lookatthat
Cave Dweller 
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360 
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Post by lookatthat on May 16, 2017 10:45:34 GMT -5
Yeah, Vera, I was thinking of doing just that... some look really lovely and then you turn them over and go, "Uh oh... maybe I'd better do something about THAT before I put it in." My father has a grinder he said he'd let me use, but since I have zero grinding experience, I think I may carefully tap a few with a hammer and be selective with the results. I'll probably knock off a few thin pointy edges before I start, too, since obviously I don't have 4 or 5 months to tumble these things.
Good luck to us!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on May 16, 2017 13:55:00 GMT -5
Holy crap, could they give you anything more difficult? Looks like some kind of not so silicated rhyolite type stuff. That kind of stuff usually goes straight to my reject pile *L* as just flat being an annoying booger to tumble. Can't wait to see your results....Mel I didn't really do anything different with these rocks and I like the way they turned out. I did start out running them in 120/220 based on everyone saying how soft they were, but eventually switched back to 60/90 and just treated them like everything else I've tumbled.. I had these in a barrel with obsidian, amethyst and rose quartz. Maybe I just got a lucky batch? I didn't even break them up any or do any hand grinding.  |
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on May 16, 2017 14:12:56 GMT -5
Ooooh! Pretty! How big are these? (Range)
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on May 16, 2017 14:49:12 GMT -5
Ooooh! Pretty! How big are these? (Range) The rock at the top is about 2" wide. |
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on May 24, 2017 10:51:44 GMT -5
To give an update on my efforts: The tumbler finally came (Lortone 3A), after everything else I ordered. (OK, it really wasn't that long, it just seemed like it.) I did end up breaking up some pieces, knocking off some of the sharp pointy bits and taking a grinder to some of the edges. Tried to select ones of similar hardness. Measured coarse grit, added some ceramic media, and away she goes. Wow, this thing is quiet compared to that red plastic thing I used to have!
I started worrying that I hadn't put enough grit in, so I opened it up to add another spoonful. I couldn't believe how much the edges were rounded in only a day! I'm trying to resist the temptation for a few more days, but I m-i-g-h-t just have to check it tonight to see what's been happening in there.
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on May 24, 2017 14:40:39 GMT -5
I'm trying to resist the temptation for a few more days, but I m-i-g-h-t just have to check it tonight to see what's been happening in there. Sand ... (just kidding)  |
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on May 24, 2017 15:07:32 GMT -5
But what if it's The Mysteries of the Universe Revealed?!
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vera
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 259
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Post by vera on May 26, 2017 0:07:38 GMT -5
I didn't really do anything different with these rocks and I like the way they turned out. I did start out running them in 120/220 based on everyone saying how soft they were, but eventually switched back to 60/90 and just treated them like everything else I've tumbled.. I had these in a barrel with obsidian, amethyst and rose quartz. Maybe I just got a lucky batch? I didn't even break them up any or do any hand grinding. I think your rocks turned out wonderfully well! I did not do any grinding on mine either, but I did try to break them on the rotten places and some just because they were larger than I prefer my rocks. Did you look at them through a loupe? It says the judges will be looking at them at 10x magnification ( if I remember correctly) to judge the best finish, so I am going to keep polishing until I can't see any faults with a loupe. We still have lots of time before they need to be mailed, so we may as well make the best use of our time.  |
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vera
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 259
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Post by vera on May 26, 2017 0:10:18 GMT -5
But what if it's The Mysteries of the Universe Revealed?! The answer to everything in the universe is 42 - it was found many years ago by an author named Douglas Adams in 1982.  |
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on May 26, 2017 0:13:21 GMT -5
But what if it's The Mysteries of the Universe Revealed?! Schroedinger's rock |
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on May 26, 2017 12:43:25 GMT -5
So, I just had to look. And it was not-quite-full of gently rounded rocks in oh-so-lovely colors. I did take pictures, but I won't be posting any for a while. A couple looked almost ready to hold out for the next grit. Back in they went, with a little more coarse grit for kicks, and I added a friend. Hopefully not overloaded, but seems OK.
Now I am baffled by something... why are all the insects so attracted to my Lortone 3A? It's out in our breezeway, and the mosquitos keep bouncing off the barrel, and the moths keep getting mashed on the barrel, so my machine has all these bug parts on and under it. Has anybody else noticed this phenomenon?
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on May 26, 2017 12:55:53 GMT -5
Schroedinger's bugs?
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vera
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 259
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Post by vera on May 26, 2017 18:26:30 GMT -5
I don't know where you live, but in my area they would be attracted by the warmth - especially at night when we have been having temps in the 40's instead of seasonable nightly temps in the high 50's which would be normal here.
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on May 26, 2017 22:10:48 GMT -5
That could be it.
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Post by spiceman on May 26, 2017 22:36:26 GMT -5
Some of the pics looks like Ridge Flint.
Didn't read all the posts so it might have been guessed
Hardness?
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Post by coloradocliff on May 26, 2017 23:06:22 GMT -5
Definitely doesn't look like it's going to polish easily. Andrea The polish for sure and the probable hidden cracks and weak areas . Will test you mindset for sure Good luck and don't put all your eggs in one basket...
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Post by coloradocliff on May 26, 2017 23:07:19 GMT -5
Holy crap, could they give you anything more difficult? Looks like some kind of not so silicated rhyolite type stuff. That kind of stuff usually goes straight to my reject pile *L* as just flat being an annoying booger to tumble. Can't wait to see your results....Mel Get a lot of mud out of it if nothing else.. |
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,494
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Post by Sabre52 on May 27, 2017 19:49:02 GMT -5
Outstanding job on those polished ones. Much better than I'd ever get....Mel
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vera
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 259
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Post by vera on May 28, 2017 16:49:44 GMT -5
I checked mine today. The pet wood in with them has a liquid glass look to it and some of the contest stones are shiny, but not good enough. Since the sun has refused to shine here again today I just threw the stones that needed more back in for more rolling. I will take pics of what I took out later this week, because the weather person said we should actually have some sunshine for a few days this week.
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on May 30, 2017 11:04:02 GMT -5
OK, update on my rocks. Last night I was surprised to see that all the coarse grit had broken down completely. I kept aside a Dixie cup worth of thin sludge (about 2.5 oz), dumped the rest, rinsed the rocks and sorted. Had to pull a couple where the flaws went too deep. I was disappointed to find one of my favorite ones just isn't going to work for this round -- part of it is going to have to be broken off and go through the whole process again, and I just don't have the time to fuss with it right now. Chose a few more to grind the chips out of/edges off and put in to make up for lost volume, added the slurry back in, a couple tablespoons of coarse, the ceramic pieces that were in before, and away she goes.
I'll open it up probably tomorrow to add some more grit, and in a couple more days I'll inspect and add some more grit. I should have some ready to pull at that time. A couple were almost ready this time, but they had tiny irregularities, so back in they went. I didn't get any pics this time, so I'll have to take some later this week.
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