ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jan 5, 2017 8:17:04 GMT -5
Wow, I think you win the award for best "first wire wrapped" post! My wire from Rio will be here on Friday and I'll be diving in soon also. Love that first picture!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jan 5, 2017 8:13:26 GMT -5
Very nice. If this is your first attempt, can't wait to see future tries! Great job.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jan 4, 2017 9:23:38 GMT -5
Beautiful. I love the fact that your "typical smalls" are amazing looking! I think my next order of rocks needs to include some coral. I always enjoy your attempts at distilling this process down to its bare minimum. The results don't lie.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jan 4, 2017 9:17:51 GMT -5
Not sure how I missed this post. I really like the fifth single rock picture. Clear-ish on the left and light green on the right. Very nice. Also really enjoy seeing that rhyolite. Great batch!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jan 2, 2017 16:44:56 GMT -5
I just purchased this video and watched it today (ordered on a Tuesday and it was here on Friday). As a complete beginner, I think it was full of useful information and agree with everything Tela mentioned. I think it could have used a little more editing, but that's a minor complaint. Now I just need to figure out how to use this knowledge on a flat lap since I don't have a wheeled machine.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 31, 2016 9:58:42 GMT -5
I think a few of those pieces are green tree agate. I've never been able to get that particular rock to turn out so I'll be watching the progress on these.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 31, 2016 9:53:56 GMT -5
I agree with Rob, that red/grey rock is great. Also like the red rock in the middle of your second post. Great shine and I think the pictures are also really good.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 31, 2016 9:49:20 GMT -5
Just registered and sent payment. This should be fun.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 30, 2016 19:43:18 GMT -5
You've learned the biggest lesson - keep them in rough grit until shaped exactly how you want them to look. Very nice! And bonus points for an "all rotary" tumble.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 29, 2016 18:09:11 GMT -5
Jugglerguy, yes, we will be visiting the Petoskey area. We always spend a few weekends each year driving around upper Michigan. ziggy, thank you for that information!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 29, 2016 16:46:03 GMT -5
Thank you! I hope to make a trip next year to do a little searching for some of these beautiful rocks. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 29, 2016 16:07:08 GMT -5
Do you run a dry polish on these? Corn cob or something like that?
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 28, 2016 18:12:02 GMT -5
mrboylan, you're not planning a trip to Chicago anytime soon, are you?
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 28, 2016 17:19:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the help! I checked my tumbler and sure enough the plastic on one of the rollers has slid way to one side. I need to figure out how to get the plastic back where it belongs. It is pretty darn difficult to budge. I had to take the roller off the machine. I was then able to slide the plastic portion down to the right location. It was not easy to do this! I put some gorilla tape on each end hoping that would stop the migration, but it still did it again after a few days. I decided I wouldn't mess with it anymore after that. Hopefully you can find a solution that works!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 28, 2016 11:32:04 GMT -5
I use 46/70 and just purchased 50lbs from Kingsley North. Not sure if it's any better than 60/90, but it appears fully broken down when I get around to cleaning out the barrels (every 5-7 days).
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 28, 2016 10:02:23 GMT -5
I had the crooked barrel issue also. The plastic on the rollers had slipped all the way to one side and actually went over the "bearing". This caused one side of the barrel to angle down since it was now riding directly on the metal rod. I got so fed up with the tumbler I packed it all back up and got a refund. Not sure if this is the same issue for you, but it would be something to check.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 26, 2016 19:26:50 GMT -5
Of course the one saw I keep seeing anywhere near me is this one. This thing has been spammed on CL for quite some time.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 22, 2016 10:56:28 GMT -5
"Working with your hands makes you human". I really like that!
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 22, 2016 10:34:39 GMT -5
Awesome thank you very much. I did get an order of mixed rocks from them now just to figure out what each one is. I'll looking those I would say just throw those mixed rocks in and see what happens. Some of them are "softer" than the others and might grind away to nothing quickly. But I think you shouldn't worry too much with your first batch. Get used to the whole process and then you can get picky about the rocks. I still buy a big mixed bag with each order just to keep me guessing. If you need help identifying any of the mixed ones, post a picture.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Dec 22, 2016 10:22:16 GMT -5
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