jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2017 5:05:48 GMT -5
First class solution, looks like that rock is pretty close to round. Sure would be nice to have a lathe type chuck arrangement to rotate that rock Larry. Do you have any ideas ? As you know turning a cylinder or a cone is an easy shape compared to a sphere in a lathe arrangement. Perhaps spin that rock and simply slide the tile saw on a flat surface in a weighted frame up to it. Like add weight, say 100 pounds to the tile saw sitting on a nice flat table and slide it up to the rock as it is chucked and rotated very slowly. Advance tile saw as cuts are completed. As a raw test anyway.
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Post by wigglinrocks on Jun 24, 2017 8:28:26 GMT -5
I was just curious . Thinking more diamonds on the flat might cut faster than just the edge . I don't have the wheel so I was just guessing . To cut fast with the least pressure the edge was the way. Not the prettiest cut but removes rock quick. Then use the flat face to to do the final surface clean up. To remove the gouges from the edge cutting. This rock was cleaned up using the flat face of that blade and the scratches were removed in two days rolling in SiC 30. Much understand , thanks .
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2017 9:18:06 GMT -5
To cut fast with the least pressure the edge was the way. Not the prettiest cut but removes rock quick. Then use the flat face to to do the final surface clean up. To remove the gouges from the edge cutting. This rock was cleaned up using the flat face of that blade and the scratches were removed in two days rolling in SiC 30. Much understand , thanks . It is easy to get a feel for the cut rates. With the rock in hand and grinder in front of you. It took about 5-6 rocks to get a feel for the best way. The rotation method against the edge or the flat part of the blade(either way) is perfect for tumbles. Your target is to round or make arcs till the stone look like a pebble. This 'sphere' cobble had been hammer widowed in the field and had a big lopsided hunk taken out of it. It would have been a bigger sphere and easier to do had I not hammered the chunk off the side of the round cobble. At first look I thought it a substandard agate. The more I removed the patina the better it looked. It is a rather nice stone in terms of color and pattern.
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Post by wigglinrocks on Jun 24, 2017 9:40:58 GMT -5
Gonna have a darn nice rock when it is done .
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2017 10:51:59 GMT -5
Thanks wigglinrocks. Most are oval, spherical is hard to find on the Rio.
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Post by wigglinrocks on Jun 24, 2017 11:14:05 GMT -5
Thanks wigglinrocks . Most are oval, spherical is hard to find on the Rio. Being somewhat (bigtime) of an experimenter , surprise the sphere makers and invent an oval sphere .
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Post by orrum on Jun 24, 2017 11:16:29 GMT -5
James your Rios seem fracture free and very uniformly solid . I wonder if they could be cooked and knapped???
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2017 11:30:58 GMT -5
Thanks wigglinrocks . Most are oval, spherical is hard to find on the Rio. Being somewhat (bigtime) of an experimenter , surprise the sphere makers and invent an oval sphere . Most of those cobbles just get skinned for tumbling. No focus on shaping. No issues with making other shapes though. The oval sphere may not fit in the sphere makers sphere machine by nature of the beast.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 24, 2017 11:34:14 GMT -5
James your Rios seem fracture free and very uniformly solid . I wonder if they could be cooked and knapped??? I've cooked some Rio mosses Bill. They must need lower temps as they turn brown and ugly. Probably 400F is best for them. The volcanic amygdule agates are not as friendly to heat treat as chert and those agates silicified by lime water. but some of those high end mosses are like glass and would have to knap well. Lacking in size though.
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