bsky4463
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2013
Posts: 1,696
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Post by bsky4463 on Oct 10, 2013 14:15:45 GMT -5
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Post by Toad on Oct 10, 2013 16:05:29 GMT -5
I like the 4th one down and the poppies.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 10, 2013 16:26:32 GMT -5
Those got fairly shiny. Not bad for a first attempt. If you want shinier rocks, you may want to leave them in the rough stage for a lot longer. The rocks in pictures 4, 5 and 7 look like they were ready for the second stage. A lot of the rest of them could have stayed in 60/90 until they didn't have any more pits or cracks. I leave some of my rocks in the first stage for months. I take a few rocks out each week that are ready to go on, and add more rough rocks to the tumbler. I only stop the rough stage when I have enough rocks to go onto the next stage. If you move rocks on with holes in them, the grit from an earlier stage can get stuck in those holes and then fall out during a later stage and scratch everything up again.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Oct 10, 2013 16:29:31 GMT -5
If you want to get the finish that the pros post on this site, you will need to add a rotary tumbler to your collection. The rotary tumbler is used for grinding out deep pits and shaping the rocks. The vibratory is then used for the final grind and the polish.
You have a few in there that appear to have been already shaped and smoothed (beach or river) that give you an indication of what the rotary tumbler would do for your pitted ones.
#4 is a definite keeper. Two faults in one rock is an uncommon find. Collecting along an ancient fault zone?
Darryl.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 10, 2013 16:36:39 GMT -5
Forget what I said. I didn't realize you were using a vibratory tumbler until I read Darryl's comments and then reread your post. My advice was for a rotary tumbler. I do the first stage in a rotary and finish in a vibe. You'll need a rotary to do what I suggested.
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Post by pghram on Oct 11, 2013 10:08:35 GMT -5
Number four takes first prize & the poppies are a close senond. I'll second the motion to get a rotary for first step.
Rich
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riverrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2010
Posts: 1,395
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Post by riverrock on Oct 14, 2013 6:40:12 GMT -5
Great job. Remember you can always start over if you don,t like the out come of the tumble. Thanks for posting
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2013 7:17:38 GMT -5
You have some nice stones there. The poppies are way cool but I really like the one that tells a story. It is amazing that the pressures underground can be so high that it splits a stone, pushes part of it aside then glues it back together. Jim
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grayfingers
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2007
Posts: 4,575
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Post by grayfingers on Oct 14, 2013 7:32:32 GMT -5
Nice first batch! I also really like the one with healed fractures. I find wood that has fractured and healed with clear chalcedony. I love my UV 10, but as stated above the vibes can't round out stones or get rid of vugs like a rotary can. One can also smooth/trim a stone on a tile saw before vibing.
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bsky4463
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2013
Posts: 1,696
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Post by bsky4463 on Oct 14, 2013 14:40:13 GMT -5
Thanks all. We really enjoy cleaning up the rocks we find. Thanks for the guidance. We will spend more time sorting for hardness and being more selective in the stones we move onto the next stage. Next batch will be a bunch of blue agate we collected, but will sort thru and rotary tumble some before we start up the vibe. Thanks again for looking and sharing.
I suppose a thicker blade on a trim saw would work the same as a tile saw for shaping on the edge of the blade...
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Oct 14, 2013 17:01:52 GMT -5
Yes, it would work, but tile saw blades are usually heavier and cheaper! :-)
I would also pull out any rocks with obvious cracks because they'll either hold grit or fracture later.
Chuck
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,711
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 27, 2013 18:33:19 GMT -5
Nice...
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Oct 27, 2013 20:02:14 GMT -5
Nice to see a batch from your area too. The poppys would be my target.
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bsky4463
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2013
Posts: 1,696
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Post by bsky4463 on Oct 29, 2013 14:13:04 GMT -5
The poppys were from our trip to the Olympic Peninsula. After we returned home I discovered we were VERY close to the source and we might have been able to have collect some rough. I really would like to find some poppy rough to cab or tumble. Well, next time - I am sure we will be back as the fishing rocked (steelhead, salmon, dollys and sea-run cutts).
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