chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Feb 3, 2009 22:27:37 GMT -5
Woah!!! Absolutely amazing ..... thanks you again for the tutorial, highplainsdrifter, it's great to see how you all make these beautiful cabs!!!!
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Feb 1, 2009 0:15:16 GMT -5
I have about 8' of 10" PVC and 6' of 8" PVC and you guys have given me some great ideas... I am planning to slice off pieces about 6" long to use for the barrel. I like the threaded rod idea, but I'm thinking about fiberglassing some 12" disks to the ends ( wood or plastic, depends what I can find ), I just haven't decided what to use for the open end. By the way, perfect circles are easy with a router and circle jig. The truck bed liner sounds like a great idea, many layers would work well to deaden the sound... I am also planning to attach some rubber agitators the help stir up the action a bit, without beating up the stones. I'm not too worried about grit getting stuck in the liner as I intend to make one barrel for each stage. I will take pics as I go. I just have to wait for things to warm up a bit before I start... fresh fiberglass resin fumes are a bit too strong for indoors ( I do love the smell though, the wife dosen't ). This is what I have so far.... For now, keep the great ideas comming!!!! thanks, Chris p.s. Any good ideas on a motor? ( I know... that's a whole new thread ;D ), jk!!!!!
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 25, 2009 23:41:53 GMT -5
A friend of mine gave me these two rocks, and I'm trying to I.D. them..... #1 #2 Both can not be scratched by copper ( 3.5 moh's? ), but can be scratched by my pocket knife ( stainless... 5- 5.5? )....i'm leaning toward flourite for #1 and apatite for #2..... what do you think, how am I doing? thanks chris
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 23, 2009 23:45:28 GMT -5
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 23, 2009 19:29:40 GMT -5
The blue in not natural?!?!?! This had a sticker " made in Brazil " on it..... I was wondering about the blue, the back is rough and has blue powder stuck in the creavaces, with what looks like some sort of poly on it.... Still looks cool though . By the way, this is my only purchased rock ( pic 2, bought at "Trader's World" a huge flea market right next to " big butter Jesus", let's see if anyone knows what that is :cheesy: ) , all of my other rock have been found in or near Dayton, OH.
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 23, 2009 18:44:33 GMT -5
I'm really new to this hobby, and am wondering if anyone could ID some of these rocks for me..... Pic 1 Pic 2 Pic 3.... calcite? Pic 4.... this is a piece broken off of a huge boulder ( about the size of a VW bug ) found while digging the foundation of a new home.... it was broken into bits to get it out, some of it is still under the house, they did get some great landscape boulders from it..... I'll just post these four for now..... any help would be appreciated.... thanks, Chris
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 23, 2009 18:29:25 GMT -5
Hello everyone, My name is Chris and I just wanted to introduce myself..... I am very new to rock tumbling, and have lost of questions ( of course ). But now, I'll just tell whoever wants to listen a little about myself and how I discovered this new hobby. I have always liked rocks. I don't "collect" rocks per se, but I have quite a few. I am an electrician, and I'm at alot of construction sites. I always have picked up rocks that caught my eye and toss them is my cooler. When I get them home I wash them off and toss them in a box. Well, about a year ago Di, my better half , asked what I was going to do with the rocks. I had no answer for her, but I told her some would look neat polished up I'm sure. Di didn't even know what a rock tumbler was, so I told her, and that was that.... Well, come this Christmas, she got me a rock tumbler. Di didn't even think I would like it... boy was she wrong!!!!! It was the perfect gift for me... you know, something I had always wanted in the back of mind, just never bought. Well, needless to say, the tumbler was tumbling that day!!! Of course me being me, I was to stubborn to use the rocks that came with the tumbler, and to chicken to use some of my more impressive rocks ( In my opinion ), so I smashed up some rocks I scooped up from a driveway. About a month later I got these... forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/index.cgi?board=trtphoto&action=display&thread=27666 ..... and I am hooked. Just what I need, another hobby!!!! ;D If you would like, check out my Flickr page.... flickr.com/photos/who-dey-chris/ ..... to see some of my favorite rocks... All of the photos there are rocks I have found here in my area except one ( it's pretty obvious which one, try and guess :cheesy: ) , but I have alot more. Also, if you know what any of these rocks are, please let me know.... I need to buy some books . Feel free to browse around my photo's while your there ( don't miss the jack-o-lanterns, igloo, or Charleston Falls, you won't be dissapointed ) I' m not shy . thanks for your time, Chris Perez p.s. I did give in though.... the rocks that came with the tumbler are tumbling as I type this .....
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 23, 2009 17:47:44 GMT -5
mynewhobby.... yes, I seem to be feeling the very same way as you.
I am an electrician and I have always picked up rocks on job sites that look neat to me. Well, my girlfriend ( of 10 years, Di ) asked me one day what I was going to do with all these rocks. I told her that I wasn't sure, but it would be neat to tumble some of them ( she had never even heard of a rock tumbler ). Well, come christmas day I open one of my gifts from Di and suprise to me, a rock tumbler. I had no idea, it was the perfect gift for me..... Ever since then I have been chomping at the bit to tumble more rocks, get more rocks, buy more tumblers, etc......
So, mynewhobby, I would say your feeling are normal..... ;D
Chris
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 21, 2009 18:42:34 GMT -5
My girl and I went to Charleston Falls, a little reserve just north of Dayton OH, on Sunday to see the icicles. Just thought you all might like these... Hell, you southerners may have never even seen something like this .... enjoy.... note the guy standing in the middle left of the pic for some scale...the pics just don't do justice.... go to my Flickr page if you would like to see more, I have alot of neat pics some of you would probably enjoy.... flickr.com/photos/who-dey-chris/ thanks, Chris
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 21, 2009 18:25:52 GMT -5
I woke up this morning to this crazy sight..... the pic just dosen't do justice.... but those beams in the sky aren't spotlights, just regular street lights..... the best excuse for I could come up with was freezing fog ( it was 5 degrees, brrrrr ).... with the flash on I caught this shot..... I couldn't see anything in the air with my naked eyes ( or even with my glasses on )...
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 20, 2009 22:34:04 GMT -5
Hello all... I was wondering if anyone has any experience with cutting and tumbling horn coral fossils? for example... I would assume I could use a tile saw to cut it, but I'm not sure how thick I could safely cut it. Also, how to hold them.... I was thinking about setting them in a paper towel tube and pouring plaster in the tube.... And does anyone know if they will tumble well, or should I worry about them breaking apart? I have all king of interesting rocks I have found at various job sites around the area here and just got into rock tumbling this Christmas ( thanks to my better half, love ya baby ). In fact I just posted pics of my first tumble ( see the photos forum ). thanks for all the help, Chris
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 19, 2009 22:46:58 GMT -5
Hey thanks for all the support everyone... !!! My girlfriend got me the tumbler for Christmas and it was the perfect gift.... the type of thing I have wanted since I was a kid just never had bought for myself ( isn't she great !?!?! ). Anyone know if I could slice and tumble horn coral fossils?... just curious.... Bikerrandy... The white ones... really? they are just so... white I like the ones in the last pic, there's just so much going on in those little rocks! The rough rock at the top is a chunk broken off of the same rock... Oh.. and I'm in Dayton, OH... Naturenut..... Isn't it though? This was from an amazing house 1/4 mile into the woods, and just before they poured the concrete, they put down a layer of this gravel... looked incredible on a rainy day... until they poured the concrete that is. frane... Yes, the black striped one is very soft.... I can wipe the shine off with my thumb ( and buff it back on my pants ). Yes I do have the bug, I want to buy a ( some ) new tumblers, but then again, I keep looking at a couple of 10" PVC pipes on my back porch, and think," why buy what I can build better".....
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chrisperez
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 457
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Post by chrisperez on Jan 19, 2009 18:29:14 GMT -5
Hello all, I'll fomally introduce myself in the members forum later.... But for now, this is my first post and my first attempt at rock tumbling..... These were just some rocks I picked up at a job site ( I'm an electrician ), driveway gravel. I didn't have the nerve to try some of the more interesting rocks I've found, and I'm too stubborn to use the rocks that came with the tumbler ( I caved in though, they are in there now ). I just had to show someone, so here it is... This is after 8 days in the first grinding stage.... Then, after 10 days in the second stage.... 18 days total And the finished product..... after 7 days in polish, 25 days total... not amazing by any means, but not bad ( I think?). Let me know what you think... these were done using " The Original Rock Tumbler".. I know, I know, " you need a better tumbler... ". Trust me... I want a better tumbler.... I think I've caught the bug !!!!
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