jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Feb 16, 2015 9:33:32 GMT -5
This time careful attention to smaller lighter obsidian tumbles, no 2 inch balls to bruise everything. Flatter and lighter. Small 4 ounce hammer used to reduce the obsidian. Good starting stock shape makes save lots of time shaping. Initial large chips flat and sawable on tile saw, sawn across concave areas and valleys to make efficient tumbles. Before sawn chips: After sawn chips: Fat finger for reference: Will coarse tumble with ingawh's quartz pea size pebble filler method using SiC 30/60 at 50% filler instead of pea sized glass filler.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 16, 2015 10:25:43 GMT -5
That's a lot of hammer time. It looks like it will make some nice tumbles. Are you using Metamucil and aquarium gravel?
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Post by captbob on Feb 16, 2015 10:27:16 GMT -5
Good looking assortment of obsidian types in this batch. Wish I had run such a variety of obsidian in mine, I'm SO over this run of all the same type. At least I'm on 1000 grit, so the end is near(ing). Gonna be interesting to watch start to finish using ingawh's pea gravel filler. You also going to try the 2 grit only method?
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Feb 16, 2015 10:43:07 GMT -5
That's a lot of hammer time. It looks like it will make some nice tumbles. Are you using Metamucil and aquarium gravel? Rob, I have been chipping my large corals for years. And only tumbling the best shapes since I have 1000's of pounds to waste. It is the only way the slow grinding coral gets coarse tumbled in less the 2-3 months. It took me less than 10 minutes to chip, and 15 minutes on the tile saw. Obsidian easy to work with. The obsidian was cheap on ebay. Yes, coarse grind with aquarium pebbles. Not sure about the vibe stages, yet. But will drop the glass filler and go with the grit crushing aquarium quartz pea gravel-definatley the quartz filler. It goes against the grain using filler harder than the target rock, but you guys use ceramic, Chuck mixes, and ingwah uses quartz.
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Post by orrum on Feb 16, 2015 10:47:17 GMT -5
Nice obsidian, really like the snow flake James.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Feb 16, 2015 10:51:51 GMT -5
Good looking assortment of obsidian types in this batch. Wish I had run such a variety of obsidian in mine, I'm SO over this run of all the same type. At least I'm on 1000 grit, so the end is near(ing). Gonna be interesting to watch start to finish using ingawh's pea gravel filler. You also going to try the 2 grit only method? Not sure captbob. My vibe is slower than a Lot-O, so I think I will do some intermediate steps like SiC 80 in the vibe. Nervous, ingawh too brave, I may be too much of a coward to attempt her two step slap down, LOL. Will use her quartz gravel for filler throughout.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Feb 16, 2015 11:00:01 GMT -5
Nice obsidian, really like the snow flake James. I have another barrel waiting on some orrumsidian Bill. Camped out at the mailbox last night not really(ha) but anxious. The snowflake I have is by far the most difficult to chip. The fractures wander in all directions. If buying snowflake, get good glassy stuff. It is the most unstable one that I chipped last night. That brown, black, dual flow, mahogany stuff chipped like store bought glass. It is probably the lot that I bought on ebay, not all snowflake. Some micro-snowflake chipped great.
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Post by orrum on Feb 16, 2015 11:08:15 GMT -5
The Knappers Don't LIKE SNOWFLAKE Because The SNOWFLAKE Stop The Flakes Travel AND Leave A Hinge OT Step THAT Causes You To Lose Size IN Getting Rid Of The hinge. Why is this stupid cell phone changing my type this way! I don't like digital....
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Post by iant on Feb 16, 2015 11:11:59 GMT -5
You do some massive batches Jim! Lots of nice material there. Watching this one with interest!
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Post by captbob on Feb 16, 2015 11:29:51 GMT -5
psssst.... President's Day no need to guard the mail box today. But UPS is coming!! with this 13 pound chunk o' howlite
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Feb 16, 2015 12:13:37 GMT -5
The Knappers Don't LIKE SNOWFLAKE Because The SNOWFLAKE Stop The Flakes Travel AND Leave A Hinge OT Step THAT Causes You To Lose Size IN Getting Rid Of The hinge. Why is this stupid cell phone changing my type this way! I don't like digital.... Well, If the knapperman agree then all is well Bill. Y'all say it is the flakes, then the flakes it is. But it is some squirrely material to chip. I have to say that coral is sweet to knap/chip, as is rhyolite and good glass. Makes for great starting tumbles. Grainy coral is hell, glassy easy, all heat treated coral is easy. Same with wonderstone rhyolite. I have an extra furnace if you need one cheap, it only goes to 575F, prefer 600F. Probably just a hotter element would go hotter.(need to run it to make sure).
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Feb 16, 2015 12:16:27 GMT -5
You do some massive batches Jim! Lots of nice material there. Watching this one with interest! The big is because of the coral Ian, it is in mass in nature. So the the big rigs. I suppose free material is nonrestrictive.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Feb 16, 2015 12:22:57 GMT -5
Looked up howlite captbob. How cool could that be-silicified calcium hydroxide, so silicified garden lime. I think a lot of the coral is similar, silicified limestone that is blinding white. Love white, that may be the ultimate white silicification. Looks like some dead solid rock, certainly a specimen...From Nova Scotia ? do you know ? Funny thing, in the landscape biz, white is the staple attention getting color. You would think red or hot pink. But the scientists say white is the ultimate eye catching color.
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 16, 2015 15:14:26 GMT -5
Good looking assortment of obsidian types in this batch. Wish I had run such a variety of obsidian in mine, I'm SO over this run of all the same type. At least I'm on 1000 grit, so the end is near(ing). Gonna be interesting to watch start to finish using ingawh's pea gravel filler. You also going to try the 2 grit only method? Not sure captbob. My vibe is slower than a Lot-O, so I think I will do some intermediate steps like SiC 80 in the vibe. Nervous, ingawhingawhingawh too brave, I may be too much of a coward to attempt her two step slap down, LOL. Will use her quartz gravel for filler throughout. Hi guys - Just wanted to jump in for a second with perhaps a caution. I'm not sure what the pea gravel you're planning to use looks like, but the pea gravel I have seen contains lots of bits of other rock and may not be particularly smooth or free from pits and sharp edges. The aquarium gravel I use on obsidian has been sorted and has gone through a polish stage with harder stuff to put a really smooth surface on it before I use it in my last stage with obsidian. My good obsidian media, once sorted out from the average stuff, never gets anything courser on it again than the 500 AO I use the final stage. Might you have some other small, polished quartz/agate you can use with this obsidian? I'm tickled that you want to jump in and experiment with my method, but I really want it to work for you! Another option would be to run a batch of your pea gravel from start to finish with some other 7 mohs material first, then sort it to make sure you get only the smooth pieces that have taken a beautiful polish - otherwise, I don't think it will help you give a beautiful polish to other stuff, especially obsidian.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Feb 16, 2015 15:52:07 GMT -5
Yes ingawh. You mentioned separating the nice rounds of quartz in the aquarium gravel. I see those nice pebbles, and the other fragmented ones. Not holding anyone responsible, my vibe is not even a Lot-O. This is entirely an experiment. I am using quartz pea gravel for the roughing stage from Home Depot. Saving the aquarium grade for the finish work in the vibe. So not exactly duplicating, but close. I will run the aquarium grade quartz in the vibe to pre-polish it. Having it smooth is may be the trick. All you have said makes great sense. I usually run pea sized glass and do not think it is effective at breaking down the grit. Am certain the quartz sure will break it down. Thanks for sharing your system. It makes perfect sense.
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Post by captbob on Feb 16, 2015 16:44:26 GMT -5
A slight side trip regarding Howlite. (not too worried, 'cuz I'm not sure I've ever seen one of your threads stay on topic) This material is from Tick canyon in Cali. Looks to be about 10 miles north of LA. I've read that Howlite was discovered in Nova Scotia, but I've never seen any for sale from that location. It's just one of those mineral specimens that I do regular searches for - for no particular reason. Just like it. It's found in nodules and these are usually baseball to softball sized - not round tho. Here's an average sized group of nodules I got last year (eBay pic) 10+ lbs total and each easily hand held. This 13 lb chunk I got today is by far the largest I've ever seen. And I look a LOT. This stuff is super soft (like 3-4 Mohs) and very porous. Being so porous, folks dye it all sorts of colors, the most common being blue. Looks kinda like turquoise when dyed blue, and I don't doubt that more than one person has been tricked into thinking that it is. I don't have any of the dyed stuff. No time for such silliness. Here's a link to an eBay auction to show the dyed crap: www.ebay.com/itm/Crystal-Allies-Materials-1lb-Bulk-Tumbled-Blue-Howlite-Stones-Large-1-/221089048571?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3379ef27fbI suppose it's good for making costume jewelery - dunno... I've never tried to tumble it as I don't to waste my rough material. Maybe someday. But you can buy tumbled stones for next to nothing. Now that I have this 13 lb piece, I just want a large howlite sphere and I can probably put my howlite buying to rest. ETA this information on Tick Canyon. I found it interesting, some may not - www.mineralsocal.org/field_tripping/tick.htm
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Feb 16, 2015 17:17:27 GMT -5
So that's where the mule team came about in the Borax commercials when we were kids. That formation heavily effected by miocene and oligocene like Florida. Strange that it takes a polish at Mohs 3/4. China often markets dyed howlite as 'howlite' on many occasions not hiding the fact that it is howlite. Gotta say, it dyes well, and cool patterns are highlighted. Noted the cauliflower shape, especially in your 13 pounder where cut shows form. I know they sell calcium hydroxide with stiff control of powdered silica content due to it's danger. I figured the howlite would be harder after silicification, all that depends on the softer lime compound I guess. Yea man captbob, that material has a load of history and use. Chinese may have their own mines, they make a lot of cabs out of the dyed stuff. Of course, they have bought many of the Brazillian agate mines, driving prices X3 and X4. Seems like Florida would have howlite if it does not. Reading how the field tilted by tectonics stuff, draining boron type minerals into it. West is crazy with all the geological movement
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 16, 2015 17:22:32 GMT -5
Hi Jamesp, Can't wait to hear how it goes!
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,562
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Post by jamesp on Feb 16, 2015 17:24:38 GMT -5
Hi Jamesp, Can't wait to hear how it goes! Me too. I am into experimenting. As if I did not have enough. Again, thanks for sharing your process.
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Post by captbob on Feb 17, 2015 11:02:52 GMT -5
The obsidian done yet?
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