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Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 11, 2017 12:14:21 GMT -5
Although I've owned tumbling equipment since I was a teenager, I have not run a batch of rocks entirely through the process since that time. Well, the wait has finally come to an end! captbob should be so proud of me, I am no longer a slacker, lol. Hurray for me!!
I still have my original Sears Star Diamond tumbler (antique value), plus a Scott/Murray from mohs , and most recently, a Lortone 12 lber barrel from jamesp to fit the QT66 frame picked up inexpensively at the swap meet some time back. Being in SoCal, I have no excuse NOT to tumble, as there are pretty rocks galore here. I guess what really got me motivated was the RTH 2017 tumbling competition. Thank you, @shotgunner .
The contest rocks had been getting dizzy since last May, and I fired up the Lortone in November or December. Last week, I broke out the NOS (five years old, never been used or even looked at!) Gy-Roc 10# vibe to finish them off. Would have used AO at Jamesp's insistence, but I didn't have any, only old school polish (Tin Oxide, Chrome Oxide, and Cerium Oxide). Ended up using the last one, and I think it did a pretty good job of putting the shine on those rocks.
Photos of the contest rocks have been sent to where they were supposed to go (not here!), here are the rest of them. For your enjoyment, the entire completed batch
A few close ups
Coral from Jamesp, have more to put through polish yet.
Coral from CA desert
Always colorful rocks from desert, only wish they didn't have cracks and pits in them! I accept them as they are.
fracturey quartz crystals
Tiger eye and pet palm from Jamesp
Some of that red/orange Cali stuff. Pity it is pitty.
Fossil ball. Swamp monsters?
We call these "stained glass."
I think for the first batch after a long hiatus, they came out swell. They took a great polish, but the fractures leave something to be desired. Oh well, that is nature! If I had the energy and inclination, I could tumble them longer (after grinding them using a grinder I do not have yet), but maybe I would have to grind them to nothing to get all the divots out. I think I'll leave them as is, as a reference to compare subsequent tumbles to. Yes, there will be more tumbles! Will be hunting through buckets of rocks for the next victims candidates a little later today.
Only posted about a third of the photos, more here flic.kr/s/aHskSrezyr you care to look. LINK IS FIXED!!!
Thank you for looking! Jean
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Post by captbob on Jan 11, 2017 12:29:50 GMT -5
Welcome back to the wonderful world of rock tumbling! Some of my batches seem to take around 45 years as well. Nice tumbles, but I especially like that group you call stained glass - what a variety! ETA: link to additional photos does not work for me.
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Jan 11, 2017 12:43:22 GMT -5
Great batch. Sometimes you just have to give up on getting the rocks perfectly smooth. Or grind them away to nothing, which I tend to do!
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,169
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Post by jamesp on Jan 11, 2017 12:46:32 GMT -5
I'm with Bob, the stained glass is my favorite bunch. Single favorite favorite is the lower right corner petrified amoeba stone in #7 photo.
California coral trumps Georgia coral.
Not bad after waiting a half-life. Well not quite.
If any one can get the motivation going it would be Scott.
Great shape and polish, go Jean !!
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 11, 2017 13:05:51 GMT -5
Thank you, all!
Bob, the stained glass rock is something we find out at Ocotillo Wells. It is mostly found already rounded, and with a pretty good polish on it from the windblown sand. It is one of my favorites.
Dave, I guess you know it is time to stop when here is nothing left? LOL.
James, like most of the rocks I find out there, I have no idea what the amoeba rock is. Just call it pretty. Before I finish the rest of the GA coral, I'll get some more CA coral going. Some is real pretty, some bleh.
Now I just have to find rocks that don't have the fractures, OR - don't dump the entire tumbler barrel on the bricks again when I go to do the final clean up. (oops)
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bsky4463
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2013
Posts: 1,696
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Post by bsky4463 on Jan 11, 2017 13:23:09 GMT -5
stain glass awesome..."you know it is time to stop when here is nothing left?" AWESOME...tumble on. cheers
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Post by Garage Rocker on Jan 11, 2017 13:37:00 GMT -5
Nice Batch, Jean. Looks like you haven't missed a beat over a 45 year hiatus. That one James mentioned in photo 7 caught my eye first, but I really like the CA corals, stained glass rocks and that big red and gold one in the upper left corner of photo 3. Looking forward to more tumbles!
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 11, 2017 14:12:27 GMT -5
Well its about time "Sis"!!! LOL Holy Molly you nailed it perfect! Why not,you do great work on material......Liking that rock that looks like stained glass...WOW!
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Post by Pat on Jan 11, 2017 14:27:07 GMT -5
What a pretty batch! Some of my projects take 45 years, too! Another admirer of the stained glass group here. Glad to hear you are doing more : )
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,169
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Post by jamesp on Jan 11, 2017 14:34:21 GMT -5
Found in Orson Welles back yard ? That Ocitillo Wells rock is so sand blasted. Helps make a guess how it will look tumbled. Those wood nuggets had the grain layers sticking out where the soft spots got abraded away.
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vera
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 259
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Post by vera on Jan 11, 2017 16:03:54 GMT -5
I really like those stained glass rocks.
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Post by spiceman on Jan 11, 2017 16:25:37 GMT -5
You do a good job tumbling...a good job on everything that I have seen. Put those rocks in with the reptiles, a good selling point. Maybe Glad to see you back.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jan 11, 2017 16:52:51 GMT -5
Did everyone miss the awesome banded (Botswana?) agate in photos 3 and 8? I love that one! Nice tumbling', Jean!
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Post by wigglinrocks on Jan 11, 2017 19:14:20 GMT -5
Really , sure doesn't look to me like you took 45 years off from tumbling . Really like the variety of color and the shine is fantastic . Nice to see someone else who accepts some flaws as nature . Self picked or bought , rocks are to valuable to grind away to nothing .
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2017 19:23:17 GMT -5
Wow! I have been waiting since 3rd grade but you sure made it worth the wait!!
Stained glass? Wth? What is that? Nice!!
Thank you!!
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Post by pghram on Jan 11, 2017 19:34:13 GMT -5
The stained glass is beautiful. I hope that it won't be another 45 years for your next batch.
Peace,
Rich
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jan 11, 2017 19:57:18 GMT -5
I don't remember your last batch because I was not born yet This batch came out really great though. Glad to have you posting in this section. Chuck
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Post by Garage Rocker on Jan 11, 2017 21:16:14 GMT -5
Did everyone miss the awesome banded (Botswana?) agate in photos 3 and 8? I love that one! Nice tumbling', Jean! That's a great tumble also. I'm a sucker for Botswana agate.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jan 12, 2017 13:50:30 GMT -5
OMG, did all y'all like those that much? I mean, there are so many great tumblers on here with better goods. Me thinks you liked the part about it taking me 45 years to get another batch completed... Yeah, I am a laggert, what can I say?
Where do I start? The beginning is as good a place as any, I guess.
Thank you, Andy bsky4463 . I started digging more of the stained glass out yesterday. The five gallon bucket is buried under a table on the patio, behind more buckets and boxes of rocks, imagine that? I think there is another box (reusing Costco dog biscuits box!) of them somewhere as well.
It is somewhere..... here! Photo taken five years ago, it is much more out of control now! Randy, Randy, Randy Garage Rocker ... There is no way any of these rocks can hold a candle to the fabulous tumbles you do. And then there's your awesome photography skills to capture them for you to share them with us. (A BIG THANK YOU!!) Wish I knew what the ameoba stone you and Jamesp like is, no idea. But I am sorting through rocks now, looking for more of same. If there was one, there's bound to be another. Assuming the big red and yellow one is a jasper of some kind. Most likely from a sale, not personally found.
Hey, Mike Fossilman , thanks, bro! The stained glass seems to be a favorite.
Pat, yes, I will be doing more! Now, please keep in mind that this particular batch did not take 45 years to do, it took me that long to start doing it again. Got caught up on making cabs and wire wrapping for a while. Guess I kinda got burned out on that for the time being (damn ADD, lol). It was time to move on to something else.
jamesp, I knew you were going to bring up Orson Welles again, lol. Some really cool rocks to be found in that location.
Thank you, vera. More of them coming up!
Thank you, Dale spiceman. But I only have one reptile left (shovelnose snake), and it is not for sale. Got out of that business at least ten years ago. Glad to be back, I've missed RTH. But I will not be able to spend so much time here as in the past.
Thanks, Rob Jugglerguy , I knew you would be the one to comment on the Bot. Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what it is. Picked up some banded agate slabs from a vendor at the San Marcos show a few years back. They are pretty hard for making cabs, but tumbling it worked pretty good. Will add a few more of them to the next batch. I also have a botswana nodule, picked up in an assortment of tumbling rocks. Someone had done some grinding on it to try to remove a crack, it probably needs more attention before tumbling.
Thanks, Rich wigglinrocks . I joined this forum going on five years ago, to learn more about the tumbling hobby, how to tumble better. Just now putting it what I learned to use! Nature is not perfect, flaws are natural!!
Scott @shotgunner , third grade?? LOL! I am trying to think of when I actually got that old tumbler for a birthday present from my parents, and ran the first batches. I think it may have been 1971? 46 years? Oh my! I had nothing to shape or pre-form them with, most were just rough stones. But I also had some slabs picked up at rock shops (used to be a half dozen of them, back in the day), and broken into smaller pieces if necessary.
Some Guadalupe Poppy Jasper
This is one of the above tumbles reshaped/cabbed many years later on the flat lap.
I remember gluing the tumbled stones onto findings, and giving them as presents to my relatives. I remember giving a bracelet I made to my great aunt. She must have kept my name with it somehow, because years later, after she passed, the bracelet was returned to me. I'm sure I still have it somewhere.
Thanks, Rich pghram There will definitely be more! And won't make you wait so long.
Ha ha, Chuck Drummond Island Rocks , you young whippersnapper you! I never said I was a spring chicken, lol, and I don't try to hide it. I have enjoyed looking at all of the tumbles and wrappings you have posted over the years. My turn to give back. Thanks for the welcome to the tumbling section.
Thanks, Randy, I'll include more of the agates. Much easier to tumble than cab.
Again, thank you everyone! Jean
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Post by txrockhunter on Jan 12, 2017 14:23:42 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing the great tumbles, Jean! Glad to see you found your desert coral! It does look a lot like the coral I find in TX. I'm going to be redundant and say the "stained glass" is a favorite! The variety of color is really cool!
Based on your 5 year old picture, I would say you have a little more that 45 years of material left...... Looking forward to the next round!!
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