ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 17, 2016 19:56:31 GMT -5
Well, here is finished batch #4. I think I've fully got my process figured out for the most part. Photos are what you would expect with overhead fluorescent lighting and a cell phone with no depth of field! Thanks for looking. Group shot Top half Bottom half Apache tears Mahogany obsidian I think this is jasper Picture jasper Brecciated jasper Not sure what this is. Part of it shined up nicely. Part of it is very dull. Owyhee jasper This is my first piece of Mary Ellen jasper from toiv0 - plenty more rolling Not sure what this is, but it undercut badly. I still like it. I think it was in a box from Sabre52
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Post by Garage Rocker on Dec 17, 2016 20:10:39 GMT -5
Perfect! Pics, shine, material, all of it. I'd say you've got it down, well done! Be back with favs after I look over them a few times.
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Post by wigglinrocks on Dec 17, 2016 20:14:12 GMT -5
Yes , I would say you have the process down pat . Great looking batch . And I think the pics look just fine .
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 17, 2016 21:16:49 GMT -5
Yep, you definitely have it figured out. Those are great. Great job on the Apache tears, especially since they we mixed in with everything else. That Mary Ellen jasper is my favorite. The last one looks like granite to me. Undercutting is common with granite.
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richardh
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 391
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Post by richardh on Dec 17, 2016 22:19:34 GMT -5
I'm jealous!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 17, 2016 22:43:35 GMT -5
Yep, you definitely have it figured out. Those are great. Great job on the Apache tears, especially since they we mixed in with everything else. That Mary Ellen jasper is my favorite. The last one looks like granite to me. Undercutting is common with granite. The apache tears and obsidian were (rotary) rough tumbled together by themselves (and some ceramics). They were then added to everything else for the rest of the stages in the Lot-O. I always seems to "damage" about 50% of my obsidian each time I run a Lot-O batch. I always get a few pieces that have chips by the time final polish rolls around. I just touch them up on the flat lap and set them aside for the next batch. Next time I run apache tears in the Lot-O, I will add them on the second day of my 120/220 grit cycle. Many of them seem to have turned in to pea gravel from the size they were after pulling them from the rotary.
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Dec 17, 2016 23:19:45 GMT -5
Oh my. Blue stuff looks like sodalite...not sure on spelling but it's certainly Sodalite of Love.
Your picture jasper rocks. The stuff I got from The Rock Shed doesn't shine albeit I do a sloppy 2 step finish in the Lot-o.
Keep on rollin those stones...
Colin
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Dec 17, 2016 23:20:26 GMT -5
Wow. And great photos. The obsidian is impressive.
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Post by orrum on Dec 18, 2016 9:11:13 GMT -5
Those r great! Please share the details of your methods???
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 18, 2016 9:38:33 GMT -5
Those were fun to look at. Nice work on the rocks and the photos.
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 Dec 18, 2016 10:16:42 GMT -5
Those r great! Please share the details of your methods??? Here are the steps these went thru: 46/70 SiC in my QT-66. Weekly cleanouts. Pulled rocks when ready. 2 tablespoons 120/220 SiC for 2 days in Lot-O 1/2 teaspoon 500 AO + 1 tablespoon Borax for 2 days in Lot-O 1/2 teaspoon 1000 AO + 1 tablespoon Borax for 2 days in Lot-O 1/2 teaspoon Polish + 1 tablespoon Borax for 2 days in Lot-O 2 tablespoons Borax as a final burnish for 5 hours in Lot-O
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Post by orrum on Dec 18, 2016 10:38:55 GMT -5
Hey Thanx Dave!! I think I want to try burnish with borax, never done that yet.
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Post by orrum on Dec 18, 2016 10:39:36 GMT -5
How much water with the burnish!!!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 18, 2016 11:18:31 GMT -5
I don't really measure the water. I just keep it a little wetter than I normally run it during the other stages. So a few extra sprays and I don't need to add anymore.
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Dec 18, 2016 12:06:24 GMT -5
Those r great! Please share the details of your methods??? Here are the steps these went thru: 46/70 SiC in my QT-66. Weekly cleanouts. Pulled rocks when ready. 2 tablespoons 120/220 SiC for 2 days in Lot-O 1/2 teaspoon 500 AO + 1 tablespoon Borax for 2 days in Lot-O 1/2 teaspoon 1000 AO + 1 tablespoon Borax for 2 days in Lot-O 1/2 teaspoon Polish + 1 tablespoon Borax for 2 days in Lot-O 2 tablespoons Borax as a final burnish for 5 hours in Lot-O Do you do a clean out after every Lot-o stage? Separate polish barrel? I might take a back step and retry the picture jasper after the 220 stage. Awesome shine.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 18, 2016 12:14:59 GMT -5
napoleonrags,yes. Cleanout after each stage. I actually have a barrel for each step, but only because I bought an extra Lot-O with 2 barrels. I think that is very unnecessary, but it's also nice. At the end of each stage I squirt in some Dawn and add a capful of water. I let this run for about 20 minutes. I then dump everything into a colander and give it a good rinse. Then into the next barrel. And this picture jasper came from the Rock Shed. It gets nice and shiny. Not as mirror shiny as some of the agates, but shiny enough. And thanks everyone for the positive messages!
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Post by Garage Rocker on Dec 18, 2016 13:14:52 GMT -5
Ok, I'm doubling back to put my vote in for the mahogany obsidian. Good looking stuff. I may just have to free up a barrel for an obsidian mix.
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Post by MrMike on Dec 18, 2016 14:58:35 GMT -5
Great batch Dave 👍👍 Favorite is definitely that mahogany.
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monna0000
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2016
Posts: 243
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Post by monna0000 on Dec 18, 2016 16:15:43 GMT -5
That is an amazing pile and a killer shine. Think I might need to borrow the recepie😀 I Think that the obsidian's are my top favorites but I love them all
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Post by pghram on Dec 19, 2016 14:07:46 GMT -5
Beautiful batch, the tears & mahogany are especially impressive.
Peace,
Rich
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