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Post by Garage Rocker on May 31, 2017 16:17:02 GMT -5
This has to be my best attempt so far at tumbling KY agate. It is hard to find material that is fracture free and it tends to undercut and open new cracks in the tumbler. This batch also has some Mexican material, Botswana agate and other odds and ends.
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2 Kentucky Agate
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Post by rockpickerforever on May 31, 2017 16:21:13 GMT -5
AWESOME tumbles!!! Randy, why do you keep doing this to us??
Just kidding, keep them coming! We all need something to aspire to!!
ETA - Have no idea why the drooling emoticon is not showing.... Seems my computer has not been showing smileys on other people's posts. Nor my tablet. Hmmmm....
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rebeccaink
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since May 2017
Posts: 190
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Post by rebeccaink on May 31, 2017 16:21:46 GMT -5
Wow! Those are beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
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Post by captbob on May 31, 2017 16:28:39 GMT -5
OUT freakin' STANDING batch! Those Kentucky agates are just plain bad a$$!!!
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Post by MrMike on May 31, 2017 16:31:17 GMT -5
Those Kentuckies are sweet
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Post by coloradocliff on May 31, 2017 16:39:42 GMT -5
Sure tamed all the evils in that rock and made them do what you wanted. You couldn't have done better than that. Perfect, absolutely perfect!
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geodes4u
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2009
Posts: 144
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Post by geodes4u on May 31, 2017 16:40:35 GMT -5
Beautiful, especially #12. Can you still find Kentucky Agate?
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on May 31, 2017 16:45:18 GMT -5
I'm going to be seeing these in my sleep now! WOW, esp those yellow/black pieces. WANT WANT WANT
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Post by Garage Rocker on May 31, 2017 16:47:47 GMT -5
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Post by aDave on May 31, 2017 16:50:28 GMT -5
Garage RockerAll great stuff all the way around Randy...photos too, as usual. A few questions, if you don't mind... I'm finding Bots a bit more difficult to work with than I expected. If I am looking to preserve banding or other features, there still may be dimples/flaws remaining. If I go for the flaws, it seems (at times) I'm going too far and the banding is disappearing. Is there a balance between the two, or are you pre-shaping at all? Keep in mind I've done no pre-shaping at all and just have tumbled them. Hope that question makes sense. What are you using for your grey background? Are the top two rocks in the first photo from CA? Beautiful work as always. Dave
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Post by Garage Rocker on May 31, 2017 16:54:56 GMT -5
Beautiful, especially #12. Can you still find Kentucky Agate? I find them in someone else's collection. I do find some broken pieces and lots of quartz geodes when I hit the creek. The good stuff is just so hard to find, ask anyone who went on the KY agate hunt this year. I have found exactly ONE that was intact and somewhat interesting. And wouldn't you know it, it was the very first rock I tried to cut with my tile saw. Had I known what was in there, I would have waited until my technique improved.
The red and black combo is desirable because of it's rarity. This one will sit unmolested forever more.
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Post by wigglinrocks on May 31, 2017 16:57:47 GMT -5
WOW , what a batch of beauties . Not sure if it makes me want to try harder for tumbles like those or just up and quit . Outstanding job !
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Post by coloradocliff on May 31, 2017 16:58:07 GMT -5
Winning might make em even happier..grin..
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Post by coloradocliff on May 31, 2017 17:04:50 GMT -5
Beautiful, especially #12. Can you still find Kentucky Agate? I find them in someone else's collection. I do find some broken pieces and lots of quartz geodes when I hit the creek. The good stuff is just so hard to find, ask anyone who went on the KY agate hunt this year. I have found exactly ONE that was intact and somewhat interesting. And wouldn't you know it, it was the very first rock I tried to cut with my tile saw. Had I known what was in there, I would have waited until my technique improved.
The red and black combo is desirable because of it's rarity. This one will sit unmolested forever more.
Great color and pattern.. touch it up on a wheel or flat lap. More rare than a Fairburn? Don't see anything like this much for sure.
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Post by Garage Rocker on May 31, 2017 17:21:00 GMT -5
Garage Rocker All great stuff all the way around Randy...photos too, as usual. A few questions, if you don't mind... I'm finding Bots a bit more difficult to work with than I expected. If I am looking to preserve banding or other features, there still may be dimples/flaws remaining. If I go for the flaws, it seems (at times) I'm going too far and the banding is disappearing. Is there a balance between the two, or are you pre-shaping at all? Keep in mind I've done no pre-shaping at all and just have tumbled them. Hope that question makes sense. What are you using for your grey background? Are the top two rocks in the first photo from CA? Beautiful work as always. Dave Thanks, Dave, the photography was kind of hurried this time. Those rocks have been sitting around for weeks. Been busy photographing more dynamic subject matter lately, as you know.
With Bots, as well as the Mexican agates I have, that have nice banding and flaws on the outside, I will often cut through the rock at the flaw. A good many of my nicer material is not tumbled whole. I would prefer nice, big rounded rocks all the time, but the material doesn't always lend itself to that. I end up with slices or half rocks to be tumbled. The good news is that this will often show nice banding patterns found on the interior. It can be used to your advantage to frame a scene with the bands. When cutting up rough, I am often chasing a pattern or feature I see in the rough, no different than if it was going to be cabbed. That said, if the rock has a nice shape and banding, I don't mind waiting months for superficial flaws to grind down.
The grey photography paper is a scrap piece I appropriated from the studio I worked at 13 years ago. It has seen it's day, about time for something new. Paper discussed on page 2. November tumbles
The top rocks are not from CA, those are still rolling along, doing their thing. The two in the picture you point out are most likely TX rocks. The one on the left is for sure, it's a funky Rio from Sabre52 . I didn't get the best photo of it, again I kind of rushed these.
The other one, in photo 15, is more 'plumey' and I'm not sure of origin, but it looks like a Rio also. Could be wrong.
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Post by MrMike on May 31, 2017 17:25:33 GMT -5
Oh yeah, Terry Bradshaw still the QB?
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ontherocks
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since May 2017
Posts: 76
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Post by ontherocks on May 31, 2017 17:25:59 GMT -5
Wow those Kentucky agates look cooler than I could have thought. They all look amazing.
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Post by aDave on May 31, 2017 17:27:46 GMT -5
Thanks, Dave, the photography was kind of hurried this time. Those rocks have been sitting around for weeks. Been busy photographing more dynamic subject matter lately, as you know. You just reminded me I have to get to "the list." Too much going on at home lately. Thanks for all of the other info. I simply trimmed it for space. Best regards. Dave
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Post by coloradocliff on May 31, 2017 17:33:41 GMT -5
Garage Rocker All great stuff all the way around Randy...photos too, as usual. A few questions, if you don't mind... I'm finding Bots a bit more difficult to work with than I expected. If I am looking to preserve banding or other features, there still may be dimples/flaws remaining. If I go for the flaws, it seems (at times) I'm going too far and the banding is disappearing. Is there a balance between the two, or are you pre-shaping at all? Keep in mind I've done no pre-shaping at all and just have tumbled them. Hope that question makes sense. What are you using for your grey background? Are the top two rocks in the first photo from CA? Beautiful work as always. Dave Thanks, Dave, the photography was kind of hurried this time. Those rocks have been sitting around for weeks. Been busy photographing more dynamic subject matter lately, as you know.
With Bots, as well as the Mexican agates I have, that have nice banding and flaws on the outside, I will often cut through the rock at the flaw. A good many of my nicer material is not tumbled whole. I would prefer nice, big rounded rocks all the time, but the material doesn't always lend itself to that. I end up with slices or half rocks to be tumbled. The good news is that this will often show nice banding patterns found on the interior. It can be used to your advantage to frame a scene with the bands. When cutting up rough, I am often chasing a pattern or feature I see in the rough, no different than if it was going to be cabbed. That said, if the rock has a nice shape and banding, I don't mind waiting months for superficial flaws to grind down.
The grey photography paper is a scrap piece I appropriated from the studio I worked at 13 years ago. It has seen it's day, about time for something new. Paper discussed on page 2. November tumbles
The top rocks are not from CA, those are still rolling along, doing their thing. The two in the picture you point out are most likely TX rocks. The one on the left is for sure, it's a funky Rio from Sabre52 . I didn't get the best photo of it, again I kind of rushed these.
The other one, in photo 15, is more 'plumey' and I'm not sure of origin, but it looks like a Rio also. Could be wrong.
Thanks helped me too. Will prepare the rough in the future with saw and wheel to get better patterns and results in my tumbles. Don't aspire to your level but sure is room for improvement.
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Post by youp50 on May 31, 2017 20:14:17 GMT -5
I like them.
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