Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 24, 2015 10:25:35 GMT -5
I doubt I'll ever be fortunate to experience Quartzite, but from reading peoples posts, etc., I believe the difference between Quartzite and Tuscon is that Q is a "gathering" and T is a "show". Q being more personable and more like a reunion but with quality vendors and exhibits.
Rembrandt remarked, "“Without atmosphere a painting is nothing.”
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 23, 2015 13:13:57 GMT -5
Like I said, I got no clay. Maybe during Christmas I can get a chance to scoop some mud up. For well less than 24 hours the tumble had begun to make a thin, but nice looking slurry. I figured the floor-dry wouldn't hurt anything and might give a little cushioning...wasn't much, though...added a cup or so of the floor-dry and a cup or so of water. Here's a shot of the slurry prior to addition... IMG_5425 (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr Btw, an 8" golf cart wheel makes a handy stand for the 6" pvc barrels... IMG_5431 (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 23, 2015 8:25:44 GMT -5
Thanks for all the info, James. Yeah, it's loud. It's in a shop on main street in the center of town...folks are gonna wonder about the noise coming out of the shop when they walk by. I had considered clay or some other thickener, but figured I'd start with the basics. It could definitely use a muzzle on it. Looks like I'll be using #80 for quiet a while as I bought one of the big boxes from Kingsley. It'll just have to do. I will be thinking on clays around here. You said the pastier (I visualize that as "oily") clays are as good as the sandier ones, eh? So a little grit/sand in the clay. Looks like it will be a week or two at the least before I'll be able to really gather any clay. I've ot a few ditches/gullies across the road from the house but we've been getting some heavier, long duration rains the last few days. Got 1.67 inches yesterday and .72 since midnight (local time now 7:09am)...and it's still coming. Forecast shows high chance of rain through Thursday night then 20-percent through the weekend only to go back up Monday and Tuesday. So, I could dig some mud with no problem...shovelable clay is doubtful. Maybe it would be a good time to get some and mix it with water to stratify/grade it...that's an interesting thought. What about some of the pink/blue/white clays?...too fine? I guess I could grab a couple of cups of floor-dry and throw in the barrel. I'm going to try Saturday to sneak away for some rock hunting, but a little concerned of creeks being out of the banks and some muddy roads...why spit into the wind, eh? Maybe I need to tinker with the Loto or set up the HF tile saw instead... Touching on the water. Do you think I need to add more water to the barrel? I know it wasn't close to being an inch below the rock level. I think I will open it up today and see what it looks like, it hasn't even been 24 hours, though.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 22, 2015 22:50:34 GMT -5
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 22, 2015 20:38:41 GMT -5
Nice to see it up and running. Good job! What is the RPM? Who did you get the 10 dollar bill from? Thanks, Bob. It's turning at 46rpm. I got the 10 dollar bill from the guy that pushes a cool looking grocery cart around town...I had to give it back after I took the picture....
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 22, 2015 18:58:47 GMT -5
Its a Christmas Miracle ! by next year you'll have shine! roll on! LOL!!!!!! I hadn't thought about that!!!!! <grin>
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 22, 2015 18:54:53 GMT -5
Does anybody think I need more water?
While I'm at it, here's a wider shot video of the tumbler...
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 22, 2015 18:36:31 GMT -5
It's ALIVE!!!!!! Well, the Money Pit Tumbler is rolling rocks as we speak!!!! Here's the scoop... I measured the barrel capacity by filling it with water (two gallon milk jugs full...more or less) so drawing on the knowledge I gained from the advanced ciphering courses I took along with the Evelyn Woodhead Sped Reddin' courses I figured 75% full would be a jug and a half of rocks (how ya like that measurement captbob ...you're gonna love the other ones!!! ). A jug and a half of the tumble sized rocks weighed in at 16 pounds. I added to this one large drink cup from Hardees (NASA instrument approved) of the small fillers that I bought at Lowes...these weighed in at 3.6 pounds wet for a total of 19.6 pounds of rocks. As I filled the barrel I tilted it at a 45-degree or sharper angle to lessen chance of rocks busting each other up. I would put in a couple of handfuls of rough, add a handful of filler and top that with several tablespoonfuls of Kingsley's #80 grit...rinse, repeat...so a pretty good mix throughout. Ended up with 20 healthy tablespoons of #80 grit in the barrel. To this I scientifically ciphered that the Hardees cup looked about right to hold the amount of water I needed...glug, glug, glug...done!!! I then tightened the reinforced rubber capt to the mouth of the barrel and set it on the tumbler. After some experimenting to see which way the barrel was going to travel I got the proper end (pvc cap end) positioned so that it would move up against one of the stand-off rollers. All seems well. The one thing that I have determined so far.....that pvc barrel is LOUD!!!!!! I did line the pvc end cap with inner tube rubber and also I reinforced the rubber cap with the inner tube rubber, but I did not line the barrel. I've got it in my shop at work right now, but I'm seriously considering moving it to an unused room in the back of the building (I'll have to run some electricity in there)...the century-old air compressor is loud enough itself, I don't need to add to the din. The next big barrel *will* be lined with inner tube material!!! Summation: 16 pounds of rough 3.6 pounds (one large plastic Hardees drink cup) of wet filler (Lowes pea gravel) 20 healthy tablespoons of Kingleys #80 grit 1 large palstic Hardees drink cup of water I put the Watts-Up meter inline with the tumbler and it is showing using 2.05 amps with the 20 pound load of rocks (I don't know how much the barrel weighs...I'd think ten to fifteen pounds. jamesp how much do you think it weighs? It's rolling at 46rpm. Anyhow, we're making noise, er, I mean tumbling with the Money Pit!!!!!!!!!!! 16 pounds of rough...quartzite, quartz, pet wood, ? IMG_9461a (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr A high-tech NASA certified measuring device filled with the Lowe's filler... IMG_9463aJPG (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr A close-up of the filler (for what it's worth )... IMG_9464a (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 20, 2015 5:55:04 GMT -5
In correct. Just need some basic lapidary machines I figured to keep the crystal structure you would need something to polish each face....what type of basic machines would retain the garnets' crystal shape? Tumbling rounds them off from what I've seen. Now I'm confused...but you know it doesn't take much to confuse me. Thinking about things....maybe a Loto or other vibratory tumbler to keep the shape???
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 20:36:33 GMT -5
That's weird, I've got it in my outbox. I'll resend.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 19:17:22 GMT -5
Hey, you need my address? I'd love to have some of these to use as filler in my tumbles!!! As a newbie my guess to keep their shape and make them shine would be a faceting machine. Maybe with care a flat lap could be used. Basically grind and polish each surface... ? In correct. Just need some basic lapidary machines I figured to keep the crystal structure you would need something to polish each face....what type of basic machines would retain the garnets' crystal shape? Tumbling rounds them off from what I've seen. Now I'm confused...but you know it doesn't take much to confuse me.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 19:13:37 GMT -5
erik88, I sent you a pm.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 16:21:55 GMT -5
Touching back here...
Jim, I'll hang on to it for a backup. I did find the thicker one I think you are talking about....got it a Lowes...the Fernico (thinner) one came from HD. I did take the thicker one and glued a circle of inner tube to it...should add a year or three to it's life. I also went ahead and glued a circle of inner tube to the end cap figuring it'll help it's life especially since it's the thinner cap. I need to come up with some more pvc pipe...I may just bite the bullet and buy a 20' stick of it and sell back part of it to Southern Pipe.
Game plan is to have a load tumbling in the Money Pit when I leave work Christmas Eve.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 16:14:14 GMT -5
Those are looking really nice Jim, all of these are from broken cobbles, right? I'm not seeing the fractures as I see it the smaller gravel pieces. I hope I can get back to the hunting ground and get some cobbles to work with before long. I really need the fresh air...and rocks. You know, when I gaze into these rocks it's like I'm looking back in time...way back in time.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 16:03:56 GMT -5
Wow!!! Really nice, Tommy. For some reason it has a Polynesian princess air about it for me.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 15:53:30 GMT -5
Hey, you need my address? I'd love to have some of these to use as filler in my tumbles!!! As a newbie my guess to keep their shape and make them shine would be a faceting machine. Maybe with care a flat lap could be used. Basically grind and polish each surface... ?
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 10:39:14 GMT -5
I was in Paris, France years ago when I stopped at a McDonalds burger joint (we were dying from some greasy fast food!). After eating I saw where they sold BEER there...beer???...at a McDonalds? I just had to have one naturally. I went up to the counter and the nice little Vietnamese girl who spoke far better English that I did asked for my order. I ordered a beer. She told me she couldn't sell me a beer without a food order. I told her I had bought a meal walago. She got a puzzled look on her face and I restated the fact several times that I had bought a meal walago. She finally smiled at me and went and got the manager. He was a Chinese guy from Miami. We talked a moment and again I explained that I would like to buy a beer and that I had bought a meal walago. After a moment, he understood and grinned. He explained to the young girl what I was saying, handed me a beer on the house and shook my hand. Man that was a good beer drank under those golden arches. Walago really tripped up that young girl!!!! So, any of you foreigners...you know, west of the Rockies, north of the Mason-Dixon, use the term "walago"? ...I was down there walago and they had sold out of the turnip roots. ...The sheriff come by here walago like a scalded dog!!!! ...I got a phone call walago that Bubba had gotten bit by a rabid skunk. ...etc.,etc.,.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 10:15:21 GMT -5
Thanks John and Fossilman for the feedback. I'm hoping to start my first tumble in the Money Pit Tumbler next week if the holidays don't hinder me. Fossilman, I won't hesitate on adding a few larger rocks to my tumbles now. I won't overload on them and I'll get a good mix in there. I usually use a gallon milk jug as I work gravel bars on the creeks...I figure next venture to the hunting grounds that I will focus on getting at least one jug filled with less-than-1" rocks...will be mostly quartz/quartzite/pet wood. That'll give me some good sizes and interesting rocks, too! John, I think I will try busting some of my fractured rocks and see how that works out. Are they good at breaking along the factures most of the time? I've looked at a few rocks and thought how nice they'd be without the fracture(s) in them...might be smaller finished rocks but with fewer/no fractures they could a nicer finished product.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 9:54:31 GMT -5
Oops, I just got a call from a buddy to go do some juggling. I meant to say "motorcycle"! So, you ride a unicycle while you juggle??? Very...talented, Rob. Er, I can still ride a bicycle (I think)...if that counts. I can juggle eggs...but they end up scrambled.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 9:50:40 GMT -5
...and right after the "Here Bubba..." comment you hear a "Oooooohhhh!!!" of someone being impressed by a great feat or either you hear an "Oh Sh__!!!!" from Bubba with the intonation in his voice that committed on helping you out of whatever you just got yourself into... because that's what Bubba's do!!!!
|
|