Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Oct 9, 2015 17:30:19 GMT -5
Happy to make your acquaintance ingawh. You've got my newbie, battered mind thinking about different things. Are you still using metamucil in your follow-up stages?
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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
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Post by ingawh on Oct 9, 2015 17:57:08 GMT -5
Happy to make your acquaintance ingawh. You've got my newbie, battered mind thinking about different things. Are you still using metamucil in your follow-up stages? Yep, still a devotee of the psyllium fiber, thanks for asking. I use it no matter what stage/grit I may have going in the Lot-O. It not only makes a nice slurry that helps protect against chipping, it helps me remove every speck of slurry during clean up. My other important best-friend is the large document-sized rubber bands I wind around the outside of the barrel and up over the top to keep the cap on so it doesn't get pushed off by a big rock and let the slurry dry out. (Wind the bands around under the barrel once it's seated in the tumbler, so they go outside the red "arms" that hold the jar.) Cheers! Inga
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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 Oct 9, 2015 17:58:14 GMT -5
Maybe it's not too late for James to send her some mud too! Wow - What DID I miss??
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 9, 2015 18:09:36 GMT -5
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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 Oct 10, 2015 0:25:01 GMT -5
By coincidence, tonight was obsidian night at my rock club. I've made a few converts and it was fun to see other people's tumbling success using my recipe in the Lot-O-Tumbler. Some crazy gorgeous stuff out there. I'd love to see other people's obsidian photos.....anyone ready to post?
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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 Oct 10, 2015 0:34:31 GMT -5
James I mixed some aquarium gravel in my Loto and as long as I didn't use too much it worked good. Too much causes the load to separate. We discussed this b4. Now I did a batch of obsidian with the ceramics and some rounded aquarium gravel. Bad idea, the gravel must be scratching the obsidian because I can't get my classic Loto shine!!# Can you help me understand what you mean that the load "separates?" I wish I could see what you're doing, because my experience is so different. I often use half gravel, half obsidian. If I add ceramics, I don't get as good results. The world is a mysterious place. :-)
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Post by orrum on Oct 10, 2015 5:35:30 GMT -5
Ingwah if I use ceramics and also add in aquarium gravel they separate and layer in the loto. I have not tried using all gravel. This separating was in a mixed load not obsidian. In straight obsidian I think the gravel and ceramic mix prevents a class is water wet Loto shine on the obsidian. My aquarium gravel is the brownish mix of colors from Walmart. It has now rounded out and is very hard, it has a awesome shine! I still use it in my mixed loads of agate, jasper etc.
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Oct 10, 2015 7:34:56 GMT -5
Happy to make your acquaintance ingawh. You've got my newbie, battered mind thinking about different things. Are you still using metamucil in your follow-up stages? Yep, still a devotee of the psyllium fiber, thanks for asking. I use it no matter what stage/grit I may have going in the Lot-O. It not only makes a nice slurry that helps protect against chipping, it helps me remove every speck of slurry during clean up. My other important best-friend is the large document-sized rubber bands I wind around the outside of the barrel and up over the top to keep the cap on so it doesn't get pushed off by a big rock and let the slurry dry out. (Wind the bands around under the barrel once it's seated in the tumbler, so they go outside the red "arms" that hold the jar.) Cheers! Inga Inga, I've looked through the threads and have basically concluded that you're using basically a tablespoon of psyllium per 3# of rocks, maybe a little less. You're using sugar-free psyllium. And, you might add a 1/2tsp of clorox to the load. I saw mention where you weren't using it in the coarse stage, but apparently you are using it there. Is what I've written about right? The padding is a significant factor, but the psyllium aiding in cleaning seems like it would be as equally significant...cleanliness is next to shininess!!! I've been told before to rubberband the lid on the Lot-O...reinforcement is always good!!! ...and, the added "how to" details are great!!! Thanks for your feedback, you appear to be very open in sharing your knowledge...and, for a newbie like me, good info is so much needed!!!
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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 Oct 10, 2015 12:21:17 GMT -5
I'm afraid that summary isn't quite right for the Loto. (The Tbs. of psyllium and the Clorox would be for a 12 lb. rotary tumbler.) In the Loto, I don't use Clorox, and only use about 1/4 tsp. of psyllium. The Clorox is needed in the rotary because it takes longer and bio-action will start on the fiber. I don't like polishing in the rotary, but every now and then I want to polish something that I can't force into my beloved Loto. :-)
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Post by captbob on Oct 10, 2015 13:54:58 GMT -5
Welcome back stranger! Been doing any tumbling yourself lately? I posted an obsidian batch I did a few months back - forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/70637/mahogany-obsidianBut, it was all in a rotary and I didn't use any gravel so it's kinda boring. Hope you can stick around awhile or at least check in more often. Seems to help keep jamesp inline when there are more ladies in the room.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 10, 2015 13:58:39 GMT -5
Somebody call my name ??
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 10, 2015 14:08:13 GMT -5
I may be in trouble captbob. Heinz 57 media mix may not go over so well. Mixed the whole kitchen to make 10 pounds of filler/media fro 4 pounds of snakeskin. After 24 hours, vibe, sugar + SiC 220. Too slow. Moved to rotary with other agates and SiC 80. Media did fine, for SiC 220 anyway. Aquarium gravel fresh out of bag.
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Post by captbob on Oct 10, 2015 14:17:41 GMT -5
You uses ALL those smalls to tumble the snakeskins?
*snort*
like your new avatar!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 10, 2015 14:24:41 GMT -5
You uses ALL those smalls to tumble the snakeskins? *snort* like your new avatar! Taking it slow. Did not know how tough that white coating is so the 24 hour vibe treatment. Moved them to the coarse in rotary with a bunch of Rios. That white covering is slow to grind. Gotta box of txrockhunter's agates/wood/palm. That stuff is fine. Deer rut a month away, watch that snorting
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 10, 2015 14:27:51 GMT -5
The mud pie is baking in the greenhouse.
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Post by captbob on Oct 10, 2015 14:35:59 GMT -5
Not so sure I'd show that "mud pie" with your wife. She my figure you have too much free time on your hands and come up with a use for it.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 10, 2015 17:36:25 GMT -5
We have been working together potting plants up in that stuff for 20 years. Battles common. My cannon shoots further, but she sneaks up with sniper tactics. Either way I suffer defeat.
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Oct 11, 2015 1:16:05 GMT -5
Jim, I mentioned the other day about the aquarium gravel sold around here being much smaller than what ya'll are showing. I stopped by Wallyworld this afternoon coming back from rock hunting and looked at what they offered. It was the same small stuff I mentioned. I took a picture of it with my trusty cheap phone. I've got some white quartz rock about the size you're showing up there...will they get as smooth as the multi-colored rocks? aquariumgravel by Intheswamp, on Flickr
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 11, 2015 6:37:54 GMT -5
I got the gravel from Pet Smart ??. Exactly what Inga specified Ed. About half of it is perfect oval pebbles. The rest that had cracks or were grainy I picked thru and threw away. Yes, you could tumble that Walmart bag and make them round. The aquarium gravel was already water worn, even had shellac on it. Aquarium gravel, picked thru. And run one time as filler in vibe in AO 500 and AO polish. See how nice it is ? Should make great polishing filler for the vibe.
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Oct 11, 2015 10:40:56 GMT -5
The Walmart stuff might be good for a smaller sized small, it's more like a super, maxi-sized grit. A combination of the small Walmart stuff and the Pet Smart gravel might be good...would definitely be a wide range of sizes.
The epoxy is simply ground away and doesn't affect anything...?
Thanks for pointing me to Pet Smart...I overlooked that somewhere (probably right in front of me).
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