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Post by johnw on Jul 26, 2018 0:27:13 GMT -5
Went shopping and found this awesome piece of pie, with sugar on top. Cheers, johnw 7x5x2.5:4.4 pounds
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Post by johnw on Jul 26, 2018 10:02:10 GMT -5
That looks like the piece of agate the guy who has the Youtube site "Pulitzer Opal" did a video on. You may be able to contact him in the comment section of his video. Larry C. A Big Shout Out to Larry C, of QuailRiver, I am in contact with the owner of this magnificent piece and we are actively discussing the processes of tumbling big rocks. Thank you, Thank You, Thank You. Cheers, johnw
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 26, 2018 10:28:33 GMT -5
Very cool! Congrats! Rock on....
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Post by aDave on Jul 26, 2018 11:13:14 GMT -5
Very nice looking piece. What's the size? And, if you don't mind being asked, where did you find it? Was it a one of a kind item that a seller had, or is it something that the person regularly obtains? Thanks.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 26, 2018 11:16:39 GMT -5
That looks like the piece of agate the guy who has the Youtube site "Pulitzer Opal" did a video on. You may be able to contact him in the comment section of his video. Larry C. A Big Shout Out to Larry C, of QuailRiver, I am in contact with the owner of this magnificent piece and we are actively discussing the processes of tumbling big rocks. Thank you, Thank You, Thank You. Cheers, johnw I’d love to know more about tumbling big rocks, so please share what you learn.
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Post by johnw on Jul 27, 2018 1:02:28 GMT -5
Rob, I will certainly share my experience in learning how to tumble big rocks. We are discussing 5-15 pound specimens at this point and will move on to the big 20-30 pound pieces as I gain the knowledge. So here is an open question to the members: "how to tumble big rocks, being in the 5-30 pound range", your experiences will be much appreciated by all. Now its time for a piece of mixed fruit pie, so go ahead take a bite. But no-push back on broken teeth. Cheers, johnw 6.5x5.5x3: 4.2 pounds
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Post by johnw on Jul 27, 2018 1:28:34 GMT -5
Very nice looking piece. What's the size? And, if you don't mind being asked, where did you find it? Was it a one of a kind item that a seller had, or is it something that the person regularly obtains? Thanks. Thank you, I put dimensions and weight under the picture. It's a one off from Tucson Rock Show, living in Phoenix has its advantages. Cheers, john
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Post by johnw on Jul 27, 2018 10:09:56 GMT -5
Same rock different angle...... mixed fruit Danish......johnw
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Post by johnw on Jul 29, 2018 1:00:48 GMT -5
A Big Shout Out to Larry C, of QuailRiver, I am in contact with the owner of this magnificent piece and we are actively discussing the processes of tumbling big rocks. Thank you, Thank You, Thank You. Cheers, johnw I’d love to know more about tumbling big rocks, so please share what you learn. Hello Rob, aka Jugglerguy, not sure if this is what you want but here goes..... first stages of tumbling 2 pound rock. First picture, as is specimen before tumbling, good features, appeared on "what do you see in a stone" thread as "nice doggie", did not know what to expect after one week of 60-90 grit as a clean up. My expectations were for a minimal removal of cosmetic features resulting in a matte finish.
Here are the results:
All previous "cosmetic" features wiped out as it transitioned to features of an entirely different character. More input required since this is not what I wanted to see. I believe I should have started out with 220 or 400 grit to preserve the original features. I am told the 40 rpm rate on my model B Thumbler should be taken down to 20rpm. 40 rpm works well on Bahia agate, so I guess it's my bad for not realizing to slow the tumbling process down for a big rock. johnw
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Post by fernwood on Jul 29, 2018 7:10:01 GMT -5
That is quite a difference. Was the rock rust stained?
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Post by johnw on Jul 29, 2018 14:38:03 GMT -5
That is quite a difference. Was the rock rust stained? No, not that I could see, just the outside materials had a brownish color as you can see by the picture I took on the first image. Well my expectations took a beating and it's not as a results of the owner of the big rock's recommendations. I was already tumbling when we first started to communicate and it was tumbled hard for 11 days and at the wrong speed and wrong grit. (40rpm/60-90) The speed should have been 20rpm, and the grit 220, my bad. Need to modify my tumbler and start again. That said, I am of the opinion the piece is not that colorful underneath the skin. Kinda reminds me of the movie Ex-Mechina where the gorgeous looking AI takes the skin off her face and reveals the metal skeletal structure underneath. waaaa, scary stuff. Anyway, onwards.......it will be as it is. Cheers, johnw
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 29, 2018 17:44:28 GMT -5
It’s not unusual for the outside layer of a rock to be stained or sun bleached. I’ve cut ortumbled rocks to find complelty different colors inside. I’m not convinced that you did anything wrong, just that the rock was a different color inside than you thought it was.
Keep the posts coming. Everyone likes pictures and any succsessed or failures you have will help someone else.
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Post by johnw on Jul 29, 2018 21:39:48 GMT -5
It’s not unusual for the outside layer of a rock to be stained or sun bleached. I’ve cut ortumbled rocks to find complelty different colors inside. I’m not convinced that you did anything wrong, just that the rock was a different color inside than you thought it was. Keep the posts coming. Everyone likes pictures and any succsessed or failures you have will help someone else. Hi Rob, thank you for your encouragement, it was my expectations that were not correct for such a bigger stone. All is not lost however since "nice doggie", has transitioned from a goofy looking pup, to a dog with attitude. There are new features to explore with this current version. Will keep you all in the loop after I modify my tumbler. Cheers johnw
BTW, if you look carefully you can see an alien wearing dark sunglasses just above the dogs black eye. Dang wrong site,
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Post by fernwood on Jul 30, 2018 10:41:31 GMT -5
I agree with Jugglerguy How were you to know what was inside without cutting? Both the prior and tumbled versions have their merits. Experimenting with grits and speeds is the way to go.
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Post by johnw on Oct 6, 2018 2:35:14 GMT -5
Big rock tumble progress: Start In anticipation of tumbling the bigger size Laguna/MCL agate rocks, swapped my Thumler's Model B rotary for a Diamond Pacific model 65T. This big guy has a volume capacity of 8.5 gallons and can handle a 12 x 14 inch 43 pound specimen similar to the one shown in the video mentioned above. The owner of that fabulous piece Don Pulitzer, is guiding me through this process, so I am in good hands. These are early days and I will be transitioning thru various rock sizes from five pounds working my way up to 20 pounds and beyond, over time. Currently I am tumbling a MCL sample, at 7”x4”x3” weighing 5#-11oz. Below are the images of the piece. I will provide updates as we move along. Cheers, johnw
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Post by miket on Oct 6, 2018 7:12:35 GMT -5
I, for one, cannot wait.
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Post by johnw on Oct 6, 2018 11:00:56 GMT -5
I, for one, cannot wait. miket, certainly going to keep you in the loop. Here is the next one in the queue. 7#-12oz, 8x7x4. It's going to need some hot melt glue applications to protect some of the features that need to be preserved. I call this specimen, Pandora, since it reminds me of one of the floating islands from the movie Avatar. Cheers, johnw (images curtesy zippyrocks)
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Post by miket on Oct 6, 2018 12:24:20 GMT -5
That's one sweet agate, I'll bet that it turns out amazing!
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Post by johnw on Oct 7, 2018 14:44:02 GMT -5
That's one sweet agate, I'll bet that it turns out amazing! Hi miket, thanks for the compliment and encouragement, but I am guessing its going to be one big challenge. The first rock has no issues, its just a straight tumble thru the various grit and polish stages, but the "Pandora" specimen has some really spectacular botryoidal areas and vugs that will need to be covered at least during the 120-220 stage. I am thinking about filling the vugs with paraffin wax and then covering with hot melt glue. Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to cover vugs? They would really be appreciated. This is the challenge, plugging the vugs and covering the botryoidal areas. Oh, and for those of you who frequent the "what do you see in a stone" site. There is a little kid inside the main vug, he is the guy with the big white head, one small ear, two big eyes and is wiping his nose with a Kleenex. There is also an image of Tony the Tiger right below the kid. Sorry couldn't help myself. Cheers, johnw
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Post by johnw on Oct 10, 2018 22:09:27 GMT -5
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