bushmanbilly
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 8, 2015 22:50:18 GMT -5
Just finished cleaning and recharging my vibe and then the unthinkable happens. I drop my wingnut in the bowl. They hide real good. Found it. A few pieces I'm tumbling. Top left BC pet-wood, local chert, owyhee Bottom Superior agate, local pet-wood, local opal wood. Will post the final results when my polish gets here from Stoneage. Tks for looking.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 8, 2015 22:56:51 GMT -5
stuff happens. Cool rocks Billy. please post the batch
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bushmanbilly
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 8, 2015 23:35:52 GMT -5
Yes I will. That batch has 2 more days of 1000 AO and then 3 days of polish. I only have 1 days worth of TXP left. But I will use the red cerium I have ( I hate that stuff, red everywhere) and rush it. My package won't be here for about ten days. Here's vid of the action. I use ceramic for the 200 and 500 stages. Click image for vid.
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Dec 8, 2015 23:39:12 GMT -5
That superior agate tho! Really like that one...
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bushmanbilly
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 8, 2015 23:48:28 GMT -5
That superior agate tho! Really like that one... Yes that is a nice one. Got a few of those in a trade with Haleysdream a few years back. They were whole and looked kinda bland until I cut them. There's few in both batchs
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bushmanbilly
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Member since October 2008
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 8, 2015 23:55:48 GMT -5
A few BC agates I did last week.
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cwdiver
having dreams about rocks
Work is just Surface Interval
Member since October 2015
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Post by cwdiver on Dec 10, 2015 0:42:43 GMT -5
Nice agates ! Are they BC agates like in British Columbia . We have lots of them in the rivers and on beaches here Thanks for sharing ..............Gary
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bushmanbilly
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Member since October 2008
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 10, 2015 14:19:49 GMT -5
Nice agates ! Are they BC agates like in British Columbia . We have lots of them in the rivers and on beaches here Thanks for sharing ..............Gary Yes they are from Hixon Creek. Hixon BC
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bushmanbilly
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Member since October 2008
Posts: 4,719
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 13, 2015 10:03:15 GMT -5
2 days into polish and they look like I'm still in rough grind. Not sure if my new bag of 1000 AO was miss labeled or my red CO is contaminated. I hoping the later, because I did not order more 1000 as I though I had a new 5 lb bag. If its the AO, I will have a lot of loads to redo. Anyone have trouble with Red CO?
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jackangeline
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 107
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Post by jackangeline on Dec 26, 2015 13:50:44 GMT -5
That superior agate tho! Really like that one... Hey I know you lol Rollinballz here from Instagram
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Dec 27, 2015 12:46:04 GMT -5
Welcome, Rollingballz, I think you'll like it here!
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bushmanbilly
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 27, 2015 13:06:58 GMT -5
stuff happens. Cool rocks Billy. please post the batch Here they are James. Not the best pictures, I used my phone. My cannon's batteries are dead. They look a 1000 times better after I tossed the red cerium in the garbage ( it was the red co that was contaminated) and redid them with TXP from Stoneage Industries. For the price there is not a better polish imho. In a vibe anyway, not sure about rotaries. Mostly Owyhee's with some lakers, pet-wood, tiger eye, Montana's and clear quartz. All of the Owyhee and Montana's will be retumbled with 1000 and polish over and over again. As this is my media for my picks.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 27, 2015 14:54:08 GMT -5
Looked up TXP bushmanbilly. Alum Oxide 3000 with round particles. Closely graded round shaped AO is about the most expensive AO. Vibes beat AO down so fast when tumbling rocks it does not matter so much. But it does not hurt to start with high quality AO with round particles. Probably more important in a rotary since it does not break down AO as fast as a vibe. Interesting point about using a reduced amount, one tbsp/10 pounds of rock. "TXP polish is sold in one pound packages and is a micron sized aluminum oxide polish, 3.0 micron or 8,000 mesh. TXP has a general spherical shape and in the impact of a rotary tumbler breaks down very fast. TXP has been proven to be the best all around tumble polish for preferably the rotary or barrel tumblers. It is an excellent polish for tumbling most rock, stone or semi-precious gemstone material (agates, jasper, obsidian, etc.) Information has been related recently that a reduced amount of the TXP polish will produce faster results. Try one tablespoon per 10 pounds of rock and separating material or reduce accordingly to the amount of rock in your rotary tumbler. (For instance for a three pound barrel tumbler, try one teaspoon of TXP polish per load.)" Billy, could you tumble picks with this load and them not break ? quartz is clear(glass). Owyhee looking fine.
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bushmanbilly
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 27, 2015 16:00:06 GMT -5
At $40 for 5 lbs, one can't go wrong. Works great in my vibe. All though I clean my tumblers every 24 hours. I don't notice the break down. Maybe I should just leave it run for a few days. If it breaks down like other grit. It might be 24,000 mesh after 3 days. Will try that on the next load.
The quartz came from Riverbend. Can't remember the true name but it the stuff they used for communication crystals for radio's. I had a bulk customer that believe that this material made the best sounding picks. I made him a few hundred of them. Then JR ran out of large pieces. I have trouble finding this material at a decent price.
Yes this is my media for tumbling my picks. I add a couple of handfuls of small ceramics to help cushion the load. I'm a true believer that if one wants to tumble polish flats. One must use flat media. It also helps to keep the picks from sticking together. I do have the odd one break. But thats a good thing. Would sooner have it break there than in a customers hands.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 27, 2015 16:54:55 GMT -5
At $40 for 5 lbs, one can't go wrong. Works great in my vibe. All though I clean my tumblers every 24 hours. I don't notice the break down. Maybe I should just leave it run for a few days. If it breaks down like other grit. It might be 24,000 mesh after 3 days. Will try that on the next load. The quartz came from Riverbend. Can't remember the true name but it the stuff they used for communication crystals for radio's. I had a bulk customer that believe that this material made the best sounding picks. I made him a few hundred of them. Then JR ran out of large pieces. I have trouble finding this material at a decent price. Yes this is my media for tumbling my picks. I add a couple of handfuls of small ceramics to help cushion the load. I'm a true believer that if one wants to tumble polish flats. One must use flat media. It also helps to keep the picks from sticking together. I do have the odd one break. But thats a good thing. Would sooner have it break there than in a customers hands. Rock Shed AO 500 will darn sure put the fine shine on rocks in the vibe. No doubt it is breaking down to polish size. In 2-4 days depending on vibe. Communication crystals. Heard of that but it seems like it was old school technology maybe-maybe not. Do you know ? Does it come from crystals ? Sure looks pure. Been watching your picks for a good while. Because I thought you should try the coral. It would not surprise me if you could saw the coral thinner than most rocks. It holds up real well in the tumbler when super thin. And hardly a fracture. what size rocks do you vice up to make picks, or do you saw them out of a big(thin) slab ? I tinkered with the thinnest slab I could saw, it was real thin. Was also curious how you vibed them without sticking, being so flat. I see you mentioned flat media.
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bushmanbilly
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 27, 2015 18:49:33 GMT -5
Optical quartz is what it is called. Yes very pure and pricey. www.facetingrough.com/rough_quartz.shtmlRiverbend was selling it for under $10 per lb. Great price, I believe I cleared the last of his stock a few years back. optics.org/news/5/7/38Most electronic devices require oscillators that create precise frequencies – for example, for keeping time in watches or transmitting reliable signals to radios. Conventional oscillators have long relied on quartz crystals to provide such references. However, future high-end navigation systems, radar systems, and consumer electronics will likely require frequency references beyond the performance of quartz. Not sure how coral would work. If you want me to try some. I'm sure we could come to some sort of a deal. I like baseball size rough as I only have 10 inch saws. Make you a deal, I will do the shipping costs and will send you some of my picks for some coral. pm me your address and I will drop them in the mail tomorrow.
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bushmanbilly
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 27, 2015 20:12:07 GMT -5
Some better pics from the last batch. Lakers Some local and BC agates. Optical Quartz Local Pet-wood. Upper left is from my claim in BC.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 28, 2015 5:27:39 GMT -5
Interesting stuff, looks like expensive technology to out do what the quartz accomplished for years. I bet the military gave those mines some business over the years. Curious what type of lapidary equipment they used to make those oscillators. Had to be precise cutting and polishing machines. I have an 18 inch Covington saw. It needs a clean out and the carriage needs adjusting. Cuts accurate and thin slabs, especially on slowest feed rate. Procrastination set in, let me get the saw going and cut you some slabs. I will just mail them to you in an envelope for you to try. Your in Canada and postage is high. Envelope cheap. About all coral down here has a fingerprint that may interest your clients. I can find an artifact on native man's chips along most any creek or river in the lowlands and with a loupe tell if it is coral. A hint that coral is in the waterway. The rotary leaves the fingerprint intact, sometimes the vibe polishes it away. This is what it looks like after 220 grit, this piece about 1 inch wide, but cut across the polyps. This Florida coral very distinct Still visible(in glare) in rotary polished pieces, this Georgia coral does not have such well preserved patterns as the Florida stuff and it is not cut perpendicular to the polyps
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bushmanbilly
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Post by bushmanbilly on Dec 28, 2015 13:17:52 GMT -5
Sounds good. Don't bother cutting thin slabs. They will not make it here in one piece in an envelope. All I need is a slab 2"x 2" x 1/2". I can glue it to my jig and get 3 or 4 slabs off of it. If they work, that finger print would look very nice.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 31, 2015 15:09:17 GMT -5
Sounds good. Don't bother cutting thin slabs. They will not make it here in one piece in an envelope. All I need is a slab 2"x 2" x 1/2". I can glue it to my jig and get 3 or 4 slabs off of it. If they work, that finger print would look very nice. Can't wait to see some coral pics. A lot of it has tiny crystallized pockets, I'll do my best to avoid such. Ever considered a giant pick just to mess w/the brains of the musicians ? Bet some rock bands would use them, ya know, the ones that play the guitar behind their back or under their crotch LOL. I like that matt you lay your tumbles on to dry. Takes forever on a towel, arouses spousal attacks too.
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