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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 14, 2016 9:19:18 GMT -5
Some wonderstone tumbles pretty good  |
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dottyt
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2016
Posts: 305 
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Post by dottyt on Dec 14, 2016 11:57:23 GMT -5
Some wonderstone tumbles pretty good That looks great! I am guessing that while technique is important, the quality of the stone is the main thing. Does anyone know how the contest insures that participates get more or less equivalent rocks to tumble? |
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dottyt
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2016
Posts: 305
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Post by dottyt on Dec 14, 2016 12:02:54 GMT -5
Ok Dot here it is....THE BIG SECRET!!!! Some wonderstone is like sandstone and the polish is just blah, some is more silcifield and polishes pretty good. You knew that right??? The secret is to cook it in s turkey roaster!!! Slab it first, then put a layer of kitty litter in the roaster without the pan. Then put a layer of slabs then kitty litter then slabs and on. With tumbles the same way until the roaster is full to overflowing. The put some insulation in the lid and put lid on with rocks on top to hold it down tight. Next set thermastat to 200 degrees to dry water out of rock overnite, otherwise they explode or craze. Then I up the temp 50 degrees every couple hours until it's maxed out. Oh yea you need a old style turkey roaster that goes to 550 degrees. At max hold for 12 hours to soak the stone with heat. The ramp down 50 degrees every few hours. Cool it too fast and they will craze snd potlid the same as too fast going up. The hottest part of the roaster is the sides and ends. Wonderstone is a volcanic ryolite so heat doesn't help it as much as other rocks but it's noticeable. Knappers do this to enhance color and chipping ability. There you go, I just sold a Loto batch of knapping scraps of wonderstone plus some pendants and they were Loto shiny! Remember wonderstone can change from one extreme to another within the same rock! No I don't have any for pics because they sold out, LOL that's a good thing! The stuff knapps horrible too! LOL But I get a point now and then. Whoops, didn't see this before my other post! I suspected that some had to be less porous/harder than the rest. Great tip!!!! However does the contest allow treatments? I imagine that resin would help some pieces too. |
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Tommy
Administrator 
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Dec 14, 2016 13:05:31 GMT -5
As has been said it all depends on the silica content of the stone. I trust that the keepers of the contest know this and will work to present a fair distribution of a stone that will take some kind of shine. We collected all of these rocks below on Wonderstone Mountain - literally within a few meters of each other. The top row is highly silicified and takes a fantastic agate-like shine. The bottom row are more like sandstone to varying degrees and achieved a satin shine at best.   |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Dec 14, 2016 13:35:59 GMT -5
Well,looks like a great tumble challenge.........Wish you all the luck and skill you use for the competition...
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Post by orrum on Dec 14, 2016 14:43:36 GMT -5
Chuvk those are great!!! Tommy yours r great also. If I were competing I would pull tumbles out and hand grind them to get the pattern of waves and or bullseye centered and then tumble enough to get smoothed over. Then off to the Loto. This stuff reduces fast so I would get some other different colored ryolite to keep the rotary and vibe full of exact matched hardness.
Just saying....
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Post by greig on Dec 15, 2016 12:46:29 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing the big secret! That is quite the "shake and bake" process whereby I was half expecting it to end with a punch line such as: "throw out the stone and tumble the kitty litter". LOL
I bet there are other rocks that this would also apply. Very interesting.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2016 19:36:49 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing the big secret! That is quite the "shake and bake" process whereby I was half expecting it to end with a punch line such as: "throw out the stone and tumble the kitty litter". LOL I bet there are other rocks that this would also apply. Very interesting. Just like the best carp recipe, "carp on cedar shingle"!!! |
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Post by orrum on Dec 17, 2016 10:16:33 GMT -5
LOL Yes hest treatment makes a lot of pretty slabs!
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Post by orrum on Dec 17, 2016 10:16:50 GMT -5
LOL Yes heat treatment makes a lot of pretty slabs!
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Dec 17, 2016 22:55:31 GMT -5
This really has nothing to do with nothing but I cut a small piece of the Hayden Hill material from 2013. The cut side feels very smooth and hard but I doubt it will take much of a shine.  |
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Post by orrum on Dec 18, 2016 9:13:34 GMT -5
Cab it and let's c?  |
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meviva
Cave Dweller
Member since July 2013
Posts: 1,474
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Post by meviva on Jan 3, 2017 23:31:52 GMT -5
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