pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Oct 31, 2018 14:55:48 GMT -5
Started slicing and preforming some of the material my boy brought us the other day........Still haven't identified all of the stuff, but have managed to work through about 5lbs of it........:
Saw cut and trimmed
A few of the nicer pieces saw preformed
Diamond disc preformed
Still have a couple of pounds of saw cut to disc preform. Have enough now ready for rough rotary tumble........Should tumble much like the Opal Mountain/Lavic material I've done in the past.....we'll see......never know with this odd-ball stuff I'm determined to master....lol.
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mossyrockhound
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2011
Posts: 1,278
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Post by mossyrockhound on Oct 31, 2018 18:17:46 GMT -5
Get 'em rollin'! You've got a good start there.
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Post by TheRock on Nov 1, 2018 6:48:58 GMT -5
Yep I'm with Gary that's a nice Batch Should be able to get a nice shine on those!
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Nov 1, 2018 11:03:02 GMT -5
Thanks guys........Gonna start rolling tonight, had to finish up some Lavic for the other canister. Just running my double 3lb rotary for now. Took a break through the hot months.
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Nov 1, 2018 13:12:56 GMT -5
Fernwood Helped Me Confirm The ID of the "Wonderstone" banded material.......Chert......Not a popular tumbling stone but it will shine......!
The other material seems to be of the Chalcedony variety and a few pieces of Gneiss and Dolomite.......all should tumble well together.
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Nov 2, 2018 12:12:14 GMT -5
Fernwood Helped Me Confirm The ID of the "Wonderstone" banded material.......Chert......Not a popular tumbling stone but it will shine......!
The other material seems to be of the Chalcedony variety and a few pieces of Gneiss and Dolomite.......all should tumble well together. Chert is about the only stone commonly found here in Illinois that will readily polish. The grey/white stuff is kind of plain even if banded. I am lucky enough that some I find has crinoid fossils included, real cool stuff. Sponge spicules can also be found. One area in LaSalle county has rare pieces that have small amounts of red and blue against a brown/yellow background, also pretty cool. Once brought home over 30 pounds of the stuff and after breaking it up was left with about 3 pounds of keepers. You are correct it will shine nicely....
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bcrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2014
Posts: 418
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Post by bcrockhound on Nov 2, 2018 19:25:25 GMT -5
Looks like muktuk!
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Nov 3, 2018 12:42:14 GMT -5
Sorry, not as soft as whale skin and blubber........not as oily either......lol
I've actually eaten Japanese muktuk, Unesu, which is more of the belly fat rather than blubber.......Have friends in Hawaii who have shared their delicacy with us when we visit.......having said that, the muktuk rock comparison comment will be considered a compliment since it is a "delicacy"........lol
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Nov 13, 2018 14:58:02 GMT -5
10 Days 60/90 Rotary.......few rough edges and pits I'll work on now......then onto Vibe 120/220 sic...:
Given the mixture of stone materials, threw some Lavic in to balance the load (all about the same mohs), happy with 10 day run........I'll let the Vibe's do the remaining stages with ceramics.
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Nov 15, 2018 22:20:30 GMT -5
3rd stage vibe completed....... after 24hrs in 120/220 sic. I tried something different this time with the 3rd stage....... Used 500 AO. I've only used 3f-400 sic or 600 graded sic previously. Also, another trick I have not previously tried, rinsed and brushed clean with dry Borax dabbed on each wet stone, no liquid detergents or other soaps. Man, the Borax really removed the AO quickly........Since I had to brush clean anyway, no need to run a clean stage in the vibe.
Here's a pic of "damp" results, been sitting in the colander for about 20 minutes.......many of the stones have started to take a nice shine already.........that 500 AO may be my go-to from now on for stage 3 vibe........:
I'm gonna run them through a 24hr cycle of 8F-800 sic, then onto the polishing if the shine starts getting deeper.........and the Borax trick works well again...!
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Nov 18, 2018 19:43:46 GMT -5
18 days total....from cut, preform to finish........Had I spent more time preforming and rotary, given the original nature of the material, fractures, pits and multi-layers of imbedded hardness and structure.....I would have lost more than half of the material volumes and characteristics........Made the choice very early on to just "roll with the punches", get them as clean and shiny as possible, and call it good...!
Some right out of final grind 8F-800 sic........:
1st half of final batch.....:
2nd half remaining thrown in final batch.....:
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