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Post by tims on Jan 21, 2017 22:15:12 GMT -5
Can't blame you for wanting to get through the first batch. It's kind of like waiting for xmas, except xmas doesn't keep getting pushed back in 7-day intervals. You can always keep the ones that suit you and throw the others back in on later runs.
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Post by tims on Jan 21, 2017 21:57:39 GMT -5
Bummer about the rocks. I spend a few weeks dissolving the matrix from some chain coral with acid once. When it finally where I wanted it, I rinsed it off and was carrying it to show my wife when I dropped it. It broke into a million pieces. There wasn't even a small part that I could salvage. Are you going to throw the garnets in your tumbler? Heartbreaking to lose nice rock. About half of mine seemed untouched, and many more with minor dings that hopefully will come out again in coarse grind. The most complete losses were the quartz pieces i'd carefully selected for being free of fractures; most are intact but all now resemble fried marbles. Not sure about tumbling the garnet. Like as media? Probably not, just for the hassle of recovering them and my dragon hoarding instincts. Tempted to tumble some of the bigger ones for a bit of polish though ... seems like the big ones, broken pieces especially, tend to be pretty dull and ugly aside from the surviving natural facet(s). I'm bent on filling a little jar and then, maaaybe would consider allotting some for media. I've got a weird sentimental attachment to them.
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Post by tims on Jan 21, 2017 13:20:04 GMT -5
Really pretty agates and jasper. Loving the nightmare specimen, lots of personality.
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Post by tims on Jan 21, 2017 0:41:11 GMT -5
Nice, orrum. I've often seen scrapped sinks and toilets for giveaway and wondered if they might be good for something. At last I have reason to drag one home ...
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Post by tims on Jan 21, 2017 0:35:08 GMT -5
After ~8 weeks on and off, forward and back with my first tumble batch I was on the verge of progressing to polish stage. Hung the batch to drip dry on my porch for a moment, and splat, they took a 6' drop onto concrete with many casualties. So as I start a new batch from scratch to make up the losses decided to pick through a bucket of garnet gravel from last Fall. It eventually improved my mood.
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Post by tims on Jan 20, 2017 0:11:54 GMT -5
Hate to be redundant but 18 is fantastic. Looks like a chick about to peck free from a transparent shell.
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Post by tims on Jan 19, 2017 21:04:45 GMT -5
I'd be concerned with sharp broken points and corners that might damage the barrel, but some people tumble glass shards with no apparent ill effect. There's also the possibility of introducing lead contained in the glaze. Have you considered pea gravel? It's cheap and holds up well as filler.
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Post by tims on Jan 19, 2017 18:29:20 GMT -5
@shotgunner #3 and #4 seem to have photos mixed together
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Post by tims on Jan 18, 2017 10:22:01 GMT -5
All gorgeous slabs, that green moss is wicked.
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Post by tims on Jan 18, 2017 10:19:14 GMT -5
Crazy indeed. The guitar cane looks like it might have decent tone. If you string it backwards no problem, it's just a left handed guitar Neat stuff, thanks for sharing.
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Post by tims on Jan 15, 2017 22:15:43 GMT -5
Wondering if Ivory soap or similar non-sudsing laundry soap would suffice instead of Borax?
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Post by tims on Jan 15, 2017 22:08:24 GMT -5
Curious to see your results as i'm planning to try the same method once i get enough through the rotary to fill up my big vibe. If your wife is perturbed by the lotto hum i could send you a recording of my viking rattling the windows to put things in perspective
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Post by tims on Jan 12, 2017 14:39:55 GMT -5
The pad i bought is a 10" 60 grit, but i don't love it and it wasn't cheap (over $100). It works OK and is magnetic backed which is nice, but it doesn't have any magical powers which i'd hoped for at that price I've been looking at these on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B00BB144WW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1756I54K6QV3N&coliid=IG43J9SIOJ3S8&psc=112 grits available, at $16 each and free shipping. Good reviews. 8" discs with 1/2" arbor hole. You could pick and choose a series of 6 discs from 60 - 3000 grit for under $100. I have no idea where you'd get 15" discs. If you've got a cast-iron lap disc with that you could always go old school and just use SiC with water. Is there a drip system with that?
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Post by tims on Jan 10, 2017 4:05:08 GMT -5
Some neat agates in there. I like #23 the pink one and #39 especially.
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Post by tims on Jan 7, 2017 3:33:57 GMT -5
Really surprised that broke down in 10 days and am interested to see the batch (am assuming there were some larger rocks mixed in?).
I've been looking at AO80 from Panadyne Abrasives, their bulk prices seem decent. Was thinking of ordering a 50 lb. bag of 46/70 SiC from Kingsley North but with shipping it's almost twice the price of 45 lb. of 80 grit so might go that way instead. Their ungraded mixes are about 50% more expensive than the graded which seems backward to me.
If I could get by with 80 SiC to 80 AO in the QT12 to get to a pre-polish and then polish in the vibe i could afford to roll some rocks.
BTW we have a foot of snow and a high of 7F here today but last week had about an hour of freezing rain, and i think i prefer the snow and cold to dealing with sheets of ice. Stay safe.
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Post by tims on Jan 6, 2017 3:45:35 GMT -5
Nice looking work and nice material. Lovely agates. Don't know if the one is a Teepee Canyon, doesn't look typical ... that said, i'm a novice at IDs and agates don't always play by the rules. Thanks for sharing.
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Post by tims on Jan 6, 2017 3:22:17 GMT -5
Holy molly. Sorry Fossilman had to borrow it for this batch.
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Post by tims on Jan 4, 2017 22:19:12 GMT -5
Just curious how large are the obelisks in your profile pic? Neat idea, and welcome.
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Post by tims on Jan 2, 2017 16:18:49 GMT -5
Gorgeous batch. Does AO seem to break down more consistently for you than SiC for going from coarse to fine? Rolling 46-70 SiC my grit seems to wear to nothing in a week but then it just seems to stop working completely, not progress to a pre-polish.
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Post by tims on Jan 2, 2017 16:06:46 GMT -5
I use it as a test, sort of like if your dog likes someone you figure they're probably ok. If someone walks through my yard and seems distressed by the piles of rocks, fine, but if they can't make it down the sidewalk because they have to stop every 2 feet and ogle something then yeah, they're probably ok
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