smittys
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2017
Posts: 165
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Post by smittys on Aug 13, 2017 20:16:37 GMT -5
Got tons of small scrap and super duplicates?
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 13, 2017 20:37:26 GMT -5
Sell them after sorting for size and quality. You wont live long enough to tumble a ton. If you have a use for them then startup. Many people tumble cabs and slabettes. If you have the right size tumbler and use the right cushioning and the right thickness of slurry you will polish them fine. Done every day. Maybe a good thing friend smittys to read many old posts and tutorials in between sessions practicing your cabbing. You will learn more that way and much quicker.
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Aug 13, 2017 20:51:44 GMT -5
Got tons of small scrap and super duplicates? I like to tumble slices and use them for mosaic projects. However, if you have "tons" you can do $1 grab bags or something of that sort to pass them on to others. There are only so many table tops one person can make and use. Random photo of one of the boxes I made:
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Post by Jugglerguy on Aug 13, 2017 21:04:48 GMT -5
Tumbling scraps and small slabs works fine. If you're going to tumble a lot of slabs together in a vibe, use more ceramic than usual, like 50% or more. If you don't, they'll stick together. I've never tried to tumble a lot of slabs at the same time in a rotary, but I regularly throw a few in with my other rocks.
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Post by grumpybill on Aug 14, 2017 7:06:43 GMT -5
Timely question! Yesterday I started some slices of granite pebbles in one of my little 1.5lb barrels. Mainly wanting to grind off the saw marks and round over the edges a bit.
I packed small pebbles, chips, saw scraps, etc. around each layer of slices as I loaded the barrel. At least as much small stuff as slices by both weight and volume.
I'll let you know how it turns out if you're patient enough...those little 1.5lb barrels take forever in the course stage.
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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 Aug 14, 2017 8:45:08 GMT -5
Cliff, you might want to check your spelling. I think you mean slurry... not slutty. Your Freud is showing!
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Post by pauls on Aug 14, 2017 16:24:08 GMT -5
Slices tend to slide flat in a rotary so they get thinner without too much rounding on the edges, they need to have the edges rounded a bit first, while you are at it take of any sticky outy bits from where they broke off when sawing. Apart from that they are great for tumbling.
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Post by pauls on Aug 14, 2017 16:24:36 GMT -5
edit: removed duplicate posting
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Post by johnjsgems on Aug 14, 2017 18:08:41 GMT -5
Use a lot of smalls (pebbles or ceramics like up to 70% by volume). We took wire wrap classes years ago. The rocks we wrapped were hammer broken slabs that were tumble polished. They can be interesting but not as much as a domed cab in my opinion. Some rock with thin inclusions (like Montana agate, Woodward Ranch, Marfa etc.) look pretty nice in thin slabs.
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Post by HankRocks on Aug 14, 2017 18:28:11 GMT -5
I have been tumbling small slabs, 1 to 2 inch. Most of them I shaped(preformed) on the tile saw and then smoothed the edges on an 80 grit diamond wheel. It does take more time, but the shapes generally come out nicer than just plain slices of rock. I am tumbling them in a Thumler's B -15lb tumbler usually with 30 to 40% small pebbles or scraps from the tile saw stage. Have started adding 6 to 8 bigger slabs up to 5 inches in the load. Sometimes I leave a good slab as it is cut with good Plume or Bouquet just trimming away any soft area and preserve as much Plume or Bouquet as possible. One day I might graduate to doing Cabs, might even need to go to Cab School!!
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Post by grumpybill on Aug 14, 2017 19:44:04 GMT -5
Slices tend to slide flat in a rotary so they get thinner without too much rounding on the edges... I anticipated the thinning, so I cut them a bit thicker than I want the finish product to be. I don't necessarily want to "round" the edges, just "ease" them a bit. Time will tell whether my first attempt will work out as planned/hoped.
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goatgrinder
spending too much on rocks
Make mine a man cave
Member since January 2017
Posts: 368
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Post by goatgrinder on Aug 14, 2017 20:08:42 GMT -5
I have been tumbling small slabs, 1 to 2 inch. Most of them I shaped(preformed) on the tile saw and then smoothed the edges on an 80 grit diamond wheel. It does take more time, but the shapes generally come out nicer than just plain slices of rock. I am tumbling them in a Thumler's B -15lb tumbler usually with 30 to 40% small pebbles or scraps from the tile saw stage. Have started adding 6 to 8 bigger slabs up to 5 inches in the load. Sometimes I leave a good slab as it is cut with good Plume or Bouquet just trimming away any soft area and preserve as much Plume or Bouquet as possible. One day I might graduate to doing Cabs, might even need to go to Cab School!! Tumbling with what sized grit please?
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Post by HankRocks on Aug 14, 2017 20:52:44 GMT -5
I use 80 SiC for the first stage, 8 to 10 days with one recharge about 4 days or so. 220 SiC for the 2nd stage, put extra in and let it go for 14 to 15 days. Then 6 or 7 hours with Borax and Shaved Ivory Bar soap. All of this is in the Rotary. Then to Polish in Vib Tumbler. Maybe 70 to 100 hours for mine.
By running the 220 so long it breaks down to finer and finer grit and turns into 400 then 600 etc. Saves me a clean-out.
By using 80, I am not interested in removing a lot of rock, just smoothing a bit. Most of the rounding and smoothing were done with the 80 Diamond wheel. If you are just tumbling slabs with no pre-grinding you may want to use a coarser grit and a longer run with more re-charges during this stage.
Take my suggestions as one way of doing it and then start learning and tweaking as you learn more. and Patience, Patience, Patience.
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Post by johnjsgems on Aug 15, 2017 20:26:28 GMT -5
For people with a few slabs or flats throw them in with a batch of regular pebbles. The smaller pieces will help finish the flat surfaces.
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 15, 2017 20:32:21 GMT -5
Cliff, you might want to check your spelling. I think you mean slurry... not slutty. Your Freud is showing! Grin Thanks.. Where is the spell check when you need it?
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rockcat11
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2017
Posts: 176
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Post by rockcat11 on Aug 16, 2017 6:27:57 GMT -5
I did that a few times. They broke though.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Aug 16, 2017 6:56:38 GMT -5
I had a great time casting awkward 1 to 2 inch agate pebbles from the Rio Grande area in tile grout and then sawing them on an 18 inch rock saw. Must have tumbled 80 pounds of small slabs. Filled 15 pound tumbler barrels with them. And had issues with them sticking together. Leaving unpolished faces, worse toward the center of the sawn face. Solution was to run them with 50 to 60% regular shaped say hammer broken tumbles. About eliminated them sticking together. And got a balanced grind on them. If tumbling them with say 90% regular hammer broken tumbles the slabs would get thinner. Same with larger sawn face rocks like cubes and rectangles. A full load of sawn faced rocks had a lack of abrasive contact on the center of the sawn faces. However, say 30% sawn face rocks tumbled with rounder rocks actually made concave wear on the sawn faces. Much more abrasive contact on the flat faces. The old rule of mixed sizes might should read "mixed sizes and shapes" if slabs are involved. If tumbling all spheres then "mixed sizes" works fine. If tumbling hammer broken rocks "mixed sizes" is applicable too. Slabs do dance to a different drummer. www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157631927601357www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157632268584567www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157628304589123www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157632610059308
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 16, 2017 8:49:44 GMT -5
Tumble away! I tumble anything and everything...LOL
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Post by orrum on Aug 16, 2017 11:15:16 GMT -5
Hey X2 Fossilman! I throw it all in and see what comes out, survival of the fittest! LOL. I also only clean out every couple of months. Cuts way back on grit expense.
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Post by johnjsgems on Aug 16, 2017 17:27:19 GMT -5
If rocks are breaking in the tumbler make sure you are keeping the barrel 3/4 full. Everything should roll not rise and drop.
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