jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 13, 2016 15:27:38 GMT -5
This rock hurling along at 55 RPM, clay slurry at milkshake consistency, Sic 30 grit, exactly 48 hours. before, dry after 48, dry before, dry after 48, dry Serious scratches from aggressive grinder are gone but still has a few 'facets' or flat spots to be tumbled off: Added fresh 30 grit and will run 10-12 days @55 RPM/heavy slurry to break grit down to ~500. May switch to gentler 30 RPM at day 6-7. Then to vibe 4 days with AO 500 and semi thick sugar slurry. Then 1 day AO 14,000 and borax with all pea sized agate media for 24 hours
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Post by MrMike on Sept 13, 2016 18:22:18 GMT -5
Gonna be a beauty.
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Post by orrum on Sept 13, 2016 18:24:02 GMT -5
Lookin good!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 13, 2016 19:21:58 GMT -5
Thanks mrmike, welcome to the forum.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 13, 2016 19:24:22 GMT -5
You never want to knap crazy lace Bill. It has a mind of it's own. You have probably cabbed it.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 13, 2016 21:01:28 GMT -5
Wow, nice, fast progress!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 13, 2016 22:13:18 GMT -5
Wow, nice, fast progress! Like that grinder Rob.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 14, 2016 6:30:32 GMT -5
Wow, nice, fast progress! Rob, I have had some fast grinding running 30 grit with my mud at 55 RPM and all 2 inch rocks with no smalls. 55 is real fast for 7 inch barrel. Sometimes it seems like lots of smalls slows the grind. Have done with and with out smalls. I know smalls gets nooks and crannies. And after 48 hours at 55 rpm I can not find one speck of that big 30 grit. Maybe it is 80 grit after 2 days, but I think even smaller.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 14, 2016 8:11:59 GMT -5
Wow, nice, fast progress! Rob, I have had some fast grinding running 30 grit with my mud at 55 RPM and all 2 inch rocks with no smalls. 55 is real fast for 7 inch barrel. Sometimes it seems like lots of smalls slows the grind. Have done with and with out smalls. I know smalls gets nooks and crannies. And after 48 hours at 55 rpm I can not find one speck of that big 30 grit. Maybe it is 80 grit after 2 days, but I think even smaller. Your tumbling method is so much different that most peoples'. You use those hard, PVC barrels and spin 'em fast. It's weird that smalls slow things down for you. It must have something to do with the speed.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 14, 2016 9:00:12 GMT -5
Rob, I have had some fast grinding running 30 grit with my mud at 55 RPM and all 2 inch rocks with no smalls. 55 is real fast for 7 inch barrel. Sometimes it seems like lots of smalls slows the grind. Have done with and with out smalls. I know smalls gets nooks and crannies. And after 48 hours at 55 rpm I can not find one speck of that big 30 grit. Maybe it is 80 grit after 2 days, but I think even smaller. Your tumbling method is so much different that most peoples'. You use those hard, PVC barrels and spin 'em fast. It's weird that smalls slow things down for you. It must have something to do with the speed. Beats me Rob. The mysteries within. No doubt the 55 makes things happen faster. Usually run 30 RPM. 55 only with thicker slurry. This tumble is very unorthodox in terms of larger 2 inch tumbles, one big one with no smalls as suggested by the book. I thought i would end up adding coarse grit 5 times. Looks like 2 times is going to get the job done. I did try to round off the edges and shape the big tumble as best I could.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Sept 14, 2016 12:09:57 GMT -5
Your pre-shaping has a lot to do with the speed of the tumble. The tumbler has the relatively easy task of smoothing out your grinder marks. I wonder how a really rough, hard rock would do in that situation.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 14, 2016 20:03:09 GMT -5
Your pre-shaping has a lot to do with the speed of the tumble. The tumbler has the relatively easy task of smoothing out your grinder marks. I wonder how a really rough, hard rock would do in that situation. Rob, the coral matches that description and the grind marks go away in about 4 days instead of 2 days.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 17, 2016 6:04:04 GMT -5
Today is day 4 in 2nd addition of SiC 30 at 55 RPM with mud slurry. I will assume the SiC 30 is down to 220 by now. So 2 days with SiC 30 and 4 more days with 2nd addition of SiC 30. 6 days total in rotary. Will move this crazy lace to vibe today and use sugar and AO 220 for 3-4 days which should put a decent polish on it. Then one day in vibe with Borax and AO 14,000 for final shine. Total time after pre-grind 10-11 days.
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Post by Peruano on Sept 17, 2016 7:32:09 GMT -5
Its looking good but you are going to have to vibrate it a long time to get those wavy lines to go away. They are deep. It is interesting that your vug survived. I would have thought some of that coral would have enlarged it or packed it full of detritus. I don't own a rotary, but do a great amount of preforming and advance work with the grinder and then finish stuff in a vibe. Its always a surprise what comes out of the bowl in the end.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Sept 17, 2016 8:59:48 GMT -5
Look forward to seeing what comes of this, James.
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Sept 17, 2016 9:18:18 GMT -5
Damn nice job James!!!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 17, 2016 9:28:34 GMT -5
Its looking good but you are going to have to vibrate it a long time to get those wavy lines to go away. They are deep. It is interesting that your vug survived. I would have thought some of that coral would have enlarged it or packed it full of detritus. I don't own a rotary, but do a great amount of preforming and advance work with the grinder and then finish stuff in a vibe. Its always a surprise what comes out of the bowl in the end. 6 years to get the wavy lines LOL. Tom, I tumble a lot of coral with vugs and have problems with them packing with smalls. In most cases the whole tumble alpha/omega w/no smalls. This was the 'smalless' mix:
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 18, 2016 13:34:25 GMT -5
After 24 hours, AO 220 and sugar in the vibe. Starting to shine. Funny thing about aluminum oxide in a vibe. Whether it is 30 grit, 80 grit or 220 grit, polish begins quickly. As the particles round off. Even AO 30 grit shows a fair polish after 24 hours. Which comes in handy if you are transferring rocks from the rotary with an 30 grit finish.
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Post by captbob on Sept 18, 2016 13:47:34 GMT -5
Where do you get AO 30 grit? Is it as abrasive for the rough grinding as SiC 30 or does it wear down faster?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 18, 2016 14:35:43 GMT -5
Where do you get AO 30 grit? Is it as abrasive for the rough grinding as SiC 30 or does it wear down faster? AO 30 comes in 5 gallon buckets cheap as sand blasting media. I think this came from N Hydraulics or Harbor Freight. It is not near as abrasive as SiC 30. SiC shatters to sharp pieces and cuts fast. AO (30) for instance stays about the same size, it just rounds to tiny beads. Tiny beads that become polished that will impart a polish. Same way aluminum oxide ceramic media becomes polished Ceramic media = aluminum oxide(most of it anyway)= giant aluminum oxide(like #2 grit)
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