ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Aug 21, 2017 9:25:45 GMT -5
Thanks for all the kind words. This was quite a bit of fun and might be a new direction I'm heading. We'll see what happens...
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Aug 21, 2017 9:24:01 GMT -5
That is a legit email. I got the same thing and clicked on it with no issue.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Aug 21, 2017 9:22:54 GMT -5
14, 18 and 22 for my money. Great tumbles Chuck! Did you dry tumble the Noreena? Nice shine on that. Agreed on everything posted above. Thanks for sharing your pictures again!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Aug 16, 2017 13:59:12 GMT -5
This past weekend my wife and I attended a 2-day beginner faceting class. This was being sponsored by the Midwest Faceters Guild. We both had a great time and really enjoyed learning what goes into cutting a stone. I think I will sign up for a week long class at William Holland next year. In the meantime, I'll keep an eye out for any used machines. Here is a picture of the machine I used. This is a Graves Mark 1.
And here are some crappy pictures of the finished stone. Mine is the purple one. And here is a video which does a better job, I think... Some "technical" stuff if you're interested. I think this is a Standard Brilliant cut. I never got the P2 cuts to work correctly. The 2 times i tried to cut them, I killed my P1 cuts. So I decided to just skip them. I was thinking about attempting to put them in during polish, but time was a factor. We did our initial cuts on a 1200 fast lap. We then went to a 50k grit diamond spray for the final polish. I'm not sure if this is the way you usually work or this was done to save time. I couldn't believe how long it took to polish to facets and have a major appreciation for well cut stones! I fully understand how precision would help make the process better, but also see how diligence could be used if your machine isn't the latest and greatest. I thought this was a very mechanical skill set, but I think the artistry is being able to work with the little differences you see over and over.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Aug 16, 2017 9:42:05 GMT -5
OMG, your stones have a perfect shine, I'm jealous! Congratulation, well done! What's your secret? Patience. Lots and lots of patience. Also, starting with great material.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jul 26, 2017 9:01:42 GMT -5
Really nice. Can you share any details on the different laps/polishes you used for this?
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jul 21, 2017 15:36:49 GMT -5
I use a spray bottle, but it's the same idea. I fill the barrel with rocks and ceramics. Fill with water and then drain so everything is kinda wet. I only use Borax after the 120/220 stage. I give it a couple of sprays until everything is moving.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jul 21, 2017 13:06:45 GMT -5
Agreed 100%
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 28, 2017 10:22:11 GMT -5
Of course it can be skipped. But no more shaping will be done. If you're happy with them as-is, start with a finer grit.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 26, 2017 12:58:46 GMT -5
"Good shape" is very subjective. When they look good to you, move them to the next stage. Some people like perfectly smooth rocks with no cracks or holes. Others like them to look a little more natural. That's something you need to decide.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 25, 2017 13:09:26 GMT -5
Thank you Coloradocliff. Even though your recipe is geared toward a Lot-O, I can easily adapt it for use in my UV-10 and my available grit selections. It seems that there are many different burnishing techniques, and I note that you do not combine a detergent (shaved Ivory or Dawn) with the Borax - You find it unnecessary? I only add a squirt of liquid Dawn when I'm getting ready to switch grits (and let this run for about 15 minutes). I do that so it pre-cleans the rocks and I don't have to use as much water. The recipe shown is used by many tumblers here. I don't bother tinkering around with it anymore. I follow it each time and get the same results over and over.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 22, 2017 7:22:27 GMT -5
::Sad:: Why are you quitting? I love seeing your results! You always have nice materials. I've got so many tumbled rocks and no one who is interested in them other than me so they are just piling up. I thought I could "do" something with them, but I failed big time with wire wrapping. I might try using them in some kind of mosaic. I'm also planning on buying a faceting machine so I was selling some stuff to help with that expense.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 19, 2017 15:38:41 GMT -5
For a 6-lb barrel, I usually put in about 1/2-3/4 cup. Make sure you use traditional clay, non-clumping litter. Check it after a day or so, and you can either add more litter or more water. Agreed. I use 1/2 cup in a 6lb barrel.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 19, 2017 8:47:58 GMT -5
Fantastic batch. #23 is my favorite.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 17, 2017 12:23:12 GMT -5
A borax slurry sounds smart. You surely learned fast.. Good luck on the faceting but think you will quickly master that as well. KK Slurry for me. AO polish?? Yes. AO Polish from The Rock Shed
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 17, 2017 11:00:19 GMT -5
coloradocliff, the Kambaba stayed in the Lot-O as long as everything else. No idea how long it was in the rotary. I pull stuff out when it's ready and keep adding new each week to make up the difference. I think the Borax is used to create a bit of slurry. When I joined here, I found the members whose tumbles I really enjoyed and just copied what they're doing. It hasn't let me down yet!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 17, 2017 9:10:52 GMT -5
Here's my final batch of rocks (for now). I sold most of my tumbling machines (both QT-66s), but held onto my Lot-Os and still have my QT-12 (with a motor that died but is being replaced under warranty). captbob suggested throwing a sheet over everything and holding onto things in case I want to start up again later - which sounded like good advice. Standard "recipe" 46/70 SiC in my QT-66. Weekly clean outs. Pulled rocks when ready. 2 tablespoons 120/220 SiC for 2 days in Lot-O 1/2 teaspoon 500 AO + 1 tablespoon Borax for 2 days in Lot-O 1/2 teaspoon 1000 AO + 1 tablespoon Borax for 2 days in Lot-O 1/2 teaspoon Polish + 1 tablespoon Borax for 2 days in Lot-O 2 tablespoons Borax as a final burnish for 5 hours in Lot-O Group shot Unakite Kambaba Jasper Crazy Lace Some individual pictures Thanks for looking!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 6, 2017 9:24:55 GMT -5
Ignore my previous message! My link (which doesn't have the www) also takes me to this error page. The only way I could get back to this site was to click on something in my history.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 6, 2017 9:19:48 GMT -5
No need to add www to the beginning of the URL. Remove that and you should be good to go.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jun 5, 2017 7:06:13 GMT -5
Great batch. Love that Lavic and Turitella. And extra points for an all-rotary batch.
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