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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 19, 2022 17:03:30 GMT -5
I just burned out the motor on my Lortone ST-10 saw. I went into the garage to check on the slab I was cutting and it was full of smoke and the saw was off. The motor wasn't thermally protected and tripped the GFCI on the outlet.
I have an old Montgomery Ward motor that I bought at a garage sale that will fit on the saw. However, the cord is not grounded. It only has two prongs. I have two questions:
1. Can this sort of motor be grounded by changing the cord? I still have the cord from the previous motor.
2. Is it safe to use this motor if it's not grounded?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 13, 2022 22:51:17 GMT -5
Those two aren't low quality and neither is the polish you put on them. Nice!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 10, 2022 17:47:49 GMT -5
Something I plan to do soon is tumble some pyrite to make "gold nuggets". Both kids are really into burying things in the sandbox, marking it with a toy, and then "discovering" it a day or two later. But it's usually things like sticks or little toy cars. I want to get a little treasure chest to bury some pyrite in for them. That's a really fun idea!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 9, 2022 21:47:15 GMT -5
I won't go with Nat Geo. I know a few people have had good luck and I have seen Jugglerguy 's videos. But, I'm of the mind to buy once. I've had my 3a for like 20 years with no issues. I wouldn't buy one either, other than to make a video about it.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 9, 2022 11:49:30 GMT -5
I agree with electrocutus. The 33B doesn't cost that much more and gives you twice the capacity. I'd consider not buying a mix but buying one type of rock instead. The Rock Shed has some good choices. Bahia agates are a popular choice. I also like Mexican lace agate, fancy jasper, Mozambique agate, and tiger eye.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 31, 2022 22:16:03 GMT -5
I have 2 suggestions based on a couple of ideas already mentioned. The first is creating a mosaic in the shape of a state our country. I saw these this summer at a sidewalk sale. They were about 12-18 inches tall. I was thinking of making a similar one in the shape of Michigan with the rocks I have found in Michigan and one in the shape of Arizona with rocks I found there. I also saw this REALLY large mosaic example at the Grand Rapids Art Prize this summer. What is cool about it is the rocks have been placed where they were found. Notice the lightning stone at the SW lower peninsula on Lake Michigan side. 2nd suggestion is to encase the rocks in resin and make drink coasters. I am thinking of trying this soon. Hope this helps. That big one is really cool.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 31, 2022 18:04:31 GMT -5
Just an update from the Craft Show this past weekend, Tumble polished stones including Pendant stones, magnets, heart shapes on small stands, polished slabs, made up almost 60% of my total sales. That was higher than in past Craft Shows. Will see how it plays out at the Craft Show in Dec. In case anyone is considering doing Shows it can be a lot of work depending how much material you bring. In my case I load about 600-700 pounds, enough to fill about 20 linear feet of table with about 60% spare under the table. The whole "load the truck", "unload at the show", "setup at the show", "breakdown at the show", "load the truck", "unload the truck" takes about 6 hours in my case. Add in the 14 hours of sales for two days makes for a long weekend. I definitely earn my money. It had to be rocks!!! Sure glad the heart surgeon patched me well!! I wonder how well feathers sell.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 30, 2022 10:55:15 GMT -5
This is a really great thread. It's so interesting to see all the creative ideas everyone has! I will definitely be trying some of them. I look forward to watching your video, Jugglerguy . It's funny, but when people find out I tumble rocks, their FIRST QUESTION is "What do you do with them?" It always irks me because I want to say "Why do I have to DO anything with them?" By the time I'm finished polishing them, I've been DOING something with them for months! But, after I had been tumbling rocks for about a year, I did look around and think to myself "WHAT am I going to do with all these rocks??" But I would never admit that to the people that asked me the same question! LOL I kind of feel the same way. I enjoy the process every bit as much as the finished results. Mostly I just keep them in boxes, which is not a satisfying answer for most people.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 28, 2022 19:13:59 GMT -5
I like to pour my pebbles onto the floor Then roll them around with my bare feet As a form of Reflexology TherapyI thought you were going to say you roll around in them for a minute!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 28, 2022 17:08:17 GMT -5
This thread pains me a bit because when people ask me how many pounds of perfectly polished rocks I've accumulated, I don't want to answer and I don't want to know the answer. So all I usually say is "it's under a ton" because I'm confident that's correct. What the #@$L am I going to do with all these? The old timer that taught me tumbling mentioned once something he hoped to make but he has never got around to it. He said he saw one once that impressed him. It was a coffee-table for which the top 2" or so was clear resin full of gorgeous polished rocks. Underneath some some kind of lighting system that caused a glow in the whole thing, because translucent rocks had been used. He said at night it was mesmerizing and cast a beautiful light in many directions in the room. He also remarked some business someday should build a long bar and the nighttime look would be spectacular. I don't know how repeatable this would be, but I'll share something I saw a few years ago that stopped me in my tracks and caused me to think about attempting it. It was in another country, perhaps China. I was checking into a hotel. In the lobby, behind the employees was a huge wall art of rocks. It was perhaps 10x10'. The surface of this board or whatever it was, was totally covered with perfectly polished rocks, perhaps having been glued on. There was no pattern or artwork involved, it was just total rocks. They were not all the same size or shape, but they were similar and I would say about half-dollar coin size and not spherical but flatter. I stood there slack-jawed and speechless. Why? Not just from what I've already mentioned, but there was something else. Someone had gone to great lengths to sort them by color. From one corner to the opposite corner, from black to clear with all grades of colors and tones in between. It may not sound like this alone would constitute something beautiful, but it was stunning and one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen made of polished rocks. There was no frame, and nothing was visible between the rocks. Although there was no design, there were a few places where there were sort of swirls for fun probably. Most of the rocks were pattern-less, and it appeared to be all opaque jaspers and such. There were no blue regions of lapis or anything bright and colorful like that. Those are a couple of really cool ideas, but probalby too complicated for what I had in mind for a video. I have always wanted to make a coffee table with a removable glass top that I could place tumbled rocks into. With a removable top, I could change the rocks from time to time. I like this idea because it's not permanent. Someone else could put in small antiques or something instead of rocks. I was going to build a table like this, but my wife didn't like the idea, so that was the end of that.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 27, 2022 18:30:58 GMT -5
How on earth did I forget you jasoninsd Jason. I'm like a drunk Friday night...fun at the time...but hell if you can remember much about it the next day! LOL Thanks! If I went there, I’d be most interested in pawing through tumbling rough. Now at least I’d have my expectations set for what to expect. It sounds like visiting Jason is more fun! Oh...I'm like the court jester of hounding...you'd laugh more AT me than WITH me! LOL Most of their actual tumbling rough is out back and downstairs - away from the outside bins and public scrutiny. A lot of their tumbling rough is pre-packaged in weighed bags and sitting on shelves downstairs. I'd be willing to bet Shawn knows exactly who you are...and would likely be willing to allow you access to the back room considering how much business you've brought his way...you know...VIP status. Shawn does know who I am. I send a ton of business his way. He gives me discounts when I buy something, which I really appreciate. Maybe next summer I can get out your way if gas prices aren’t super high or there’s a plague or something.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 27, 2022 6:07:08 GMT -5
My two favorite stores! I have been to Kingsley North, but not the Rocketed. I was sort of disappointed in Kingsley North in person. They're obviously set up mainly as an online store. I was expecting to see a showroom with lots of things on display. I did enjoy the rock room though, and came out with a pretty good haul. What is the Rock Shed like? Is it similar to Kingsley North or do they have a better showroom? JugglerguyI was disappointed too. Like you said it's basically set up as an online store. We asked about classifiers and she had to look it up in the catalog. They list a lot of the rock and mineral small books by state but didn't have any out. I too liked the rock room. The Rock Shed is basically the size of a single car garage, maybe a touch bigger. You have to ask for tumble rough and anything else, like the acrylic lap backs, and they go down in the basement to get it for you. I am glad I asked if I could place an order but pick it up. Saved a lot of shipping costs and time as they didn't have to get it all together while I stood there. They do have bigger rough pieces for slabbing outside in big bins and that area is 2 or 3 times bigger than the building. Shawn is really nice as is the girl behind the counter. If you are in the market for slabbing rough and are in the area I think it is worth the drive if only to be able to go through the pieces and choose what you want. Best part you are pretty close to Mt Rushmore and crazy horse monuments. Hope this helped Rob. Thanks! If I went there, I’d be most interested in pawing through tumbling rough. Now at least I’d have my expectations set for what to expect. It sounds like visiting Jason is more fun!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 26, 2022 9:13:50 GMT -5
My two favorite stores! I have been to Kingsley North, but not the Rocketed. I was sort of disappointed in Kingsley North in person. They're obviously set up mainly as an online store. I was expecting to see a showroom with lots of things on display. I did enjoy the rock room though, and came out with a pretty good haul.
What is the Rock Shed like? Is it similar to Kingsley North or do they have a better showroom?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 20, 2022 20:32:36 GMT -5
Jugglerguy this might not fit the spirit of your list but I used to include them as a free gift in orders I sent out. Often the gift was a free cabochon but towards the end of my active selling it was more likely to be tumbled rocks. Sort of like a bag of Tootsie Rolls from the Rock Shed?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 20, 2022 10:27:47 GMT -5
JugglerguyThats cool! You should tell them to join the forum and share their work with us! Would love to see them. Here's a picture that my sister June posted on Facebook the other day:
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 20, 2022 10:18:25 GMT -5
Awesome ideas. I've seen the tumbled stones glued together to make bowls or candle holders. I also put them in my rock "treasure bags" that I sell at rock shows (only sold them at one show so far but they are a hit especially when you say there are tumbled rocks in them too). I have never seen that. Are they glued, or are they in some sort of mortar? I have seen birdhouses made from natural rocks, just like a stone house would be made.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 20, 2022 10:16:48 GMT -5
These are all natural unpolished but could do the same with polished rocks. Yes, that's what my sisters make. They also use unpolished rocks. I've always called that "pebble art".
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 20, 2022 9:44:49 GMT -5
Welcome to RTH!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 20, 2022 8:52:12 GMT -5
Good idea for a video Rob! I'm with you in regards to not liking most results on wire-wrapped tumbled stones. One of the few style of wraps which I thought didn't look like a hot mess (that really sounds mean...) is the following one. Here's a link to a "cage" wire wrap which I thought looked the most interesting...and a style I'm going to try one of these days... I agree. That is neat and would work with lots of rock shapes. susand24224 those are very nice wraps but, as you said, those are small slabs, almost cabs, not the typical tumbled rock. Both of these seem a little complicated for the type of list I'm going for though. If I knew how to do them, they'd make good videos on their own. ashley My wife was a science teacher. Science teachers don't really like tumbled rocks. They like them natural. Geologists will break a rock just to see how it breaks and what a fresh surface looks like. Did you have something specific in mind by "rock art" Do you mean the pictures made from little pebbles? Two of my sisters make those. I'll add that to the list. dshanpnw waterboysh I thought of selling them, but decided to leave that off the list. The person buying them would still need a use for them. Pat I have given away a lot of rocks and I agree that I get at least as much pleasure from it as the recipients do. @pabblesky, the advent calendar is a little complicated for me to make on my own. The candle holder is sort of similar to #8 on my list. I like that! Bravura Cabochon Designs That's a good idea, but my wife wouldn't let me do it when we had a tile backsplash put in our kitchen, so I can't show an example. I might include it anyway. electrocutus Do you just set them on top, or are you making headstones and incorporating them? I do think I'll leave that one out either way so people don't leave my video crying. jimmie I make little crosses for that purpose, but I suppose just a rock could be nice to carry around too. vance71975 ericabelle I guess that's sort of like making a mosaic. I might add it to that one. markb I have always just carried them when I'm out rock hunting to give to people I meet on the beach. I guess I could give them away to other people too. I like your message that you give out with the rock. vegasjames Is a bee waterer like a bird bath? I'm seriously thinking about carving a bird bath into a large boulder in my backyard. I actually considered putting some tumbled rocks in there. I have heard that copper keeps the water from getting algae in it, so I was going to put in some raw copper that I picked up in the U.P. Thanks everyone for the ideas. I won't use all of them, but I do appreciate all of them.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 19, 2022 15:30:50 GMT -5
I've forgotten water and I've forgotten grit. I haven't forgotten rock yet!
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