jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 7, 2014 15:10:10 GMT -5
How loud is grinding with your creation? Just wondering how much the neighbors are gonna hate me. hold on, I think your video had sound... off to check. Grinding metal is a good bit louder. The diamond cup has a high pitch ring though. I have two neighbors but they are over a half mile away, we are not subdivision material Maybe not qualified to answer.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 7, 2014 15:15:22 GMT -5
The 7 inch wheel. I think it was $49. 3 inch motor pulley, 2 inch arbor pulley, 1/4 HP 1725 RPM motor makes ~ 2500 RPM. Wheel is cutting faster than when new. The diamond bonding metal has to wear a bit to expose the diamonds.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2014 16:45:08 GMT -5
That is what sphere makers call a "near sphere". That is what gets put in the machine for rough/finish/polish.
The closer to spherical the better. We sometimes use adjustable calipers to check for high spots that need grinding off.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2014 16:45:27 GMT -5
jamesp - how long did unakite take?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 7, 2014 17:05:37 GMT -5
sorry not to take a before photo. maybe 6 minutes. Unakite, it is like grinding wood, quieter and absolutely zero chips on the flat top side. Use the edge of the wheel to remove fast by intentional chipping. It only chips above the contact point. so it does not grind as much on the edge as it does controlled chipping making removal fast.
CONTROLLED CHIPPING- what is that ?? but that is exactly what it does. I have had zero propagated fractures stay in the rock that I could see anyway. If it was going to propagate fractures it dang sure would have in the man made glass. doncha think
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spiritstone
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Post by spiritstone on Oct 7, 2014 18:35:04 GMT -5
There is a lot of pages and maybe I missed what I was looking into. So I'm going to ask you because I'm pretty new to the rock tumbler and still learning before attempting. If you were to pre-shape as in your pics of the rough spheres when making large sized ones, and were only to size them down an extra few mm of the barrel circumference. Pack them side by side to fill the barrel adding filler inbetween, like a set of bearings in a casing. Would they turn more smoothly and easier? Also would it effect it any more or less during the polish process. Thanks.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 7, 2014 23:35:01 GMT -5
There is a lot of pages and maybe I missed what I was looking into. So I'm going to ask you because I'm pretty new to the rock tumbler and still learning before attempting. If you were to pre-shape as in your pics of the rough spheres when making large sized ones, and were only to size them down an extra few mm of the barrel circumference. Pack them side by side to fill the barrel adding filler inbetween, like a set of bearings in a casing. Would they turn more smoothly and easier? Also would it effect it any more or less during the polish process. Thanks. Well they may grind better spirit because of their shape. You need a rolling avalanche in a tumbler, so 3/4 full is getting to the full side. Obsidian is ready to go to 220 grit in 7-12 and agate 10-20 days in most cases with these pre-grinds. The last load of obsidian was all large pieces from the grinder and 35% small filler and it tumbled fast. Really considered an unbalanced load because it lacked medium sized stones. i will try tumbling these pre-rounded stones w/no filler to see how they do. Maybe their near round shape will tumble well. But the time savings is in the pre-shaping. The rough shaping often takes over 2 months. The ball bearing thing has me wondering about the grind/polish effect too. Have tumbled mostly flat chips in the past and find them slower to shape and polish.
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spiritstone
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Post by spiritstone on Oct 8, 2014 9:00:48 GMT -5
There is a lot of pages and maybe I missed what I was looking into. So I'm going to ask you because I'm pretty new to the rock tumbler and still learning before attempting. If you were to pre-shape as in your pics of the rough spheres when making large sized ones, and were only to size them down an extra few mm of the barrel circumference. Pack them side by side to fill the barrel adding filler inbetween, like a set of bearings in a casing. Would they turn more smoothly and easier? Also would it effect it any more or less during the polish process. Thanks. Well they may grind better spirit because of their shape. You need a rolling avalanche in a tumbler, so 3/4 full is getting to the full side. Obsidian is ready to go to 220 grit in 7-12 and agate 10-20 days in most cases with these pre-grinds. The last load of obsidian was all large pieces from the grinder and 35% small filler and it tumbled fast. Really considered an unbalanced load because it lacked medium sized stones. i will try tumbling these pre-rounded stones w/no filler to see how they do. Maybe their near round shape will tumble well. But the time savings is in the pre-shaping. The rough shaping often takes over 2 months. The ball bearing thing has me wondering about the grind/polish effect too. Have tumbled mostly flat chips in the past and find them slower to shape and polish. Good to know you understand what I'm talking of Pretty sure your still going to need the filler added in so the balls dont crash into each other . When the barrel is turning the motion should be enough to keep the balls spinning?and if there held in place by no room to bounce around in the barrel, wouldnt this speed up the process. I need to test this out also. Thanks for the reply back James
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2014 9:19:00 GMT -5
I wonder is a near 100% fill on sphere pieces makes them roll without "crashing".... rolling works for balls covered in grit.
Just a thought.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 8, 2014 9:26:14 GMT -5
[/quote]Good to know you understand what I'm talking of Pretty sure your still going to need the filler added in so the balls dont crash into each other . When the barrel is turning the motion should be enough to keep the balls spinning?and if there held in place by no room to bounce around in the barrel, wouldnt this speed up the process. I need to test this out also. Thanks for the reply back James[/quote] May run them w/out filler and thicken the slurry to honey consistency. Have had good luck running batches of big rocks using sugar thickened heavy slurry. 9-13 ouncers all run together in a 16 pound barrel with other big rocks, wet shine these particularly demanding because of the ridges on them creating sharper impact points. Look at the wear on this sharp contact point-no bruising, no frosting, just wet shine and weighs 9 ounces: River pebbles tumble easily, so I assume round is good.
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spiritstone
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Post by spiritstone on Oct 8, 2014 9:26:38 GMT -5
I wonder is a near 100% fill on sphere pieces makes them roll without "crashing".... rolling works for balls covered in grit. Just a thought. I guess that would be a try'll and error until a person could figure out the proper amount of filler needed to keep the balls rolling inside? Thanks Shotgunner!
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spiritstone
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Post by spiritstone on Oct 8, 2014 10:29:16 GMT -5
Good to know you understand what I'm talking of Pretty sure your still going to need the filler added in so the balls dont crash into each other . When the barrel is turning the motion should be enough to keep the balls spinning?and if there held in place by no room to bounce around in the barrel, wouldnt this speed up the process. I need to test this out also. Thanks for the reply back James[/quote] May run them w/out filler and thicken the slurry to honey consistency. Have had good luck running batches of big rocks using sugar thickened heavy slurry. 9-13 ouncers all run together in a 16 pound barrel with other big rocks, wet shine these particularly demanding because of the ridges on them creating sharper impact points. Look at the wear on this sharp contact point-no bruising, no frosting, just wet shine and weighs 9 ounces: River pebbles tumble easily, so I assume round is good. [/quote] They would have to be preground spheres entering the barrel and almost the total circumference of the barrel. The slurry-grit mixture, I think you and Shotgunner are onto something.
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Post by captbob on Oct 8, 2014 10:35:02 GMT -5
From what I am gathering, you want to run two large "balls" side by side with nothing else other than filler.
They would have to be able to rotate, not just tumble or I'm thinkin' that they would wear a flat side on each other where they touch. I picture them tumbling and not rotating enough to have good results.
But... I over think things too much!
ETA: whooo hoooo 500 posts - in SEVEN YEARS - I talk too damn much!
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spiritstone
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Post by spiritstone on Oct 8, 2014 10:46:20 GMT -5
From what I am gathering, you want to run two large "balls" side by side with nothing else other than filler. They would have to be able to rotate, not just tumble or I'm thinkin' that they would wear a flat side on each other where they touch. I picture them tumbling and not rotating enough to have good results. But... I over think things too much! ETA: whooo hoooo 500 posts - in SEVEN YEARS - I talk too damn much!You got it. "I think" it would only have to depend a lot on the viscosity involved with the slurry to get it right for the spheres to roll instead of crashing as much. Bearings in a sleeve do wear out and also become smoother and shinner due to them rubbing together in a circular motion. Flat spots is added into the thought and I'm sure it is going to happen a few times until you can get the formula right. Just a thought and not telling anyone to try it, something I myself would like to look deeper into.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 8, 2014 11:39:28 GMT -5
Interesting thoughts. May never tumble a sphere bigger than 3 inches. My barrels are 6 inches and probably do not intend on grinding anything close to that big. Was thinking about 20 spheres 2-3 inches in size should be no problem in a big barrel w/thick slurry. Spheres of Costa Rica:
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 8, 2014 11:53:59 GMT -5
ETA: whooo hoooo 500 posts - in SEVEN YEARS - I talk too damn much! We'll have to just start calling you Gabby, lol...
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spiritstone
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Post by spiritstone on Oct 8, 2014 12:38:37 GMT -5
Interesting thoughts. May never tumble a sphere bigger than 3 inches. My barrels are 6 inches and probably do not intend on grinding anything close to that big. Was thinking about 20 spheres 2-3 inches in size should be no problem in a big barrel w/thick slurry. Spheres of Costa Rica: LOL, We have a problem with the wind blowin and rolling them around here. I use them for landscape rocks. I couldnt find much on this phenomenon, other then this vid and my pic. I dont think it may work as well with numerous spheres unless you can line them up consecutively side by side? Look out Indy or Dr Jones! lol
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 8, 2014 12:41:19 GMT -5
ETA: whooo hoooo 500 posts - in SEVEN YEARS - I talk too damn much! We'll have to just start calling you Gabby, lol... Jean's comes from a bloodline of sphere grinders. I hope you will post that 16 inch sphere you made on the lapper. The clear quatrz one. It was accurate to .00000000001 inches. It would stop rolling if you blew smoke on it.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 8, 2014 12:55:05 GMT -5
[/quote]LOL, We have a problem with the wind blowin and rolling them around here. I use them for landscape rocks. I couldnt find much on this phenomenon, other then this vid and my pic. I dont think it may work as well with numerous spheres unless you can line them up consecutively side by side? Look out Indy or Dr Jones! lol [/quote] Man, that guy could make some corn meal in a hurry w/that ball. watch your toes. Those Costa Rica stone balls were made by natives in SW Costa Rica long ago. They are very accurate and the geniuses could not figure out how they made them so close to round. I was there and saw kids in a school yard rolling about a 30 inch one around on the playground there. little Indy Joneses Smaller spheres will tumble. Have tumbled a bunch of 2 inch glass balls. They were not perfectly round before tumbling or after though. I did use small broken glass for filler on those. If tumbling a sphere it best be close to round to state with.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 8, 2014 12:56:37 GMT -5
What made those garden rocks so round, and what is that guy gonna do with that monster spree ?
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