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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 30, 2016 12:34:08 GMT -5
Original Admin , krazydiamond , stoner , With his vast experiments, We need to talk jamesp into writing a new sticky thread about the ins and outs of tumbling! What to call it? "Tumbling Techniques" or "The ABC-XYZ of Tumbling" or ?? But only he can wrap it up from beginning to end!
He definitely thinks outside the box! I think the added big rock just opened pandora on faster grind times Dave. Actually very sure of it. By accident. It is called serendipity. "Jamesp's Serendipitous World of Rock Tumbling." Or something of that nature... With chapters on things that can be stolen from the (wife's) kitchen, using clay from the yard, etc. Leftovers, odds-n-ends that can be repurposed. (I love that word! "Honey, I am repurposing your cutting board." Ha!)
Now he just needs to find the time to write it.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 30, 2016 12:46:35 GMT -5
Repurposed some of rockpickerforever's rocks for her to tumble. The two smaller ones of the four for a lady's jumbo tumble. Will do some more before returning them Jean. What is that yellow rock Jean ? It's got coolest markings. The red one is insane.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 30, 2016 12:53:25 GMT -5
These two from roy. Fine pet wood and angel lace(or something like that). captbob offended that I would tumble it. On a tumbling forum no less. Maybe there is an anti-tumble forum. Before pre-grind, angel lace wood Contents of new small barrel
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Post by rockpickerforever on Sept 30, 2016 13:02:46 GMT -5
Repurposed some of rockpickerforever 's rocks for her to tumble. The two smaller ones of the four for a lady's jumbo tumble. Will do some more before returning them Jean. What is that yellow rock Jean ? It's got coolest markings. The red one is insane. The yellow one is Rainbow Ledge. Good to know you have a little free time today.
Repurposed... You like that word, too? It says it all.
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Post by captbob on Sept 30, 2016 13:23:23 GMT -5
These two from roy . Fine pet wood and angel lace(or something like that). captbob offended that I would tumble it. On a tumbling forum no less. Maybe there is an anti-tumble forum. Zebra Lace Appalled would be a better word. Finest Zebra Lace specimen I have seen. Hope it turns out great! As a specimen collector, sad to see it transformed. C'est la vie
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 30, 2016 13:30:19 GMT -5
These two from roy . Fine pet wood and angel lace(or something like that). captbob offended that I would tumble it. On a tumbling forum no less. Maybe there is an anti-tumble forum. Zebra Lace Appalled would be a better word. Finest Zebra Lace specimen I have seen. Hope it turns out great! As a specimen collector, sad to see it transformed. C'est la vie Sending hanky
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Sept 30, 2016 13:39:03 GMT -5
Rainbow Cliff and Angel Dust Agate, I mean Zebra Lace. Roy says there is a whole 55 drum full of Zebra at Tony's captbob. Was thinking about repurposing wife to two younger units half her age. Never mind the younger units, wife just bought in the new pre-grinder wheel. Priorities She is behind me just running her mouth a mile a minute jabber jabber jabber Let's go grind
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 1, 2016 7:16:10 GMT -5
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Post by captbob on Oct 1, 2016 7:29:16 GMT -5
Didn't check yesterday. Lawn work early on and planned to play with rocks late afternoon. Dog problem ended rock time. Will check today.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 1, 2016 11:08:22 GMT -5
Zebra Lace- coarsed in 12 hours. Must be soft. Felt hard like agate on the pre-grinder ?!?! Oh well. Rolled very well. Pet wood a bit big to roll well. Yet most of the pre-grind scratches are gone. Bloodstone had substantial rounding of facets. Rolled very well Ran three new small barrels last night. Incredible grind rates. No jams. All SiC 30 grit 100% gone. Need 4 more vibes.
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Post by captbob on Oct 1, 2016 11:12:59 GMT -5
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 1, 2016 11:16:45 GMT -5
I think i have to vibe those big rocks one at a time due to bruising Against each other Bob. So the bottleneck.
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Post by captbob on Oct 1, 2016 11:22:44 GMT -5
How big of a rock compared to barrel diameter you think you could get away with?
Just dug that 5+ lb Rio back out - yes, I had reburied it putting it back where it goes - and it's pretty darn big in the 15 lb barrel. has some room to move around, but not a bunch.
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Post by captbob on Oct 1, 2016 11:37:49 GMT -5
Dug out a bunch of smaller Rios to go in with the 5+ pounder and I'm thinking they will just wedge against the big 'um and keep it from tumbling. Figure just ceramic media as filler won't work as there would be nothing for the big rock to grind against. Not sure how to make this work.
Must mean I need a 40 lb tumbler!
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Post by captbob on Oct 1, 2016 12:46:27 GMT -5
okey dokey... did a check on the 2 3/4 lb Rio I have running with other smaller Rio agates in 15# tumbler. Aside - loaded tumbler weighs just shy of 25 lbs. All rocks from Mel Sabre52 Color me impressed. Quite a bit of change for just 4 days. 30 grit used up, remains probably in the 300-500 grit range. Should have checked it yesterday! Wasted a day for sure. Added a couple more Rio agates and a few Botswana agates just to fill the barrel a little more. Rock level was at around 2/3 and I added to 3/4. Added 1 1/2 cups of 30 grit this time. Will check in 2-3 days. Empty space may actually help rough tumble as there is more room for rocks to get aggressive. May take a few out next check up. Will see how things are going. Slurry not really developed yet. A few more days outta do it. Impressed with tumbling raw Rio agates. These suckers are gonna be very cool. "Smalls" are some whole, some halves and some end cuts and a piece of Palm. None really what I would call small. Not so impressed with the big rock yet. May be too plain to be drool worthy. Will give it a few more days. Have plenty of big ones I can change out to if desired. Wanna finish removing the skin before I decide. Would really like to tumble that 5+ lb Rio. Outside shows lots of poppies orbs. Probably make very cool slabs. cleaned up rocks to check progress. Easy to check by how much "skin" removed. Gonna be my fastest tumble ever! crappy pic -
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 1, 2016 13:21:59 GMT -5
Dug out a bunch of smaller Rios to go in with the 5+ pounder and I'm thinking they will just wedge against the big 'um and keep it from tumbling. Figure just ceramic media as filler won't work as there would be nothing for the big rock to grind against. Not sure how to make this work. Must mean I need a 40 lb tumbler! No problem with 1 inch rocks with 5" X 3.7" X 2" in 6 inch barrel at all. A 5 inch rock in an 8 inch barrel(assuming 15 pound Thumbler is 8" ? I would go with 1/2 to 1 inch rocks. Would be much better if it was a 4.5 inch cobble. But give it a go, you may be surprised. Or send it to me and let me grind it. the new grinder head is sweet.
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Post by captbob on Oct 1, 2016 13:29:50 GMT -5
Thumlers 15 is about 6 1/2 across.
5 lb Rio is 6.5x5x3.5 would have to sit in barrel lengthwise. Would tumble fine with ceramics or pea gravel, but don't know if that would work using such small smalls.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 1, 2016 13:30:52 GMT -5
Fine looking tumbles. real fine. Glad you grit broke. The floor on my greenhouse is covered with SiC 300-500 from dumping these loads. Useless for shaping. You will notice a threshold where the wear really increases. I don't think 15 RPM is an issue at all. That is like 20 RPM on a 6 inch barrel and some.
The orby and the palm-oh yea. Is the big one 2 3/4 pounds ?
Get used to the white bleached outer rind. Rio's famous for that. That is what made me get into pre-grinding. Infamous Rio Rind Disease. Love pre-grinding Rio's. Seam agate has so much more crap on the outside.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 1, 2016 13:32:10 GMT -5
Thumlers 15 is about 6 1/2 across. 5 lb Rio is 6.5x5x3.5 would have to sit in barrel lengthwise. Would tumble fine with ceramics or pea gravel, but don't know if that would work using such small smalls. Yea, that agate a bit big for 6.5. Can you hammer a chunk off or is it to0 round ?
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Post by captbob on Oct 1, 2016 13:34:20 GMT -5
Barrel turning 19 RPM
large rock in pic is the 2 3/4 lb
Have taken a bunch of pics, will post more later.
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