panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on Jan 2, 2017 12:19:19 GMT -5
Hey jamesp and others, You all know a lot, so I was wondering if you had a guess on how they polished these big pieces of petwood? The pieces are in Indonesia, so it may involve hand-polishing by "slave" labor. I have many very large pieces of nice petwood stumps and full rounds. Biggest is about 300+ lbs. I would like to polish them up as they have desert patina. Maybe a car polisher repurposed for the task would work. I have one and have bought the diamond disks, but have yet to try it. Any thoughts come to mind? BTW, if you haven't checked out the Indo Petrified Wood member/group on FB you should. They have a big-arse and dangerous looking saw for their wood that would be fantastic to have access to. Interesting method of controlling the cut. (definitely non-OSHA site) I am a bit dubious of the petrified bamboo as all too often the segment joints line up perfectly. Probably bamboo, but sanded and shaped to fit. But check out this coral piece from them: Thanks for any ideas
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jan 2, 2017 13:01:12 GMT -5
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on Jan 2, 2017 13:12:45 GMT -5
Yes, that is similar to what I have already. I just need to put in the time. My setup is a bit better than the guy's on the video. If I was using his equipment (which I wouldn't) I would have a better splash guard, rubber gloves, rubber boots, and a GFIC in the system !! But duct tape works too.
It seems like the Indo people get in the grooves better, but probably just a matter of a smaller grinding head.
Thanks for the idea and video Rob !
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Jan 2, 2017 13:15:31 GMT -5
Indonesia on Facebook is another world. And unlike China they are open about posting photos of their machinery and mines. It is like the US back in the 60's when lapidary was so popular. The Indonesians seem to go about it on a more commercial level. Great to see what they do on budget and without an overbearing OSHA and the whinny libtard attitude regarding a bit of danger in the tooling. Proper exercise of caution goes a long way. Take a bit of risk for Pete's sake. Get ur done.
I would guess they use a center fed 3600 RPM angle grinder with diamond pads to polish flat surfaces. It is the pockets and crannies that mystify me. Some how the must have a diamond pad on an angle grinder with some kind of wax or binder to hold diamond dust to a buffing pad. Add a ton of cheap labor. That will work.
Where is the bamboo Mark ?
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panamark
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,343
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Post by panamark on Jan 2, 2017 13:47:13 GMT -5
Where is the bamboo Mark ? Third picture down on the right hand side. Also more on their web site. They also have a write up somewhere on the web about some petrified horsetail fern (equisetum) type stuff they found. But it is disputed and to me could just be non-fossil tubular agate. Anyway, yes they sure have some neat stuff in Indonesia.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Jan 2, 2017 13:50:32 GMT -5
I thought that was the bamboo. Skeptical on that one, but similar to equisetum and totally possible. Let me find an article written by some English dudes that went there. The equisetum is for real. But really is just equisetum branches coated in botryoidal chalcedony like Georgia coral. Here is one of the links. Another has the equisetum. www.indonesianfossilcoral.comFound the equisetum site: indoagate.com/bamboo.html
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 2, 2017 21:12:41 GMT -5
See these Indonesian petwood around here too,the bigger rockshop get them shipped in,all have a beautiful polish on them.. Huge huge rocks...
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on Jan 3, 2017 0:44:14 GMT -5
I think they might use flex shafts with mounted points on them to get in the depressions and grooves. Kratex wheels come to mind. I've had pretty good luck with grit embedded wet terry cloth mounted on a whip stick [metal rod with a slot cut in it lengthwise to hold the cloth. Slow but effective.
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