jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,557
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Post by jamesp on Sept 27, 2015 19:51:10 GMT -5
A few bots mixed in with latest batch, all related to coral from the Withlacoochee River Withlacoochee a Native word meaning 'whiskey river' just kidding. Middle one is coral tubes replaced with chalcedony. New find. Geode and collapsed coral tube replacement Hollows, a druzzy and bot plate
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Sept 27, 2015 20:36:34 GMT -5
Killer tumble James. I think I like these bots your finding even better then your normal corals and that says a lot. Is this the batch that had the issue with cleaning out the borax?
Chuck
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,557
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Post by jamesp on Sept 27, 2015 21:15:10 GMT -5
Yes Chuck. Pressure washer with spray tip removed it fine. Thanks for the tip on using a spray.
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Post by cobbledstones on Sept 27, 2015 21:21:24 GMT -5
now that is damn cool!
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Post by nowyo on Sept 27, 2015 22:11:06 GMT -5
Oh, hell. That stuff is way too cool, great job with that.
Russ
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,557
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Post by jamesp on Sept 27, 2015 22:15:49 GMT -5
They all have an ugly chalky white or chalky rust looking coating. Tumble or grind the coating off and you appreciate the clear chalcedony. The ones with a white chalk are have yellower chalcedony. The ones with the darkest rust coating have the darker chalcedony. This material is first to polish, faster than wood, agate, coral, jasper. Must be very Mohs hard.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,557
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Post by jamesp on Sept 27, 2015 22:19:29 GMT -5
Oh, hell. That stuff is way too cool, great job with that. Russ They are a quick tumble Russ. 3 weeks in coarse, much more and you loose the bots. Best to pull the ones wearing too fast @ 10 and 15 days.
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Post by nowyo on Sept 27, 2015 22:24:30 GMT -5
Makes sense. I sometimes pull stones to keep a feature from being wiped out.
Russ
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Sept 27, 2015 22:32:04 GMT -5
Makes sense. I sometimes pull stones to keep a feature from being wiped out. Russ Guessing pet wood would fall in that category. Find that stuff where the shoals are. Plates 2-4 inches across. To make them smaller you just smack the back side lightly with the side of a screw driver shaft with it laying flat in the palm of your hand.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,557
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Post by jamesp on Sept 28, 2015 7:24:44 GMT -5
Had another barrel of these just transferred into the 14 pound vibe 2 days ago.. Larger and much more delicate pieces.
These coarse tumble on average 3 weeks. I coarse tumbled the larger delicate ones in much thicker clay slurry. Did not notice any difference in shaping time-chocalte milk consistency vs milk shake consistency. Damages apparent in the form of chips when tumbling these in the past. Not hardly any damage with the thick slurry.
Seemed to have solved the problem of bigger pieces shifting to one side of the Vibrasonic vibe. Used 1/2 to 3/4 inch round quartz aquarium pebbles for media.(maybe a bit smaller than that) Media shape in a this vibe anyway has a big impact. Flat glass causes more wedging, round pebbles speed the roll way faster. i.e., ball bearings. Better mixing within the roll too.
Digging the clay slurry.
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Post by orrum on Sept 28, 2015 8:47:30 GMT -5
X2 Chuck! The tumbles are great James but the pic of the tree is off the charts!!!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,557
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Post by jamesp on Sept 28, 2015 9:12:27 GMT -5
X2 Chuck! The tumbles are great James but the pic of the tree is off the charts!!! I pirated that photo orrum. Gotta keep it honest. But that's how she looks.
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Post by iant on Sept 28, 2015 10:25:00 GMT -5
Totally cool stuff!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,557
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Post by jamesp on Sept 28, 2015 12:30:03 GMT -5
Am fortunate to have that material to collect Ian. As are you with your Scottish agates.
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Post by drocknut on Sept 28, 2015 15:26:14 GMT -5
Those are seriously cool.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 28, 2015 16:08:03 GMT -5
Nice job on those, James. Are you sure they are not salamander eggs?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,557
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Post by jamesp on Sept 28, 2015 17:48:41 GMT -5
Those are seriously cool. Probably run about 3 gallons thru that little saw Diane. more of a home owner's saw. It's a Husky model 450 BUT, it is super light @ 10.8 pounds. Has a cheap crap non-adlustable oil pump known for problems, so far so good. It only uses one nut to clamp the 18 inch bar, seems to work and speeds up chain tightenings. I like the heck out of it. Light weight and inexpensive Doing lots of limbs, light important.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,557
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Post by jamesp on Sept 28, 2015 17:51:56 GMT -5
Nice job on those, James. Are you sure they are not salamander eggs? If you look real close you can see them squirming, one eye in the center of it's forehead. They do look more like salamanders-elongated.
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timloco
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2012
Posts: 545
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Post by timloco on Sept 28, 2015 18:58:36 GMT -5
Beautiful rocks, well tumbled!
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megalotis
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2009
Posts: 226
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Post by megalotis on Sept 28, 2015 20:06:20 GMT -5
Gorgeous agates, James! That natural bonsai ain't too shabby, either!
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