jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,558
|
Post by jamesp on Nov 18, 2015 7:11:55 GMT -5
Tumbling some for txrockhunter. Lucky him, fine palms and woods. Palms-fine palms. Very nice agates and jaspers. Smorgasbord, and a bit different materials than Rio's. Seem less fractured as they may have travelled a shorter or more gentle path. Well rounded none the less. Jeremy, you are lucky to have this resource, and me to tumble them for you lol. Me a palm freak, want to heat treat some too, great candidate, palm. Bleached outer coating about gone, beauty starting to reveal itself. Glare from overcast bad. 12 pounds, few to no smalls: The 20 pound barrel full of self collected Rio's. About the same size as above. Probably more color variation. No palm, wood lesser quality. The ranch I hunted varied 100 feet elevation. Top of hills was bigger cobbles, as going down hill pebbles got smaller. So at one band of elevation the average pebble was perfect tumble size 1-2 inch size. The reason for that is ancient river stream dynamics. That area was desolate and too quiet. Mainly due to (rumered)cartel movement, eerie place and park out in open. Stay close to car. Ran PVC barrels at 50% full on both of above. Used clay and ran a slurry so thick right from the start that it would not drip through 1/4 inch holes in stainless pan shown. Rocks sucked together by slurry like magnets. Suspicious that rubbing forces are increased by adhesive forces. Very quiet while rotating. 30 grit dusted in 3 days. Coarse grind moving along quite fast. Lay the barrel on the grass and quietly roll it. It takes a lot of force because the load is so stuck together. You can hear the hard grinding. Not to mention being 50% full requires maximum horsepower due to imbalance and large avalanche within. Slurry: Intheswamp, this barrel holds 22-28 pounds depending on how full. Notice it is good for 3-4 cap replacements. Been running 1.5 years. Stainless pan is 24", so barrel a bit more than 30 inches. Dried red clay pie cracked into tumbler size doses. Neat and clean. Takes about five minutes in tumbler to break down to mud.
|
|
|
Post by orrum on Nov 18, 2015 8:19:11 GMT -5
I like PVC barrels best too!
|
|
|
Post by paulshiroma on Nov 18, 2015 8:45:47 GMT -5
James, what great tumbles. Thanks for posting the photos and information. x2 on the PVC barrels. Gotta be careful rockhounding now-a-days. Sometimes the best spots are so isolated that is causes me pause.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,558
|
Post by jamesp on Nov 18, 2015 9:23:13 GMT -5
I like PVC barrels best too! Bulletproof rascals Bill. Where you at ?? Where's my horse ?
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,558
|
Post by jamesp on Nov 18, 2015 9:30:43 GMT -5
James, what great tumbles. Thanks for posting the photos and information. x2 on the PVC barrels. Gotta be careful rockhounding now-a-days. Sometimes the best spots are so isolated that is causes me pause. Lake Falcon. More border patrol than citizens.
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
|
Post by Fossilman on Nov 18, 2015 10:32:45 GMT -5
Nice tumbles............
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Nov 18, 2015 10:54:23 GMT -5
That'll work!
Hey Jean, he could have sent you all that mud dry!
naw... what fun would that have been?
How ya feeling James?
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Nov 18, 2015 11:28:44 GMT -5
James, what great tumbles. Thanks for posting the photos and information. x2 on the PVC barrels. Gotta be careful rockhounding now-a-days. Sometimes the best spots are so isolated that is causes me pause. Lake Falcon. More border patrol than citizens. ...is that the lake where a couple got fired upon while jetsking and the husband was killed? Maybe a year or two ago?
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Nov 18, 2015 11:43:37 GMT -5
Name sounds familiar Ed.
James is gonna have to take me as armed backup next time he goes!
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 18, 2015 14:02:25 GMT -5
...is that the lake where a couple got fired upon while jetsking and the husband was killed? Maybe a year or two ago? Yes, David Hartley. I can't imagine what his wife went through that day. Can you believe it was five years ago?
abcnews.go.com/US/mexican-pirates-shot-tourist-head/story?id=11784598
Took the Mexican authorities two years to make an arrest.
www.cnn.com/2012/10/08/world/americas/mexico-cartel-arrest/
A very sad story that should be remembered by anyone one vising the area. I used to go to Tijuana all the time, buy meds for my mom down there. When it started getting dangerous, we quit going. Just not worth it.
Hey Jean, he could have sent you all that mud dry! But it wouldn't have weighed near as much dry, or made such a mess. Where would the fun have been then? Well, it's all dry now. Saving it....
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Nov 18, 2015 14:06:06 GMT -5
Those look great. I busted up a bunch of RIO agates and they spent a few weeks in 46/70 but every week the slurry got too darn thick. I guess I should have pre-ground the outer rind off first. I think the rind is making muck fast and then the grit is not effective to cut the agate because They did not seem to be progressing. They are on hold for now but maybe I'll try them again.
Chuck
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,558
|
Post by jamesp on Nov 18, 2015 14:46:31 GMT -5
Yes Ed, the jet ski thing as Jean linked. But 4-5 years ago. captbob, I think @arrowheadave made the same offer. I think he and his buddy can also take care of themselves. My opinion is that all 4 of us would not stand a chance. After riding around Laredo, opinion changed about putting any of my friends in such company And sections of Zapata not the safest. The problem is cartel suspicion of rockhound(or informant??) seeing or suspected of seeing something he is not supposed to see. Whether in Mexico or probably worse on the US side. Remote road was 12 miles in and 12 miles out flanking the lake. All waterfronts were abandoned. In 12 days I got questioned or warned 10+ times by DNR, game warden checking on me every other day, and the gravel trucks were the only traffic. And the gravel truck guys said "hey amigo, what the hey are you doing on this road ?" Finally one of the gravel truck drivers asked his uncle to invite me on to his ranch, and hunt down at the gravel pit where workers were. Then got lots of invites to hunt several ranches once they felt comfortable w/me. Weird place, sent a chill up the spine. Had a good talk with the bait shop owner as to where the best gravel exposures when I arrived. He filled me in on some of the goings ons. He said it had gotten better for a spell. He is also a fishing guide and knew the area well. The man that let me collect on his farm was my age. He divorced and goes to party in Laredo. I seen him and his friend with some young gals in the truck with them LOL. Still sewing oats I suppose.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,558
|
Post by jamesp on Nov 18, 2015 14:52:18 GMT -5
rockpickerforever, feeling guilty about letting your beautiful mud pie dry out. It is the way though, nothing to handling that stuff dry, wet another animal. It had a lot of shrinkage and cracked delightfully. Had a few thin roots running thru it like a dog turd LOL. Our red clay is cherished, a prize substance. The pride of Georgia.
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,558
|
Post by jamesp on Nov 18, 2015 14:59:45 GMT -5
Those look great. I busted up a bunch of RIO agates and they spent a few weeks in 46/70 but every week the slurry got too darn thick. I guess I should have pre-ground the outer rind off first. I think the rind is making muck fast and then the grit is not effective to cut the agate because They did not seem to be progressing. They are on hold for now but maybe I'll try them again. Chuck Not sure what to say Chuck. I find those Rios to be darn hard and slow to tumble. I think they are all the hardest parts of hill agate material. The patina has always been slow to remove for me. Are you saying that they are slow to shape after the patina was removed or that the thick slurry was hindering progress ? Beware I was collecting nice smooth hand picked pebbles for tumbling, stayed away from ones w/deep pits. Took forever to fill a 5 gallon bucket with ave. 1.5 inch select pebbles. Collected potato size cobbles too though.
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Nov 18, 2015 15:16:46 GMT -5
Those look great. I busted up a bunch of RIO agates and they spent a few weeks in 46/70 but every week the slurry got too darn thick. I guess I should have pre-ground the outer rind off first. I think the rind is making muck fast and then the grit is not effective to cut the agate because They did not seem to be progressing. They are on hold for now but maybe I'll try them again. Chuck Not sure what to say Chuck. I find those Rios to be darn hard and slow to tumble. I think they are all the hardest parts of hill agate material. The patina has always been slow to remove for me. Are you saying that they are slow to shape after the patina was removed or that the thick slurry was hindering progress ? Beware I was collecting nice smooth hand picked pebbles for tumbling, stayed away from ones w/deep pits. Took forever to fill a 5 gallon bucket with ave. 1.5 inch select pebbles. Collected potato size cobbles too though. Not sure what the exact problem was but after a week the load was barely moving and I was using more water then usually to start. The load was filled with 1/2 tumble size nodules and the other 1/2 was larger hammer broken stuff. After not seeing any progress I decided to spent my grit money on some other stuff for awhile. Chuck
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 18, 2015 15:58:24 GMT -5
rockpickerforever, feeling guilty about letting your beautiful mud pie dry out. It is the way though, nothing to handling that stuff dry, wet another animal. It had a lot of shrinkage and cracked delightfully. Had a few thin roots running thru it like a dog turd LOL.Our red clay is cherished, a prize substance. The pride of Georgia. Huh? What kind of things are you feeding your dogs, James?
Yes, I will cherish the red GA clay. Maybe I should get an urn for it, put it on my dresser?
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,558
|
Post by jamesp on Nov 18, 2015 16:41:46 GMT -5
rockpickerforever, feeling guilty about letting your beautiful mud pie dry out. It is the way though, nothing to handling that stuff dry, wet another animal. It had a lot of shrinkage and cracked delightfully. Had a few thin roots running thru it like a dog turd LOL.Our red clay is cherished, a prize substance. The pride of Georgia. Huh? What kind of things are you feeding your dogs, James?
Yes, I will cherish the red GA clay. Maybe I should get an urn for it, put it on my dresser?
You could rewet it and try it on a salad... The urn may be going a bit too far. You know we have mountains of that stuff. It is what we live on(uh, walk on).
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,558
|
Post by jamesp on Nov 18, 2015 17:00:36 GMT -5
Not sure what to say Chuck. I find those Rios to be darn hard and slow to tumble. I think they are all the hardest parts of hill agate material. The patina has always been slow to remove for me. Are you saying that they are slow to shape after the patina was removed or that the thick slurry was hindering progress ? Beware I was collecting nice smooth hand picked pebbles for tumbling, stayed away from ones w/deep pits. Took forever to fill a 5 gallon bucket with ave. 1.5 inch select pebbles. Collected potato size cobbles too though. Not sure what the exact problem was but after a week the load was barely moving and I was using more water then usually to start. The load was filled with 1/2 tumble size nodules and the other 1/2 was larger hammer broken stuff. After not seeing any progress I decided to spent my grit money on some other stuff for awhile. Chuck That is odd Chuck. The Rios seem to be very hard agate. Typical slow to round and quick to polish. There are plenty of jaspers, but not like our softer Georgia jaspers, the Rio jasper is darn hard too and takes a great polish. An occasional rhyolite, but even it polished well. The wood and palm hard too. Those Rios were the reason I sped up my tumbler way back for 55 RPM coarse grinding. To speed the coarse up. Never had a bruise on any of them. And added additives to get a slurry going from the start BECAUSE they were not wearing and making a thick slurry. Did some one hand pick some softer materials. Rios are #1 yellow and #2 reds. Many mosses. If it is called Rio it better have some moss agate. Typical mix of yellow what-evers from the Rio Grande: www.flickr.com/photos/67205364@N06/sets/72157632268584567
|
|
|
Post by rockpickerforever on Nov 18, 2015 18:36:26 GMT -5
Huh? What kind of things are you feeding your dogs, James?
Yes, I will cherish the red GA clay. Maybe I should get an urn for it, put it on my dresser?
You could rewet it and try it on a salad... The urn may be going a bit too far. You know we have mountains of that stuff. It is what we live on(uh, walk on). On a salad? No thanks. Would give a new meaning to the word "grits." But ya know, you can live on it all you want, lol.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Nov 18, 2015 19:22:45 GMT -5
James, you need to send her some *white clay* if you want a chance of getting her to eat it...everybody oughta try it...once.
|
|