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Post by Toad on Nov 11, 2004 11:38:48 GMT -5
Do all of you actually sell your stuff? Or is it just a fun hobby that helps you accumulate piles of pretty rocks?
Just curious.
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stonedagain
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2004
Posts: 114
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Post by stonedagain on Nov 11, 2004 12:37:38 GMT -5
Interesting, Toad. I'll by curious to see how people respond.
My answer is simple. I've been collecting rocks for many, many years. I have them laying here, there, and everywhere. My husband got me a tumbler for Christmas one year and I've been tumbling ever since.
I have made a few photo frames for my family, but for the most part have not done anything with them except to put them into clear glass vases scattered around. I'm trying my best to get my niece interested in it as well (I think I've convinced her parents to get her a tumbler from Santa this year).
It's just another of my far too many hobbies so far.
Rhonda
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Post by krazydiamond on Nov 11, 2004 13:05:31 GMT -5
i started tumbling for tumbling's sake when my dad bought me a 3 lb. Chicago Electric last December.....
little did i realize i would go over the edge and become a full blown rockhound red eyed barking spider maniac sitting defensively in a tin foil hat guarding several boxes of rocks....
the urge to feed my habit by selling what i could create seemed a natural progression....the same principle of how drug users become drug dealers?
in truth and in seriousness, i enjoy making jewelry and the tumbled rocks look cool and are unique with each piece. after finding this site and seeing what was possible, i got the saw and really began to enjoy that aspect of it too. i haven't sold very many necklaces, but i do give away a lot as gifts, so it saves money (to buy more rocks) even if i don't sell much...
KD
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Post by Original Admin on Nov 11, 2004 15:56:57 GMT -5
Toad
I tumble rocks because I like to see "shine".
I like things that ***shine***
I also like to see and observe a breakdown from one object to another. I reckon the transition from dull to bright is a great thing to watch.
Also - once they are done - the stones look great as ornaments. But the ***change*** itself and the action of making that change is rewarding.
Cheers Andy.
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Post by cookie3rocks on Nov 11, 2004 17:55:13 GMT -5
Both. My husband bought me a vibe for my birthday in march and I was instantly addicted. He has allways wanted me to make a profit of some kind with it, but I was having too much fun juist watching the rocks turn into beautiful, shiney objects. I started making pendents and I've got way too many to give away, might as well sell enough to feed the adiction. Now I really want to get my stuff out there and sell it. Just recently sold a few pieces but it's been frustatingly slow. Now I've decided to actualy start making cords and such and sell necklaces. They would probably sell better that way.
cookie
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shorty
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2004
Posts: 122
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Post by shorty on Nov 11, 2004 18:10:00 GMT -5
hi all i made a mail box and a ashtray with some
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Post by docone31 on Nov 11, 2004 20:03:22 GMT -5
I tumble because I facet and cut cabochons and cabochets. Tumbling eliminates the rough on the stone and makes it easier to work with. I also wire wrap, and people like wire wrapped stones. I do wire sculptures, either prong set, or wire set. My business is full time. The photos of my shop is in the photographs section under Doc's pics. I am also like Andy. I like the transition from one thing to another. I like the challenge of doing the unlikely and making it work. I love the falling water sound of the tumbler. I have gone from wire wrapping polished stones I got here or there, to polishing my own, faceting, cutting. I now repair gold jewelery, make southwestern silver designs. I import directly from oveseas, and have the factories design for me. It started with an Hippie Hempster sitting on a blanket wrapping river rock with phone wire, to using gold, and silver wire, to polishing, cabbing, faceting, casting, repairing. I was never told it was just an hobby.
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Post by connrock on Nov 11, 2004 20:03:51 GMT -5
Good topic Toad,,,,,,,,Thanks,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I've tumbled hundreds and maybe a couple thousand pounds of rocks and gave just about all of them away. I have a few "favorites" stashed away but i've even given some of them away. I'm with Andy on this.I love to take a dirty old funny looking rock and tumble it for sometimes months just in the rough cycle and then a while longer until it's fit for a queen. The only real piece of jewelry i've made was a crysoprase pendant in a 14 carat gold setting.I made it for a friend to give to his wife for a gift.He insisted to pay me for it and I told him to give me 20 bucks.He did and I still have the 20 in a can down stairs. I especially love to give my rocks to kids.Their eyes open wide when I say that he or she can have it.It makes me feel good all over. Tom
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AgateHunter
starting to spend too much on rocks
LAKE SUPERIOR AGATE Minnesota State Gemstone
Member since September 2004
Posts: 107
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Post by AgateHunter on Nov 11, 2004 20:12:05 GMT -5
I'm new at tumbling. I like to see the change. I have not done anything with the tumbled stones yet. My wife wants to make some beads if we can drill holes in some. I would like to make a few gem trees. I have a book, but have not tried making them yet. My favorite part is the hunt. I will pack a lunch. Pay my $6.00 at the local gravel pit, and spend 8 hours hunting for agates. I have done this for the past 5 weekends. I'm hooked. ;D
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Post by docone31 on Nov 11, 2004 20:58:43 GMT -5
I wrote a tutorial on drilling stones. It is deep in the archives. Drilling stones is simpler than it seems. Copper wire and grit.
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WarrenA
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2003
Posts: 1,530
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Post by WarrenA on Nov 11, 2004 22:20:10 GMT -5
I started tumbling when I found an agate and wanted to make it shiney. it also aggravated my wife and that wasn't all bad either, she currently doesn't mind my rocks and seems to like to look at them I am with connrock I love to GIVE THEM to kids and see thier eyes lite up.
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Nov 11, 2004 23:02:43 GMT -5
Hmm nice question , why do I tumble rocks?
I wanted to do something interesting , was fascinated by rocks for a long time but never had the time or energy to go do something with it until I sold my cows and took a backseat in farming.
Now I have a shed set up for a hobby and this is what I wanted. Yes I like to try any stone I find on the beaches and in the rivers, but I am learning too that many a stone is not fit for tumbling. I also like to find out what is inside that often scratched outside and WOW do I get some nice surprises.
Today had a delivery of more grit...80 and 220. Still no 600 available. Also got another 12 pound barrel . Yehaa, I can tuble tumble tumble for months on end as I have many rocks waiting and the pile keeps getting bigger hahaha.
The delivery lady told me her son is collecting rocks so I gave her a handful of my best rocks ( grossular garnets and a slab of pet wood) and yes she had a great smile on her face . Would love to see the boy's face too hahaha
Enjoy the tumblers
Jack
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Post by Toad on Nov 12, 2004 0:05:37 GMT -5
I've been fascinated with rocks since I was a wee lad. Mom always had to empty my pockets before doing the laundry.
I always wanted to work with rocks/gems but apparently don't have an artistic bone in my body. So, tumbling it is. After I start building up some nice shiny piles of rock I might try my hand at wire-wrapping.
Thanks for all the replies, very interesting.
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agatenut
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 127
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Post by agatenut on Nov 12, 2004 6:22:21 GMT -5
Been collecting rocks since I was 8 years old. About 25 years ago, while on a college geology field trip, I found my very first agate. I put it away and went on with life. I found it a few month ago stashed away and it kindled something in me. I got a cheap plastic tumbler and a bunch of other rocks just so I could tumble my agate. WOW! was I hooked once it came out all shiny and swirly and colorful! So I then got me a lortone, and a raytech and about twice a month since then I go out to the field an go a rock huntin'. I can't seem to stop!! somebody help me!!! ;D
ralph
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Post by krazydiamond on Nov 12, 2004 7:51:57 GMT -5
hey, Ralph, you are singing to the choir here..... ;D
KD
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Nov 12, 2004 7:52:57 GMT -5
Like my mom, I have always picked up rocks and carried them home. They ended up as bookends, doorstops, or just sitting on my shelves. My mom was an artist of sorts and she used to glue rocks together and make things like birds, turtles, and a Humpty Dumpty.
It's BE's fault that I started tumbling, although she will tell you it my fault she started tumbling! I gave her a bag of sapphire gravel for Christmas last year. A week or so later I was going to the crafts store and she asked me to see if they had a tumbler. I went to Lake Buchanan for a month and while I was gone, she bought a tumbler. Lake Buchanan has as much quartz as Medina has flint and everytime I took Max for a walk I came home with my pockets full. When BE told me she had bought a tumbler and I had started picking up all the quartz, I decided I needed one. So, I ordered a 3 lb. Chicago Electric tumbler. The day after I ordered it, I fould the Rock Tumbling Hobby website and this forum. I was seriously addicted BEFORE I even got the tumbler and ordered a QT66. The CE tumbler has since died, but I now have three 33B's, a Raytech TV-5 and the QT66 that are rolling or viberating 24/7.
I make walking sticks and embed small rocks in the natural grooves in the wood, and have sold two of them. And, as soon as I get a bunch of them finished have a couple of places I can put them on consignment. Almost everybody that sees one, really likes them, so I think when I finally get them out there, they will sell. I also have made a batch of magnets and sold a few.
Just ordered a bunch of beading stuff and hope to be able to make some really neat stuff to sell. Also have a bunch of other ideas for crafts projects using my rocks. Now it's just a matter of time - wish I had more hours in the day. I just hate it when work interfers with my rocks! ;D
I love the process of seeing a dirty, ugly rock turn into a thing of beauty. I gave my neice's son a bag of rocks for his second birthday and he loves them. When he opened the bag, his little eyes got big as saucers and he yelled WOkS! My neice says he plays with them all the time.
llana
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WilliamC
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2003
Posts: 416
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Post by WilliamC on Nov 14, 2004 16:43:36 GMT -5
Greetings All, When I first started tumbling and posting here I mentioned offering for sale on the intranet bulletin board where I work a bag of green aventurine that had gone through a final stage of aluminum oxide polish. If I recall it was a bit over a pound, and I offered it for $20, and someone bought it the next day. At long last I've got 6 bags of different kinds of rocks that are polished enough that I don't feel embarressed to offer them for sale. I've got green and blue aventuring, some pink feldspar, mahogony, silver-sheen, and rainbow-sheen obsidian, and a little mixed jaspers. I figure tomorrow I'll start posting on the bulletin board again at work, just keep offering what I have every week or so. I'm fortunate to work at a place with over 3,300 employees, and there's a special internal bulletin board for buying/selling amongst employees, so I've long felt it's a good niche market for me. I've priced whole sale prices for various tumble polished stones, especially at multistone international, and I'll charge probably double or more of what the internet price is at least, and more like triple if I let buyers pick individual stones instead of buying a pre-packaged bag.
I think next weekend I'll finally break down and go visit my friend in Athens, stop by Miles Supply and pick up 600-800 lbs of grits and polish. I can pay cash, so I'll have everything I need for tumbling indefinitely. It's a process, and to have so much rock and grit that I never have to worry about running out, which happens all the time buying 10 lbs here and there, will keep the process rolling without stop. Now if I can just save up enough to pay for and open a legitimate Ebay business, then every thing I spend on the rocks from then on will be tax-deductible. Eventually.
WilliamC
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Post by krazydiamond on Nov 14, 2004 16:49:46 GMT -5
i am trying to visualize the volume of that much grit.....does it come in drums or something....? do you have a barn or an out building to store it in? that certainly is "grit for a lifetime".....
you sure are lucky to have a captive audience of that many people.....good luck with all your endeavors!
KD
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Post by Cher on Nov 14, 2004 17:42:10 GMT -5
My uncle got me interested in rocks when I was very little. He was polishing them way back when and always gave me a handful.
When I had my kids, we used to go out collecting and eventually got a 1.5 Lortone and did polish a few but life got in the way with school things so it was put on the back burner again.
Both of my kids enjoy looking for agates .... I call them "Agate Magnets" they can spot them a mile away. We started going out a few times last year, then this summer got in to it big time. This got me interested enough to get the tumblers ... then I found this forum. Life is good. So good in fact, even Mother Nature is being good enough that we're going out Tuesday. It's going to be in the 50's and we found a new gravel pit to check out. Friday, we're hitting the shores of Lake Superior again, hope the weather hangs on.
I'm hoping now that I've gotten some polished stones to be able to make some necklaces, learn wire-wrapping and possibly get some on ebay to pay for my hobby.
Cher
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aquababie19
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since June 2004
Posts: 97
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Post by aquababie19 on Nov 15, 2004 9:43:18 GMT -5
i always wanted a rock tumbler when i was smaller. nothing ever came of it. i've been making jewerly for few years now. so i thought i could use the rocks in some of the jewerly.
plus it's fun seeing what comes out of the grit!
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