zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 29, 2019 18:26:18 GMT -5
They look delicious!
I love Gobi agates. Tumbled or natural. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 26, 2019 11:51:23 GMT -5
Do you mean Lortone's split drums - 2 aluminum halves with a 3" wide rubber band - kingsleynorth.com/lortone-e-drums-8-inch.htmlOr standard expandable drums with the slits in the sides - kingsleynorth.com/e-pandable-drum-8-3.htmlBoth kinds take slightly different size belts. The belts for standard expandos are more common. There are fewer people using the Lortone style drums. I can't afford the pricey diamond belts, so I coat old SiC belts with diamond powder mixed with epoxy. It costs about $3 to coat a belt. Lynn Lynn They are for the standard drums, not the exactspand. How much difference did recoating the belts make to flexibility and ease of installation I coat the belt in place on the drum. Each time I re-coat, it gets a little less flexible. I replace the belt after about 4 coatings. I've been re-coating for about 7 years. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 25, 2019 0:27:23 GMT -5
Do you mean Lortone's split drums - 2 aluminum halves with a 3" wide rubber band - kingsleynorth.com/lortone-e-drums-8-inch.htmlOr standard expandable drums with the slits in the sides - kingsleynorth.com/e-pandable-drum-8-3.htmlBoth kinds take slightly different size belts. The belts for standard expandos are more common. There are fewer people using the Lortone style drums. I can't afford the pricey diamond belts, so I coat old SiC belts with diamond powder mixed with epoxy. It costs about $3 to coat a belt. Lynn Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 14, 2019 15:28:15 GMT -5
rockjunquie Good to see you've got your first Lot-O load done. Yes, it takes the perfect stone to tumble. Montana Moss is the best example. Flats don't get such a great shine. If you grind a dome like normal, you'll see better results. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 14, 2019 9:13:34 GMT -5
Yowza! Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 12, 2019 11:29:56 GMT -5
I have 3 Lot-O barrels. All have the recess in the "knob" on the bottom. Good thing they decided to eliminate the grit trap. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 10, 2019 23:15:34 GMT -5
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 10, 2019 13:16:43 GMT -5
What parts? Lortone sells them. Bearings are standard sizes sold everywhere. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 10, 2019 0:30:14 GMT -5
I'm not sure how close to the town of Henderson this is found.
I've heard of the purple that comes from Buffington Pocket near Valley of Fire. I was given a couple pieces of it. Nice pastel purple, but lots of pits.
Went there and found nothing worth collecting. I heard the road in is 4WD only. We didn't go on anything that gnarly.
Also went to the Anniversary mine area between Lake Mead & Valley of Fire. We found some agate there with a purple/red mix. I cut a cab, but lost interest in it.
My club went to a 3rd location off of Bittersprings Rd close to the Anniversary Mine. Similar material to the Anniversary Mine.
This is about 2 hours from home, so I hope to explore further. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 10, 2019 0:16:56 GMT -5
Nice first cab!
Your photo is well lit. The cab takes up about 3% of the are & 97% is background. Crop it tighter. We don't care about the background. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Jun 8, 2019 17:48:58 GMT -5
Welcome from Southern Utah Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 29, 2019 11:36:38 GMT -5
@hookedonrocks - As always, you've got great material & great shapes. What's the first cab? It looks like Indian Blanket jasper. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 21, 2019 14:41:37 GMT -5
Woke up to snow in Cedar City Monday morning. No sign of it by afternoon. It's been wet year here. We need it. I'm grateful. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 21, 2019 10:28:31 GMT -5
Nice find! I love the textures created by natures own tumbler. After the soak in Iron Out, I would not tumble it. You'd be replacing a cool natural texture with a blingy surface. Just my 2 cents. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 20, 2019 16:05:55 GMT -5
I'd like to add my voice about accepting credit card sales. Do it! When I was planning to do my first show, I knew that accepting credit cards was going to add to my sales. I got my first smart phone just so I could use a Square & accept cards. My first show was 60 - 70% CC sales! That was in 2011. Now, hardly anyone carries cash, even at Arts & Craft shows.
When Square was first introduced, the CC reader was free. No fees to join up. Just 2.75% fee for each swipe. That's a pretty low cost to make a sale. Do it! Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 20, 2019 12:06:57 GMT -5
I used to buy lots of THK twist diamond bits. I could drill 2-6 holes in agate cabs before they wore out. Once I drilled 35 before it wore out. I wish that was normal. I've switched to this type of bit: They last a lot longer than the twist bits. They're real cheap, like $4 for 20. I recommend giving them a try.
Here's a link, but I'm sure this won't be valid if you're viewing this some months or years in the future. You can find them on eBay too. They all ship from China. Takes from 10 - 20 days to the US. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 20, 2019 9:31:49 GMT -5
I have a show this Sat/Sun in Moab. I will be collecting Grape agate between Hwy 24 & the Swell on Monday. Anyone up to meet up? Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 16, 2019 17:17:53 GMT -5
I used to work at UPS loading delivery trucks. Fragile? This side up? Never heard of 'em. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 16, 2019 17:15:31 GMT -5
Tommy - Glad to hear of your success. My first batch in my Lot-O had a disappointing shine. I now use a mix of Cerium Oxide & Tin or Aluminum Oxide. I got a bunch of polishes in an estate sale & am trying them out to see what's best. Man, your giveaways are pretty nice! I just give away tumbled stones that didn't get any saw or wheel work. Lynn
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 16, 2019 11:26:44 GMT -5
christopherl1234 - Long time, no hear! Welcome back from the dead. Nice Fire agate, but that lamp reflection is distracting. See if you can get a good pic by lighting it more from the sides. Lynn
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