Goldy
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by Goldy on Nov 3, 2010 3:25:03 GMT -5
I`m just after a few hints for ways best to prepare rock before tumbling eg shaping. Without spend a fortune on gear is there a easy home made way to tidying them up such as sanding off high points ore removing sharp edges etc?
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Post by johnjsgems on Nov 3, 2010 7:54:12 GMT -5
Buy a cheap tile saw. Tile blades make terrible rock cutters but great grinders.
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Post by rockrookie on Nov 3, 2010 11:59:17 GMT -5
workforce saw from HomeDepot . alot of us use them . --paul
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Goldy
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by Goldy on Nov 3, 2010 16:22:43 GMT -5
Thanks for the tip will head to my local store this weekend and grab a cheapy.
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Post by johnjsgems on Nov 3, 2010 16:38:35 GMT -5
Someone told me Harbor Freight has 4" tile saws for about $50. A 4" would likely work OK for a grinder or minor trimming. The 7" would give you taller cutting capacity.
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Goldy
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by Goldy on Nov 3, 2010 18:06:37 GMT -5
Been looking for one here online in Aust found a few cheap brands from local hardware store that should do the job I will get a for a 7" for sure. Only done a few tumble runs and wasnt been fussy enough with rock selection, they always end up with a high spot that dosnt round off and a chips here and there. All comes down to trial and error is half the fun
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Post by johnjsgems on Nov 3, 2010 18:23:17 GMT -5
I didn't notice the Australia location. You can avoid a lot of chips by using small ceramic media in the mix or plastic pellets.
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Goldy
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by Goldy on Nov 3, 2010 18:32:57 GMT -5
LOL I didn't have my location added when I signed up changed it a few hrs ago, I was thinking that you might of mistaken me for being in the US. I`ve been using plastic pellets etc , I was using rough rock thinking that the first grit run would remove everything eg deep chips and high points.
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Post by rockrookie on Nov 3, 2010 18:56:24 GMT -5
Welcome to RTH , Goldy !! --paul
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Post by frane on Nov 3, 2010 19:01:43 GMT -5
A cheap tile saw is the way to go. You can trim out preforms to tumble or grind off those irritating chips and get it back in the tumble batch. I tend to cut some preforms and then bevel edge the preforms, top and bottom, so they don't chip so much in the tumble batch. It works great! Welcome to the forum Goldy! Fran
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Nov 3, 2010 19:44:34 GMT -5
I bought the Gryphon Gryphette, small grinder, and a special bit for creating a slot in my cabs for wire wrapping, then noticed, gee it came with a nice grinder bit, so now I use my tile saw to rough cut my stones, then the gryphette to shape them. Great tool, and bought it for under $30. I'm just drawing a blank where I got it but it was from one of the vendors on this site.
Just searching for that grinder, the one I bought was on sale at half off. The cheapest I see out there now is around $60.
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Goldy
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by Goldy on Nov 3, 2010 23:22:31 GMT -5
Thanks all for the welcome Had a quick look localy here cheapest so far I could find is about $160 for a ryobi 7". There are a few real cheapies but end of the what you pay for is what you get I don't mind spending abit more money for quality.
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Post by johnjsgems on Nov 4, 2010 7:19:50 GMT -5
Ryobi makes great tools. Never tried their tile saws but bought a Ryobe cordless drill when I was working as a temporary fix and both Makitas were in the shop. Ryobi was so much better at less $$$.
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Nov 4, 2010 7:26:01 GMT -5
Welcome!
Now let me get this right...You live in Australia and you can't find any used lapidary equipment?!? I thought that when you were born there the government automatically issued it to you! ;D j/k
Your right of course...quality does pay for itself.
Have you got a local FreeCycle.org or CraigsList.com in your area, you may find a good deal there from time to time.
Dr Joe
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Goldy
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by Goldy on Nov 5, 2010 1:49:08 GMT -5
Welcome! Now let me get this right...You live in Australia and you can't find any used lapidary equipment?!? I thought that when you were born there the government automatically issued it to you! ;D j/k Dr Joe . Well the government did give every Australian $900 last year for a economy stimulus, but i invested that wisely in beer and things for my motor bike ;D lol. I wasn't into rock tumbling at the time but could of brought a nice setup with the money. Stopped on the way home from work and had a quick look at tile cutters and the Ryobi was $119.00 Ill probably go back and pick it up over the weekend.
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Nov 5, 2010 6:53:02 GMT -5
That's great that you invested the money wisely, most would have just squandered the money . Nothing wrong with the ryobi, we're just cheap here ;D Dr Joe .
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Goldy
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by Goldy on Nov 6, 2010 5:03:31 GMT -5
Just spent the afternoon trimming rocks works a treat thanks all for the tip.
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Post by connrock on Nov 6, 2010 6:16:47 GMT -5
Hi Goldy and welcome! There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with using a saw and or grinder to "preform" you rocks but I have only done it a few times and have tumbled some 2 tons (4000lbs) of rocks in my life. Most rocks can be trimmed by using a rock hammer,,,, This is the type I use,,,, All that is necessary to actually trim rocks is to "chip" off any real sharp edges and try to get rid of any deep "holes" that may have occurred while breaking the rocks. I find that trimming with a saw leaves flat areas that take just as long to tumble away as it would have if I just trimmed with a hammer. I have diamond grinding wheels and to pre-shape 15 lbs of rocks takes me way to long to justify it and it also wears down my grinding wheels. Now,,,,if you want your rocks to take a "pre-shaped look" here's a few pieces of Chinchilla petrified wood I did in a vibe a while back,,,,, I have a few friends from Down Under who visit me every 2-3 years and they bring me some awesome Chinchilla "wood" along with other goodies! Here's Darren with a big hunk of jasper he dug up while digging fence post holes on his farm Down Under,,, Man you guys are sure lucky to live in a place where there are so many rocks,minerals and fossils to collect! Good luck with the tumbling and if you have questions,,,,fire away mate! connrock
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Goldy
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2010
Posts: 10
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Post by Goldy on Nov 6, 2010 16:24:13 GMT -5
Nice work with the Petrified wood. Its a learning curve thats for sure I mainly wanted the saw so i can slice larger rocks to achieve eg triangular, square shapes etc. Thanks for the tip the hunt for a trimming hammer. Once I get the hang of this I will upgrade to a vibe for sure. We are lucky here in Aust, I grew up on a farm and you just have to walk into the back yard and dig a hole anywhere and bound to find something. Might as well ask the question, whats a good vibe machine to buy ?
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Post by connrock on Nov 7, 2010 8:37:25 GMT -5
Goldy there are a lot of good vibes out there but to me it depends on how much rock you really want to polish and how long you want the machine to last. Some of the less expensive brands have plastic barrels which wear out pretty fast but other brands have very durable barrels which will last almost a life time if treated properly. If you're looking for something that can do a lot of rocks I would suggest the Thumler's brand.The model UV-10 will do the trick for you or if you want a bigger model they have them as well,,,, www.therockshed.com/tumbler3.htmlNow of you want to do smaller loads I would suggest the Lot-O-Tumbler made by the Bell Corp,,,, www.therockshed.com/tumbler1.htmlFor a 10 pounder it about $195.00 USD A 4-1/2 pounder it's about $170.00 USD In either case an extra barrel is a must to dedicate for just the polishing stage. Either of these models are very aggressive machines and will do the job for you. How is the saw running? connrock
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