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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Oct 7, 2008 18:31:16 GMT -5
I bought a bag of Thomsonite rough from a local person moving to England for a while. When I say rough, I mean it's still completely in matrix. Following the advice of somebody I met on-line, I'm tumbling the rough off, starting with 150/220. I didn't get a picture of what it looked like before I started, but here is where I am now. I opened the tumbler after 2 days of tumbling, and here is what I found. Melted chocolate ice cream (a really thick foamy slurry):  After washing, here is the current state of thomsonites and matrix:  And a couple close-ups:   A couple of those are huge by thomsonite standards. Thanks for looking, Chuck |
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Post by frane on Oct 7, 2008 20:41:12 GMT -5
Cool! I love to see how a tumble is progressing. You already have some good colors peaking through. Another 2 - 4 days should do it for that matrix. I look forward to your next progress pix.
Fran
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ejs
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 478
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Post by ejs on Oct 7, 2008 21:45:30 GMT -5
Thanks for the pics and please update us as to your progress!
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nansaidh
spending too much on rocks
Jewelry artist, graphic designer, dog lover, car nut (etc.)
Member since August 2008
Posts: 311
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Post by nansaidh on Oct 8, 2008 11:50:34 GMT -5
Bookmarking this thread - I can't wait to see the progress too! Thank you!
Nancy
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Wolfden
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2007
Posts: 1,368
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Post by Wolfden on Oct 8, 2008 12:00:12 GMT -5
Wow! how neat is that ... I have some of this and have been wondering what to do with it , I thought I would make some cabs from it but now I see that I may have to throw some in a tumbler.
Thanks so much for posting this
Dennis
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Post by Noosh9057 on Oct 8, 2008 12:17:26 GMT -5
The pics look great.
Roger
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Oct 10, 2008 8:38:15 GMT -5
I emptied the barrel yesterday. Didn't make a whole lot of progress, I think because the load is getting smaller. I need to add some filler (there's plenty of basalt around here, or I may use pellets). I'm off on vacation for a week and don't have time to recharge it today. I'll post again when I have something to report.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Nov 7, 2008 22:38:33 GMT -5
Well, after another 3 weeks of tumbling, I'm going to have to change my approach. As the matrix ground away, I had to keep adding rock to make up for the lost volume. I used some local basalts and rhyolites thinking that they were probably about the same hardness of the basalt matrix around the Thomsonites. While the larger Thomsonites could stand up to it, the small ones were being ground away. As you'll see in the photo, there's a large Thomsonite with some matrix still on it that just refuses to go away (right next to the penny). It's gradually getting smaller, but I may have to use a grinder (and sacrifice the small one in the matrix) or a saw (and risk cutting into the large one). I've tried an engraver, but it doesn't make much of a dent. I tried a cold chisel on a chunk of the matrix before tumbling thinking that maybe the matrix would just break away from the Thomsonite. No such luck. Instead I split a Thomsonite that was in the middle of the matrix. You can see the two halves still in matrix in the lower left hand corner. The rusty colored pieces at the bottom still have a rind on them, which I'll tumble away once I have the rest of the Thomsonites freed. The black basalt rocks probably still have Thomsonites locked inside. So, I'm open to suggestions as to what to use as a filler. I'm thinking ceramic media, but I'm afraid it will grind away the Thomsonites. Thanks for looking. Chuck  |
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Post by creativeminded on Nov 10, 2008 8:20:26 GMT -5
It's a start, they are going to be beautiful when they are done.
Tami
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Nov 10, 2008 12:30:37 GMT -5
I spoke to a guy Saturday night who is a local expert on Thomsonites. He suggested grinding or using a Dremel diamond blade. So, it sounds like I was on the right track. He has a very nice collection from an estate. I also saw a couple pieces found this year that were a monstrous 2-3" in diameter.
He was nervous about tumbling them (although I've communicated with others who have). He preferred polishing them individually. He thought they should be done in a vibe, if they were going to be tumbled. Unfortunately, my vibe is 18 lbs. and these probably weigh about 1/4 lb. total!
Chuck
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