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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 19, 2013 21:26:38 GMT -5
I took some unakite out of the Lot-O last week, but I was too busy to take pictures. Tonight I had a few minutes, so I snapped a few. This is stuff from Lake Superior. I do more of this than anything else, so I decided to try varying my recipe on this batch. The only thing I did different was replace one tsp of Dreft with one TBSP of borax in each of the Lot-O stages. I don't really notice any difference at all. I did notice that the slurry gets thicker with the borax, but that might just be because I used three times as much borax as Dreft. Ok, it's not all unakite. There's an unusually colored granite in there too. This one was an unusual shape: I think the orange one is feldspar:
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on Nov 19, 2013 21:55:15 GMT -5
Excellent shine Rob! Wow. And that one unusual shaped one almost looks like a heart. Looks like you have a couple pieces of nice jasper in there too. Great batch. I am sloowwly turning some of those unikite pieces you gave me into beads. Probably will post sometime next year, or two. I like that shine!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 19, 2013 22:01:32 GMT -5
How are you making beads, Mark? I just cut some little cubes up and threw them in the tumbler. I'm hoping to round them up that way and then drill them out after they're polished.
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
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Post by panamark on Nov 19, 2013 22:17:00 GMT -5
Better to cut cubes, then cut the 8 corners off. They round up much faster. Won't be perfect, but near nuff. Also, I recommend you drill them after rough tumble but before the finer tumbles. It will help smooth any chips, blowouts, etc. Post your results please. I am still learning.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 19, 2013 22:19:48 GMT -5
Seems like I've read that drilling should be done after all tumbling. I'm not sure if the holes hold grit or what the problem is. Your way seems to make sense though.
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Post by pghram on Nov 19, 2013 22:57:40 GMT -5
I think that's the best shine I've ever seen on unikite. Nice!
Rich
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carloscinco
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,639
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Post by carloscinco on Nov 20, 2013 5:53:25 GMT -5
Really sweet tumble. Did you collect that Unakite? Great color.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 20, 2013 6:27:06 GMT -5
Yep, I collect it in Lake Superior every summer. I pick up more unakite than any other rock because it's fairly plentiful up there.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Nov 20, 2013 8:06:11 GMT -5
Ditto on the shine. Killer unakite(unakiller unakite).
I am thinking that that stuff shows up pretty in the water or when wet.
That rivals imported unakite and may be as much green color as i have ever seen in a single tumble.
Looks like those are pebbles found as is and not broken down from larger stock.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 20, 2013 9:44:26 GMT -5
These are always pretty well rounded when I pick them up. They were probably delivered by glacier and then naturally tumbled by the lake. I don't know if there's any unakite in this picture, but here's what my collecting area looks like:
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herchenx
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Member since January 2012
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Post by herchenx on Nov 20, 2013 10:16:30 GMT -5
Nice tumble! Great shine and the material looks really nice.
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
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Post by panamark on Nov 20, 2013 11:33:27 GMT -5
These are always pretty well rounded when I pick them up. They were probably delivered by glacier and then naturally tumbled by the lake. I don't know if there's any unakite in this picture, but here's what my collecting area looks like: I like how you were able to crop out the floating chunks of Lake Superior ice Rob. Not much swimming is done in Superior except by unfortunate sailors, and not for long RIP
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
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Post by quartz on Nov 20, 2013 12:48:15 GMT -5
Color variety and tumble quality both great, thanks. I wish our river bottoms looked like that, mostly old gray rocks here.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Nov 20, 2013 15:43:18 GMT -5
Me too Larry. The felspars are rich in color here more to the yellow orange brown/red zone from the irons. But that green and rich red is off the chart
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Nov 20, 2013 15:44:32 GMT -5
These are always pretty well rounded when I pick them up. They were probably delivered by glacier and then naturally tumbled by the lake. I don't know if there's any unakite in this picture, but here's what my collecting area looks like: i would stay here all the time
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Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 20, 2013 17:17:22 GMT -5
Yes, nice looking rocks on that river bottom, and the water is pretty clear.
James, did you not read where Mark mentioned that Superior is ice water?? Brrrr. Thick wetsuit time, lol!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Nov 20, 2013 17:58:10 GMT -5
I have to break thru ice early in the year regularly in my plant business Jean. Pretty rocks like that would motivate.
Can't get much colder than that. I would guess that the cold keeps the algae bloom down.
Those pebbles would sell for high dollar here in the landscape business.
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cardiobill
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
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Post by cardiobill on Nov 20, 2013 18:12:01 GMT -5
Rob Was the "unusual shape" rock that is a perfect heart found in that shape? or did you cut it? If you cut it-great job!! If you found it like that then -spectacular!!
All are really cool by the way
Bill
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 20, 2013 18:56:50 GMT -5
Of course I cut it, Bill. I roughed it on a saw, then used my flat lap to smooth out the edges and put a bevel on the front, then used the little Dremel diamond discs you recommended to clean up and a bevel the top. It turned out pretty good. I think I'll do some more! Thanks for the advice.
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timloco
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2012
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Post by timloco on Nov 22, 2013 18:23:00 GMT -5
nice shine on those, I've had issues tumbling that stuff in the past, hard to get an even shine.
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