cardiobill
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 881
|
Post by cardiobill on May 14, 2012 21:43:28 GMT -5
Ed' hearts have me inspired. These are 2 hearts I cut today with a cheap tile saw and a dremmel tool.  It took me an hour to cut only 2 hearts. I plan on cutting some more when I get the time. I bought a couple of slabs at a rock shop in Columbus Ohio (yes we actually have one). Cutting was a blast, messy but fun. Now my big dilema. How do I try and smooth and polish them? All I have is a couple lortone 3# rotary tumblers. My question for more experienced people on this board (just about everyone compared to me) is if I put them in a rotary tumbler with enough plastic beads will they come out looking like hearts or will they be some unrecognizable amorphous blobs? I really don't care if I screw them up. Learning from ones mistakes is a great education. Appreciate anyone's thoughts . I do not have access to a vibe tumbler or grinder. Just a rotary tumbler , dremmel and tile saw. I'll post my results- good bad or ugly. Ha.  Thanks Bill |
|
jason12x12
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2011
Posts: 798
|
Post by jason12x12 on May 14, 2012 21:53:39 GMT -5
I use diamond bits from Harbor freight and cut a slot in a nail to thread sc sand paper around and around and tear used papre off an inch at a time different grit
|
|
herchenx
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
|
Post by herchenx on May 14, 2012 22:20:07 GMT -5
Hi Bill,
If you have a polishing barrel on the 3# tumbler you should be able to polish these if you add them to a batch of smooth stuff with some padding. The key is keeping them from getting scratched up with coarse stones or beat to hell with too little cushioning.
unfortunately I am not the one to speak on polishing in a rotary as I use a vibe for all my stuff, but there are lots of good folks here who hopefully can chime in about polishing in the rotary.
|
|
|
|
Post by helens on May 14, 2012 22:54:31 GMT -5
Great shaping:)! Those are awsome preforms!! They would be perfect for a vibe tumbler, but not sure about a rotary. Rotaries actually SHAPE... they do it by rolling rocks around to simulate the crashing of waves, and they shape they way river rocks are shaped. They also take a LONG time, because so much material needs to get removed to get a rounded pleasing shape from pointy rough and holey rocks.
Vibes do not really shape. They round off edges, then polish the stones, but the actual shape remains more or less intact. It's far gentler on the stones than a rotary if you use lots of cushion. This is why tumbler enthusiasts often buy both a rotary and a vibe tumbler.... they use the rotary for shaping and getting the edges all rounded, and the vibe for polishing because it's both fast and gentle on shapes. If you are hand shaping, you don't really need a rotary... and I think it would mess your shapes up unless you check constantly. Just think of the action on a rotary.... it's turning all the rocks in a circle, and DROPPING them on the stones below to simulate churning. There's no centrifugal force going on there:P.
If you put those in a vibe, you'll have them almost perfect in just a week if you use a lot of filler material. For small scale vibe tumbling, you can't beat a Lot-O, just buy lots of ceramic media with it (buy at least 4 lbs so you have enough). Then save up a whole batch of cab shapes to do at once, you have a great start on it:)!
|
|
|
|
Post by NatureNut on May 14, 2012 23:21:26 GMT -5
I've done shapes in a rotary and they came out fine with lots of cushion and material of equal or lesser hardness. If you run a rotary properly, there isn't much dropping going on, just a gentle rolling.
I would say that a Lot-o or a UV-10 would do the job if you choose to go the vibe route.
With the beautifully shaped hearts that you have, I'd stay away from running agate with them.
Nicely done.
Jo
|
|
|
|
Post by gr on May 14, 2012 23:28:43 GMT -5
Great hearts Bill! Perfect shape. I would say you have an eye for detail
Diamond bits and preshape them to your liking before tumbling. And yes, please do post your finished pieces. We thrive on pics.
gr
|
|
|
|
Post by mohs on May 14, 2012 23:55:00 GMT -5
excellent cutting Bill !
that good being that your cardiologist Ha Ha
how you got that deep profiled cleavage off a saw ?
that pretty darn cool
Ed
was it 7" saw ?
O were you cutting from the front of it ?
It may be best to cut from behind
Lot less water spray
|
|
|
|
Post by roy on May 15, 2012 0:06:56 GMT -5
looks great i tryed to make one the other day it didnt make it lol
|
|
|
|
Post by mohs on May 15, 2012 0:12:49 GMT -5
broken heart huh Roy?
|
|
|
|
Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on May 15, 2012 4:18:01 GMT -5
Hi Bill
Them hearts are perfectly beautiful well done
I have rotary tumbled hearts ok they come out but with a smoother rounded edge which I actualy prefer
If you start at 220Grit and double the time you generly do the 220G run BUT check regulary as to how they are doing
220 G is a foundation run for a good gloss polish, always pay special attention to this stage
have fun
Jack
Yorkshire uk
Ps
cusion as others above have said above
|
|
unclestu
Cave Dweller
WINNER OF THE FIRST RTH KILLER CAB CONTEST UNCLESTU'S AGUA NUEVA AGATE
Member since April 2011
Posts: 2,298
|
Post by unclestu on May 15, 2012 9:50:11 GMT -5
Lapidary wise I suffer from broken heat syndrome. LOL
Either I cut the heart out to Cupids perfection for it to only be broken by a not so gentle hand when trying to polish and dome it. Perhaps by Valentines day I will mend my broken heart. LOL
Great shaping there can't wait to see the final pictures
Stu
|
|
|
|
Post by tntmom on May 15, 2012 10:49:39 GMT -5
Bill, Before I purchased cabbing equipment I used to do dremel cabs and although it takes awhile, they really come out nice. I purchased my necessities from David at jadecarver.com/DiamondTools.htmI got a bag of different sized felt burs, diamond paste in every grit up to 50k, and SIC sticks up to 1200 grit. The soft Sic sticks are awesome and can be cut and formed into any shape you need. Especially useful for the inside curves of hearts or the inside of rings. (He does not have the sic sticks listed on his site but can send you pictures of them via email) I also used the faces of dremel diamond cut-off disks to dome. The set up for doing dremel cabs is very inexpensive and therapeutic! If you decide to order from David Clayton, it is best to call or email him as much of what he sells is not on the website. He also has the best advice for any type of carving and dremel work! Btw, your heart preforms look AWESOME!!! |
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,718 
|
Post by Fossilman on May 15, 2012 10:51:17 GMT -5
Wow! Those are nice..........I haven't had the chance to cut one rock yet either,now I'm chomping at the bit!
Again great job.....
|
|
|
|
Post by Pat on May 15, 2012 14:10:36 GMT -5
Bill, I think it is highly appropriate that a cardiologist is shaping hearts and bringing them to life!
|
|
colliel82
has rocks in the head
Member since November 2007
Posts: 664
|
Post by colliel82 on May 15, 2012 17:36:53 GMT -5
Those hearts sure are nice. Look forward to seeing the finished pieces.
|
|
cardiobill
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 881
|
Post by cardiobill on May 15, 2012 20:21:47 GMT -5
Thank all of you for the great suggestions. I think I'm going to try several peoples suggestions and try and rotary tumble them. I think I'll also try some with the dremmel going forward. Whats the worst that can happen? Ha.
If I can do these and I'm not totally embarased by the results I can think of lots of uses for them around the office.
Ed- I cracked up with your use of the term "heart cleavage" (or atrial septum in medical terms) because I knew exactly what part of the heart you meant. I like your terminology better.
Even if it turns out bad I'll post the pics. It may be a bunch of little pieces.
Thanks again
|
|
cardiobill
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 881
|
Post by cardiobill on May 15, 2012 21:30:08 GMT -5
Forgot a couple things - 7" saw, stood in front got wet. Cut the cleavage with the saw then smoothed it out with a dremmel/ flat diamond disc as best I could.
|
|
jukerocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 154
|
Post by jukerocks on May 15, 2012 21:37:43 GMT -5
Nice. I am a newbie as well so far just using my 3# double barrel Lortone rotary tumbler. There is sooooo much more to learn. You're off to a great start.
|
|
|
|
Post by mohs on May 15, 2012 22:35:55 GMT -5
I think Bill you'll find working behind the saw
and pulling the stone into the blade
is a much better way
Ah the disc on a dremel
for the atrial septum
never thought of that
clever!
Ed
|
|
|
|
Post by NatureNut on May 15, 2012 23:02:23 GMT -5
Ed speaks the truth. Turn the saw around and shoot the water out into an area that can be covered with a gray-red colored snot. Shoot it out into the woods, or weeds, or over the fence into the neighbor's yard. (uh, just kidding about the last one ;D) You will get used to pulling the stone toward you into the blade, then maybe try using the edge of the blade to do what you are doing with the Dremel to refine the shape you are going after.
Jo
|
|
