ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Sept 28, 2016 20:44:25 GMT -5
This is always what happens when I start a new hobby. I registered here 3 months ago. I think I have enough rough material to last me a couple of years! Maybe someday I'll actually finish my first batch and get some pictures posted??!!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,169
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Post by jamesp on Sept 28, 2016 20:48:42 GMT -5
Looks like some ~80 year old brick. Perhaps older. Warm basement spot in Chicago winter ?
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Sept 28, 2016 21:11:34 GMT -5
The house is almost 100 years old. It gets down to about 55 in the winter and 70 in the summer. There are a couple small radiators, but they don't do much to warm it up any. The coal burning furnace used to keep things nice and toasty though I'm guessing. It needed to - the house has no insulation other than 3 layers of brick and one layer of horsehair plaster. Been a labor of love restoring it. Doubt I'll ever get the money back, but it should be around for another 100 years. They don't make them like this anymore.
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Post by orrum on Sept 29, 2016 9:46:02 GMT -5
Naw you need more and bigger tumblers!!! I have a homemade frame and motor system that holds 3 12 pound barrels and one six pound barrel!!! LOL 42 pounds od rock rolling and 3 Lotos. I have about a pound of finished tumbles now. They go fast at the flea market!
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stonedape
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2016
Posts: 116
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Post by stonedape on Sept 29, 2016 10:09:07 GMT -5
Wish I had half of that equipment and rough
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Post by captbob on Sept 29, 2016 10:17:20 GMT -5
Wish I had half of that equipment and rough You will KEEP buying - Start tumblingfixed the thread title there. Tumbling isn't all consuming, plenty of time left to buy more rocks while the tumblers do their thing!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Sept 29, 2016 12:17:04 GMT -5
I took good advantage of the Rock Shed's "buy a tumbler get 20% off all tumbling rough" offer. I've also developed a love for jasper and have more than 100lbs of rough bought from a few people here. And then there was that 30lbs of mahogany obsidian. Oh, and that wonderful box of preforms from Tela. The stuff listed in the buy and sell section is usually an amazing deal. I've even sent a few messages out of the blue that have gotten me some nice material. My USPS lady must think I'm nuts.
And I'm kinda kidding, there is no "stop buying". I always say you need to have something fun to spend your money on. I like to be sitting in a boring meeting thinking "well I just made enough money to buy some more rocks".
Thanks to everyone on the message board!!
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Post by orrum on Sept 29, 2016 13:19:37 GMT -5
Contact Tony/catmandew. He has a bunch of misc tumbling rough. It's no telling what's in it!!! Gem Owhyee, tiffany, who knows! It'd fun to open the tumbler and find all the treasures that you didn't know you put in there!!!
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Fritz
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since May 2016
Posts: 77
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Post by Fritz on Oct 1, 2016 10:17:11 GMT -5
Wow nice stockpile indeed.
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huskeric
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2016
Posts: 353
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Post by huskeric on Oct 5, 2016 11:40:05 GMT -5
I feel you, man! Once you get started buying one thing, you look online and start to see some other stuff, and it keeps on coming. I also have been cleaning out my back yard, as I have TONS (literally and figuratively) of river rock out there, and I have really found some cool stuff out there. TONS of jaspers, some agates and just neat rocks. And then there's parks, parking lot islands, and other attractive nuisances. I had to start a pile out in my back yard of "maybe later" rocks because I didn't have any more 5-gallon buckets that I could fill. I suspect that as I learn more and more about the hobby, less and less of these will make it into the tumbler, but for now, I have a 12#, a 6# and two 3# barrels rolling 24x7 and I still wish I had more capacity.
So that I feel better about myself, I would tell you to keep buying, stop organizing, and keep tumbling. Then maybe knock that set of shelves over on the floor. Then your space will look much more like mine. =)
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Oct 6, 2016 18:27:19 GMT -5
I told you I was "kinda kidding". The below picture may show the second QT-66 (previously used) and Lot-O (brand new) I just bought (or maybe I'm a Photoshop wizard). They were a package deal and I couldn't pass it up. I was looking for the QT-66 to double my rough capability. Not sure what I'll do with the second Lot-O, but it will be nice having it lying around to experiment with.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Oct 6, 2016 19:02:42 GMT -5
Doubled production, I like it. Considering another tumbler too.
Trains?
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Oct 6, 2016 20:17:49 GMT -5
Yup. Trying to work on a 4'x8' HO layout. Kind of in a rut now, but it'll be winter soon and I usually do something each year.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Oct 6, 2016 20:23:26 GMT -5
Never enough tumlbers. The photo below was taken two years ago. Since then I have added 2 more lot'os (for a total of four), an incline hex tumbler, a sonic vibrating tumbler and about a half a dozen more rotaries. I have actually lost track and found one of the brand new loto's in my attic last month that I did not even know was there. I had always envied the folks on here that tumbled crazy quantities till I got there and realized the grit usage and time required for weekly clean outs. Chuck
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Oct 6, 2016 20:33:38 GMT -5
QT66 is a great choice. Keep your eye's peeled for a 12 pound barrel. They fit the same frame. One was just given away in the buy sell section this week. Looks like you have three loto barrels which is great. That means no barrel clean up. I use one barrel for 120/220, one for 500 and 1000, and one for polish.
Chuck
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Oct 6, 2016 21:33:16 GMT -5
I just missed the post where the 12# barrel was available. Would have jumped all over that. I now actually have 4 Lot-O barrels. I bought an extra one for polish. The new one I just purchased also came with an extra. BTW, Chuck, love that setup you posted!
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Oct 7, 2016 5:18:20 GMT -5
Over the years I have dialed in my process so that I have just enough rock in 46/70 (stage one) to keep my loto running non-stop. If I consistently have 30 pounds rolling I am almost always able to cull at least three pounds a week to feed the loto. During weekly clean outs I do set aside about a pound each week of rocks that are shaping nicely but have a few deepish flaws then I grind those out on a wheel and put them back in 46/70 so that pound is always part of what is ready to pull the next week.
The other part of the equation is feeding the beast. To get 3 pounds of polished stones every week I need to have at least another 5 pounds of new rough to add to stage one.
Chuck
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 8, 2016 14:53:56 GMT -5
Dang,looking at the photos,it's time to get my tumblers going again................Nice stuff everyone!!
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Rockandroll
having dreams about rocks
Member since January 2008
Posts: 52
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Post by Rockandroll on Oct 8, 2016 22:10:11 GMT -5
Awesome setups! Would love to get one of the bigger barrels someday. I'm a sucker for larger rocks, but they are a pain in 3 lb barrels... I've had a fist sized chunk of crazy lace that's been rolling for several months with painfully slow progress and tying up a barrel... One of these days!
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