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Post by Peruano on May 19, 2020 14:26:11 GMT -5
My best advice is to start working with rocks, but if not, advertise it on Craigslist. Determining a price is a bit tougher, but a bit of search on the web should help. The more detailed description and photos in any advert will help someone determine interest. Star Diamond is a good brand and 10" saws are a useful size.
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Post by Peruano on May 19, 2020 7:06:08 GMT -5
Can you do with less water or a slower speed?
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Post by Peruano on May 16, 2020 15:28:06 GMT -5
Good idea, I'll check.
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Post by Peruano on May 16, 2020 9:47:51 GMT -5
The old timer name that Mohs was searching for is isinglass (i.e. mica sheets). Not to be confused as Wikipedia does with the stuff made out of fish bladders the brewing process.
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Post by Peruano on May 15, 2020 14:35:34 GMT -5
Like Tommy I missed this thread. Its in superarea with the proviso that you will deal with a little snow in the winter, but firewood is abundant, and once retired you will not have to go out unless you want to. How you will stand waiting 7 years to make the permanent move is hard to understand. Lets assume you will make many trips to visit it. I will say, we never know what our "last house" will be. If we live long enough, there's always hope for something that fits our needs better. This coming from someone who just moved to a smaller, less rural, and more energy efficient house that we both love and appreciate that it was time to trade things for other things. If you can't live in New Mexico, southern Colorado is pretty darned good. Best of luck in the preparation and transition. Tom
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Post by Peruano on May 15, 2020 11:27:49 GMT -5
Crazy me. I asked the question before I had adequately investigated. I found what I believe are two oil orifices on the perimeter of the housing (each end), but they were initially overlooked because they were not covered and somewhat trapezoidal in shape instead of round like the oil droplets that we feed through them. Oil inserted and I"m hopig we are good to go. The good news is that they are accessible without dismounting the motor. Just tip the tumbler and position the orifices on the upper surface and drip oil into them. Go figure.
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Post by Peruano on May 15, 2020 10:00:23 GMT -5
My GyRoc B has a small motor, largely exposed as opposed to many other vibes. While doing maintenance on it I noticed a label that suggested oiling the motor every 6 months (SAE 20 oil). Does anybody have recommendations as to how to oil it. 1. On the shaft where it emerges from the motor housing seems obvious but is there a point on the opposite end of that spinning shaft that would get oil? I see not obvious ports, caps or whathaveyou on the other end, unless the housing was opened up (not likely). I'm tempted to squirt a bit of oil on the shaft and allowing it to feed down along the shaft and assume that it. The motor operates in the vertical position so the oil will move down at least to the first (closest) bearing.
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Post by Peruano on May 14, 2020 15:11:55 GMT -5
I was going to guess in the serpentine family so can be comfortable with the above better based opinion.
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Post by Peruano on May 14, 2020 15:08:55 GMT -5
Clearly the whole basis of a nova wheel being mounted with a soft substrate allows for the stone to be Pressed against the surface to better contact it and remove irregularities that would be missed by a hard wheel. I used to have trouble removing scratches with nova wheels until I decided that I really had to apply pressure not just let the wheel kiss the stone. Things go faster when you are willing to apply pressure and use that soft base to better address the stone.
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Post by Peruano on May 14, 2020 15:05:06 GMT -5
Size in part depends on weight of the stone. I was just working on a piece of opalized wood that is relatively light, and that caused me to let it remain bigger than if it had a higher weight. You can tolerate or even enjoy big if you are not dealing with a dead weight around your neck.
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Post by Peruano on May 13, 2020 10:59:19 GMT -5
A very thin blade will spin truer (i.e. with less wobble) at a high speed. Note that direct drive saws are often higher rpms than belt driven. I can imagine that slowing the speed might be desirable on some stones that chip or
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Post by Peruano on May 5, 2020 7:10:30 GMT -5
There is a lot more saw blade in contact with the rock for that rock in its vertical position (once the cut has proceeded). That can mean added friction and work for the blade and lubricants. I'd dress the blade with something softer, or the standard alternatives and then consider how to determine what else could be causing it to stop. Is it binding, is the belt slipping or the feed mechanism loose. Sometimes a rock slips in the vice and stops the blade as it drifts out of the line of feed.
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Post by Peruano on May 3, 2020 6:24:21 GMT -5
My best guess is that all of those drawers and swinging storage bins are going to vibrate and rattle. And of course everything in them will bounce.
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Post by Peruano on May 1, 2020 14:50:16 GMT -5
Where the Rio Grande valley has the Manzano and Sandia Mts (the southern extreme of the Sangre de Cristos) uplifted on the east we have a major exposure of Precambrian metamorphics so there are lots of mica schists (some with garnets), phylites, and things I have no idea what they are. I could assemble an assortment of specimen sized rocks and ship them out to you if desired. The metamorphics are not that desirable from a lapidary viewpoint so I abandoned lots when I moved a year ago, but they are close at hand and an excuse to walk in the arroyos.
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Post by Peruano on Apr 30, 2020 17:10:21 GMT -5
This thread persisting so long prompts me to add that I recently repurposed two antique (probably not sterling) silver napkin rings as distinquished sphere stands. I also found an old silver plated (probably Turkish) straight sided cup that will hold the next sphere that comes into my possession. It is important to give them secure basal support lest they roll off the shelves.
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Post by Peruano on Apr 30, 2020 17:06:47 GMT -5
So if someone lived near the Rio Grande rift and had lots of metamorphics especially gneiss and schists would you want a few donations to that metamorphic section? Just asking.
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Post by Peruano on Apr 29, 2020 16:34:35 GMT -5
I would bet a dollar to a donut that if you had been working on cab machine instead of a Dremel, the question would not have come up. You would have just gone to the side that offended your eye and rectified the shape in a few seconds. Its amazing how things can be saved, or ruined and re-shaped very quickly in this game. You are doing fine and doing it the hard way.
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Post by Peruano on Apr 29, 2020 9:06:28 GMT -5
I'm not sure anyone addressed your question about the white grunge. I'm going to guess that like anything it can be tumbled off but not easily. Like the rind on a lot of agates its hard (at least the closer you get to the real agate). If you have the inclination to grind or saw it off first, you will be time ahead.
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Post by Peruano on Apr 29, 2020 7:19:21 GMT -5
I realize its a random process but tumbling botryoidal chalcedony is a great fun activity and every so often you hit the jackpot. I have some that I'm still trying to remove a bit of iron oxidation from even after they have come out of the vibe. I have to note that photographing fire agate on a paper plate is a bit like eating lobster with a plastic fork. Both have redeeming value, but are just a shock to the initial association.
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Post by Peruano on Apr 26, 2020 7:32:46 GMT -5
Using water in a bottle for weight allows you to adjust weights for different cutting situations. Having experience with hand feed and pushing a vice will serve you well in adapting your own protocol but it should be slower than you are used to. Power feeds are in the range of 1" taking 5 - 7 (sometimes 10 min). The idea is slow and steady. I'd play with soft rocks and disposable ones (coral?) until you have a feel for it. The weight has to be enough to offset the friction of the vice on the saw table and its worth pointing out that the HP saws sometimes are used with a bronze welding rod lying under the vice to reduce that friction. I'd be interested in what you find to work best.
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