tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,548
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Post by tkvancil on Apr 3, 2014 10:17:44 GMT -5
I also feel like a winner already for several reasons ... Getting to participate in a group activity tops the list. To me the rough is new and "exotic" with some colors and features I never done before. The 12 week time period has me the most intimidated. I often go 12 weeks or more in 60/90. I will probably need to do something different so it's likely a learning experience. I haven't even tried to decide which rocks will make into the top ten. I'm going to let the rocks decide for me as they progress so there's a definite feeling of anticipation and mystery. I can't wait to see what they look like after this first week.
Best of luck to all participants.
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rockroller
spending too much on rocks
Be excellent to each other.
Member since October 2013
Posts: 359 
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Post by rockroller on Apr 3, 2014 11:10:30 GMT -5
I'm gonna have to report that after a couple of days in the vibe process I have a couple of rough pieces that are just beautiful samples of exotic material. Wowza! And thanks again Roy and John for this opportunity! I can't wait to start trying to take some pics that do show the beauty that I'm seeing.
~Roland
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Thunder69
Cave Dweller 
Thunder 2000-2015
Member since January 2009
Posts: 3,105
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Post by Thunder69 on Apr 4, 2014 13:51:05 GMT -5
Anybody done yet???...LOL....If you are worried about pics ...Take something you finished and try it in different places ....Kitchen light ...bathroom light...outside...window sill...I have a small light kit that I got from Walmart...But sometimes I find that it is better outside in the sun ..or with the sun but in the shade.....I would like to appreciate Roy for being the generous host of this competition...You are one of a kind my friend....John
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Apr 4, 2014 15:24:23 GMT -5
I found out my pics turn out the best outside in shade if sunny,and preferably on a overcast day.I don't take any inside.Good luck everybody,I'll be watching.
My 2 cents worth
snuffy
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Post by Jugglerguy on Apr 4, 2014 16:29:56 GMT -5
We're five days into the contest and I just cleaned out my barrels for the first time. I usually wait a week between clean outs, but like tkvancil, I'm worried about getting my rocks done on time. I have often thought that the grit is probably mostly used up before seven days, so I took a chance. I could feel no grit by rubbing some slurry between my fingers. I feel like I'm giving away my secrets by telling everyone this, but in the spirit of a cooperative contest, I thought I should fess up. I used all of my rotary barrels for this contest. I have two six pounders and two three pounders. I pulled one, small rock out that is done already. Everything else is going to need a lot more time. I found two rocks with big cracks and broke them with a hammer and chisel. I love the first clean out of a new batch of rocks. I think they change the most in the first week and you really get to see what you have for the first time. They also lose a lot of volume in the first week. Although I only took out one small rock, I added in quite a few. I still have rocks left that won't fit in the barrels yet. Here's what the four barrels produced:     |
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on Apr 4, 2014 18:43:36 GMT -5
Thanks for posting your progress Rob and sharing tips. I am still an apprentice compared to most here, but will likewise post progress reports and share what I can.
I have yet to start as I am away in Panama (missing my tools ;-(, but my first step will be to wash, then grade and group by 1)similar hardness, 2)fragility (is that word?) putting fragile stuff aside for special treatment, and 3) good mix of sizes in each group. I probably will knock off any really big edges, cracks, and flaws with the trim saw (y'all said it was okay, right?) to speed the process. Then each group will go into the rotaries with 60/90 grit. I don't use ceramics on the first rough tumble unless the stuff is fragile. In my case I too will be rushing things because of the time, so I will open and check after about 5 days. I will also increase my grit by about 50% at start. Then I will let each rock tell me when it is ready for the next step, which will be the vibe.
Itching to get started, Mark
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junglejim
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 344
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Post by junglejim on Apr 4, 2014 19:15:04 GMT -5
Seeing those makes me want to open mine up but I added two teaspoons to each barrel to recharge so won't clean out until Monday. I'm using a coarser 40/70 grit to mine.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Apr 4, 2014 20:21:36 GMT -5
Mark, don't expect us northerners to feel bad for you being stuck in Panama. There's still snow on the ground and it's only hit 50° twice so far. At least it's been above freezing during the day for the last week or two, but it's snowing right now.
Do you think sorting rock by hardness matters in the rough stage? I have never worried about it except after the first stage. I'm not knowledgeable enough about rock to know what they are, let alone how hard they are. I think I have some rhyolite or wonderstone in the bottom of my first picture. I think I've read that's soft, is that true? I've never tumbled the stuff.
Jim, I'm doing mine in 80 grit because I got a bunch from Kingsley North when it was on sale. It seems to work pretty much the same as 60/90. I've been afraid to use 40/70 because I've heard that it's hard on barrels. Have you found that to be true?
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junglejim
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 344
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Post by junglejim on Apr 4, 2014 22:58:23 GMT -5
Actually, it's the first time I tried it so I'll see what happens. When I clean out I'll check barrels for wear. I have 60/90 as a back up plan.
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riverrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2010
Posts: 1,395
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Post by riverrock on Apr 5, 2014 10:17:03 GMT -5
Ok way behind here i just started today , picked up bug . I am just running them in the thumblers in some 60/90 for a week and see what they look like.
I know that we can pre shape but its too cold out i just let them run .
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70karmann
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2011
Posts: 190
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Post by 70karmann on Apr 5, 2014 10:41:25 GMT -5
I will be checking on mine on Monday to see how the tumble is going. Started with a 60/90 grit.
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on Apr 5, 2014 14:38:45 GMT -5
Mark, don't expect us northerners to feel bad for you being stuck in Panama. There's still snow on the ground and it's only hit 50° twice so far. At least it's been above freezing during the day for the last week or two, but it's snowing right now. Do you think sorting rock by hardness matters in the rough stage? I have never worried about it except after the first stage. I'm not knowledgeable enough about rock to know what they are, let alone how hard they are. I think I have some rhyolite or wonderstone in the bottom of my first picture. I think I've read that's soft, is that true? I've never tumbled the stuff. Jim, I'm doing mine in 80 grit because I got a bunch from Kingsley North when it was on sale. It seems to work pretty much the same as 60/90. I've been afraid to use 40/70 because I've heard that it's hard on barrels. Have you found that to be true? Rob, it is so warm down here I sweated a bit today. Really uncomfortable. I have found for me that if I have hard and real soft stuff together, the hard stuff takes noticeably longer to round out. At the same time the softer stuff goes really fast as the hard stuff wears it down faster. Sometimes if really soft, e.g. some rhyolite, I look in the barrel and say "how did you get so small?". I think the soft stuff cushions the harder and is sacrificial so the hard stuff doesn't get abraded as much. At the same time, the harder stuff acts like coarse grit on the soft stuff. Maybe it is my imagination, but it seems plausible. You can quickly compare rock hardnesses by trying to scratch one with the other. As long as neither scratches it is a go, but if one scratches the other fairly easily then I consider separating them. I can't remember the softer ones names right now, but I do remember rhyolite (wonderstone) and most serpentine are usually quite soft. Amethyst sage also. I think most jades are soft (about 6.5?) but I have never had much luck machine polishing them anyway. Oh yeah, I will be using the 80 grit also. I haven't noticed any difference from 60/90 and the price was unbeatable. Keep on rollin'! |
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Post by Jugglerguy on Apr 5, 2014 15:30:30 GMT -5
Yes, the Kingsley price was really good, thanks again for pointing out the sale.
I try to tumble the same sort of rock together, but I've done a lot of trades where I get a box like the contest rocks. In my box I got a couple pieces of wonderstone, but with only two, it's hard to separate them. If your observations are true, it should all average out in the end. The soft stuff will get done really quickly, but then it's removed, leaving just the hard stuff. So the soft rocks get done faster than usual, but the hard rocks take longer than usual. In the end, wouldn't they all get done in about the same amount of time? I'm going to only worry about separation for the vibe tumbler.
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Post by cpdad on Apr 5, 2014 15:45:37 GMT -5
i was not going to post pics of nothing....but seems yaw wanna compare notes....im game with that  ...anything to help other folks ..i just changed my 6 lb barrel....sorry just seen where yaw are doing this...so no pics of first change. i would not have a pic anyway...i just throw new grit in....will not even look for a month...really no reason to look. running 47/60 for 1 month....then 60/90 for however long...i believe shape is 50 percent of any tumble...so...i will get pics of my junk as we go ...kev. |
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,548
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Post by tkvancil on Apr 6, 2014 9:07:16 GMT -5
Kingsley North still has the grit special price listed on their website if any body is in need. This is not an advertisement |
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Apr 6, 2014 10:53:35 GMT -5
I'm doing what you are cpdad just tumble and go for now although I haven't recharged yet. I'm eying all the ones I'm not tumbling and will probably cut them down and fill another 6# barrel just to see if there are any hidden treasures. |
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,548
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Post by tkvancil on Apr 6, 2014 15:04:14 GMT -5
Did my first clean out on my 6#ers and first recharge on my 3#ers today. Still no real idea of the top 10 but man there's some real purty stuff in there. There were a couple I probably should have re-broken along the fractures but will leave that to next time. Basically the rocks are divided into jaspers (one 3# & one 6#) and agate (one 3# & one 6#). The jaspers have rounded better than the agates but I have found that to be the norm. I got two real small pieces ready for 220 this week. For filler this week I used some hammer broken quartz. Low grade stuff Wally World sells as aquarium accents. Its all in 1/4 to 1/2 inch range and makes good grit carriers. There is also some low grade purple quartzite I find around here as filler. Both are easy to tell apart from the good stuff. I have a couple of pics of the 6# barrels I opened today. I include them to help make a point. IMHO when it comes to water, less is more, as it relates to grinding power. Bottom of the top layer is too much! See John Herchenx post here ... forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/post/735759/thread. I use the 10tbs. grit lortone suggests in my 6# barrels. For agate I add 1 & 1/8th cup water, which comes half way or so up the rocks in a 2/3rds loaded barrel. For jaspers and feldspars 1 & 1/4 cups water as they tend to make a thicker slurry. This has worked well for me with a clean out every 5 to 7 days. The agate barrel looked like this  The jasper barrel like this  |
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Post by Rockoonz on Apr 6, 2014 15:23:19 GMT -5
We just got started yesterday as well, had to finish the load we had going before we could start. There were some pieces in there that should probably be cut and cabbed instead of tumbling, Roy sent out some mighty nice tumble.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Apr 6, 2014 15:39:02 GMT -5
That's a thick slurry. I usually put 6-8 Tbsp in my six pound barrels. I normally use one cup of water. I've had slurries as thick as yours, but the slurry in the batch I removed on Friday was to where near as thick as that. I'm going to try 10 Tbsp. next time.
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TByrd
fully equipped rock polisher
Have you performed your random act of kindness?
Member since December 2010
Posts: 1,350
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Post by TByrd on Apr 6, 2014 21:28:46 GMT -5
I am using a 12lb. tumbler for my Agate and Jasper mixed together, I recharged with another 5 tbsp of grit today. I started it last sunday, I plan on starting the softer stuff at a later date.
Tammy
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...anything to help other folks 
