hornseeker
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 268
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Post by hornseeker on Jan 8, 2015 17:45:20 GMT -5
I have heard mention of it a few times, but have searched the forum a bit and not found any info about using glass for your filler/smalls.
I happend to have quite a bit of "brown glass" around that I could break and throw in... and if I run out, there will surely be more around soon...
And maybe the results are kinda cool?? Even the little stuff, little polished, rounded pieces of glass are good!
ALSO... I have always collected bottles (from old dumps)... but have ALWAYS left all the broken stuff... tons of that blued lead stuff... and greens... and purples. If this is an acceptable practice, Iwill now spend time scooping the broken stuff up to throw in with tumbles!
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Jan 8, 2015 18:10:37 GMT -5
Years back I used glass marbles in batches.Made a bunch of little bitty ones. snuffy
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Jan 8, 2015 18:29:17 GMT -5
i experiment with glass. It does well on many tumbles. I think tumbling media that is tested and tried is safer. I like to fool around with glass. I guess rocks less than 1 inch are not appealing to me so I use glass for filler and tumble bigger rocks. it makes a lot of cement like sand in the coarse stage that will freeze up if you let your barrel sit long. I think it carries the grit well, and it seems to speed up my coarse grind. and gives padding in pre-polish and polish. I have used it from start to finish on some soft stones. But I am an experimenter, and glass was a cheap alternative for such and my big tumblers. If you are tumbling your wood and agates it may not polish though, since it is softer. if I break up stones I just use the smalls from breaking the stone. Like flint and chert. The glass is a bit soft for a long tumble, like broken sharp agates. I get glass from a recycler, many colors, by the 5 gallon bucket for $5, it is crushed to pieces about the size of peanuts. I roughed these soft stones in the middle bucket with the glass in the left bucket They were soft and shaped fast.
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hornseeker
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 268
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Post by hornseeker on Jan 9, 2015 22:10:29 GMT -5
Thanks guys. James, that glass...and that rock, look awesome!
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matt2432
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2014
Posts: 171
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Post by matt2432 on Jan 9, 2015 22:27:32 GMT -5
Good questions Hornseeker, I was wondering the same thing.
Is there something else that makes an economical filler/smalls for tumbling hard rocks like Pet wood and agates?
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blessed
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2010
Posts: 329
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Post by blessed on Jan 9, 2015 22:43:43 GMT -5
I always pick up broken glass when I am out hounding. I have two barrels running with just junk glass in them. Gas is the only problem. I think it is a good filler. James B
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Jan 10, 2015 2:04:16 GMT -5
Good questions Hornseeker, I was wondering the same thing. Is there something else that makes an economical filler/smalls for tumbling hard rocks like Pet wood and agates? Broken agate smalls or small agate pebbles is great to use with agate and wood. Quartz too. Agate better. Crack up your reject tumbles...
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