LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
|
Post by LarryS on Apr 23, 2011 13:30:17 GMT -5
Thanks to all your ideas, I built my own super grinder. Picked up a old 5/8" Delta arbor with two 8" Expando drums from Shapedstones.com for $120. Purchased ten 7" diamond saw blades from McGill's Warehouse for $7 each. Motor is a 3/4hp, 1725rpm, totally enclosed fan cooled, capacitor start from Grizzly Industrial for $123. Adjustable motor base is from Grainger for $25. Switched motor cord is from Covington, $15. Splash shields & overhead watering system is Lortone. Now it's time to get this thing dirty. I have a couple hundred pounds of Mojave jasper & jasp-agate to get into shape for cabbing & tumbling. Wow guys, does this ever end?!?! Casually started this hobby about a year ago and the wife asked me the other day if I ever think about rocks while laying in bed. Yep, dream about them too! We head out into the SoCal deserts every other weekend and are having a blast with our new hobby. We're totally addicted! Added this machine to our Covington 10" saw, Ameritool 8" grinder, Inland SwapTop shaper/grinder, (2) QT6 and (1) QT12 Lortone tumblers. We want more! Larry
|
|
NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
|
Post by NDK on Apr 23, 2011 14:02:37 GMT -5
Sounds good Larry, but (at least for me) the pix aren't loading.
Nate
|
|
|
Post by rockmanken on Apr 23, 2011 18:40:50 GMT -5
Great super grinder. The blades leave marks that are hard to get out, BUT it cuts quick. I have 6" blades (8) that I use sometimes. Can't use it on obsidian or other stones like flint or chert because they chip real bad. Your 100 and 220 grit 3" x 8" expando is going to get a workout after using the blades. That is the only drawback that I have found. Happy grinding, Ken
|
|
LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
|
Post by LarryS on Apr 23, 2011 20:07:26 GMT -5
Thanks Ken. I tend to tumble large rocks, starting out around 2-2 1/2" in my QT12 barrel and run it 3/4's full. We like tumble polished rocks, not gravel. Our finished product averages around 1-2" in size and in all kinds of weird shapes. I mix those with smaller rocks & ceramics of course but I run them for 4-6 weeks in the first stage, recharging weekly. I then run the next 3 stages in (2) QT6 barrel machines. Our favorite rocks is jasper & jasp-agate which most have lava and other weird host material attached to them. The blade grinder will come in handy cleaning up the rocks before tumbling. I'm tired of using the Home Depot Skill wet tile saw in prepping the material. The Expando half will be used mostly for slabs & large cabs. Size does matter with me! I'll be using the belts both wet and dry, following Bobby1's tips. The wife will be using the Ameritool for smaller cabs and start up her wire wrapping interests.
Larry
|
|
|
Post by roy on Apr 23, 2011 21:19:41 GMT -5
nice outfit
|
|
|
Post by Roller on Apr 23, 2011 22:33:26 GMT -5
looks great !
|
|
NDK
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 9,440
|
Post by NDK on Apr 23, 2011 23:25:11 GMT -5
I can see them now Larry, and it's mighty fine looking!
Nate
|
|
|
Post by mohs on Apr 24, 2011 0:45:26 GMT -5
A man gotta grind! nothing wrong w/ doing it super!
|
|
|
Post by mohs on Apr 24, 2011 0:45:55 GMT -5
mostly ;D
|
|
|
Post by Woodyrock on Apr 24, 2011 0:50:11 GMT -5
Larry: Nicely built, you are going to love how fast this preforms rock. One wee addition you can make is wee curtain of rubber like inner tube rubber that just rides on the blade stack at the top front of the hood. The stacke of blades can, and will throw a LOT of water.
BTW, I preform both glass, and obsidian knapping material on mine. It just takes a light touch, and if you keep the preform be it for knapping, or lapidary movving laterally you will smooth out the deep ridging.
Woody
|
|
|
Post by paulshiroma on May 7, 2011 1:06:42 GMT -5
That's really slick, Larry. Have you had a chance to post any of your finished rocks? Would love to see them!
Thanks, Paul
|
|
|
Post by christopherl1234 on May 7, 2011 1:37:01 GMT -5
Sweet set up. Only one problem......it's too clean!!!
|
|
unclestu
Cave Dweller
WINNER OF THE FIRST RTH KILLER CAB CONTEST UNCLESTU'S AGUA NUEVA AGATE
Member since April 2011
Posts: 2,298
|
Post by unclestu on May 7, 2011 7:13:59 GMT -5
I really admire and respect a person that is able to design, acquire the correct parts and be able to assemble them. I wouldn't know were to begin. I think I will give it a try one day and when that day comes I am going to be doing a lot of serious brain picking you guys LOL:) Great job use it well Stu
|
|
LarryS
freely admits to licking rocks
SoCal desert rats
Member since August 2010
Posts: 781
|
Post by LarryS on May 7, 2011 23:29:49 GMT -5
Learned something today. Make sure you use the splash shield when you spray cerium oxide solution on the wool/felt belt. Won't make that mistake twice! Machine & front half of my body are well broken in! Mostly using the expando drum to grind preforms for the wife. I've been experimenting using the belts both wet & dry. I prefer using them dry, using a dust mask of course. Tried Bobby1's method of using a well worn 100 grit belt dry it worked great. Almost didn't need any polish. These are reject end piece slabs that I was going to break up and trumble but ended up dry sanding them. They are loaded with pits and hair line cracks. I slabbed them using a 303 blade on my 10" Covington saw which left no saw marks to begin with. Only took a couple minutes to get a polish. Sure was fun. Stu, I have almost 40 years mechanical experience and have done lots of weird fabrications. Most fun part is all the researching. I'd be lost if it wasn't for all the info on this forum. Larry
|
|
|
Post by paulshiroma on May 8, 2011 0:57:31 GMT -5
Hey, Larry, those came out great looking! And you're dead right about this forum. I agree that it's been a huge help. Thanks for posting the samples.
|
|
quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,339
|
Post by quartz on May 8, 2011 9:52:41 GMT -5
My wife and I both really like the broken up, healed up stuff, and yours makes ours look pretty second rate, best we've seen, colors are great. You've made a really nice machine, and thanks for the rock show.
|
|
drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
|
Post by drjo on May 8, 2011 9:58:09 GMT -5
"Learned something today. Make sure you use the splash shield when you spray cerium oxide solution on the wool/felt belt. Won't make that mistake twice! Machine & front half of my body are well broken in!"
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D with you
|
|
|
Post by johnjsgems on May 11, 2011 20:10:26 GMT -5
My original unit had room on the end for a hard felt wheel but no shield. I had a nice cerium stripe behind and across the ceiling. Down my apron too, of course.
|
|
quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,339
|
Post by quartz on May 11, 2011 22:30:43 GMT -5
Cerium is a pleasant color, hope it went with room.
|
|
|
Post by johnjsgems on May 11, 2011 22:51:07 GMT -5
I guess a lot can be said for the method of mixing a spoonful or two of polish in a spray bottle of water. All those cerium stripes on the surrounding area did nothing to polish. My garage could have aptly been described as "the grime lab".
|
|