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Post by broseph82 on Dec 21, 2014 23:02:14 GMT -5
Dec 16 2014-- Barrel 1: green slag (medium to bigger pieces) 4Tsp 60/90 grit, 8oz water and green bottle glass. Barrel 2: purple slag glass (smaller pieces) 4Tsp grit, 8oz water, and green bottle glass. Green slag rough:  Broken bottle pieces:  The glass got dirty from being in grit clean out bucket. It is all green. Dec 21 2014-- Really impressed after just 5 days. All the green glass is smooth and now clear. Took all the smooth glass out and added blue glass to both barrels. I also cut some of the thicker green and purple slag glass in halves and quarters to make them thinner and light up more when backlit. Barrel 1- added 4Tbs 60/90, 8oz water, more green rough pieces, and blue glass Barrel 2- added 4Tbs 60/90, 8oz water, and blue glass Filler glass after 5 days:  Green slag and very rounded:  Green backlit:  Purple (looks gray until light behind it):  |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,595
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Post by jamesp on Dec 22, 2014 6:37:52 GMT -5
Did the bottle glass loose it's green color ? Most modern red glass is coated because gold is often used to get the red color and it is costly.
Slag glass found near a coal or steel plant ?
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Post by broseph82 on Dec 22, 2014 9:20:37 GMT -5
Did the bottle glass loose it's green color ? Most modern red glass is coated because gold is often used to get the red color and it is costly. Slag glass found near a coal or steel plant ? I found this slag near an old furnace area. Alabama had some huge furnaces that would burn ore. If you're in a town that had furnaces or still have operable ones it's easy to find slag just about anywhere because they use it in roads. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,595
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Post by jamesp on Dec 22, 2014 10:06:06 GMT -5
Did the bottle glass loose it's green color ? Most modern red glass is coated because gold is often used to get the red color and it is costly. Slag glass found near a coal or steel plant ? I found this slag near an old furnace area. Alabama had some huge furnaces that would burn ore. If you're in a town that had furnaces or still have operable ones it's easy to find slag just about anywhere because they use it in roads. Roads in Pennsylvania are loaded with slag gravel. From the steel furnaces. |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,718 
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Post by Fossilman on Dec 22, 2014 10:39:42 GMT -5
heck ya' I like it!!! Thumbs up
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,548
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Post by tkvancil on Dec 22, 2014 10:50:52 GMT -5
I have a 3# barrel running now with bottle glass and slag as well. Doing an experiment of my own.
Had been running some feldspars and got low on filler so threw in some obsidian. Had to burp the barrel three times that week. Next week, again low on filler, I threw in this soft mystery rock I had. It was about a mohs 4 as far as I could tell. No burping that week.
The slag and glass is running with some busted up marble, a mohs 3. My theory is that the soft fast grinding stuff might offset the gas with it's fast loss of mass/volume. Only one burp the first week and 2 days into the second week the barrel hasn't swollen yet.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,595
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Post by jamesp on Dec 22, 2014 14:50:22 GMT -5
I have a 3# barrel running now with bottle glass and slag as well. Doing an experiment of my own. Had been running some feldspars and got low on filler so threw in some obsidian. Had to burp the barrel three times that week. Next week, again low on filler, I threw in this soft mystery rock I had. It was about a mohs 4 as far as I could tell. No burping that week. The slag and glass is running with some busted up marble, a mohs 3. My theory is that the soft fast grinding stuff might offset the gas with it's fast loss of mass/volume. Only one burp the first week and 2 days into the second week the barrel hasn't swollen yet. Marble is calcium carbonate tk. When I was running the thickened calcium carbonate slurry I got a vacuum every time. When tumbling obsidian. Tums are calcium carbonate. |
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,548
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Post by tkvancil on Dec 23, 2014 9:42:34 GMT -5
Thanks for the info jamesp . Tried marble first and will try limestone next. Had to burp Monday night after a Saturday start. Just like last week. Barrel didn't have a bulge yet but I could feel pressure when I pushed on the bottom. Looked around online (again) for a gas cure. Only suggestion I came across was baking soda. Tried this once and have never had a barrel swell up so big. Even the sides had swelled. Lortone specifically says no baking soda. Don't really mind burping if I have to but would like not having to. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,595
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2014 10:44:32 GMT -5
Thanks for the info jamesp . Tried marble first and will try limestone next. Had to burp Monday night after a Saturday start. Just like last week. Barrel didn't have a bulge yet but I could feel pressure when I pushed on the bottom. Looked around online (again) for a gas cure. Only suggestion I came across was baking soda. Tried this once and have never had a barrel swell up so big. Even the sides had swelled. Lortone specifically says no baking soda. Don't really mind burping if I have to but would like not having to. Guessing a lot of gas is created by ph reactions. Marble and limestone are both pretty much calcium carbonate. So adding them is like adding a giant Tums dose. I added powdered lime(also calcium carbonate) in large quantities to the point the rocks smelled strong like wet concrete. No doubt it was way alkaline. So it was a guaranteed alkaline batch, and it about always created a strong vacuum. Not sure why. Powdered lime is strong and hard on your hands. Tumbling some limestone or marble w/your tumbles is a much gentler way to add calcium carbonate. The best lime I used was athletic field marker, it came in 50 pound bags for $8. It was almost silica free, so no quartz particles to scratch your rocks. Dolomite, raw limestone and marble can have silica. Like limestone w/diatoms is abrasive. Processed lime is supposed to be about silica free for environmental reasons. Lime used for spreading on pastures is too alkaline(sodium hydroxide) and is way too strong. |
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timloco
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2012
Posts: 545
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Post by timloco on Dec 24, 2014 12:11:43 GMT -5
Cool! I got a few bags of waste glass from the Rock Shed I've been waiting to tumble.
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Post by Starguy on Dec 24, 2014 13:10:27 GMT -5
I've had problems with gas buildup when tumbling glass, obsidian or slag. My theory is that the little bubbles you can see inside are slightly pressurized. I suspect there are microscopic bubbles too. You really have to watch your rotary tumblers to keep the lids from popping off.
I've had some luck warming the rocks in hot water before putting them in the tumbler, then using hot water in the mix. As the material and air in the barrel cools it makes a slight negative pressure which offsets some of the pressure buildup. I haven't had a problem when using this method. I had two lids pop off before I started warming the rocks.
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Post by broseph82 on Dec 27, 2014 20:13:39 GMT -5
Dec 27 2014 Barrel 1 (green)- looked about the same. Some were completely smoothed over. Still rough to the touch. Water was really smooth. No grit present in run off. Blue filler glass was rounded. Barrel 2 (purple)- some seemed ready for the second phase, but didn't take any out. Grit was a little more coarse and grit was in the bottom (thicker layer). Added just 4oz of water , 3Tbs grit, and more bottle glass to both. Here's the blue filler glass I pulled out:  |
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marinedad
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since December 2010
Posts: 813
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Post by marinedad on Dec 29, 2014 17:44:54 GMT -5
I tried polishing some slag glass chips, just can't seem to get a polish on it in the vibe, but some of the pieces glow under a black light.
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Post by pghram on Dec 30, 2014 21:30:14 GMT -5
I've never tried slag glass, great colors, I hope it comes out well for you.
Rich
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Post by broseph82 on Jan 1, 2015 0:18:30 GMT -5
12/31/14--
Checked on barrel 1 (green slag). Rough texture, but some pieces seemed to be nicely rounded and maybe ready for the next step. I kept everything in there, added 1c water and 3Tbs of 60/90.
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Fossilman
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Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,718
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 2, 2015 11:06:01 GMT -5
I have a coffee can full of sea glass,don't know if it would get damaged in the tumbler or not....Some of it,is very fragile...
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Post by broseph82 on Jan 3, 2015 19:11:23 GMT -5
I have a coffee can full of sea glass,don't know if it would get damaged in the tumbler or not....Some of it,is very fragile... Some pieces have gotten smaller and I have very small shards in the "nips hole" of my Lot-O. Be worth a shot with bigger pieces in a vibe. Also, you can get the frosted look with just 5 days in a rotary with regular bottle glass. Cheap and easy way to make sea glass. We pick up green and blue bottles pieces and whole every time we are out rock hounding. |
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Post by braders on Jan 4, 2015 15:25:28 GMT -5
I tried polishing some slag glass chips, just can't seem to get a polish on it in the vibe, but some of the pieces glow under a black light. Have you tried a prepolish after your fine run and before your polish ? Iv had lots of luck with glass in my vib but for a nice shine seems I can not get it without the extra stage . I believe james has talked about this some where in one of his great posts  |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,595
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Post by jamesp on Jan 4, 2015 17:17:45 GMT -5
12/31/14-- Checked on barrel 1 (green slag). Rough texture, but some pieces seemed to be nicely rounded and maybe ready for the next step. I kept everything in there, added 1c water and 3Tbs of 60/90. Jimi, have you got your barrel like 2/3 or 3/4 full, with the water just below the rocks ? |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,595
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Post by jamesp on Jan 4, 2015 17:24:12 GMT -5
I have a coffee can full of sea glass,don't know if it would get damaged in the tumbler or not....Some of it,is very fragile... Some pieces have gotten smaller and I have very small shards in the "nips hole" of my Lot-O. Be worth a shot with bigger pieces in a vibe. Also, you can get the frosted look with just 5 days in a rotary with regular bottle glass. Cheap and easy way to make sea glass. We pick up green and blue bottles pieces and whole every time we are out rock hounding. yep. Frosted is easy. Fill it 3/4 full of glass, or part glass and say quartz about 1/2 to 1 inch in size to 3/4 full, put several tablespoons of coarse grit and rotary away. and of course, water just to below the solids. Should be frosted in several days, rounded good after 7-10 days. Silicon carbide 60 or 90, any that size will frost it real fast. |
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