jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Mar 29, 2015 13:20:53 GMT -5
10 minute slurry. One to one and a half cups clay per 10 pounds rock. After 18 hours:  Heavy SiC 30 grit particles spread well after pour out:  Nice consistency:  Not bad after 18 hours, hand cracked rose quartz was sharp:  Source from clay pit:  Down the hatch:  |
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Mar 30, 2015 12:26:24 GMT -5
Getting some great coarse grind rates with this instant slurry... Have always had better grind rates starting with a thickened slurry at start and at beginning of clean outs. Added it to all four barrels, agate-coral-granite and rose quartz. Just saying. |
|
matt2432
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2014
Posts: 171 
|
Post by matt2432 on Mar 30, 2015 12:48:07 GMT -5
Was this in addition to grit or instead of?
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Mar 30, 2015 12:54:29 GMT -5
Was this in addition to grit or instead of? With coarse grit Matt. It is not so conventional to start with a thickened slurry. I think a good bit of effective cutting time is lost in developing a slurry. Because the heavier than water slurry lifts and circulates the fresh grit immediately no time is wasted building a slurry. It is not necessary, but it is helping speed up my coarse grind substantially. |
|
|
|
Post by gingerkid on Mar 30, 2015 13:11:28 GMT -5
jamesp, is the rose quartz Brazilian?
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Mar 30, 2015 14:22:26 GMT -5
jamesp, is the rose quartz Brazilian? Straight out of your back yard at the Hog Mine Jan. Old stock about 20 years ago, in the road bed. A recent trip yielded little of even the junk they had initially paved the road with. There is another vein of that stuff west of the mine by about a mile. |
|
|
|
Post by gingerkid on Mar 30, 2015 14:27:53 GMT -5
That's pretty darned cool that you're tumbling some Hogg mine rose quartz, jamesp! Does any of it have asterism? I've read that quartz is difficult to material to tumble because it fractures.  Are your rose quartz tumbles coming along okay? Maybe one day Rick and I will get to the Hogg - maybe if they have a 1/2 entry price and don't see that happening any time soon (or ever). Did y'all do any mud wrestling over the weekend? J/K, jamesp! |
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Mar 31, 2015 6:07:34 GMT -5
gingerkid- At Smith's Crossroads, instead of going straight at the 4 way to Hog, turn right and go to the top of first hill, park, and hunt road easement on left. That is another rose quartz exposure. You should check it out sometime. Also, when coming to Smith's Cross Roads, instead of going straight across to Hog, the gas station/store on the left after crossing the intersection has a clay bank on the left looking at the store that is full of small clear quartz crystals by the hundreds. That quartz tumbles fine, have done it in the rotary with lots of granite pea gravel as filler and thick slurry. But it will frost in a hurry at any stage though. Never have had a Hog quartz that had star asterism though. But it does have cool reflections that kinda glow, like random asterism I guess. It lacks rich pink color but makes up for it with the reflections and cloud patterns and shear clarity. There is a lot of quartz crystals in that area. Any land that is within a half mile of Smiths X Roads is worth hunting on.
|
|
|
|
Post by gingerkid on Mar 31, 2015 6:55:10 GMT -5
Thank you, jamesp! I'll see if I can get Rick to ask some of the guys that grew up here who owns the land out there. Well, garock may know. I don't wanna get shot at or arrested for picking up pretty xtals. Also, when coming to Smith's Cross Roads, instead of going straight across to Hog, the gas station/store on the left after crossing the intersection has a clay bank on the left looking at the store that is full of small clear quartz crystals by the hundreds. Is this where Smith's Crystal field is located? Rick and I have been to Smith's Corner store and went inside to check out the crystals. There was a plowed field that I guess is where they allow folks to look for rock crystal for a fee. I think there's a bar/restaurant behind the store now? People used to meet at Smith's Corner Store to go to the Hogg mine, but I think they meet at McDonald's now. Not sure. Just looked online for more info on Smith's Corner Store, and it looks like there was an estate sell. ? Just found Mr. Smith's obituary from last year. Very sad. Wonder who owns the property now. |
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Mar 31, 2015 10:03:49 GMT -5
Thank you, jamesp! I'll see if I can get Rick to ask some of the guys that grew up here who owns the land out there. Well, garock may know. I don't wanna get shot at or arrested for picking up pretty xtals. Also, when coming to Smith's Cross Roads, instead of going straight across to Hog, the gas station/store on the left after crossing the intersection has a clay bank on the left looking at the store that is full of small clear quartz crystals by the hundreds. Is this where Smith's Crystal field is located? Rick and I have been to Smith's Corner store and went inside to check out the crystals. There was a plowed field that I guess is where they allow folks to look for rock crystal for a fee. I think there's a bar/restaurant behind the store now? People used to meet at Smith's Corner Store to go to the Hogg mine, but I think they meet at McDonald's now. Not sure. Just looked online for more info on Smith's Corner Store, and it looks like there was an estate sell. ? Just found Mr. Smith's obituary from last year. Very sad. Wonder who owns the property now. That store on the corner stood abandoned for many years. I happened up on those crystals before it became a pay site. Like 25 years ago, me and Denise saw the glitter and stopped there. I think a friend told the Hog mine people about it and they secured a lease on it. Another spot was turning left at S X Roads and down about a half mile was a timber clearing. We found big crystals there. worth seeing if you guys can find a clearing... |
|
garock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2006
Posts: 1,168
|
Post by garock on Apr 1, 2015 10:06:54 GMT -5
At the Smith's Crossroad junction, there was only one store back in the early 1960's. Was one of the first places I rock collected at age of 10. Then, the rose quartz location James talked about up to the left on the hill. Quartz there is not as good but some of it will polish nicely. Not very pink at all. The orginal road was on the back side of the hill and had a spot that was dug for posible beryl crystals but nothing was found. Rodney Moore has or had a fee site off Bartley Road due east of Smiths Crossroad on the right up in the woods where you can dig for crystal, the last I heard. There are crystals on both sides of the road from the crossroads east on Bartley Road. No digging on the left side, has something to do with mineral rights the last I heard. There is also some neat green talc found on the left side that has agate like layering. My uncle and I were run off by the highway department when I was 12 digging on the right of way. I did not know as James said that there was a fee to dig in the small field next to the store on the right going east. Sometimes the Crossroads has been called Stephens Crossroad. Back in the 60's and 70's Dad and I asked for permission to surface collect but was denied. The land may now be owned by a gentleman named Stephens, not sure. Back in the late 60's, up from the crossroad east on Bartley Road at the junction of Bartley and Hunt Road was a crazy seam of quartz. Dad and I dug into the seam and found some dark smokey quartz. Only found one good specimen. This is about all I know about Smith's Crossroads. Like James said, I think quartz crystals are found all around that area. Hope this helps gingerkid !
|
|
|
|
Post by gingerkid on Apr 1, 2015 11:04:10 GMT -5
jamesp, how are your tumbles coming along? Wow that's a lot of information, and many thanks, garock and jamesp!
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
|
Post by Fossilman on Apr 1, 2015 11:58:25 GMT -5
Writing information down...Thumbs up
|
|
marinedad
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since December 2010
Posts: 813
|
Post by marinedad on Apr 1, 2015 12:48:29 GMT -5
finally a use for my clay rich soil!
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Apr 1, 2015 13:21:03 GMT -5
finally a use for my clay rich soil! tomatoes and tumbling LOL |
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Apr 6, 2015 7:24:26 GMT -5
Still getting great results with clay slurry. SiC 30/60 is gone in three days. No coarse grit particles to be found at day 3. Granite tumbles rounding fast.
More work doing 3 day clean outs, but rocks are shaping fast. No need to roll them in coarse stage if there is no coarse grit left IMHO.
The thickness and weight of the slurry is getting the grit to the rocks and grinding them efficiently.
You would think that the slurry would slow wear, but not so.
I see no frosting either. Not even at sharper edges.
Typical undercutting notorious for granite is at a minimum, 40% granite pea gravel is helping to protect them.
Slurry held at medium consistency by adding water and pouring out till slurry is of a medium thickness.
Unlike fiber and organic additives they clay is heavy.
Clay is easily suspended in water with slight turbulence, it does not dissolve. It is held in suspension by movement of the rotary motion.
Suspensions heavier that most affordable dissolved additives like sugar or syrup. Clay is slick too.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Apr 7, 2015 7:38:51 GMT -5
Curious to see if a polish can be achieved using clay as a protective thickener to prevent bruises on the tender granite.
Or will the silica in the clay damage the polish...
Plan is to use clay for 220-500-1000 and polish using rotary the whole way w/40% granite pea gravel filler.
|
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Apr 7, 2015 11:42:03 GMT -5
I've enjoyed the mud for slurry idea and follow that it helps suspend the heavy grit for better grinding.
Very interested to follow how it works in the polish stage. Can't help but think that some part of what makes up your clay will be coarser than the polish thus negating the polish.
Seems to me that this would be like mixing polish with a grit. Do you have a feel for what you would compare your clay slurry to grit slurry wise?
Good luck and please keep us posted.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Apr 7, 2015 14:46:19 GMT -5
Grit slurry is about the exact same captbob. Eroded/worn rocks makes clay. Some clay is of needles, some platelets and some spheres. Georgia has a lot of platelet clay which suspends about the best. Many places have platelet clay. Not sure that slurry is platelet type. But Georgia clay does have quartz sand in it in many different percentages. The real slick tacky clay usually has less sand, but sand none the less. I pot my plants withe 30-40% sand clay. But other places on this property has the real tacky stuff like Florida gumbo clay. The Florida blue clay is the pastiest stickiest clay I have ever seen. It is mined and fired for kitty litter. As for as 500-1000 and polish I am not sure what to expect from the clay slurry. Not sure if the tumbling process is going to break down the quartz sand quickly or not. Will post results though. |
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
|
Post by jamesp on Apr 7, 2015 17:07:58 GMT -5
Platelet clay, looks like silica crystal shapes with 6 sides: "The colloids in this clay are extremely small, and behave differently to other clay particles when in solution. The particles, like most clay colloids, are platelet-shaped and have negatively-charged flat sections. Unlike most clay particles, however, they also have positively charged edges, which changes the colloid dynamics almost entirely and results in a different solid structure when the porcelain is fired." .gif) Read more: www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=3080 |
|
Are your rose quartz tumbles coming along okay? 
