the killerest of granite, and here in Georgia it gets real fine looking. please put the wet shine on them That's odd to me, I would think it would be the opposite, but that has no basis in experience, just that I would think the differences in hardness would be more exposed by coarser grit than finer. I thought if I made it into the pre-polish/polish stages, I would be in the clear. Can you even hand-polish them if they do undercut? I don't think I would do it for all of them, but there are a few that are so beautiful, I would put in the time with automotive sandpaper or whatever else it would take. I'm pretty sure that most of them are granite, so that's probably where the wheels will come off for me. They've been running for a few days now, so I'll pull a few and see what's shakin' with them.
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huskeric
spending too much on rocks
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Post by huskeric on Aug 29, 2016 16:33:12 GMT -5
I sneaked a peek at them, and here are some more pics from Wyoming that are four days into stage 2 The coloration of this one is off, and I can't get it quite right, but the rocks look pretty true to color. They are coming along beautifully, better than my photography. I was afraid that the black/pink one wouldn't polish and would really undercut, but it seems to be doing well, at least for now. Looking great! Do you have any pics of them as rough? Keep up the good work! Man, I didn't. I'm kicking myself for that. I would have sworn I did.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Aug 29, 2016 16:46:09 GMT -5
Makes no sense to me but the 500 step is where it seems to undercut. Maybe 220 too, it's been a while.
Those are fine. Maybe they will behave an not undercut and take a great polish.
That black one is real interesting, trying to figure the black component. Mine are all very well rounded and waiting for someone to develop a recipe that will put a finish on them.
Now cutting granite and finishing it on say a cab machine or getting a polish on a flat slab using a lapper is not a problem. Kitchen counters and headstones are examples of finely polished granite. It is the tumbling action that eats away at the felspar, felspar is the culprit. It too is beautiful but tricky to tumble.
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huskeric
spending too much on rocks
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Post by huskeric on Aug 30, 2016 21:23:51 GMT -5
Makes no sense to me but the 500 step is where it seems to undercut. Maybe 220 too, it's been a while. Those are fine. Maybe they will behave an not undercut and take a great polish. That black one is real interesting, trying to figure the black component. Mine are all very well rounded and waiting for someone to develop a recipe that will put a finish on them. Now cutting granite and finishing it on say a cab machine or getting a polish on a flat slab using a lapper is not a problem. Kitchen counters and headstones are examples of finely polished granite. It is the tumbling action that eats away at the felspar, felspar is the culprit. It too is beautiful but tricky to tumble. The black is actually the softer of the two stones, almost like a sandstone. I was very surprised that it took the shape that it did, but I'm going to keep fingers crossed on the undercutting. If it comes out, it will absolutely be one of my crown jewels (not that I have many to choose from thus far). It was the only one like it that we brought back with us.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Aug 31, 2016 5:14:06 GMT -5
Granites round fast. Seems like the faster a stone rounds the more trouble it creates when it comes time to get a smooth finish/polish. Basic rule of thumb, the slower a rock rounds off in coarse the faster and easier it is to polish. Tumbling softer rocks to a polish is a real challenge. Hard agates take a long time to round but sure do take a nice polish easily.
Not to throw the rag in, granite with a satin finish is sexy too.
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huskeric
spending too much on rocks
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Post by huskeric on Sept 1, 2016 17:17:58 GMT -5
jamesp , I have been doing some poking around the interwebs, and I am wondering if the black in that stone is manganese. It would be consistent with the area, but I certainly couldn't say for sure. I found a good bit of rhodonite and unakite on the trip as well, and that's kinda what's making me think it might be.
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