Exotica
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 39
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Post by Exotica on Jan 8, 2005 19:26:23 GMT -5
Hi! I am new to the boards and wanted to ask for advice about tumbling opalized petrified wood. I have heard that opal is very hard to tumble, and I don't want to ruin the load. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Post by docone31 on Jan 8, 2005 19:44:43 GMT -5
Opalized petrified wood is actually an agate, rather than an opal. The mohs is about 7. I have tumbled opalized wood, and it tumbles real well. I used Aluminum oxide for final polish.
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Exotica
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 39
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Post by Exotica on Jan 8, 2005 20:51:15 GMT -5
Well, that will make it much easier ;D. I have a bunch of agate, so I can mix and get a load with some variation to it! How well does it come out? I have noticed a couple of firey pieces.
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Post by rockyraccoon on Jan 8, 2005 20:58:18 GMT -5
do you have a camera? we would love to see before, during, and finished pics!
kim
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Exotica
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 39
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Post by Exotica on Jan 8, 2005 21:53:55 GMT -5
I do have a camera, so that's not a problem. I will post pictures as soon as the batch is done. That depends on me getting my new tumbler, though. I purchased a new vibrating tumbler a month ago, and the vendor hasn't sent it yet. I guess I need to pull out the thumbscrews on Monday.
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jan 8, 2005 22:13:48 GMT -5
Oh Yeah, Exotica, Thumb srews are a bear minimum after a month of waiting. What kind of unit did you get?
cookie
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Post by docone31 on Jan 8, 2005 22:19:09 GMT -5
Opalized wood can either be a boomer, or .....eh. I have seen some really dynamic pieces. The fire was amazing. How do you get your letters to look like that? It is pretty neat, kinda like you are shouting.
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Post by Cher on Jan 9, 2005 9:06:56 GMT -5
Hey Doc, Look at all the buttons up above. See the one with the black A and the up/down arrow? Click on it and it will put [ size=2]TEXT[/size ] this into the text box where you type. You just delete the word TEXT and type in the space where it was. You can delete the 2 and put a larger number in to make the letters bigger. TEXT = Size 2 TEXT = Size 3 TEXT = Size 4
Cher
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Exotica
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 39
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Post by Exotica on Jan 9, 2005 19:01:13 GMT -5
I am very myopic, so I tend to use larger fonts so I can at least read what I write. I bought a Raytech vibrating tumbler - the small one. Since I am a one person operation, I think a larger one would be overkill. I plan on using most of the rocks to make jewelry with, but the larger ones I will either keep or sell in my store. I don't think I am going to be very nice when I talk to them on Monday. When I purchased it, they sent me a shipping notice but just sent a small thing I ordered incidentally. So, I called and asked for an ETA, and they said it was going out that afternoon and it would be here Friday (NOT). Of course they are closed on weekends, so Monday I called again, and I was told it was being drop shipped from their supplier and would be here Saturday (NOT AGAIN!) . I am thinking heads need to roll at this point.
I am hoping the opalized petrified wood comes out well - it is the stuff I am most excited about. The rest of my rough is pretty normal stuff - opal, emerald, agates, citrine, amethyst, etc. I ordered seven pounds of the opw, so hopefully I will get some really good pieces out of it. I figure I should be okay, since petrified wood normally comes out well and very pretty. I have a piece a friend gave me that is full of quartz veins and is absolutely gorgeous.
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Exotica
starting to shine!
Member since January 2005
Posts: 39
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Post by Exotica on Jan 10, 2005 17:06:29 GMT -5
I finally got a tracking number on my new tumbler, and it should be here today, so I should have pictures to post in about a week. Thanks for all the help and advice!
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