donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on May 23, 2004 8:50:46 GMT -5
OK guys, here are the pics Puppies sent me to post. Great job on them! Here they are with the captions she sent along with the pics, Don The full tray consists primarily of backyard rock from two homes. There are also a few pieces of agate/jasper from The Rock Shed which I wasn't satisfied with after the first run.
 The second picture is of some of the more interesting pieces of yard rock that turned up. Also, this pertains to a recent discussion about rocks that have soft layers interspersed with hard rock creating polish problems. The pen is pointing at one that still came out well, I thought, though the white stripes are concave from grinding away faster. Most of the others in this picture have the same effect. The top row rocks I just thought were interesting and beautiful, especially the one on the upper left, which I think is breathtaking -- one of the prettiest rocks I've ever seen, the pic doesn't do it justice, and I have no idea what it is -- just another backyard rock! It also took the best polish of any of them, along with it's companions on the top. Then, the dark rock is the best ruby to come out of my saph/ruby stuff so far. It polished up in this load of yard rock. Took a long time to get rid of its outer shell. I need to figure out how to get a backlit picture of it. The third shot was the best close-up I was able to get.  |
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Post by sandsman1 on May 23, 2004 9:08:58 GMT -5
hey puppie lookin good hard to believe its mostly yard rock but you never know what you will get till ya tryum that redish one 2nd pic up top is very cool lookin they shined up real nice ---seeya---john
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on May 23, 2004 9:30:40 GMT -5
Puppie, those are beautiful! Sure don't look like just plain ole' backyard rock, do they? Just can't ever tell what's under all that UCK on the outside! They really have a nice shine.
For backlighting the ruby, you might try putting it in a glass dish, pie plate, etc., setting the dish on top of a lamp and taking the pic from an angle. That should work, but since I haven't ever tried it, I don't know if it will or not. Worth a try though.
Good job on those stones!
llana
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Post by creativeminded on May 23, 2004 10:56:10 GMT -5
Great Job. ;D
Tami
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Post by cookie3rocks on May 23, 2004 11:21:56 GMT -5
Great job! Hope my backyard stuff comes out that good, but I don't think it will  cookie |
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on May 23, 2004 15:55:25 GMT -5
Great job!!! You really got those babies to shine!
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Post by rockyraccoon on May 23, 2004 17:10:55 GMT -5
looks like my driveway gravel! they turned out great.
kim
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on May 23, 2004 20:39:41 GMT -5
I wish that I had a backyard and/or a driveway like you guys must have! Nothing that's on my place would polish up anywhere close to that gorgeous.  Great job, Puppie! Barbara |
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thewiz
has rocks in the head
"What good is money if you don't spend it"
Member since January 2004
Posts: 735
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Post by thewiz on May 23, 2004 21:06:42 GMT -5
nice job donwrob
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Post by puppie96 on May 24, 2004 1:14:33 GMT -5
Thanks everybody for all the nice comments! I definitely need to work on the photography part. I don't like the lighting on these and not much detail showed. Next time I'll try outdoors under natural light, see what I get.
I'd really like to get a good picture of the ruby 'cause I'd like to know what you guys think -- in this photo it just looks shiny black and you don't get the red, but it definitely is, and definitely transparent/translucent.
And I agree about the amazing backyard rock, I just finished up another batch that's even more interesting, and this time a lot of it had holes and is very irregularly shaped, and still all this polished up in my Raytech! Why I'm not cross contaminating with all those pits and crevices, I don't know, but I'm getting away with it. I'll have to try to get a picture of it, too.
For those of you who don't think their backyard/driveway rock is any good, well, neither did I, it was mostly all just dull brown, and I threw some in as filler and found out the news.
Thanks, Donwrob! This board is the greatest.
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Post by stoner on May 24, 2004 1:42:15 GMT -5
Absolutely Beautiful! It really is amazing what plain old backyard rock looks like polished. You were able to get that wet look we all strive for. And that Ruby, well dark looking or not, I'm really impressed with the shine. I think the suggestion of putting it on some sort of glass and then sitting it on a light source is a good one, but I think the light source would have to be pretty intense for it to work.
I sure hope you find a way, cuz I'd really like to see it.
You should be proud of yourself. Great job.
later, Ed
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Post by puppie96 on May 24, 2004 23:05:04 GMT -5
Ed, thank you, your comments are so nice. I don't know why, but I've been really lucky with polish and have not experienced nearly the problems I've read about on this board. But everytime I come out with this glassy finish I am just as amazed and awed as the first time. I can waste hours trancing on them.
Weird, isn't it?
That ruby -- I've only had a couple others like this -- they were dull on the outside but they had a small fracture through which you could just glimpse the glassy stuff underneath. Then no matter how long it takes, you keep grinding and grinding until finally the top layer starts to chip off, and the stuff underneath is almost polished already, on its own. I guess that must be the difference when something that is potentially "gem quality" pops out.
On the other hand, great emeralds are commonplace.
I will definitely figure out a way to get a shot of the ruby. I'd really like to get some thoughts about it from those who know what they are doing.
Speaking of which, what is my backyard rock made of, anyhow? I've been thinking some kind of jasper, but I really am clueless!
I am also really taken by the thought that I can spend literally years picking up rock from the ABUNDANCE in the back yard -- problem of major proportions -- and turn it into these beauties. The batch I just finished is even better. It has some really convoluted rocks that still polished, combos of black, white, and brown, layers, swirls around geode-like inclusions, etc. Amazing stuff!
Maybe what is so addicting about this is finding the beauty underneath....
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Post by stoner on May 25, 2004 2:46:53 GMT -5
So I guess it proves, Beauty IS only skin deep-at least with rocks anyway. Scrape away that rough skin, and look what you find. That is exceptional backyard rock, what part of the country are you in? I went to Home Depot awhile back and bought some "Blue River Rock" for a walkway and while I was washing it down I wound up picking up a bunch and tumbling it. That was nice stuff too.
As far as getting a light source under the ruby, I think I might have an idea. Put the stone on a piece of glass(or plexi-glass). Then make a box(no bottom) out of white poster board and cut a hole in the top, maybe 1"-2", then using a circular flouresent tube as the light source, place the glass on top of the box with the stone over the hole. The white sides of the box will intensify the light and by only having a small hole in the top, the light won't cause any problems with exposure when you shoot the pic. Maybe...yes?
Again, nice job on the stones, and let me know if the box idea works for the pic.
later, Ed
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Post by puppie96 on May 25, 2004 3:42:48 GMT -5
Hi Ed, Sounds like a great idea for illuminating the ruby -- the thing is finding the time to do it -- it's so hard to fit everything in.
I'm in St. Louis suburbs. The back yard rock is a bit of a mystery. The house was built on drained lake bottom. I have always thought that a lot of the rock must be indigenous and was former lake bottom rock. However, it also seems clear that some amount of the rock came in as fill and there are differences in the rock depending on the part of the yard you are in. Which would make sense. They seem to use river rock as fill locally.
I'm amazed. You should see the latest batch, it's even better, and all of this is the stuff that is a nuisance and annoys the crap out of you when you are trying to plant anything! I think my backyard rock looks very much like others who have posted theirs, though theirs was more beautiful than mine.
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