rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Jan 17, 2009 16:10:25 GMT -5
Okay, I said I wasn't going to put up any photos until spring, but I lied. My tumbling has slowed this winter and I wasn't going to take pictures until it warmed up outside, but we're in the midst of a nice January thaw so that got me in a photographic mood. Here's some Llanite that I picked up at a rock shop in Arizona a couple years ago. Llanite is a complex rock that only occurs in one location in Texas. It is a rhyolite but has a matrix that is similar to granite, with larger feldspar and blue quartz crystals embedded (that's my rough understanding anyhow). It's kind of a soft rock, but not too soft. I think I should have been able to get a better shine on it than this, but it was in the barrel with some harder stones, so maybe I'll try running it just by itself sometime to see if I can't improve the shine. It looks okay on its own, but pretty lame when next to some properly shined stones. I'll post those better shined stones soon. Anyway, Texas llanite:      |
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ejs
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 478
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Post by ejs on Jan 17, 2009 16:37:23 GMT -5
Interesting material, Mel! It looks like you ran them through many rounds of coarse to get them to a very rounded shape (which I love). They do seem to have taken a bit of a shine, but not as much as the harder materials. They look great! If you do try them again solo, please post pics to compare. Good job!
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Post by llana2go on Jan 17, 2009 18:20:09 GMT -5
I just got home from a rock show in a little town right down the road from the area where llanite is found.
At the rock show, there were a number of folks from this area that had llanite cabs and none of them had as much shine as your tumble does. Personally, I thought they were kinda ugly - esp. when displayed next to the really fabulous, colorful cabs. Not my favorite rock, that's for sure, even if it does come from right up the road from me.
llana
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Post by frane on Jan 18, 2009 8:46:06 GMT -5
I am truly surprised that they did so well! I had always heard that it would pit terribly because of the different hardness in the stone and that it is even hard to cab but it sure looks like it did pretty good there! Thanks for sharing them with us now, instead of making us wait til spring...It picks up my cold day.
Fran
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DeanW
has rocks in the head
Member since December 2007
Posts: 721
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Post by DeanW on Jan 21, 2009 12:37:55 GMT -5
Like the others have said, good job Mel. I too didn't expect much from the material.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,509
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Post by Sabre52 on Jan 21, 2009 13:15:28 GMT -5
Ummm. Rollingstone don't you have a cool name like Don, not nerdy like Melvin *L*?.....Mel
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2009 13:37:48 GMT -5
I really like that material. I have a few chunks of rough. The blue in it really pops. Mel, there's nerdy and then there's cool nerdy. I think you're ok.  Shannon |
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Jan 21, 2009 18:28:14 GMT -5
I dunno, Don and Mel are both cool names! -Don |
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DeanW
has rocks in the head
Member since December 2007
Posts: 721
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Post by DeanW on Jan 27, 2009 15:01:12 GMT -5
I need a "DO'H" smiley; best wold be if it actually had Homer's face  . Sorry Don & Mel. Dean |
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Jan 27, 2009 16:45:20 GMT -5
No problem, kind of funny really! ;D
-Don
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Post by Sea Faring Wang Dang on Feb 8, 2009 0:25:23 GMT -5
Still looks really cool and I know lots of people would give a right leg for such cool rocks done in suck a swell manner.
Casey
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Post by chad on Jan 1, 2012 21:27:31 GMT -5
This got me excited. Just started a 6# barrel of this stuff today. What type of polish did you use to get that result?
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Post by Bikerrandy on Jan 1, 2012 21:46:13 GMT -5
Hmmmm, I should change my name to "bikermel". ;D Cool rocks!!
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NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
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Post by NDK on Jan 1, 2012 22:48:49 GMT -5
Umm, Chad - this was posted 3 yrs ago lol...
Nate
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Post by chad on Jan 2, 2012 14:48:15 GMT -5
3 yrs ago but still relevant, and I didn't contribute to duplicate thread pollution |
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Post by Toad on Jan 2, 2012 16:48:46 GMT -5
Great looking material. I would have expected severe pitting.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jan 4, 2012 9:15:26 GMT -5
Always worth revisiting Dons Tumbles!
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Post by 1dave on Jun 14, 2018 8:01:29 GMT -5
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davidsoileau
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2024
Posts: 2
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Post by davidsoileau on Nov 26, 2024 23:14:43 GMT -5
Wow. I picked up a bucket full of Llanite today. Can't wait to get home next week and start tumbling now. Hopefully mine ends up looking as awesome as these.
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,821 
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Post by Mark K on Nov 27, 2024 6:43:33 GMT -5
I went to Llano last winter and pulled a few multi-hundred pound boulders out of there. I have not played with it yet.
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... to the New Guy from The ChatBox V.2 Crew