jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
|
Post by jamesp on Sept 13, 2014 13:32:22 GMT -5
Rolled some coral with safety glass and was surprised at how it highlighted the fossil texture. Seems to dig the limestone out raising the features of the fossil. Tumbled for 12 hours. May do well with fossil matrix, pet wood with limestone coating, others. 1/8" Safety glass Effects
|
|
|
Post by jakesrocks on Sept 13, 2014 14:22:51 GMT -5
It worked nice on the coral. Probably would work just as well on hard stuff like wood & bone. But I'd be afraid that it would remove details from the more delicate fossils like shells, trilobites, leaves & insects.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2014 15:40:24 GMT -5
clever..........
thanks for the idea!
|
|
|
Post by snowmom on Sept 13, 2014 16:59:35 GMT -5
gonna have to try this one... thanks
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
|
Post by Fossilman on Sept 13, 2014 18:23:23 GMT -5
Awesome and a nice idea!
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
|
Post by jamesp on Sept 13, 2014 19:02:05 GMT -5
It worked nice on the coral. Probably would work just as well on hard stuff like wood & bone. But I'd be afraid that it would remove details from the more delicate fossils like shells, trilobites, leaves & insects. Yes Don. Imagine it would destroy shale and tender stuff. I suppose the subject best be well silicified. The glass is small and especially light weight in the water. Maybe short durations and a barrel filled 3/4 to 7/8, slow speed, for gentle abrasion. You can still see the white limestone in the crevices of the coral. But it only ran for 12 hours.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
|
Post by jamesp on Sept 13, 2014 19:10:22 GMT -5
gonna have to try this one... thanks May work well on those tough lake worn fossils, getting the lime out of complex structures. Worth a try. I was given a bunch of aluminum double pane insulated windows and had fun busting them. One touch of the hammer and it was done. Filled 7 five gallon buckets, aluminum traded to metal recycler.
|
|
quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
|
Post by quartz on Sept 13, 2014 22:44:34 GMT -5
Like the look of that, good idea. Our point of view would be to do that to some of the larger pieces you have face polished and mounted; before polishing.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
|
Post by jamesp on Sept 13, 2014 23:09:39 GMT -5
Like the look of that, good idea. Our point of view would be to do that to some of the larger pieces you have face polished and mounted; before polishing. It would get rid of the stain and the water moss too. The roots from the moss stay on it for years. Definitely would spiff up larger coral samples. May highlight some soft Mcdermitt wood too.
|
|
quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
|
Post by quartz on Sept 13, 2014 23:19:34 GMT -5
Mcdermitt wood is either hard {good stuff} or really sandy and of no collecting value. Have yet to find any in the middle. But, we do have some mtl. that may well respond positively to tumbling w/glass. Have to give it a try. Thanks for the idea.
|
|
panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
|
Post by panamark on Sept 14, 2014 7:37:47 GMT -5
James, I am curious on what the mechanism is for these results? Do you think the multitude of sharp (but somewhat soft edges) of the glass act to "dig out" all the crevices without rounding them? Love how you recycle both the aluminum and the glass You probably have buckets and buckets of misc stuff around your place just waiting to be used.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
|
Post by jamesp on Sept 14, 2014 8:33:16 GMT -5
James, I am curious on what the mechanism is for these results? Do you think the multitude of sharp (but somewhat soft edges) of the glass act to "dig out" all the crevices without rounding them? Love how you recycle both the aluminum and the glass You probably have buckets and buckets of misc stuff around your place just waiting to be used. Mark, normally I just throw those 1-4 inch corals in a big barrel and roll them for a week with water, no grit. The lime wears off, no need to waste grit. Messing w/glass recently, I had buckets of the small glass particles and threw some in with these corals to see what would happen. Mind you, this particular glass seems very hard,as it is not rounding but staying sharp. Instead of the semi-large tumbles rubbing against each other on the high spots, there is small sharp particles of glass scavenging the fine pits and patterns in the coral's skin. I suppose you could put fairly delicate specimens in this glass if you had the barrel filled to avoid too much impact. Similar to putting silver work in stainless beads to get a nice finish. Glass serving as a cheap abrasive. And getting some use out of it. Tumbling not limited to expensive grits. Except when doing agates ! Yes, under the benches in the greenhouse are nursery buckets full of glass, crushed ceramic, crushed toilets, metals, marbles, decorative gravels, ball bearings, stainless screws, etc. Prized is red glass, then yellow, it is expensive as it is colored w/gold and silver respectively. Red glass rare, anything made of it gets bought and stored to be tumbled at some point. My wife makes me tumble lamp parts to age them for her lighting biz. Traded the aluminum for steel and other stuff. aluminum=cash at the recyclers.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
|
Post by jamesp on Sept 14, 2014 8:41:16 GMT -5
A couple of more (also taken at one day of tumbling w/glass). Will be curious how they look after several days.
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 14, 2014 9:39:43 GMT -5
I like what the glass did to them!! The high spots will polish, and you'll get a nice 3D effect. So long as the gouged out areas don't hold grit over to the next batch. (lotta cleaning needed?)
|
|
panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
|
Post by panamark on Sept 14, 2014 10:19:19 GMT -5
James, I thought safety glass was softer as well as sandwiched with the inner plastic(?). Now I wonder if it acts like SiC in that instead of rounding, it cleaves to form new sharp edges? Maybe you have found us all a new 40/60 substitute? If so, I will be out "ambulance chasing" to sweep up the windshield pieces, LOL. Actually I could probably just ask a windshield repair place to save some broken ones. Keep us informed of your learning (as you usually do ) Thanks!
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
|
Post by jamesp on Sept 14, 2014 12:08:53 GMT -5
James, I thought safety glass was softer as well as sandwiched with the inner plastic(?). Now I wonder if it acts like SiC in that instead of rounding, it cleaves to form new sharp edges? Maybe you have found us all a new 40/60 substitute? If so, I will be out "ambulance chasing" to sweep up the windshield pieces, LOL. Actually I could probably just ask a windshield repair place to save some broken ones. Keep us informed of your learning (as you usually do ) Thanks! Mark, if I called it safety glass I am mistaken. This is tempered glass, meaning it is heated on the surface and not in the center I believe. Making it shatter into small pieces so it won't cut you like common plate glass. Notice how this particular glass broke into cubes. I screened it to separate the long pieces, weird eh ? Real nice filler, since it has no crevices to store grit. It has 3 days of wear, so the edges are not as sharp. But maybe good for softer fossils. Or fossils w/less intricate features. The coral is like finger prints, intricate, so sharp is needed. Glass will never replace SiC, way too soft for agates, but it will grind soft limestone away. And probably serve as good filler for obsidian and glass, other soft rocks, maybe harder rocks, mixed with SiC or AO. Long pieces screened out The coral looks better dry, to see the 3 dimensional aspect as Jean mentioned.
|
|
quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
|
Post by quartz on Sept 14, 2014 22:56:31 GMT -5
We like what the glass did for these , nice color variety in the pics.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
|
Post by jamesp on Sept 14, 2014 23:37:58 GMT -5
We like what the glass did for these , nice color variety in the pics. The parts industry come up with all kinds of finishes using tumblers. There is an industrial tumbling supply in the industrial district that has many different medias; it is mind boggling.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
|
Post by jamesp on Sept 15, 2014 7:32:09 GMT -5
Interesting video on tumbling media
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
|
Post by jamesp on Sept 15, 2014 7:36:13 GMT -5
Wicked vib tumbler, probably not for rocks
|
|