grayfingers
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2007
Posts: 4,575
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Post by grayfingers on Jun 4, 2012 11:59:49 GMT -5
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jun 4, 2012 12:02:04 GMT -5
really love these, and that you can self-collect them is amazing.
thanks for sharing.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jun 4, 2012 12:34:26 GMT -5
Beautiful cabs, Bill!
Chuck
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h2otech
having dreams about rocks
Member since May 2007
Posts: 74
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Post by h2otech on Jun 4, 2012 12:41:40 GMT -5
Very nice Bill. Love montana agates..... Jim
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jun 4, 2012 12:41:56 GMT -5
Those look great. Must be nice to be able to find great material like that yourself. how much work do you do at the grinder before putting them in the vibe?
Chuck
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grayfingers
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2007
Posts: 4,575
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Post by grayfingers on Jun 4, 2012 13:31:18 GMT -5
Yeah, it is a great rush when one finds a piece with goodies inside. Most of these are one offs from small shards, though I have found a few pretty good whole nodules. Chuck, I use only my tile saw to slab, shape and grind. I hope to get a real cabbing unit soon, but for now this is working okay. I can get them fairly well shaped. And the vibe shines them up good. I get them as smoothly finished as possible before tumbling, so the girdle is not lost. If I need to run more than a day in 120/220, I re-grind the girdle before last run in 120. I am using a 3 lb. bowl on a UV 10, it really goes fast. I do several 12 hour runs in 120/220 until I have enough to move to 500. Then it is 12 hours in 500, followed by 24 hours in polish. I am using a combo of Alum. Ox. and and Cerium Ox. Here is a link to a post about cabbing on the tile saw. Bill forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/index.cgi?board=ccabs&action=display&thread=52604
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Post by Pat on Jun 4, 2012 13:34:09 GMT -5
Really, really nice. There is something about Montana agates that always draws me in.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2012 14:11:37 GMT -5
Somehow I missed your first post. Looks to me like you have come up with another art form. It does not matter how you do it, all that matters is that you get it done one way or another. I built my polishing machine and use diamond pads designed for polishing stone counter tops to make my cabs.
What you turn out is top notch and beautiful so you are still an artist in my mind. I am sure they will not be any better once you get a machine and years of experience under your belt. Jim
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Post by helens on Jun 4, 2012 20:38:28 GMT -5
Those are neat Bill!! I am moving from phase to phase in my rock appreciation. While I like them ALL, I was really heavy picture jaspers first, then agates, and now I'm all into plumes of every kind. Those montanas sometimes have pictures in them too (ok, I'm still obsessed with pictures! LOL!). Those are my favorite ones:)
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Post by talkingstones on Jun 5, 2012 5:01:37 GMT -5
I'm still in the picture phase, Helen, but there's something about Montanas that always gets me too! Great stuff, Bill! I saw that first post about cabbing with a saw and it was great! These Montanas show just how far you can go with it!
Cathy
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chassroc
Cave Dweller
Rocks are abundant when you have rocktumblinghobby pals
Member since January 2005
Posts: 3,586
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Post by chassroc on Jun 5, 2012 7:13:06 GMT -5
Love them...nice work
charlie
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Post by Tony W on Jun 5, 2012 7:44:52 GMT -5
Great batch of Montanas! Love that stuff. T
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cardiobill
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 880
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Post by cardiobill on Jun 5, 2012 10:10:01 GMT -5
I agree with the other posters... There is something about Montanas that gets me too. Gorgeous Bill
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