RedWingTumbler
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 65
|
Post by RedWingTumbler on Oct 13, 2021 13:45:09 GMT -5
These are the best from a small batch of jasper that finished yesterday. I think that most of these spent about 6 weeks in coarse. To be honest, I no longer attempt to keep batches together. My process is to separate rocks into containers as each rock is ready. Each container is marked with the stage number that the rocks are ready for & filled with water to keep any grit residue from hardening. When a container fills up, I start a barrel with that stage (I have four barrels going, so whichever one is ready to empty). I do everything by feel: a rock doesn't progress to the next stage until it feels ready. The smoothness bar keeps getting raised with each stage.
Brecciated jasper detail:
Brecciated jasper detail (this one ended up with a small chip in the polish stage):
This is probably my favorite. I love the fish scale pattern:
I can't remember what this type of jasper is called, but I like the variety of colors:
|
|
lparsons
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2020
Posts: 276
|
Post by lparsons on Oct 14, 2021 0:03:41 GMT -5
Beautiful rocks! I especially love the brecciated Jasper and I agree... the fish scale pattern is very interesting.
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Oct 14, 2021 0:13:46 GMT -5
This is the second time I've seen that "pinkish" brecciated jasper (I think)...and it looks AWESOME! Do you recall where you picked that up? Great job on the polish RW!
|
|
RedWingTumbler
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 65
|
Post by RedWingTumbler on Oct 14, 2021 8:27:29 GMT -5
This is the second time I've seen that "pinkish" brecciated jasper (I think)...and it looks AWESOME! Do you recall where you picked that up? Great job on the polish RW!
I got the South African pink brecciated jasper from Rough Stone Rocks. It came as two 5-pound stones & I broke them down to tumbling size (which had the added benefit of providing lots of tiny pieces to fill the gaps in the barrel).
|
|
|
Post by knave on Oct 14, 2021 8:30:09 GMT -5
Awesome job sir… all rotary? Great shine
|
|
|
Post by Son Of Beach on Oct 14, 2021 8:40:37 GMT -5
Really like that second one. Still gorgeous despite that little spot.
|
|
RedWingTumbler
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 65
|
Post by RedWingTumbler on Oct 14, 2021 8:41:05 GMT -5
Awesome job sir… all rotary? Great shine Thanks, knave! Yes, I have two National Geographic 3-lb tumblers & a Thumler's AR2. The NG tumblers spend most of their time with coarse grit on their highest speed. Each of those barrels holds three pounds of rocks at 3/4 full, so I would say that the barrel volume is actually four pounds. They help me get a lot of rocks ready for the next stages, although they work just fine at the slow speed for all of the other stages. These particular rocks came out of polish in one of my Thumler's barrels (ten days in cerium oxide).
|
|
|
Post by knave on Oct 14, 2021 9:04:12 GMT -5
In my loto I cushion with sugar. The polish takes 2 days instead of 1 but really shines up the softer stuff. What do you cushion with plastic beads?
|
|
RedWingTumbler
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 65
|
Post by RedWingTumbler on Oct 14, 2021 10:12:10 GMT -5
In my loto I cushion with sugar. The polish takes 2 days instead of 1 but really shines up the softer stuff. What do you cushion with plastic beads? I don’t use plastic beads at all. Ceramics have been working quite well for me with everything that I’ve tumbled so far.
|
|
|
Post by Starguy on Oct 14, 2021 11:26:02 GMT -5
RedWingTumblerThose are all nicely shaped with a great polish. Well done! Thanks for showing.
|
|
saxplayer
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2018
Posts: 1,327
|
Post by saxplayer on Oct 14, 2021 13:46:01 GMT -5
Nicely done
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Oct 14, 2021 22:55:03 GMT -5
This is the second time I've seen that "pinkish" brecciated jasper (I think)...and it looks AWESOME! Do you recall where you picked that up? Great job on the polish RW!
I got the South African pink brecciated jasper from Rough Stone Rocks. It came as two 5-pound stones & I broke them down to tumbling size (which had the added benefit of providing lots of tiny pieces to fill the gaps in the barrel). I meant to say thank you for the link. I see they're sold out...which breaks my heart a little...but it'll make my wife happy! LOL Interestingly, I just found two preforms of some Prairie Agate I hounded here in SD...it has some similarities to this material...or so it seems right now....we'll see after it's been cabbed! LOL
|
|