miramira777
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2017
Posts: 18
|
Post by miramira777 on Sept 22, 2017 16:46:34 GMT -5
I apologize in advance, I am at work so I don't have enough time to search in-depth for an answer, and have been too busy in my evenings as well.. As usual of late, I have rocks on my mind and what I'm going to do with my too-large-to-tumble in my 3lb rotary, but too pretty to simply discard, quartz chunks. I have a number of various quartz colors that are roughly 2-3 inches in diameter. Idealy, I plan on trying to make jewelry (because I have sooo much free time *scoff*) so being able to turn these chunks into a bunch of smaller pieces would be amazing. I don't really have a lot of resources and my budget is, well, rather sad. Can you give me some poor man's advice on how to do this, pretty please? I feel like if I go borrow my dad's sledge hammer because I think "hey this might do it" I'm probably going to hurt myself. Even if I take safety precautions. More worrisome to me is that I'd just end up obliterating my rocks into crap not worth using. (I should add in case anyone has images of a sledge hammer being swung at full force, though I'm sure it would be quite satisfying, that is not what i had in mind!)
Thank you for your time and patience as I learn these sorts of things!! I HUGELY appreciate it!! -Miranda
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Sept 22, 2017 16:53:51 GMT -5
Tumble smaller rocks and add one, maybe two larger pieces to each batch. You'll get them all done over time that way.
Unless you mean they are simply too big to fit in the barrel. ?
You talking about wanting to break up quarts crystals so they are smaller and you can work with them? Lots of kinds of "quartz". Can you post a picture of the pieces you are talking about?
For breaking rocks, you can wrap them in a towel and hit them with a hammer - this should protect you from flying shards. Really help to see what you have.
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Sept 22, 2017 16:54:46 GMT -5
Sledge hammer and chisels are my tools of choice. see below. Safety glasses are required. long sleeve shirt, gloves and jeans are recommended forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/80309/time-make-more-tumbling-roughI do not swing the sledge with full force. for 95% of the rocks I use the short handled 8 pound sledge from a kneeling position for way better control of the break. Chuck
|
|
miramira777
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2017
Posts: 18
|
Post by miramira777 on Sept 22, 2017 17:39:01 GMT -5
Tumble smaller rocks and add one, maybe two larger pieces to each batch. You'll get them all done over time that way. Unless you mean they are simply too big to fit in the barrel. ? You talking about wanting to break up quarts crystals so they are smaller and you can work with them? Lots of kinds of "quartz". Can you post a picture of the pieces you are talking about? For breaking rocks, you can wrap them in a towel and hit them with a hammer - this should protect you from flying shards. Really help to see what you have. I will take take some pics when I get home and post em. They'll fit in the tumbler, but I'd rather have smaller pieces to work with rather than one big hunk of shiny rock. Towel and hammer is totally doable for me! Even apartment friendly.
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Sept 22, 2017 17:41:55 GMT -5
Another member here ( Jugglerguy) puts a bowl over the rock with a whole in the center. He puts a chisel through the hole and hits it. All the rock pieces stay under the bowl. Not as satisfying as swinging a sledge hammer though. Chuck
|
|
miramira777
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2017
Posts: 18
|
Post by miramira777 on Sept 22, 2017 17:58:11 GMT -5
Sledge hammer and chisels are my tools of choice. see below. Safety glasses are required. long sleeve shirt, gloves and jeans are recommended forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/80309/time-make-more-tumbling-roughI do not swing the sledge with full force. for 95% of the rocks I use the short handled 8 pound sledge from a kneeling position for way better control of the break. Chuck Someday I'll invest in a chisel. And real gloves. Annnnd safety glasses. (Ok, I'm not THAT hard up that I can't buy glasses and gloves.) I like your setup for this!
|
|
|
Post by grumpybill on Sept 22, 2017 18:05:17 GMT -5
Towel and hammer is totally doable for me! Even apartment friendly. Unless your apartment has a concrete floor, I'd do it outside on the sidewalk.
|
|
miramira777
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2017
Posts: 18
|
Post by miramira777 on Sept 22, 2017 18:41:19 GMT -5
Towel and hammer is totally doable for me! Even apartment friendly. Unless your apartment has a concrete floor, I'd do it outside on the sidewalk. Luckily I have a concrete patio! ☺ Maybe my upstairs neighbors are actually breaking rocks up there. 😁 I've always thought they were either body slamming each other or they throw bowling balls around for fun. Hehe. (Not talking about bumping uglies!) Apartment living is fun.
|
|
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
|
Post by peachfront on Sept 22, 2017 21:05:01 GMT -5
This discussion comes around ever so often, and I still believe in using the rock saw. It's the safest alternative. While you are on a tight budget, I would suggest preferentially focusing on tumbling your smaller pieces of quartz and saving the larger pieces for later. Also, consider joining a club that gives you access to a rock saw.
I am not a fan of towel and hammer for a variety of reasons.
|
|
miramira777
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2017
Posts: 18
|
Post by miramira777 on Sept 23, 2017 10:28:40 GMT -5
Tumble smaller rocks and add one, maybe two larger pieces to each batch. You'll get them all done over time that way. Unless you mean they are simply too big to fit in the barrel. ? You talking about wanting to break up quarts crystals so they are smaller and you can work with them? Lots of kinds of "quartz". Can you post a picture of the pieces you are talking about? For breaking rocks, you can wrap them in a towel and hit them with a hammer - this should protect you from flying shards. Really help to see what you have. These are some of the quartz chunks and similar (to me, at least) type rocks that I'd like to break apart. Picture doesn't capture the true colors of these. I'm really not sure what the two round "red" ones are, but they are actually closer to a deep pink and have visible, more so under my mini handheld microscope, cube crystals. They three pink ones are too big for my tumbler, the others would fit, but I'd get more use out of them as multiple smaller pieces. The blue one in the middle is my favorite. I do art and one of my mediums is marker; that rock is the color of my cloud blue prismacolor.
|
|
|
Post by grumpybill on Sept 23, 2017 11:20:10 GMT -5
Personally, I'd set them aside until you have at least rudimentary equipment. Especially if you want to make jewelry. Smashing them with a sledge hammer will most likely result in small odd shaped pieces, unsuitable for jewelry, in addition to fracture lines and bruises.
Even using a chisel and smaller hammer will be difficult on the rounder stones.
|
|
miramira777
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2017
Posts: 18
|
Post by miramira777 on Sept 23, 2017 12:53:17 GMT -5
Personally, I'd set them aside until you have at least rudimentary equipment. Especially if you want to make jewelry. Smashing them with a sledge hammer will most likely result in small odd shaped pieces, unsuitable for jewelry, in addition to fracture lines and bruises. Even using a chisel and smaller hammer will be difficult on the rounder stones. Makes sense. I'm probably getting quite ahead of myself. 😅 I'm too excited!
|
|