Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Mar 20, 2004 13:02:59 GMT -5
My name is Jeff Skipper, I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. One hour from the Rockies, so rock pickin is good around here. You may have heard of Banff, where the skiing is fantastic - that's very close to home here. www.banff.com/33 yrs and started tumbling in (2003). My day job is as a consultant for IBM. 2 kids, 1 cat, 1 tumbler, but more to come. I'm fascinated by mook, but also like the look of richlerite. Malachite is a favorite as well. Heck, I like anything that looks interesting. My other passions are exotic cars (lambos and ferraris), cooking, being lazy. Hello to all! |
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Post by Original Admin on Mar 25, 2004 15:44:58 GMT -5
Hi Skip, I was hoping everyone would post separate threads - cheers for the input. How can you be lazy if you work for IBM?  Andy. |
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Mar 25, 2004 17:42:23 GMT -5
ha! It's because I work for IBM that I am more focused on being lazy....outside of work hours.
Work hard...relax often. ;D
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Dec 13, 2004 23:01:07 GMT -5
Been a while...time to add some pix! Here is my setup. I have put my stuff in the narrow hallway leading to the furnace. Looking toward the furnace area, my rock tumbling shelf is on the right. Tub is right beside it very handy! In between tub and freezer is my slurry box (double-bagged).  Here is the bottom of my shelf unit. Rocks and supplies. Just to the left of the shelf on the floor is my QT66. It's too heavy for the shelf.  Here is the top half of the shelf. I now have two 3A's and a 33B on that shelf. Above it are grit containers. These are mainly baby formula and coffee cans which I have repurposed.  Looking opposite of the shelf, I have all my backlog of rocks on the floor. They are in buckets/tins the approximate size of the barrels they will fill. Helps me prepare loads. That corner of a green box is borax  And finally, out to the garage, this is what I use to break my rocks. A box with a hole in the bottom, plus crack hammer and cold steel chisel. I now have a steel plate that goes under the hole in the box to protect the driveway. The box prevents busted rock from flying away.  Wow - when I started this thread a year ago I only had one tumbler...I love this addiction! |
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Post by Cher on Dec 14, 2004 8:37:34 GMT -5
Hi Skipper  That's a great idea using a box like that to stop the flying debris. If you don't mind me asking, where did you find that chisel? I like the way that one is put together with the orange handle, kind of a little protection for the hand. Thanks for the pics, it's interesting to see the set up others have in their tumbling corners. I'm with you ... I love this addiction too!  |
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Post by MichiganRocks on Dec 14, 2004 14:01:37 GMT -5
Hey Cher, I bought mine at Home Depot.
Ron
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Dec 14, 2004 15:35:19 GMT -5
I got mine at a hardware chain called Rona, but I'm sure home depot would have it as well. And yes, I think the protection has saved my hands. I get sparks sometimes when hitting the chisel.
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Post by rockyraccoon on Dec 14, 2004 17:57:18 GMT -5
nice set up and what's in all those boxes? just killing me that i can't walk over and dig through them! is that hematite in the rock busting box?
kim
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Dec 14, 2004 23:48:09 GMT -5
Let's see now...the burgundy pail is garbage  In the boxes on the floor I have: - rocks I've found on the ground - Pet wood - flint - a ton of white/clear agate - soft rock: picturestone, wonderstone - mixed agate (I got from someone on this site, but can't remember who) - brazilian agate - vaquilla jasper On the shelf: - botswana agate shards - dalmation jasper - green quartz (on the floor) - utah rainbow jasper - glass/obsidian In my garage (near the cardboard box): - the black rock is not hematite, but plain old black rock off the side of the mountain (picked it up while hiking) - tons of quartz - mook (stoneageindustries.com) - pink/green jasper (stoneageindustries.com) - bloodstone (stoneageindustries.com) Way too much, but who could every give it up? Actually, there are a few items I'm planning to put up for trade soon...some obsidian, fossilized dino bone, sea glass and quartz (wait till you see the pix!) |
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Rose
Cave Dweller 
Member since November 2004
Posts: 875
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Post by Rose on Dec 15, 2004 5:40:08 GMT -5
Hi Skipper We are hoping to move to Alberta in the future. We want to go to Okotoks. Banff is gorgeous, can't wait to go back there. |
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RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
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Post by RedwoodRocks on Jan 1, 2005 20:31:11 GMT -5
Hi Skipper,
Very nice setup. I see that you keep the Borax with your tumbling supplies rather than with the wash supplies. I bought a box of Borax, but I had just started my tumblers in the coarse stage. By the time, I got to the next stage, there was enough Borax to clean one load!
Next time, I am going to put the borax in another container and label is as "burnishing compound" so that it doesn't accidently get used in the washing machine!
Cal
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Post by gaetzchamp on Jan 3, 2005 22:11:42 GMT -5
Skip-
Couldn't help but notice the hockey bag too. You'll know I'm more of a hockey nut than a rock nut, but I'll get there some day.
So do you get out on the "pond" once in awhile? Am glad to see you're into rocks because there's no NHL in the near horizon. Today, Gretz said it may be 2 years away!!! That must be hurting your community 'eh?
Anyway, take care and it was great to see your setup.
Gaetz
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Jan 12, 2005 15:26:56 GMT -5
Oh yeah - love the hockey. One of my other little known facts is that I can drive a zamboni! Every week I help clean the ice at our community arena. Way fun!
As for the NHL...well, I dunno...it just all seems so greedy to me.
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Post by gaetzchamp on Jan 13, 2005 2:09:02 GMT -5
Hey Skip-
Ever think about running a batch of stones thru the zam??? LOL..
take care 'eh'?
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