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Post by tntmom on Mar 11, 2015 12:08:07 GMT -5
I'm not sure which variation of Owyhee it is.... I've had these slabs for a few years and the bin was just labeled Owyhee???
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Post by tntmom on Mar 10, 2015 14:35:01 GMT -5
Yep gingerkid That's Rocky Butte Here is an Owyhee that I finished up and listed last night. Not sure which type of Owyhee it is though?
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Post by tntmom on Jan 9, 2015 14:04:07 GMT -5
Theoretically, but I haven't tried this.... I have always wondered if I got graded 220 "AO" instead of "SC", if I could do an entire batch without ever rinsing the barrel, just adding 500 and borax to the barrel after a few days when the 220 has completely broken down?
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Post by tntmom on Jan 9, 2015 13:55:41 GMT -5
I haven't tried sic at 500. AO breaks down in 1/2 every 24 hours or so in a vibe. I have done batches of obsidian where I do graded 220 for a day or two. Then I go to 500 ao with a spoonful of borax. The Borax serves as a burnish more than a cushion. I kept the slurry dry enough to look like a thick cream coating the ceramics. After 24 hours the 500 becomes pretty close to 1000. 48 hours 2000. 72 hours 4000 etc. After a few days just spritzing a little bit to keep it moving and the stones are perfectly polished. AO keeps breaking down for up to 5 days. After that it does absolutely nothing in a vibe. If I am doing a presentation then I typically will do a polish run as well but most of the time I just stop after a few days in 500 or whenever I can see my reflection in the stone.
A few years ago, I believe it was Snuffy who posted this, rinsed his stones and put them back in with Borax as a overnight prewash while doing some agates. He got busy and left them alone for a few days "pre-washing". When he took them out the agates had a better polish on them than his typical runs with ao polish!
That got me experimenting with Borax. I believe Borax works as a polish but I do not know what micron it is. I wonder sometimes if when the ao breaks completely down in the vibe, if the borax does a mini polish between each step.
When I have tried obsidian without the borax I never get the same mirror shine results.
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Post by tntmom on Dec 8, 2014 1:19:58 GMT -5
The black messy metallic stuff is probably Tenorite. The copper ores are such a mix of minerals but I would guess this is mostly Chrysocolla in Quartz with Tenorite. The darker blue probably Shattuckite and the green is Malachite. I didn't see any red in your piece but if you find some that is also semi metallic and is called Cuprite. Chrysocolla can be chalky to completely silicified gem silica. Your quartz content is nice because it makes this stone so much easier to work!!! Gorgeous cab!
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Post by tntmom on Dec 8, 2014 1:03:12 GMT -5
WOOHOO! A whole bunch of eye candy! I always LOVE your work Ed!!!
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Post by tntmom on Dec 7, 2014 14:56:47 GMT -5
Looks like Crocoite.
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Post by tntmom on Dec 7, 2014 13:17:17 GMT -5
Absolutely GORGEOUS Chuck! I've tried the Lot-O with some cabs before too running graded 220 for 1/2 a day and then switching to 500. I didn't run 220 for a full 24 hours because I didn't want my girdle edges and bottom edges rounded out too much. I did around 6 Amethyst Sage cabs in a full barrel of ceramics and did the rest by hand. The 6 that came out of the Lot-O had a mirror polish and in my opinion, looked better than the ones I did by hand because of the perfect backs and not a single scratch!!! I also tried it with some Biggs but I have to be honest, AO doesn't touch Biggs the way diamond paste on felt does!!! I think it's good to have a whole arsenal of different ways to polish and keep a journal and do whats best for each stone. Whether it be felt, leather, canvas, carpet, muslin, diamond paste, zam, oxides or tumblers!!!!
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Post by tntmom on Nov 24, 2014 13:30:06 GMT -5
Gorgeous Chuck!!! I love Psilomelane!
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Post by tntmom on Nov 20, 2014 21:12:17 GMT -5
Woohoo! The cab bug is incurable btw.......
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Post by tntmom on Nov 20, 2014 20:57:56 GMT -5
Welcome back, Krystee! Do you have to use Polish polish to polish Polish flint?
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Post by tntmom on Nov 20, 2014 20:54:45 GMT -5
Ahh... I've been away for too long and have missed the hearts... they just make you smile! Ditto. I'm with Aimee!!!!!!!
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Post by tntmom on Nov 20, 2014 20:52:48 GMT -5
Awesomeness!!!!
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Post by tntmom on Nov 19, 2014 15:01:15 GMT -5
Boy I like them all but that OJ is an unusual one and very pretty......wow!......Mel Mel, If I remember correctly, I believe that OJ came from DBRealityRocks here on the forum!!!!
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Post by tntmom on Nov 19, 2014 14:51:31 GMT -5
Oh! And for the record.... I only post the cabs I'm proud of. I have a whole box full of rejects, LOL!!!!
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Post by tntmom on Nov 19, 2014 14:13:56 GMT -5
what a great looking set of cabs. too hard to even pick a favorite. your shine is hands down the best I have seen. Do you do everything on diamond wheels or are you finishing on leather/canvas with paste? That Leopardskin jasper sticks out in my head as being hard to get a good shine on and yours looks liquid. Chuck Hey Chuck!!! My polish arsenal is all over the place. I have belts up to 50k but I rarely use the belts to polish because I don't have a dedicated arbor for them. I have buffing wheels, leather, canvas, cerium and felt disks. I almost always use the cheap felt disks with 14k and 50k paste. If that doesn't work then I try the other disks or Zam. Hard smooth leather with paste and silicon seems to be the best but I only use it if I have to because it is so slippery. I have had way too many cabs go flying when using that disk As far as the Leopardskin, I just did the wheels up to 8000 and then used the felt disks on my flat lap. This particular slab was really solid but I've had slabs before that wanted to undercut and not take a good polish. I think it all depends on the quality of the material as to how much polish it will take.
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Post by tntmom on Nov 19, 2014 2:13:16 GMT -5
I'm sorry I have not been a great online forum person lately. I'm still cabbing though and hopefully you guys will enjoy some of my recent works. I don't think any of these are repeats but if so, I'm sorry!!!!! I SO need to catch up on posts. I miss everyone so much and I have no excuse, just the whole hearted truth of 100% SLACK! I'm bad and I miss my friends Hemimorphite Boytroidal natural faced cab with epoxied back to make it flat. Only the sides are polished. Regency Rose Plume Morrisonite Lace Polish Flint Red brecciated jasper with hematite (all the black is hematite..... it just didn't photograph) Ocean Jasper Yellow Leopardskin Jasper Poppy Jasper..... This came from a friend in WA. I think it is local but not 100% sure. Pietersite, Namibia Africa Cady's Mountain Plume
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Post by tntmom on Sept 29, 2014 3:19:34 GMT -5
One more thing.... I think I read that you are roughing with 30/70? That is way to coarse for soft ob. I am thinking that would cause more pits and surface imperfections than if you started with a finer grit. Ob is so soft that it doesn't need the super coarse grit.
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Post by tntmom on Sept 29, 2014 2:47:28 GMT -5
I am posting to follow this thread, don't want to miss anything else!!! I am completely interested in your recipe in a rotary! I tumble obsidian all the time but have always used a vibe after the graded 80 grit stage. It's almost 1 am and I need to go to sleep so please excuse me if this question has already been answered but... you are only using graded grits right? I've noticed that even in the rough grind, cheaper mixed grits like 60/90 mess up the finish versus a graded 80. Results seem to be twice as fast and uniform using graded grits especially on materials like ob.
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Post by tntmom on Sept 28, 2014 0:05:31 GMT -5
You know..... I haven't logged into the forum in what seems like forever and then tonight I did and WHAMMO!!!!!! Your cabs, like always, just blew me away!!!!!
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