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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 13, 2012 14:51:21 GMT -5
Another option for preventing rust is high quality car wax.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 13, 2012 14:03:15 GMT -5
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 13, 2012 13:47:00 GMT -5
As Don said, the old school method of "candling" a Montana agate works really well to reveal the patterns in the rock. Obviously won't work with opaque rocks, though.
I also agree with Lee! I guess that's what blocking cuts are for...
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 13, 2012 13:41:55 GMT -5
I'd be happy to find that!
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 13, 2012 13:37:18 GMT -5
Beautiful!
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 13, 2012 13:36:37 GMT -5
Dang, Roger, you find the greatest stuff!
Is the last one a limb cast?
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 11, 2012 13:39:12 GMT -5
My thought when I read the original post was this: if you have to work that hard to clean the stone, it's not done with rough grind. If there are fractures that fill with rock snot, you'll need to break the stone. If there are pits, you either need to hand grind or keep them in the rough longer.
Some rocks are so pitted or fractured that no amount of tumbling will make them look nice. Put them aside in favor of better rough.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 11, 2012 13:33:35 GMT -5
I have a tumbler with the same barrel that I use just for coarse. I would just clean it well and not worry about it. The grit doesn't get embedded in the liner, but it sometimes gets stuck between the lid and the barrel.
I also have a UV-18. You might want to consider using both Model Bs for coarse and the UV-18 for all of the other steps. It takes a lot of rock to feed a UV-18. 120/220 will go much faster in the UV-18.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 11, 2012 13:26:30 GMT -5
That's a good suggestion, Geoff. I was thinking optical quartz, but sapphire might be a better choice.
I love your creativity and workmanship Adrian! I would also want to protect the meteorite. When I saw the title of the thread I was afraid somebody was making a knife handle out of something they believed to be meteorite, but was not. Once I saw it was your thread I knew better! You've found a great way to but the slabette to use and display it's unique characteristics. I'll be watching with interest!
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 9, 2012 13:45:37 GMT -5
Your camera is fine, you just need a lot more light!
So, do your ears pop when you go down that deep?
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 9, 2012 13:44:25 GMT -5
Good for you, Randy!
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 9, 2012 13:41:34 GMT -5
It's not the size of the tumbler that matters, it's how you use it. I got hooked by the tumbling craze in the 1970s, but didn't actually get a tumbler until about 5 years ago. I started with a Rolling Stones tumbler to see if I still wanted to do it. I went from there to building my own PVC barrels, first 4" diameter then 10" diameter. I also picked up a 15 lb. rotary and an 18 lb. vibe along the way. It takes a really big rotary to keep up with the vibe. I also self-collected a whole lot of rock, so the bigger tumblers were needed to get through it all. But, once I started cabbing I started to lose interest in tumbling. I've made a couple of necklaces for my family, but was slowly building up a stockpile of cabs, until I had to quit over a year ago due to remodeling. I hope to be back in business this spring. Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 5, 2012 13:41:08 GMT -5
Well, Tom has me re-thinking. He's been an excellent teacher to me in the past, so why should that change now? I've been re-using my snot, but I think I'll try a few loads without it and judge the results. One thing is for certain, though: I get much better grinding out of my 50 lb. round PVC barrel with blades than I do out of my 15 lb. hex rubber lined barrel. The increased volume/weight of rock definitely pays off.
A small tip that most people probably already know: If you happen to cut slabs and/or preform cabs, save all of your trimmings as small filler for the tumbler. They work great!
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 5, 2012 13:23:48 GMT -5
As you can tell, opinions are split between super glue on a nail and green wax on a wooden dowel. I've used both and have fewer failures with super glue, but when it does fail it takes some effort and acetone to get it to stick again.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 4, 2012 13:47:56 GMT -5
I agree that life is what we make it; I control whether I'm happy or not.
The older I get, the less I'm interested in material things (even rocks).
Having said that, I would be quite happy to be independently wealthy and never have to work again.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 4, 2012 13:39:01 GMT -5
I'm envious of your trip! What memories you'll have!
After I incorporate the shoe correction factor into Adrian's equation, I'm get 23,141.5927 miles.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 2, 2012 14:08:33 GMT -5
Welcome Lisa!
We've got a pretty active club here in the Twin Cities if you ever make it up this way.
You've come to the right place for any questions regarding wire wrapping, tumbling, making cabs, etc.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 2, 2012 13:57:11 GMT -5
Yes, they're a good idea. You can usually find them on ebay, Kingsley North, MLS, or other shops.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Dec 21, 2011 14:34:27 GMT -5
Sheee-it Don, your reply is almost as funny as the story!
I can just imagine it.
Chuck
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Dec 21, 2011 14:28:44 GMT -5
Nice looking trailer!
I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to my fellow rockhounds on this site who have helped me with my progression from newbie tumbling, to slabbing, and cabbing.
Thank you and happy holidays to all!
Chuck
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