jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,275
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Post by jamesp on Jan 23, 2013 18:20:04 GMT -5
These small corals are tumbled for 2 days with no grit (first 3 pics).Starts with 35 pounds.In two days and 3 wash outs a bunch of mud is removed.Had to add 20 more pounds to keep a 3/4 full tumbler. Then preground ends and edges to get to internal color(individually). Then tumbled with coarse grit one week to make snakeskin effect.These are ready for steps2,3,4. www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157632592879875/
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Post by Pat on Jan 23, 2013 18:30:46 GMT -5
Looks like it is working!
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Post by susand24224 on Jan 23, 2013 22:57:25 GMT -5
The colors are beautiful. Do you know what the coating is made up of?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,275
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Post by jamesp on Jan 23, 2013 23:08:42 GMT -5
It is mostly silica Susan.But porous and fragile.It grinds off easy to a point.In some cases it is very solid and polishable.Those are all silicified portions of larger corals.None of them are full size,just the part that silicified.There are many more variations in that stretch of the river.Those are from 4 pockets within a mile.They loose their color appeal if you over tumble them.Great rock for impatient tumblers.Thanks for noticing.
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Dora
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2012
Posts: 252
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Post by Dora on Jan 24, 2013 1:03:33 GMT -5
I like their color and patterns, they really change the way the look very nicely! I'm guessing that your tumbling method should work safely for other corals. A friend of mine offered me some roughly tumbled beach corals, I think I will try your method with some of them. I have no experience with corals so your post is very enlightening to me.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,275
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Post by jamesp on Jan 24, 2013 6:03:14 GMT -5
You must know that those corals are fossils Dora.They have been completly replaced by silica and turned into agate.They are from an age whem dinosaurs roamed.Beach coral is most likely new age and made out of soft calcium base like calcium cabonate.But i'm not sure.You might try tumbling them with play sand a day or so.Or just tumbling against each other like these are.I can tell you that these little guys are very tough.And the tumbler barrel is big and turning fast.Like 35 pounds and turning 1 spin per second-real fast.That speed and weight may break some coral. But slow tumbling coral sounds very doable-the beach does it ! Be sure to post pics on that one.
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Dora
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2012
Posts: 252
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Post by Dora on Jan 25, 2013 4:52:06 GMT -5
All I really know about them is that they are from the caribbean, small and white, other types of unknown rocks will come with them, probably common but, let's see how they turn out! ;D
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,275
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Post by jamesp on Jan 25, 2013 4:58:54 GMT -5
I found a beach on Jamaica covered with agate.It was a great surprise.
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