Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 21, 2014 1:24:07 GMT -5
Thank you for the advise Tom. Makes perfect mechanical sense. That's what I like about tumbling devices. You can visualize the problem, assess how to correct it..and fix it...or at least jerry-rigging it so that it works. Unlike the computer world.... e.g. trying to figure out why Adobe Flash Player is so wonky sometimes.LOL
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 20, 2014 14:30:28 GMT -5
Hello all. I initially had this post in a different forum and decided to move it here, since this deals with the mechanics of a tumbler. So here is my quandary:I damaged something on my Loretone QT-66 tumbler. The nut that hold the motor on won't tighten. I was trying to adjust the belt and stripped something. Is it more likely the nut or the bolt? I believe I tightened it with the ratchet a little too much. If it is the bolt...can I modify it with a hardware store "wingnut" or something? Thanks, Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 20, 2014 12:53:11 GMT -5
Hello. I'm actually going to Scotland during the summer. Are these West Coast or East Coast agates?
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 16, 2014 21:33:10 GMT -5
Thanks everyone!
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 16, 2014 7:13:17 GMT -5
Hello all. I have a question for the board. Since a lot of my tumbling involves jasper and agate, i've noticed I have had a chipping/small cracking problem during 60/90. Albeit many of the pieces are close to 2 inches...Do I continue to widdle away at the surface area to make it smaller and eventually rid of the cracks and chips...or can you actually buffer during 60/90?
Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 15, 2014 20:22:02 GMT -5
I can see rolling hills in that first cab.Stunning!
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 7, 2014 22:16:53 GMT -5
Here are some pieces that I attempted to tumble. Initially, they were two larger pieces but they became really fractured during the process, so I broke them up into smaller pieces. I'm not very successful with quartz.
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 7, 2014 18:57:32 GMT -5
Just my 2 cents worth...but it looks a lot like some of the rose quartz that I found in Québec Province, Canada.
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 6, 2014 16:59:48 GMT -5
Here are some stones from the California Central Coast in water (after the first round 60/90 grit).My favorite is the green cobble in the middle. Sorry for the poor lighting and color. Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 6, 2014 12:36:38 GMT -5
Unfortunately I don't have a hardness kit. I do know that steel won't scratch it, it feels dense when holding it and the tumbling polish was substandard. (slightly better than "satin" with some areas of sheen) I wonder if it is some type of jasper...it really doesn't fit into the brecciated catagory? The area of coast I collect from has such an amalgam of "stuff" in it, sometimes I can't tell what's what. Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 5, 2014 21:39:13 GMT -5
Not the prettiest thing in the world, but i'm curious what this might be. Found it somewhere along the Central California Coast. It's about 2.5"x.5". It's beige, opaque and didn't tumble very well. Any ideas? Thanks! Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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60/90
Mar 2, 2014 21:49:47 GMT -5
Post by Henry on Mar 2, 2014 21:49:47 GMT -5
Hello again. This may have been covered here before, but I was curious if you can stack 60/90 grit. In other words, if the stones weren't sufficiently smoothed the first time around, can you just add more 60/90 grit instead of dumping the slurry and starting over? If so, how many cycles can you do this for?
Many thanks
Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 1, 2014 15:46:08 GMT -5
Thanks everyone. Added more similar hardness stones and it doesn't sound as "thumpy" (nice even rumble) in the 60/90. Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Mar 1, 2014 12:49:08 GMT -5
Hello all. I have a quandary in regards to filling my QT-66 with larger stones. By larger, I mean 3 inches-ish. Do I fill it with equal sized stones with less quantity in the barrel? Or, do fill it with a couple of larger stones with medium and smaller stones? My concerns are: 1)Filling it primarily with (all) so-called larger stones won't get the necessary surface area grind that it needs. 2)Filling it in with mixed sized stones will cause the dominant large stone to pulverize the smaller stones...Which leads to another question 3) In any circumstances, how high should I fill the barrel (minimum) to insure the larger stone(s) get the necessary kinetic action within the barrel? Thanks, Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Jan 31, 2014 9:55:52 GMT -5
Thanks Sabre52. My memory must be failing. LOL.
Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Jan 30, 2014 23:54:01 GMT -5
Hello there. For some strange reason the area I go to (on the other side of...south of the State Beach) is usually covered with cobbles.This time around, it was all sand. If you continue walking south, you'll eventually reach a dead end. There were some cobbles accumulating there. The one I found was peeking through the sand. Initially I thought it was a couple of centimeters....I pulled it out and realized it's a pretty nice size.
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Jan 30, 2014 20:31:55 GMT -5
Hello all. I'm tentatively going to the "Jurassic Coast" in Dorset County, England this summer. Can any one here from this area (or have collected from there before) tell me if there are specific regulations for collecting, customs...etc. Thanks! ~Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Jan 30, 2014 20:10:51 GMT -5
Hello all. I haven't posted in quite a while since i've been really busy at work...etc...I found this piece at Pescadero Beach, San Mateo County California. These are very common here, but this is the first time that I have found an agate of this size (relatively new "rockhounder"). Can some locals give me the scoop on the location of where the volcanic activity was, that created the "vugs", that allowed the formation of this variety of agate. Thanks! ~Henry
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Post by Henry on Jun 15, 2013 13:14:07 GMT -5
That's awesome. I was always leery about knowing what areas to keep clear of (private claims, private property etc.)Any advice
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Henry
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2013
Posts: 452
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Ireland
May 15, 2013 13:15:04 GMT -5
Post by Henry on May 15, 2013 13:15:04 GMT -5
Hello everyone. I'll be vacationing in the British Isles...primarily the Republic of Ireland. Are there any areas along the coast known for agates or jaspers?
Thanks!
Henry
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