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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 30, 2015 16:26:01 GMT -5
After I am done busting up tumbling rough I usually sweep up all the small chips and toss them. I busted up some self hounded pudding stone last week and just could not bare to throw any away after all the hard work that went into getting them. I knew there was no way that any of it could be rounded in 60/90 due to the size so I did something I never do. I skipped the rough grind and started this in the loto with 120. I actually like them and I am sure I will find a project to utilize them soon. If not they look good in a glass dish anyway. I should mention that it took about 30 minutes just to separate these from the ceramics. most of these are smaller than the smallest ceramics. And here's a before shot Thanks for looking Chuck
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Post by captbob on May 30, 2015 16:40:33 GMT -5
That's pretty darn cool! What did you use ceramics for? If the barrel wasn't full enough, a couple/few larger rocks could have made up the volume and save you all that sorting.
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 30, 2015 16:47:35 GMT -5
That sure was a quick tumble. I didn't realize how small some of those were. It's interesting to see them rough but shiny.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 30, 2015 16:57:01 GMT -5
That's pretty darn cool! What did you use ceramics for? If the barrel wasn't full enough, a couple/few larger rocks could have made up the volume and save you all that sorting. I did have to throw in a handful of larger rocks just to get the movement right in the barrel but after 2 days in 120 enough was ground away that the load needed ceramic filler. Chuck
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 30, 2015 16:58:22 GMT -5
That sure was a quick tumble. I didn't realize how small some of those were. It's interesting to see them rough but shiny. Yep. These are tiny ones. That's why I said they would normally be garbage. Any uses come to mind? Chuck
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Post by Peruano on May 30, 2015 17:09:49 GMT -5
Yes as filler anytime you are tumbling pudding stone or anything of like hardness especially if it has a rough surface or intricate spaces that would be hard to reach with only large fill or like size rocks. I often try to preserve and shine the rough edges of pet wood in the bumbling process and such tiny filler is essential for that. Ditto if you had something like fire agate or other bubbly surfaces that you were trying to bring to life. I have a gallon of crushed quartz fragments that have been tumbled and that is used as a source of filler for special batches. Now that they are smooth they won't unduely consume your grit, but will reach into those blind spaces that you are trying to polish. Tom
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 30, 2015 17:42:59 GMT -5
You could drill them for beads.
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,751
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Post by Mark K on May 30, 2015 17:54:10 GMT -5
I use small stuff like that for filler too. I actually put it in on purpose. I sweep the purple quartzite up off of roads with tons of it on them and use it to make sure the big stuff gets hit everywhere, not just in the high spots.
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on May 30, 2015 18:18:29 GMT -5
Hey Chuck, if nothing else those would make beautiful aquarium gravel!
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,751
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Post by Mark K on May 30, 2015 18:39:46 GMT -5
Assuming there is nothing that will leach out into the water and kill the fish.
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Post by orrum on May 30, 2015 20:30:11 GMT -5
That's tiny and shiny!
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Post by snowmom on May 31, 2015 5:25:22 GMT -5
polished up a treat! I'd been passing by a lot of smaller pudding stones with only one or 2 jaspers in them, this makes me want to bring them home, break them up and try this! Thanks for the post.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,555
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Post by jamesp on May 31, 2015 7:29:31 GMT -5
Those fines will round off well as filler with larger rocks as mentioned. Sure you already know that. Some tiny stuff like that will get used 2-3 times as filler before it really shapes well though. It is slow. I save all debris like that. Makes for a smorgasbord of little tumbles. They attract kids at rock shows !! Which then attracts parents with $$$.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on May 31, 2015 9:15:30 GMT -5
Great job!!!! I use all my small stuff as filler on most every run....
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FLrockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2014
Posts: 343
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Post by FLrockhound on Jun 5, 2015 14:12:00 GMT -5
Good job at recycling the "garbage". I've saved 95% of my broken shards an have quite a hefty amount in a 5 gal. bucket. Every once in a while I will sort through it an seperate them into coordinating piles. I really should tumble it one of these days.
Those pieces would look really nice molded into acrylic coasters.
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