TwoDogs
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2004
Posts: 5
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Post by TwoDogs on Nov 26, 2004 6:30:27 GMT -5
Hi. I'm new to tumbling, and only moderately adept at using my computer. Hopefully that won't be TOO obvious from my rocks or my attempts at posting images. This is the first batch I finished. I found the rocks next to the Hudson River near Lake Luzerne, NY.  The next two batches are mixed together. Mostly they're mixed tumbling rock from Rockshed.com, but there are a few small Lake Superior agates in there as well (I bought those locally).   ... nothing you all haven't seen before, I'm sure. But I'm pleased with my first three efforts. |
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Rose
Cave Dweller 
Member since November 2004
Posts: 875
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Post by Rose on Nov 26, 2004 6:36:32 GMT -5
Lovely TwoDogs I just set off my first batch ever this morning. I will be very happy if they eventually come out anywhere near as good as yours  |
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Nov 26, 2004 8:08:38 GMT -5
Two Dogs, you sure those are your first three batches? You sure did a nice job on them. Great shine. The pink/black and white/black ones in the top photo look just like some feldspar/quartz I found along the railroad track. I have tumbled alot of it and gotten it shaped like I like it but have never gotten a nice shine. How'd you do that? Lots of color in the other two batches. Nice. llana |
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Post by krazydiamond on Nov 26, 2004 8:17:40 GMT -5
yes, indeed, that top batch looks like local NYS rock for sure!! where is your local rock shop?
nice job on all of them, great first batches! looks like you got the posting trick nailed, too!
great work!
KD
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Nov 26, 2004 8:39:34 GMT -5
Rose, waiting for that first batch to finish is really hard, unless you are blessed with lots of patience. that's the one thing it takes lots of when tumbling rocks! After you have tumbled a few batches it's not so bad, but that first batch!! I bet I opened my barrel and check it almost every day and was so disappointed that it took so long. But being patient and not rushing them along is always worth the wait. llana |
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Post by Cher on Nov 26, 2004 9:34:44 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum Twodogs, do you have a name or should we just call you Two? *smile* Great looking batches, lots of great color and shapes in the last two pics. I've thought about buying some of that mixed stuff from there, nice to see what it looks like finished.
Cher
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TwoDogs
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2004
Posts: 5
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Post by TwoDogs on Nov 26, 2004 10:19:06 GMT -5
I didn't do anything special with these - just followed the recipe in the Lortone booklet that came with the tumbler. I left them in for one week in each of the four steps. In the polish step I added about a cup and a half of plastic beads to each batch (in a 3 lb barrel).
Also being impatient, I omitted the cleaning steps that the booklet recommends between each grit, and I didn't apply a "burnish" step at the end. Has anyone found that these make a difference in the final results?
The local shop is "Many Facets Rock Shop", in Albany. I bought my tumbler and starting grits there. It's nice to have a local shop, but the prices - especially for grit - are quite high compared with online stores (not surprisingly).
Dan
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Post by Toad on Nov 26, 2004 11:13:56 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum Twodogs, do you have a name or should we just call you Two? *smile* Cher I was just gonna call him Dogs  |
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Rose
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2004
Posts: 875
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Post by Rose on Nov 26, 2004 11:22:26 GMT -5
No I'm not very patient ! BTW: when does the paranoia stop? I keep going to check the lid hasn't come off and spewed everywhere  |
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69beeper
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 377
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Post by 69beeper on Nov 26, 2004 13:15:34 GMT -5
Hi TwoDogs, Welcome to the board! Your batches sure look good, nice assortment... great job! Keep the pics coming. I have been just rinsing them off until after the 500 stage, then I tumble with borax and water for 2-3 hours. I burnished my first batch after polish and it didn't seem make any difference in the shine. Did manage to chip and fracture a few amethyst and quartz though...  Glad I took pics first. Jimmy |
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Post by connrock on Nov 26, 2004 13:50:48 GMT -5
Welcome Dan,,,, For your first batch you did outstanding!! Skipping steps and not cleaning between grit changes is a BIG NO NO!! I think you may have gotten lucky this time but sooner or later you'll py for it!! Thanks,,,,, Tom  |
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Post by rockyraccoon on Nov 26, 2004 15:49:04 GMT -5
very nice batches dan!
i don't do any big cleaning between steps 1 & 2 but after that i do. i use the same barrel for steps 1 & 2 then clean between stages and have separate barrels for all other stages. course mine seem to never get past stage 1 so i don't have to clean much lol. no really occassionally i have enough to move forward just not lately.
kim
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doit4luv
starting to shine!
Member since September 2004
Posts: 43
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Post by doit4luv on Nov 26, 2004 18:54:05 GMT -5
Nice job, Twodogs! You have some very pretty rocks here, not to mention the great shine. Keep up the good work! Regarding your question about cleaning steps between each grit, I have always done it, because everything I read about tumbling emphasizes the importance of doing it. I have also read, on this website, about some of the problems people have had as a result of being inpatient. So, you can do as you please, but going forward, I would recommend taking the time for adequate cleaning between grit phases. You can add a 1 tsp - 1 tbsp of Ivory powder to the 3 lb barrel (without any grit). I usually let my rocks tumble for another 24 hours in the soap solution, rinse them off real good, and clean out the barrel between all grit phases. The soap helps to clean the rocks and the barrel as the barrel rotates. I use a separate barrel for polishing. I am new to this hobby also, less than 6 months, but I haven't had any problems with my rocks by taking all of these steps. Best wishes to ya'.
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Post by cookie3rocks on Nov 26, 2004 22:48:05 GMT -5
Very nice, TD, and the fact that you found that first batch makes it that much more special! And the shine is incredible for a first run, I wouldn't even show my first 3 batches. In the last pic, that half green, half mottled stone is really interesting. Do you know what that is?
Great job!
cookie
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phoenix1647
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2013
Posts: 186
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Post by phoenix1647 on Nov 27, 2004 7:38:29 GMT -5
Dan and Rose...welcome to the group. Dan...a very nice looking bunch of rock you have there. Now the real fun begins....going out and actualy finding rocks and spending a day looking just for rocks..and the excitement of findding that one "special" rock...ah..I tell ya..the fun never ends in this hobby.
Rose..I check my tumblers...(yes..I have several going at the same time...) every day. Want to make sure nothing is going wrong with the barrels etc.
You both will find yourself doing some very strange things now...like talking to your tumblers..or just smiling at a pretty rock and telling it what a nice piece of jewerly it will make..but have no fear..you are in wonderful company here....
Pho
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TwoDogs
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2004
Posts: 5
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Post by TwoDogs on Nov 28, 2004 5:27:26 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for the encouraging words.
For my first batch I opened the tumbler every day, but since then I stopped worrying about explosions and don't check so often. A couple of times I let the batch run all week without checking, but in both cases I found a small amount of leakage from the top of the barrel. So, I'll probably check every 3-4 days from now on.
My tumbler is a Lortone, and one difficulty with intermittend checks is that the grit sticks to the inside of the barrel where the lid is supposed to seal. It's a little bit of a pain to remove it before re-sealing. I found that a bottle of generic saline solution (for contact lenses) is very helpful here - it can wash the grit down with a fine, fairly high pressure stream, without adding too much extra water to the mix.
Cookie - I can't tell which rock you're refering to (half green, half mottled). If you give me specific directions, I can post a close-up.
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Post by hermatite on Nov 28, 2004 7:45:04 GMT -5
I'm probably asking for trouble but I've never opened one of my loads before it was done and I've never had an explosion. I've had lots of foam on a couple of batches, but no problem with gas build up. Great work on the batches there twodogs! keep em coming!
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Rose
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2004
Posts: 875
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Post by Rose on Nov 28, 2004 8:12:35 GMT -5
guilty as charged - on the first night the cat woke me up wanting to go out and I took a peak at my tumbler at three in the morning  Hubby thinks I'm mad ! BTW: After reading this thread, I've just opened my barrel for the first time since Friday when I set it off - all seems good (although I'm not sure what I'm looking for !) I opened it because I had noticed a bit of residue around the lid of the barrel that had dripped a little. |
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Nov 28, 2004 9:41:54 GMT -5
Rose, the longer you tumble, the more patience you will have. I think that is because you will get pickier and picker about the rocks coming out of the 60/90 stage - esp. after you see some of the pic of finished batches here on the forum. You will strive for perfection in shape, smoothness and that mirror shine. I can now look at the rocks from my first batches and see a remarkable difference between then and now. My "now" stones are much prettier. If I ever run out of things to tumble, those first batches will go back in for a fine tune-up. I rarely check my rocks once I have sealed the barrel and put it on the tumbler. In fact, sometimes they go longer than a week just because I am too busy or too tired to check them. Checking and recharging is an all day job for me. I rinse each barrel of the slurry, then give every rock the touch/feel test and decide if it is ready to move on or go back in 60/90. The ones that go back in 60/90 I recharge with new grit, I never just add more grit and reseal and go. The ones ready to move on go into a Borax wash over night, are rinsed, then back in Borax for a few hours, then into the 220 barrel. The interesting thing is that after having to be patient with my rocks, it seems I am becoming more patient in all things. llana |
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Nov 28, 2004 13:36:32 GMT -5
Hi Dan , welcome to this board.
That goes for Rose two ;D
Amazing that the rocks in your first picture look very much like rocks we find here too almost halfway round the world.
You did well for your first 3 batches , and the more you do the more you want ...more rock...more rock m....... AAAAH
Enjoy
Jack
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Glad I took pics first. 
Hubby thinks I'm mad !
