silverviper
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2009
Posts: 12
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Post by silverviper on Sept 8, 2009 12:18:22 GMT -5
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Post by Toad on Sept 8, 2009 12:23:12 GMT -5
Looks like you had quite a variety in there. Love all the colors.
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Post by tkrueger3 on Sept 8, 2009 12:27:25 GMT -5
Wow! That looks like a LOT of rocks for just a 3-pound capacity tumbler. They came out great! Are those all in one load, or do they represent a number of loads?
Tom
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silverviper
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2009
Posts: 12
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Post by silverviper on Sept 8, 2009 13:48:26 GMT -5
thanks
It's a modified 3A, I cut the frame in two, riveted the two halves onto
a aluminum sheet and extended the shafts,
i also added a small 12V / 2W PC fan to keep the motor cool, i'll post a small tutorial if anyone is inerested.
The motor runs cold to the touch.
The batch is about 3 lbs of finished rock.
I had twin barrels working at the same grit/stage
Chris
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silverviper
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2009
Posts: 12
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Post by silverviper on Sept 8, 2009 13:58:25 GMT -5
The rocks are,
Tigereye
Aventurine
Carneol
Agat Red
Agat White
Milk quartz (from a beach in crete)
Tiny garnets
Some pretty gneis laying around the yard
Don't know the english name for the pink/beige ones in the lower right corner, Feltspat in norwegian
chris
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Post by tkrueger3 on Sept 8, 2009 17:40:03 GMT -5
That's quite an assortment. I'm amazed at how well they all turned out, considering you have a mixture of both hard and softer stones all together. Whenever I mix something like aventurine with anything else, the aventurine comes out looking like I beat on it with a hammer! Yours looks great. Good job.
Tom
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jayhkr
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since September 2007
Posts: 92
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Post by jayhkr on Sept 8, 2009 18:38:19 GMT -5
I must know your secret to such a great shine! Those are spectacular!
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silverviper
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2009
Posts: 12
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Post by silverviper on Sept 8, 2009 19:14:23 GMT -5
Here's my recipe
clean barrel with a thoothbrush, warm water and soap.
clean the rocks, discard rocks with deep pits and cracks
burnish
clean barrel with a thoothbrush, warm water and soap.
2 weeks @ 80k, 4 tbs
rep. cleaning
2 weeks @ 220k 4 tbs
rep. cleaning
2 weeks @ 400k 5 tbs
rep. cleaning
2 weeks @ 600k 5 tbs
rep. cleaning
2 weeks Polish with Tin Oxide
burnish
chris
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Post by Noosh9057 on Sept 9, 2009 6:41:57 GMT -5
You did a great job. I also love the modified 3A.
Roger
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silverviper
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2009
Posts: 12
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Post by silverviper on Sept 9, 2009 8:05:04 GMT -5
Hi
Thank you for your kind words, good to know i'm on the right track.
I've only been tumbling rocks for less than a year. I've used my 3A for tumbeling silver necklaces and bracelets. Done this for 15 years, only recently "upgraded" my 3A to 3B,
I should mention my barrels are designed for polishing silver with steel-shot, they have a wave-pattern, six in total i think,
Chris
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karock
has rocks in the head
Member since November 2007
Posts: 667
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Post by karock on Sept 9, 2009 17:28:18 GMT -5
Dang that's a lot o pretty rocks, nice work. What ya gonna do w them now?
Karock
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Post by frane on Sept 9, 2009 17:42:47 GMT -5
That really looks like a fantastic batch from both barrels and your set up looks great!
Fran
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Sept 10, 2009 18:24:27 GMT -5
Way to go!!! That looks more like a batch from a 12lb unit. They look sweet!
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silverviper
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2009
Posts: 12
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Post by silverviper on Sept 10, 2009 19:04:11 GMT -5
i guess the pictures makes the batch look bigger,
its 1,4 kg , 1,1 liter or two 2/3 barrels worth.
Started out with 3/4 in both barrels, and water 1/4 inch above the rocks, a bit heavy load for the 3A motor, but with the PC fan it runs cool.
I have some glass in the mix, they didn't come out as good as the other rocks.
tkrueger3:
you're right about the aventurine, its not anywhere near as glossy as the agats and carneols
Chris
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Sept 11, 2009 15:05:16 GMT -5
Very nice batch! It always pays to let the rocks get nice and rounded before you move them on. Hard to believe you got there in two weeks of grinding though. Man, it takes me at least 4-6 weeks in coarse with weekly recharges to get the stones rounded the way I want them......Mel
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silverviper
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2009
Posts: 12
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Post by silverviper on Sept 11, 2009 15:36:27 GMT -5
The tiger and aventurine had alot of flat sides as roughs, the white quartz
are preshaped from the beach.
i'm looking forward to start a new batch, got a new connection for roughs
here in norway
Chris
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Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
