mickeddie
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2008
Posts: 3
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Post by mickeddie on Nov 16, 2008 20:51:20 GMT -5
Hi,
I am very new to this site, as I am still deciding on what rock tumbler to buy (Lortone 3A vs. 33b). I'm really excited about taking all the stones I've collected from the beach and lake and making them shiny. My husband just asked me, "What are you going to do with all the stones you polish?" and I didn't really have an answer. Besides buying a diamond bit to drill holes into them for jewelry, I didn't have much of an answer. I have seen people talk about tumbling glass, but I don't know anything about it. How long does it take? Where do you get the glass (without cutting yourself)? What do you do with all those rocks that you polish, besides let them sit around and collect dust? I really want to start this hobby because I think it will be fun to see the transformation, but I haven't really thought through what I'm supposed to do with all the finished product.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, before I get started.
Thanks so much,
Michelle
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,496
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 16, 2008 21:01:13 GMT -5
I used to make jewelry from tumbled stone and tumbled preforms for the kiddie booth at our annual gem show. I also donate samples of rough and polished stones of the same material to a school teacher friend of mine as teaching aids. Some of the more sophisticated folks here (ie Bikerrandy) actually make preforms into pendants so nice they actually sell them. Some folks tumble polish cabs in a vibe tumbler to make really fancy jewelry, wire wrapped items etc. If you look at a catalog like www.eloxite.com or Kingsley-North, you can look at jewelry findings to give you all kinds of neat ideas or check out the wire wrapping and cabbing threads for even more ideas....Mel |
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Saskrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2007
Posts: 1,852
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Post by Saskrock on Nov 17, 2008 0:21:55 GMT -5
The ones I really like go in a small bowl on my coffee table or get made into jewlery. The ones I like but not as much go in a huge 3' tall vase in the corner of my living room (any kids who come to our house and show an interest can take a couple handfulls out to keep). The rest go in the playground at the local school. The teachers tell me its a giant treasure hunt on those days.
This way my bowl gets nicer and nicer, and a lot of kids get into collecting. I still have the first rock I picked up as a kid, I found it in my school yard pre polished for me by someone else. It will always have a spot in the little bowl.
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ace
starting to shine!
Member since August 2008
Posts: 39
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Post by ace on Nov 18, 2008 11:44:41 GMT -5
Michelle,
I have gotten the same question from my wife, concerning what I plan to do with these rocks when they are polished. Right now I just want to see how good of a shine I can put on them, then I will figure out what to do with them. Besides she is the one that likes to do crafts in the family, and I figure she will find a good use for them. Besides we all want to polish up the stones we got at the gem mine in NC on vacation. If I can get some done before Christmas, the family may find polished stones inside their packages.
Randy
Randy
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Nov 19, 2008 0:32:26 GMT -5
Glue on some hangers and use them as ornaments for the Christmas tree  |
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Nov 19, 2008 3:53:59 GMT -5
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Nov 19, 2008 7:03:04 GMT -5
I love your Rock Raskals, Jack. Cute!
Eileen
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navi
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2008
Posts: 229
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Post by navi on Nov 20, 2008 0:08:40 GMT -5
I love your Rock Raskals, Jack. Cute! Eileen me too!!! who said the 'pet rock' was dead? long live the pet rock/rock raskal!!!! |
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Nov 20, 2008 3:20:18 GMT -5
Thanks
But its my wife that puts them together she has a new range of groups look great and uneque, I will try and photo them
jack
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Nov 20, 2008 6:06:45 GMT -5
Jack, I had this vision of a nice chunk of angelite with googly eyes and a wire halo  Eieen |
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Nov 21, 2008 3:46:53 GMT -5
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Post by connrock on Nov 21, 2008 6:19:35 GMT -5
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Nov 22, 2008 4:03:48 GMT -5
Very impressive display Tom and as you say its all in what we see in the stone we have picked up on the beach or drive way or gravel pile
Michelle
Some good Ideas for you
have a good day
jack
Yorkshire Uk
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1Mark
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since November 2004
Posts: 91
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Post by 1Mark on Nov 22, 2008 11:19:51 GMT -5
Neat stuff. I like the puzzle.
Mark
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88pathoffroad
spending too much on rocks
Oregon ROCKS!
Member since August 2008
Posts: 305
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Post by 88pathoffroad on Nov 22, 2008 22:07:18 GMT -5
I made a slice of pet. wood into a stir-stick for my boss at the time, who was a painter. Looked like real wood, but it wasn't quite long enough to stir a gallon of paint with. I give away a lot of my tumbled rock...keeping the good ones for myself, of course. Little craft jars or bottles work great for gift packaging. I even have an old Heinz ketchup bottle full on the bottom shelf in my living room! |
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