afterburnt
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2021
Posts: 152
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Post by afterburnt on Sept 23, 2021 23:35:21 GMT -5
I have a lot of pieces that are too big for my little saw, but mostly I want to save time and get some of this stuff rolling. Cutting and stage one is the most satisfying part of the process but I am wondering how you folks use "too big" pieces?
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hypodactylus
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2021
Posts: 440
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Post by hypodactylus on Sept 23, 2021 23:59:30 GMT -5
If the rock is too big for the saw, you can try using a hammer and chisel (carefully). Try to see if there are existing cracks you can use to strategically break off chunks and reduce the size. If there are no workable cracks, you can try to cut as deep as you can with the saw and then use a chisel to wedge the rock apart.
If the rock is really big, you might drill some holes and use some wedges and shims to break it apart.
You could also hit it with a drilling/sledge hammer; however, this is less strategic and more destructive.
As always, use protection (eyes, lungs, teeth, skin, etc) if you attempt any of the methods above; flying shards of rock cut like knives (and can break teeth).
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Post by knave on Sept 24, 2021 5:49:44 GMT -5
Large saws are a large investment but very addicting. Anyways if it’s tumbling material can you put a notch or slot in it with your smaller saw, then wedge a few small chisels in there and sequentially tap?
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Post by knave on Sept 24, 2021 5:58:46 GMT -5
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afterburnt
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2021
Posts: 152
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Post by afterburnt on Sept 24, 2021 12:09:28 GMT -5
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Post by knave on Sept 24, 2021 12:11:52 GMT -5
Hahahaha, what is an OSHA? Sounds aquatic hehe
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osuguy0301
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 203
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Post by osuguy0301 on Sept 24, 2021 12:22:32 GMT -5
Hand sledge with the rock inside a burlap sack has always worked well for me. Not the cleanest breaks but it works well for quick tumbling material.
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afterburnt
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2021
Posts: 152
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Post by afterburnt on Sept 24, 2021 12:26:35 GMT -5
Large saws are a large investment but very addicting. Anyways if it’s tumbling material can you put a notch or slot in it with your smaller saw, then wedge a few small chisels in there and sequentially tap? My little saw can cut a golf ball in half I'm afraid that I will eventually want a saw that can cut a bowling ball in half. Good thing I'm broke because I have no restraint with a pocket full of money lol.
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Post by knave on Sept 24, 2021 12:54:15 GMT -5
Same here all the way
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Post by rmf on Sept 24, 2021 16:01:10 GMT -5
afterburnt Your question leaves a lot to the imagination. I am assuming you said "roll" so that is a rotary tumbler. How big is a big rock? How big is tumbler? How much rock do you have to work with? For me I used a 4# crack hammer for years with leather gloves and a face shield. One year I hand cracked a lot, over a ton by hand. That hammer gets heavy. I built a wooden block from 6x6 scraps that is about 18" square and 18" tall with some additional 2x4 on top to hold a piece of railroad track. That works good as an anvil. Set this in the corner of my house and chimney and it keeps thing from flying too far. (house is brick that helps too.) Some rocks are really tough and I was cracking on the lawn with an 8# sledge and it was bouncing off. Sent the wife for a bigger hammer, she came back with a 16# and that worked. I have tried a hammer mill that guy had in Birmingham AL but that made 30% waste. I met a guy in PA and he had a old jaw crusher the county used and he cracked about 3000# once with about 15% waste. That worked so well I bought a 4" x 6" Bico bench crusher and it is my preferred cracking tool. I still have to hammer big ones down until they fit. Much better and faster.
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afterburnt
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2021
Posts: 152
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Post by afterburnt on Sept 24, 2021 18:06:46 GMT -5
Hahahaha, what is an OSHA? Sounds aquatic hehe It's a government entity that ensures job site safety. Maybe he paid them off?
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Post by knave on Sept 24, 2021 18:26:15 GMT -5
Hahahaha, what is an OSHA? Sounds aquatic hehe It's a government entity that ensures job site safety. Maybe he paid them off? Yah I know who osha is.. our co has paid fines for not haveing fall protection or 3 points of contact on a ladder I think it’s in another country.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Sept 24, 2021 18:27:09 GMT -5
The club has saws of all sizes up to and including 24" in their workshop. The large slab saws they charge $5 per cut and have to be done by one of the foremen, but I believe the trim saws can be used by anyone. Here's a link to the workshop page. You do have to go through a training session before you can use the equipment and there is a per hour charge to help with the workshop costs ($5, I think).
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Post by paulshiroma on Sept 24, 2021 18:40:47 GMT -5
Large saws are a large investment but very addicting. Anyways if it’s tumbling material can you put a notch or slot in it with your smaller saw, then wedge a few small chisels in there and sequentially tap? My little saw can cut a golf ball in half I'm afraid that I will eventually want a saw that can cut a bowling ball in half. Good thing I'm broke because I have no restraint with a pocket full of money lol. Don't we all ... this is an addiction. Dime bags = six inch saw ... kilos = 16 inch saw ... etc...
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Post by knave on Sept 24, 2021 19:09:52 GMT -5
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Post by Rockindad on Sept 24, 2021 19:24:02 GMT -5
Printing this off, have a couple of guys that this applies to.
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Post by mohs on Sept 24, 2021 21:01:09 GMT -5
ha haa Ev that good really good ! I don't think my stunt would be OSHA approved Butte been known to be forked on the job... i did have 3 points of contact....m stly
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Post by knave on Sept 24, 2021 21:09:51 GMT -5
They called suspenders, yes! That means your britches not the whole Mohs!! Hahaha 🤣
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afterburnt
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2021
Posts: 152
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Post by afterburnt on Sept 25, 2021 12:25:17 GMT -5
The club has saws of all sizes up to and including 24" in their workshop. The large slab saws they charge $5 per cut and have to be done by one of the foremen, but I believe the trim saws can be used by anyone. Here's a link to the workshop page. You do have to go through a training session before you can use the equipment and there is a per hour charge to help with the workshop costs ($5, I think).
They are/were mostly one pound chunks. I spent a good part of the day with the saw and chisel making them in to more manageable sizes. I have the paperwork for the shop in my car so I don't lose it (there's obviously a black hole in my house) but I hardly ever use my car so I kind of forgot about it. I can only imagine the shop saws are better than my little S Kill saw and probably faster. Thanks for the reminder! I should get back at it today but I am somewhat despondent because I also cut a bunch of fairly expensive mini laguna agates that have had 90% dud factor. I am not enthused about donning my hazmat suite for more disappointment. I still have a lot more to cut.
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gatorflash1
spending too much on rocks
Active in Delaware Mineralogical Society, Cabchon Grinding and Polishing, 2 Thumlers B's and a UV-18
Member since October 2018
Posts: 375
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Post by gatorflash1 on Sept 25, 2021 22:22:17 GMT -5
I have some 12 inch round pieces of 1" thick steel. I place a large piece of stone on the steel plate, take a rock chisel and a 3lb hand sledge hammer and I hit it where i think the chisel will cleeve or fracture the stone. This busts up the rock into smaller pieces for my tumblers. For smaller pieces that are still too big, I break them up again with my sledge/chisel or my rock hammer on the steel plate.
This is all done in the middle of a cheap blue 10x10' tarp from Harbour Freight. The tarp collects most of the broken rock pieces. For safety I wear work gloves, a heavy long sleeve shirt, heavy pants, boots, protective eye glasses, and a construction helmet because the broken rock will sometimes fly around and I don't want to be hit or cut by it.
In an hour you can break up many pounds of larger rocks this way and substantially reduce your cost of tumbling rough.
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