ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Mar 11, 2017 16:59:21 GMT -5
Smacking a rock with any hammer could chip the hammer . Most rock is harder than steel . Estwing or any other top of the line hammer has the potential to chip fragments off if you hit harder things with them . The hammer you got should last you a long time if it is not abused . Why call it a rock hammer if it can't be used on rocks? I've seen them being used on rock by professional geologists and others who can read the same label I read. The only reason it carries that label is to relieve them from liability should their "rock hammer" be chipped by what its name implies it can be used on and someone gets hurt using it for what it was meant for. Estwing is no doubt a fine " rock hammer" company who is simply afraid of being sued and basically because of that and their lame wood stake only warning label they have no balls IMHO. I don't plan on abusing it. I bought the chisel for rock breaking (which is the right way to do it anyway.)
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Mar 11, 2017 12:28:41 GMT -5
After getting an inferior rock pick misleadingly sold as an Estwing hubby broke down and spent some money on a real Estwing. He got a 22oz. To go along with our substandard 14oz. He also picked up a pretty nice chisel to hit with our 3lb. sledge to break rocks off of matrix, etc. Funny how Estwing warns that hitting anything harder than a wood stake could cause chipping. I'm hoping that is their way of avoiding lawsuits and not a testament to how bad their quality is. Shows a lack of the company's balls mostly. I mean, they are selling these as rock pick hammers.... Aren't they?
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 23, 2017 20:55:13 GMT -5
I missed this until you bumped it. That's pretty slick! easy peasy especially if the guy doing all the work could get the SOMEONE to hold the camera! So the wheel is working well for you now - right? Except for an annoying small out of round bump in the chincy foreign wheel it works awesomely.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 23, 2017 19:27:26 GMT -5
I made this puddingstone combo to give to my mom. I am always looking for Michigan puddingstone when I'm out hounding. I never find it though. Except this one day at 40 mile light on lake Huron I managed to find a smallish pink one.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 23, 2017 19:18:51 GMT -5
Just an update on the 120 grit re grit. Below is a photo of the wheel after about 100 cabs of varying hardness.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 23, 2017 19:14:04 GMT -5
Just an update on the longevity of the re grit. The pic below shows the condition after over a hundred cabs of varying hardness from lightning stone to agate. It's still cutting good and most of the diamonds are still embedded in the epoxy.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 18, 2017 22:10:21 GMT -5
ziggy I didn't realize lightning stones had such color variation. Thought they were all black and white. Thanks! I'm guessing outdoor photography and you are seeing the sky reflecting on the white calcite. ETA Notice the nail wraps are also blue? That's the sky. Good thing you're only guessing.😉 The photo was actually taken on our footstool under a florescent light in our living room. It's just my crappy phone cam messing with colors.😑
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 14, 2017 20:56:47 GMT -5
Below is a Nebula stone. The real name is variolite. If you ask me Nebula stone is the wrong name. The right name would be galaxy stone as nebulae are clouds of gas and dust in space with no set in stone shape. Galaxies are groups of stars that are in disc shapes, etc. The "Nebulas" in Nebula stone don't really look like nebulas, but they do look like galaxies. So I don't feel as ignorant as the not scientist who named it nebula stone, I am calling mine Galaxy stone instead. I know that my simple groove wraps are nothing to brag about like some of the ornate stuff done by others here. I needed some way to make nice bales and this just works for me. The groover my hubby made cuts the perfect groove. Two more that I got done. I love the rare gold color of the lightning stone on the left. It even has a touch of chatoyance.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 13, 2017 21:11:06 GMT -5
That is a lovely pendant what is the stone? I think the blue is new to me. Congratulations to both of you. It's a Michigan septarian nodule. Around here they just call them lightning stones. The blue part is calcite and more greyish in reality than the blue that the camera rendered it as. It varies in color from silvery white to white with pink areas to greyish and clear. The brown usually has several shades as well.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 13, 2017 18:03:50 GMT -5
Finally got around to my first groove wrap. It's not perfect but it's a start.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 10, 2017 14:53:25 GMT -5
So now it is all said and done, what is the final price tag? Vic Some posts in this thread have been removed as they are irrelevant to the subject of the build. Final cost of build was $134.00 and some change. I hope you enjoyed the build.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 8, 2017 22:09:02 GMT -5
I just grooved four cabs in about twenty minutes without looking.
Hubby mentioned that he might need to drill more holes in the motor mount to allow some air in the shaft end frame cooling holes. After the four cabs the motor smelled a little warm. It wasn't more than just a little warm to the touch and it has a thermal protection circuit, but, better safe than sorry he figures and will make the mods. It might even just be that new electric motor first time really run smell.
It really works well at making grooves smoothly, quickly and accurately with little effort and no tedious groove depth checks to interrupt and slow down the process. Just keep turning the stone into the blade till it quiets down (when it gets quiet the cutting is done in that area and you can move on) then turn some more until the ends meet.
Now, if I could only convince him to come out of retirement and sell these puppies.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 8, 2017 9:55:34 GMT -5
Works great. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure you have motivated a lot of new groovers! Thanks. It's a one of a kind machine right now but maybe someone else can make their own with this thread. The motor in it is fantastic. No rpm loss during the cutting at all.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 7, 2017 19:43:14 GMT -5
We have this one lightning stone where both sides would make a good front side. We are thinking about running the groove around the middle and cabbing both sides. The stone is wide enough to pull it off. Does anyone ever do that?
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 7, 2017 19:21:45 GMT -5
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 7, 2017 17:21:50 GMT -5
To finish hubby drilled the motor mounting holes. It worked. All the holes lined up. The motor mount holes are drilled after center punching. Motor and bit in cutting position for the first time. The motor tilted up for bit changing, pan cleaning. The groover in action😁
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 7, 2017 12:33:12 GMT -5
If Rio Grande has fast shipping, no donations will be required😁 Rio can be slow as molasses, depending on how you send it. I usually pay extra for priority. But, I am on the east coast. Yep, we got standard ground delivery. Said when we chose it that it could take more than ten days to arrive. I guess we'll just keep cutting cabs and grooving them until the wire finally shows up.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 7, 2017 12:30:20 GMT -5
Can you raise and lower your moter to controll width? No we can't raise the motor but we can slide the bit on the shaft to reset width of cut. Lots of unwanted adjustments. It would have been nice to get bits that weren't all over the place measurement wise. Oh well, it's probably something we would need to do sooner or later anyway.
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 6, 2017 22:54:39 GMT -5
Run ‘em through a rock or two—knockin’ off the high spots—then worry about a few thousandths. That will be the plan we go with.😋
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ziggy
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 483
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Post by ziggy on Feb 6, 2017 22:03:47 GMT -5
I might have some 20 ga brass laying around I will look. Could donate to the cause ...that is if I can find it. If Rio Grande has fast shipping, no donations will be required😁
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