thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Dec 26, 2016 5:53:53 GMT -5
Hi all, I just decided to get into rock tumbling and found this forum. My name is Eric, i am a granite and marble fabricator since 1997. I recently began making small diamond shaped rocks and obelisks from scraps of granite from my shop. Until now i have been manually cutting and polishing them which is very time consuming, but quite satisfying. Niw i want to try tumbling shapes i cut. I am happy to find this site and hope to share my knowledge of stone with the group as well as learn about tumbling from the folks in the group.
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Post by Peruano on Dec 26, 2016 7:56:32 GMT -5
You can do a bunch of polishing of appropriate sized pieces in a vibe (and preserve your shapes within reason) and its a fairly efficient process compared to hand sanding and polishing. Welcome.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 3, 2017 13:14:15 GMT -5
Howdy Eric and welcome!!
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vera
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 259
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Post by vera on Jan 4, 2017 14:37:24 GMT -5
Hi Eric, I think it is wonderful that you can use the scraps from your business in such a constructive way. Granite and marble are such pretty stones in my opinion.
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Post by tims on Jan 4, 2017 22:19:12 GMT -5
Just curious how large are the obelisks in your profile pic? Neat idea, and welcome.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jan 5, 2017 10:29:35 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. I salvaged granite counters and cut them down to fit my little house. After polishing them I had a lot of respect for the "granite guys".
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Post by greig on Jan 5, 2017 11:43:43 GMT -5
I am really glad that I read this post. It triggered a memory from when I was a kid. There used to be a marble fabrication plant in an industrial area and for some reason they tossed chipped pieces of various sizes into the ravine next to their building and driveway. We used to collect some of the better pieces, but back then had no idea what to do with them. I think I will go back this spring to see what is still there 40+ years later. It might require a bit of digging around but that is part of the fun. Now, I know what to do with them. ;-)
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Jan 6, 2017 1:12:53 GMT -5
Just curious how large are the obelisks in your profile pic? Neat idea, and welcome. Tims, the obelisks vary from around 1/2" in diameter by around 2-5" in lenght all the way down to perhaps 3/16" by about 2" in length.
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Jan 6, 2017 1:19:04 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. I salvaged granite counters and cut them down to fit my little house. After polishing them I had a lot of respect for the "granite guys". Thanks for the welcome. Yes, this trade is definately a craft to be mastered. Afrer nearly 20 years in the trade, I still develop new processes and techniques based upon experience and new technology. I havent met many stones that kick my butt, but there are a few. An bad installer can make good fabrication fall short, but if everyone takes pride in their work, the results can be quite satisfying.
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thekingofrock
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 55
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Post by thekingofrock on Jan 6, 2017 1:25:27 GMT -5
I am really glad that I read this post. It triggered a memory from when I was a kid. There used to be a marble fabrication plant in an industrial area and for some reason they tossed chipped pieces of various sizes into the ravine next to their building and driveway. We used to collect some of the better pieces, but back then had no idea what to do with them. I think I will go back this spring to see what is still there 40+ years later. It might require a bit of digging around but that is part of the fun. Now, I know what to do with them. ;-) I have a plethora of marble and granite pieces if anyone is interested in small pieces. Im sure local fabricators would be willing to extend this as well for the asking. I am going to ask one of my vendors who sells exotics like labradorite to allow me to contact fabricators who have purchased those to get their drops. Incidentally, i have a labradorite project coming soon and hope to get some good scraps to make more pieces like these ones.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 7, 2017 12:43:22 GMT -5
I am really glad that I read this post. It triggered a memory from when I was a kid. There used to be a marble fabrication plant in an industrial area and for some reason they tossed chipped pieces of various sizes into the ravine next to their building and driveway. We used to collect some of the better pieces, but back then had no idea what to do with them. I think I will go back this spring to see what is still there 40+ years later. It might require a bit of digging around but that is part of the fun. Now, I know what to do with them. ;-) Also an area around here, where they dump the old and fractured counter tops and etc... Marble and Granite... I have a pile of the stuff now too,they let me snoop their piles.....I think I sent some to Ed...
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