jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Jan 30, 2013 7:08:37 GMT -5
My tumbler holds 30-35 pounds and turns fast at almost one rotation in a second(50RPM).It is home made and unusually fast spinning.It is loud and runs way back in the corner of the farm.It is only used for coarse grind.It will chip sharp edges of agate off at first,which is fine w/me.But thin chips that are 2-3 inches long that you could probably snap w/your fingers almost never break.So it is doing very well at the coarse grind process for my needs. What amazes me is that the coarse grit is beat to fine mud in as little as 48 hours.Be it 36,46,60,90 or a mix of those.Especially if the water level is a couple of inches below the rocks.If level w/rocks,it may go 72 hours. Maximum rock rounding absolutely occurs running a little dry(1-2 inches below rocks).It makes the rocks 'heavier'.Less padding so the rocks hit and scrubb each other harder.And the grit wears out faster. The sooner they round,the cheaper from a power cost.But 3 cups of grit every 48 hours is a lot of grit. Conclusion-there is no short cuts in rounding rock in coarse step.
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Post by orrum on Jan 30, 2013 8:54:15 GMT -5
James thats lots of rocks! What do you do with all those tumbled rocks?
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,564
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Post by jamesp on Jan 30, 2013 9:48:48 GMT -5
My wife and many others ask the same question.I think some one mentioned their son keeps them under his bed-that's the best answer by far. Some day i may tumble stuff as a business.Especially if you raise your kids to stash tumbled stones under their bed:>So experimenting with glass,rocks,metals and other stuff.And i sell some tumbled stuff made into jewelry.Gifts for family,etc Mostly as a hobby.But plants were a hobby that turned into primary income for 20 years.Tumbling may go there....It would be perfect for my interests,lifestyle and property use.I set up the rock equipment in a retired greenhouse and it's good there.It is better than good,that is a great place-to hang out and it is comfortable except during the hot plant season when i'm busy w/plants anyway. That's the mind set orrum.I am into it as a hobby in a big way.But i like passive processes that create widgets to sell(like plants). Probably not a big money maker.
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Post by Pat on Jan 30, 2013 10:20:12 GMT -5
Interesting that the drier the setup is, the quicker it takes effect. My vibrating tumbler is small, holding a big handful of stainless steel shot, then there is the sterling I add for a shine and deburring. Might try using less water. Currently use enough water to see from the top, and a drop or two of Dawn dishwashing liquid.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Jan 30, 2013 11:17:05 GMT -5
I think you should stick to your process if it works for you Ms Pat.Metals are a lot trickier to tumble.And silver sounds expensive.And your silver work looks expensive. I shear heavy gauge wire,old silver plated plates/bowls,industrial copper,brass,beryllium,zinc,nickel,german silver,stainless into jewelry size random blanks.Eight pounds of metal and 8 pounds of polished white granite pea gravel into a 16 pound barrel w/water and let tumble for 3-6 days.May alter the PH and tumble some more if i have a reaction(usually black).Then Dawn itize the load.Always reuse the stain free white polished granite.The polished granite is the grit....Pure felspar does best. All that to get rid of the burrs before going to the anvil.Also preps the surface for tripoli or AO at the final buffing. But i would not change what you are doing w/silver.And that's my own weirdo process. That deburrs everything except some stainless alloys.That stuff is hard. My favorite base metal comes from discarded antique silver plate silver trays.The copper,white brass,yellow brass and german silver from the old days is very high quality metal.Tumble the silver off.Found a stack of german 'hotel silber' hotel trays from the 40's at the junkyard the other day.Made by Gebruder Hepp.If it was good enough for their clients,it must have very high quality-or else....
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Post by johnjsgems on Jan 30, 2013 13:20:15 GMT -5
If the grit is broken down but rocks not ready yet you can add more grit if slurry isn't too thick. I've run coarse for 7-10 days and tossed in 220 for another week on the 40 lb. unit I had. I rinsed out for fine grit and washed out before and after polish
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Jan 30, 2013 14:26:28 GMT -5
I believe it.Sounds like a plan.I will do that going from 220 to 600 grit. I guess the best situation for fastest coarse grind is to change the grit and water out like everyday(say grit was free).I need to find a beach with ruby sand-Sri Lanka? Those big tumblers will work you.If you were running 20 forty pound tumblers,it would be a full time job not counting rock prep.
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Post by orrum on Jan 30, 2013 15:34:10 GMT -5
Thanks James, my horse hobby supported itself. Now I hope the rocks will support themselves very soon. First I gotta get back on my feet n learn how to make a cab.
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jamesp
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Posts: 36,564
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Post by jamesp on Jan 30, 2013 15:45:56 GMT -5
Barely support orrum,barely-sustain
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Post by Pat on Jan 31, 2013 11:06:19 GMT -5
I have a quart jar of garnet sand. Pretty stuff!
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,564
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2013 11:18:18 GMT -5
Iron garnets as they are called were mined close to Atlanta years ago for sand paper.Bring a broom and a dust pan and you can fill a 5 gallon bucket quickly sweeping them off of a dirt road in Paulding county.Ugly garnet crystals bigger than hardballs are common.No faceters. Hence the name,garnet paper.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jan 31, 2013 11:28:28 GMT -5
There is an old garnet mine by Palm Springs Ca that mined tiny garnets for abrasives too.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2013 12:15:16 GMT -5
Why garnets?Why not use ommon quartz.Aren't they the same hardness
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Post by orrum on Jan 31, 2013 12:25:53 GMT -5
Lots of garnets mined n crushed in western nc for abrasives. Lots of ugly sapphires n rubies there too. I mined for them last summer, lots of screening n work but got about 20 and had one ruby ground into a 3.5 carat cab pendant in sikver for my mom, its awesome!!!! Had two black sapphires with blue points of fire ground n mounted in silver for my sisters, they r 2.5 carats. Also awesome. The shop did the work said lots of times they just shatter but all three of mine made it. I have some gem grade garnet thats very pretty but is all fractures and several iron garnets. Go to Rose Creek Ruby mine, Tom the owner is a great guy n I think is still the president of their rock n mineral club, they have several show a year. I did all natural dirt n rocks, he also has salted dirt.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2013 13:51:53 GMT -5
Still mining them.Western,so near the mountains.You get around Bill.And take care of the family,spoiled em all:>I want to find high grade garnets.Half inch crystals without a single fracture.Imagine that.When i was a kid the neighbor bought a bunch of white granite looking rock laced with purple garnet crystals.Most faceters.I helped chisel them out.Never found the spot;they told me where.
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custommike
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Post by custommike on Feb 3, 2013 3:49:21 GMT -5
jamesp, you ever just add more grit without washing it out?
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,564
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Post by jamesp on Feb 3, 2013 6:21:01 GMT -5
If the slurry is still wet enough,absolutlely.For agates the grit is pretty much crushed to a fine paste though.And the slurry is thick and pasty.It is the normal process.Tumbling a softer material like glass can muddy the water to a pasty consistency and grit may not be broken down all the way.The mud is mostly ground off glass...Harder rock like agate breaks the silicon carbide down faster than obsidian,flourite,sodalite,felspars etc. My slower spinning tumblers behave a lot different,the coarse grit lasts 5-7 days.They run at a safer,quieter,slower speed.The sharp edges never chip much.So it makes sense that the faster speed eats grit faster,grinds rock faster,and chips more.Sensitive rocks like rose quartz may frost a tiny bit in the fast tumbler.That is not good at all.But the fast tumblers are set up for hard materials that i find locally-coral and coastal plain cherts.The petrified coral is really hard.It is 90% of what i tumble. I repetitively coarse tumble so much of the same sized same material Mike that i have learned the grit life by watching the same type materials reduce or stop reducing. Each tumbler,grit,rocks and habitat has it's own personality though.A lot of people might argue that 48 hours does not seem right.And it's just a point of interest for those interested.I know that if i found a market and was in a hurry to keep up w/production demands that grit would be changed on such shorter intervals. Thanks man
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