bigworm
off to a rocking start
No matter where you go, there you are.
Member since August 2005
Posts: 23
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Post by bigworm on Sept 1, 2005 7:35:32 GMT -5
Here are some pics of some of the rocks I have been tumbling. I just started rock tumbling at the first of this year I think I have finally come up with a system that works for me. 1 month shaping 40/70 grit 2 weeks rough 60/90 2 weeks 120/220 2 weeks 500 2 weeks Al polish I run each batch for two weeks and I think grind down the grit as much as possible. I was changing every week I noticed that the 40/70 was not breaking down all the way so I went to two week cycles I have always ran 500 and polish at two weeks I figured it can't hurt. any way here are pics of: Wild horse jasper and petrified wood from Banjo and some Imperial Jasper from rock shed      Red jasper, Picture jasper and pet wood I got from a pet shop      Ok so just how do I post a pic here?  ?  Thanks for the help. |
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Dr DG
fully equipped rock polisher
Gone Fishing
Member since April 2005
Posts: 1,848
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Post by Dr DG on Sept 1, 2005 7:39:27 GMT -5
Get a ripway or a photobucket account
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bigworm
off to a rocking start
No matter where you go, there you are.
Member since August 2005
Posts: 23
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Post by bigworm on Sept 1, 2005 14:24:55 GMT -5
Thanks I liked photo bucket better than ripway.
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Post by rockyraccoon on Sept 1, 2005 15:45:38 GMT -5
bigworm welcome and i love your vivatar. love that cartoon. mandy reminds me of my sister.
you did a great job on those rocks. can't believe how good your rocks from the pet shop turned out. we don't even have a pet shop here.
kim
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,503
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Post by Sabre52 on Sept 1, 2005 16:35:32 GMT -5
Great polish on those stones! Man, I've got to go check out the local petshop now. Have a friend who's scored some nice pet wood from rockyards selling decorative stone but never occured to me petshops might have such fine material! Nice!
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Sept 1, 2005 18:41:35 GMT -5
Bigworm,
Great Shine on those rocks. That is some Sweet Looking Rock...good colors as well. Nice Job!
Steve
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Post by Alice on Sept 1, 2005 19:01:00 GMT -5
check out that shine!!!
Fantastic job Bigworm!
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Post by krazydiamond on Sept 1, 2005 19:01:53 GMT -5
 ;Dbigworm ought to call you GLOW worm, those are some AWESOME looking stones, man, and the shine on those is something to behold!!!!! i'm gonna have'ta try your recipe as it surely seems to work!!!!! welcome to the board! KD
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Post by Cher on Sept 1, 2005 20:51:06 GMT -5
Beautiful shine, awesome job!! Welcome to the forum, that's a great way to start, with such a nice shine. We'll expect nothing less from you now *smile*. Great job!!
Cher
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Post by puppie96 on Sept 1, 2005 21:47:07 GMT -5
I din't know you could get rocks at the pet shop. Does this mean they are pet rocks?
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Post by joe on Sept 1, 2005 23:28:07 GMT -5
Awesome shine Bigworm! "Pet wood from the pet shop" ? C'mon, that's a joke, right? Either way, I can't argue with your formula. It works.
Joe
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J9
having dreams about rocks
Never met a rock I didn't like
Member since October 2003
Posts: 66
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Post by J9 on Sept 1, 2005 23:37:30 GMT -5
You just started tumbling this year and you can produce that good of a shine??? Oh boy. You make those rocks proud. Excellent job. Gorgeous, gorgeous so forth and so on.
Janine
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Sept 2, 2005 1:15:34 GMT -5
Your patience really paid off....you did a fantastic job on those!
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Post by Toad on Sept 2, 2005 5:35:15 GMT -5
nice polish
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Sept 2, 2005 9:09:18 GMT -5
Nice- Pet wood from the pet shop- Sweet!
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Post by creativeminded on Sept 2, 2005 9:26:18 GMT -5
Lots of eye candy there, beautiful.
Tami
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bigworm
off to a rocking start
No matter where you go, there you are.
Member since August 2005
Posts: 23
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Post by bigworm on Sept 2, 2005 9:55:17 GMT -5
Thanks for the compliments.
These four batches are my latest after trial and error with my first few runs. Someday I will go back and rerun them from 120/220 to polish, but I have so many different kinds of pet wood, jasper, and agates I want to get a few of them first. So far I have really liked jasper it seams to really have a shine to it.
As for the pet stores I have one in the next town that sells different kinds of rocks for aquarium decorations. Mostly nontumblable stuff, but they have some pet wood and jasper (mostly red but some purple and picture sometimes). I just bought some more red and a piece that will look like blood stone. It is white quartz with spots of red jasper.
Also if any one has never used 40/70 it is rough on barrel lids. I have already replaced one and a few of my others are wearing thin. Hopefully Chicago Electric sells replacement parts. If not I will have to see if a loritone will fit.
By the way I have 2 twin 3lb CE tumblers and one single 3lb CE. I bought 3 twins but one is for spare parts, maybe. The belts are junk but a loritone belt fits and works great. The bearings are cheap and wear out but are easy to replace so when one goes I upgrade it to sealed bearings from MSC.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Sept 2, 2005 10:24:10 GMT -5
Could you post a picture of the sealed bearing unit- I switched on ce to a larger nylon bushing but I wat to switch the other one to something more durable!
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bigworm
off to a rocking start
No matter where you go, there you are.
Member since August 2005
Posts: 23
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Post by bigworm on Sept 2, 2005 13:16:56 GMT -5
I ordered new bearings for my tumbler. I didn't order anything spectacular just an improvement.
The bearing size is 6 x 19 x 6 mm
I ordered the sealed to keep grit and dust away from the bearing.
It is an easy change over pull the motor yank the old bearing off and put the new one on doesn't really take long.
Most any place that sells small electrical bearings should have these. Mine cost $4.21 each. It is like a nine dollar upgrade but when you only have thirty bucks in the whole thing it is well worth it. Plus a $1.25 lortone belt.
When you do all that to a CE I don't see any difference between it and a loratone. Not to offend any Lortone folks I'm sure it's a great tumbler just a little out of my price range. When I can buy 2 or 3 CE's for the price of one Lortone I chose the three and just do a little maintenance every now and then.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Sept 2, 2005 13:46:29 GMT -5
It's the motors that are cheap- I have a CE with the lortone motor conversion- and one with the original China motor- so far both are running good But the Lortone conversion is by far a heavier duty motor!
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