|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 14, 2012 14:21:55 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 14, 2012 14:11:56 GMT -5
That stuff is beautiful Daniel!
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 14, 2012 8:54:20 GMT -5
Welcome Shyla. As connrock hinted, it would be easier for us to help if we knew what you were trying to tumble. Agates are the best way to start because they're very hard and polish well.
It's also important that you keep your tumbler 2/3 to 3/4 full with rocks and/or pellets. You need to add pellets to make up for the lost volume of rock that has been ground away.
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 14, 2012 8:50:57 GMT -5
I am sorry for your loss Shan.
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 13, 2012 13:57:35 GMT -5
Agreed, Charlie. Unfortunately it's not an enduring happiness. In fact, for a lot of drugs, the best experience with it is the first one. Every time after that people are just chasing that high.
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 12, 2012 14:05:48 GMT -5
Here are my guesses: 1. Rutile quartz 5. Brazil 10. Montana
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 12, 2012 13:13:51 GMT -5
Mary Ellen doesn't have agate. It's usually swirly red and yellow jasper with hematite. It looks to me like one of the "other" Lake Superior agates that doesn't have the banding that we all associate with them.
Did the vendor have much of the material? Vein or nodule?
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 10, 2012 13:23:57 GMT -5
Great pics! Now I know what it's like! I love the roaring tiger in the pic above the Big Crystal pic. And you're going to need a crane to lift rock into your dream saw. Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 7, 2012 20:18:33 GMT -5
I feel your pain. I rarely get time to play with my rocks, either. Whenever my wife travels for work, like this week, I have to come home early to pick up the kids from school. As long as I'm home, I might as well fire up my big saw. I don't have time to cab, but at least I can cut slabs and dream about it. Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 7, 2012 20:10:59 GMT -5
I agree with the Bubble Gum Agate and Mary Ellen Jasper IDs. I think Daniel is on the right track, but Turtle Back usually has a pronounced turtle form. The Thomsonite also looks like Wavellite, but Thomsonite is more likely. Thomsonite is frequently pink and forms in nodules...
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 7, 2012 18:15:08 GMT -5
Well, my advice is to save your money for diamond wheels. Rocklady1.com has the least expensive ones and they're pretty good quality.
I started with SiC wheels and found them to be very slow and very messy. I think there are still a few people on the board who use SiC with good results, they just weren't for me.
Do you have more time or do you have more money? Dressing 1/4" out will take quite a while. Another option may be to just gradually grind the ridges down as you cab.
You want to be careful that the wheels are not out of balance, or they could come apart on you. Likewise, spin your wheels for a couple of minutes without water when you're done so that they dry properly and stay balanced.
Yes, you can use them until they're too small to work with.
My 8" HP grinder had expandable drums, so it may have just been what it came with.
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 7, 2012 13:40:07 GMT -5
Yeah, I guess you can't really call yourself Fairburned anymore! Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 7, 2012 9:35:25 GMT -5
Roger I'm going to kidnap you one of these days and make you take me hounding. I just can't take it anymore!
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 6, 2012 22:52:53 GMT -5
Cool! They look so different from North American thunder eggs...at least to me.
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 6, 2012 21:31:06 GMT -5
Robin, if you put it on a concrete floor you should have any trouble with transferring vibrations. A wood floor might be noisy.
The UV-10 will take more rock to keep it fed than a Lot-O.
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 6, 2012 21:26:25 GMT -5
Reminded me of Crowley Ridge, too, but more colorful. Nice stuff!
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 6, 2012 21:22:09 GMT -5
I'm willing to share the E&W site! I have a 2 person tent, so it doesn't take up much space.
That would make it easier to take an air mattress and a space heater.
I'm getting psyched about the trip!
Remember: don't drive with your lights on in the daytime unless you want to get pulled over.
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 6, 2012 13:42:11 GMT -5
Adrian your metal working skills are amazing. I love seeing your work!
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 6, 2012 13:35:09 GMT -5
In case you're still not sure how well you did...great work! Chuck
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 6, 2012 13:32:48 GMT -5
Cathy: why rinse in a 5 gal bucket? Because the rock snot (ground up rock) will clog your drains. It's also nearly impossible to remove when it hardens, which is why you don't want it to dry out before you wash it.
You won't have much of any grit left. It should all be broken down. If you do have grit left, it means you're not running your load long enough or you're using too much grit.
Chuck
|
|