wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
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Member since June 2013
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Post by wampidytoo on Jan 18, 2024 4:37:06 GMT -5
Billings MT had more than 30 below for two nights and a day and bottomed out at -36 or -39 for us down by the river. I was lucky enough to have the flu and didn't have to go out for a week but since I live in a travel trailer my water supply was off that whole week. It was like a holiday though because my son had to take care of keeping the propane flowing. Never thought I would see a good side of the flu. Pretty damn hard keeping it warm inside when the wind was cruising by at over 30 mph too. Now some areas are flooding because the ice jambs are pilling up high. I should be in Arizona with Tony again.
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Jan 16, 2024 5:08:42 GMT -5
I was on here before the rocks you play with turned to dirt but I don't come on here much anymore and I have all the necessary excuses for it but just happened to see your post and had to reply.
I have only used one home made machine but I have made thousands of pendants and polished about as many slabs. Ask any of the old timers on here and they will tell you that I can make some happy sh-t that keeps the ladies coming back for more.
I am talking about a machine made with a drill press, bench grinder, 6 inch counter top diamond impregnated polishing pads with Velcro backing and a backing pad to spin them. Oh yeah, and a plastic tub to keep the water off of me. The time it takes me to change grits is about five seconds longer than it takes the drill press to stop spinning.
Almost forgot, I did have a two wheel machine with a trim saw once but only used the trim saw. It takes two hands to use a wheel machine but on my flat pads I can polish with one hand and eat or smoke with the other hand. Plus, on big cabs with a flat back it is simple to keep the back flat or use the edge to do concaves way tighter than the curve on a wheel.
If you are still trying to get started let me know and I will get some photos to you somehow. I have learned and forgotten the new photo thing here but I heard of an easier to remember way to do it that I need to check out. Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Aug 29, 2023 22:58:10 GMT -5
Tommy, I think I will change my plan. How about me just sending $100 and call it done? Save some postage and increase the cause. With the talent around here I am not going to win the prize anyway. I cancelled my pay pal account but I will find another way. If they still sell money orders that might work since I won't be up against a deadline.
Thank you for doing this. Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Aug 28, 2023 9:18:51 GMT -5
I haven't clicked on RTH in a while so I had not heard about my friend. No idea why I clicked on it today but something made me push that button. Gunna push another button, the one that adds me to the list. I have been rocking a bit lately when I get free time away from taking care of all the needy young OK OK NOT GOING THERE. Where was I? signing up I think. Please let me know what the cost is and whether or not I can pay with a debit card. I have not written a check in 30 years. You can save some postage if it is not against the rules I will furnish a slab and a photo date to show that I am not picking from my completed box. Maybe I should go back and see if there are some rules listed somewhere. I am very forgetful now days so lets do both so I don't miss it. Old Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Dec 26, 2022 19:07:36 GMT -5
Aw hell, y'all are a bunch of sniveling babies trying to be courteous to each other just like me some of the time. I have been on the receiving and giving end of the generosity on here and appreciated every bit of it. My luck ran high the one winter I spent in Arizona and met quite a few of the people on here. Being the know it all jack ass that I am I went around with a few but we always ended up getting past it (well except for one but who is counting). Maybe bragging a little but I have been a giver most of my life and still am. There have been other times but the covid kept me broke for a long time (OKOKOK that and the younger ladies but it still counts right) This year I made gifts for six kids and only one is related. The single mothers are really struggling now so there are a lot of ways to give and I enjoy it as much as they do. I give almost all of my artwork and some people actually like it. Making someone open mouthed and speechless is the greatest compliment I have ever gotten. Enough about me. I have been missing too much here and am quite worried about a few of the people that were mentioned above but I am afraid to ask why. I have had a tough time since Vietnam with loosing friends and family and I do not deal with it well. So I am going to back out of here hoping everyone is like I remember them from long ago. BTW thank you for the birthday wishes a short while ago. It isn't every year that 76 comes around and being lucky enough to be able to do everything I did at 50. Y'all take care and stay healthy. Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Oct 6, 2022 21:18:21 GMT -5
On monitors and TVs they use light diffusers in groups that might help.
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
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Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Oct 6, 2022 14:24:32 GMT -5
I am thinking about buying a class A motor home. If it sleeps six and I boondock I should be able to rent beds to pay for my trip and possibly pay for the motor home. A trip to the water and dump station every other day would work if I can talk the people into a travelers shower every day.
The thing is cheap because it has a reverse problem but who needs reverse anyway People towing cars can't back up without disconnecting so the answer is (pay attention).
The only thing I have to worry about is whether or not there is a spot for my slab saw. Maybe a slide out in the lower storage area.
If this goes like my other projects I should be ready about the middle of February. Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Sept 23, 2022 13:16:14 GMT -5
Thank you all for the welcome back. It is great to know that I am still the most loved and wittiest man on the planet.
Test is done so I guess it is time to roam around the forum and start planting seeds. As far as where I am in the art world the rocks have taken a back seat to many other ways of keeping my sanity. Not sure where I left off so things may pop up that I posted before but I will try to keep that down to a minimum.
Another skill I have acquired is sleeping while typing so anything dated could be way off like this post I started a couple of days ago.
I checked out my carving tut and am having a hard time believing how many hits it has received. 11249 made me smile all day. Thank you. Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Sept 19, 2022 8:24:20 GMT -5
hahaha thank you for the chuckle Tommy and I have always been a fan of yours too. Now I am going to be very busy building a round house. Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Sept 18, 2022 23:32:29 GMT -5
Wow, I shoot at 640 X 480 so didn't have to change anything. A little bigger than I thought they would be but I really like the size.
So Tommy can I keep them this way, please? I will try to not swear so much this time around and I promise not to jump down anyone's throat either. Well, I won't start it okay.
For those that don't know me I was a regular around here a long time ago. I go by Jim on here but locally I have to answer to some cloudy names. I will always try to make everyone laugh a little but sometimes I go just a wee bit too far or put it in such a way that some take it the wrong way so always remember I AM JOKING. Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Sept 18, 2022 23:13:22 GMT -5
Been trying to post photos for about a month now but every time I got back to trying I had forgotten what I learned the previous time. The great people at Cloudinary fixed me up so I am going to try again. Holy shirt I think it is going to work. And so damn easy.
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Aug 2, 2022 7:05:04 GMT -5
Sorry, I was making a joke pre nite and after nite. Old habit. Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Aug 1, 2022 20:46:02 GMT -5
The first row is prehnite but the bottom row has to be aftenite. Maybe. Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Apr 18, 2022 14:55:35 GMT -5
I am not assuming because I am always wrong when I assume so I am going to call it an opinion. The old timers here know I have an opinion about everything and have even been correct once or twice.
There are a couple of positives here. One is that something formed them. I have no knowledge beyond that but we have very limited possibilities. There are billions of things that did not form them and with my limited knowledge of the subject I still know they were formed by something way way bigger than a back hoe.
All I can come up with is things falling from the sky or glacial push and gouging which can do some really strange s... but generally in a north south movement.
Ok, I am awake again. I did not read from page one (who has that much time to sleep) so I may have missed something but would love to hear about any other possibilities.
Hello again Jamesp and vegasjames. I want you two to know that you caused me to fall asleep, tip to the right and end up with my head leaning against a shelf which gave me a large crease on the side of my head. Please don't do that again. People laugh at me and no, I do not remember how many times it has happened.
Jim/James/wampidy
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Mar 31, 2022 1:36:56 GMT -5
Busy as the proverbial cat but will try to get back more often so you can talk with me instead of about me although I do appreciate the high marks you give me.
Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Mar 30, 2022 6:35:55 GMT -5
Wow. I come back to check the place out and all I see is people yakking about me. I am innocent of all charges except for rockpickerforever. We are going steady.
Ok, I will try to help but my explanations can be hard to follow because of my age. Everything now days is blamed on my age. Even the things that I have carried over from before I had age. So bear with me or not.
My method of making rings has been called genious but since I can't spell it I would have to call it accidental. I think you all know of the little drum sanders that you put in your drill, put a little tube of sandpaper over the rubber part then tighten the screw so the rubber tightens up and holds the tube. That is what I use but first I spin the thing in the drill press and use a file to make a notch on the bottom so the ring won't move up or get wobbly. It takes one of these for every size ring you plan to make but the great thing about them is they come in a bunch of different sizes. I place my ring blank on the drum and tighten it up just enough so it doesn't spin when I put the diamond impregnated rubber sanding pad against it to shape and polish the stone. The ring can be flipped over so you can work both sides.
I use a shallow tub of water sitting on the drill press stand then lower the tool down and lock it just above the water so the ring stays wet when I am working it. Shape one side then flip the ring to shape the other side. When you have the shape the way you want it run through the grits until it is polished. The notch in the rubber needs to be just a little bit narrower than the ring width wo the edge of the ring is beyond the edge of the drum.
Making the blanks is easy if you have a large clamp. Clamp a slab on a piece of wood in the tub of water so it can't move then hole saw the ring size, change to a bigger hole saw and when you get through the slab the second time you have a ring blank. The hardest part of this is switching from the small hole saw to the bigger one because of the limited travel of the drill press spiny thingy
The MOST IMPORTANT THING is the stone. Jade is the only thing that will survive. When I started I made a bunch out of jaspers and agate then gave them away to family on the third of July and none of them made it past the fourth. I sourced some jade from people on here and it was a great success except for the incredible boredom from shaping and polishing a bunch or rings so I have not made one for years.
I have been away for so long I do not remember how to post photos but if I figure it out I will put some up. Pat, do you still have the photos I sent to you last century?
Ok, y,all have kept me up long enough, I need to get some sleep because I just fell out and typed three lines of ;;;;; Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Dec 18, 2021 18:24:29 GMT -5
Thanks to all you rock benders for the birthday wishes. Keep in mind that this one (75) is the last one the government will allow.
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Jun 11, 2020 14:27:59 GMT -5
Hey Mows Good to see that you are still tic tocing.
When I first started on RTH I was amazed by the memory people had for where their rocks come from. I forget almost everything but I know where and who most of my rocks came from. About the only way I can impress people any more.
As always your hearts are lookin fine but what amazes me is how you stick with them hearts over the years and make a lot of people happy by giving them a hearty smile.
I just rock a little bit now, wood is softer.
Be cautious out there Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Dec 13, 2019 4:13:31 GMT -5
Thank you everyone. I have actually missed some of you. Jeeze, I shouldn't have said that, now all the new people will think I am a softy instead of a troll.
Attention all new people stay out from under my bridge unless you bring cookies, That should set them straight. Jim
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wampidytoo
has rocks in the head
Add 5016 to my post count.
Member since June 2013
Posts: 709
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Post by wampidytoo on Dec 13, 2019 3:53:34 GMT -5
Thank you all for the well wishes and especially for the ID. It is good when things like this happen because the knowledge may save a licker some grief some day.
Except for a few bad days the weather has been pretty mild so I spent an entire afternoon polishing rocks in my shop. Probably the first time in over a year and it felt pretty good. I am right at the end of my enthusiasm for dream catchers so maybe it is time to work a little rock again.
What really baffles me is how in the hell I ended up being seventy three with a five year old great grandson. Somebody had to have slipped a few of their years into my count. Jim
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