jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 23, 2013 17:32:18 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2013 22:02:27 GMT -5
Dude. I can't wait to see that stuff cooked!
I am going to speculate #1 will be that peach color stuff? How'd I do?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 23, 2013 23:21:27 GMT -5
Yep,you are bang on Scott.I hope anyway.Sometimes they barely change and sometimes they change a lot.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2013 23:23:46 GMT -5
I knew it. I love that peach color. It is unlike any other stone. How soon you going hunting?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 23, 2013 23:55:15 GMT -5
In about 6-8 days if no heavy rain events occurs
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quartz
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breakin' rocks in the hot sun
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Post by quartz on Jun 24, 2013 0:50:32 GMT -5
Is this the stuff you tumble at speed? I was under the impression the rough material was initially more rounded than it is, man, was I wrong. That's pretty jagged stuff. If you can, If you would, please give a procedural rundown and maybe a pic. after each stage. That is some nice looking tumbling rough. Larry
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2013 7:52:48 GMT -5
Larry,i do tumble roundish stuff.Basically little corals that has a partially bleached skin on it.They are only 1-3 weeks in coarse.If they are less than about 3 onces i will run them at 60rpm/6in or 46rpm/8in.3-8 onces 33rpm and 26rpm respectfully.
This glassy chipped up stuff is jagged and smaller.It runs at 60 or 46.The sharp edges chip off.So for the first 2-3 weeks it is an ugly mess with little sharks teeth as the sharp edges.So it physically breaks the sharp areas off.But no fracturing.Those chips must run 8-10 weeks at the high speed.220,600,polish at the slower 33 or 26 for a week each.
Red and yellow moss agates from west US coarse grinds much quicker than this obnoxiously hard coral.I mix them regurly.Clear crystaline like rose or smokey quartz rounds even faster but frosts if i do not keep the tumbler like over 3/4 full.But half quartz and half agate in a 7/8 full round barrel rounds the rose quartz well in 3-4 weeks.But is sort of wasteful since the agate barely rounded.
The high speed tumbling started when i bought a PVC pipe barrel from a fellow named Bob Leak in Washington state on ebay.He said you gotta run it fast or it will wear his barrels out.So i geared my shafts fast and just figured that was status quo for all tumblers.He had me put newspaper in for padding.I gave up and changed to using fast for coarse only.Because at 60 rpm polish was impossible,and frosting with watery 600 grit slurry,and a little frosting with a clean 220 fresh watery slurry.Bang-perfect-fast speed for fast work on my super hard favorite material.The only stuff i really tumble.
But that is how the high speeds evolved-that fellow I bought the crappy(thin wall) SDR 35 6 and 8 inch barrels from.And it was a while later when i mixed Texas agates in with the coral that i noticed how dang hard the coral is.Bob's 8 inch barrels were lasting 3 months in coarse grind mode.
Man i am raw with the scheduling and wash outs.But i open all 3 or 4 at least every 2 days to see what is going on.I can run a little dry and break 30/60 grit down to fine slime in 3 days.But if it is on the wet side it may last 6 days.But w/out a doubt-a dryer mix changed every 3 days 7 times is the same as a wetter mix changed every 6 days 7 times. So the same amount of rounding in 21 days as 42 days.You think you are using a lot of grit but you are not, actually you are only using more electricity w/the wet schedule. I can hear a nice dryish mix.The next day afyer recharge of grit i almost always pour off some water to get a thicker slurry.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2013 8:03:55 GMT -5
I also heat treat the coral in all forms and that softens it to the hardness of western agate. These are target shapes i tumble to.Rounded enough. i am stocking up on these.Like jewelry size pieces.And samples of materials from probably 50 veins that a collect from.Probably less tha 4 fractures in the whole batch.I am frature phobic This is what happens to the chips after heating,it brings out colors from yellow-brown.Probably irons I used to collect specimen coral(for 15 years).Only recently for cutting grade materials.So all this tumbling is new to me really.
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Post by Pat on Jun 24, 2013 9:33:16 GMT -5
James, thanks or the process and the explanation. Those corals are so pretty!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2013 10:26:24 GMT -5
Thanks Mrs Pat.Hope all is well w/you.
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grayfingers
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Post by grayfingers on Jun 24, 2013 13:53:33 GMT -5
Great pictures of the process, James! I like your work area too, lots of elbow room. So, heating softens it up to 7ish, that is some hard stuff all-right. Is flying shrapnel an issue when using a big hammer? I pop smaller agates with a chisel along a fracture, but sometimes I find big jasper chunks that must be beaten into submission. Have been punctured a time or two. I toss a chunk of old canvas over before whacking now. . .
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2013 20:58:01 GMT -5
I have been speared by shrapnel several times resulting in blood spurt.Especially when using 8 pound sledge on 50-100 pound chunks.I try very hard not to reduce in the field beause i am often 2-3 hours up the river with zero rescue.I have a protective outfit that is scary looking.Boat is full of old blankets for cover like you mentioned.Protection... About every rock you see in the banks is fossilized coral www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157632388970472/
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Post by Pat on Jun 24, 2013 21:16:28 GMT -5
James, what are those trees with the roots out o the water? While visiting in South Carolina, we went to a park covered with them. The path was on raised boards. Nothing like that around here.
The blues look unusual and sure are pretty.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2013 22:40:50 GMT -5
There are 2 fat bottom trees Pat,Swamp Tupelo: And bald cypress that shoot weird 'knees' up
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Post by Pat on Jun 24, 2013 22:57:13 GMT -5
Those don't look familiar. The trees we saw had rounded knees out of the water. Do you know of another kind?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2013 23:06:13 GMT -5
These look familiar? Bald Cypress inundated.....
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Post by Pat on Jun 24, 2013 23:31:50 GMT -5
Yes! These look more like it. SC was really pretty; lots of green rolling hills.... and trees with knees! Thanks!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2013 23:46:24 GMT -5
inundated = 5 star word Jim!
Looking good! Thanks for sharing.
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quartz
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Post by quartz on Jun 24, 2013 23:47:28 GMT -5
Thanks a bunch for the procedural rundown and all the pics. Sure is a different looking scenery than here. Larry
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Jun 25, 2013 0:04:03 GMT -5
No rocket science Larry.Hope it makes sense.Materials may behave a lot different but size seems more likely to cause problems.I think the round barrel allows for crazy speed...
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