victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,974
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Post by victor1941 on Dec 31, 2018 18:28:31 GMT -5
Welcome from Austin, Texas. Pictures of your rock to be tumbled, the type and size of the tumbler, and grit stages are important for members to know if you need to ask for help. You may find a method that will work on your own but if not, members will be glad to assist.
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Kai
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2018
Posts: 331
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Post by Kai on Dec 31, 2018 20:04:46 GMT -5
Thanks to everyone for your welcomes! Well, as you ask I post below a photo of my current batch, it's in the pre-polish stage. It's mostly just beach stones which I found at the banks of Soča river (and therefore don't really have much idea about what they are, they just looked nice to me so I picked them up), but also some rocks that I traded with other people. They are all pretty small because I lost more of the stone volume that I expected. In the back row there are several stones that took the first two grit stages really well, but now fell apart at the pre-polish stage. I'm really sad about the black one, because it has interesting vivid red veins. Sorry about the dull colours, I just took the pic with my cell phone and it's 2 AM here, so don't expect good photos from my side. And speaking about 2 AM - happy 2019 to everyone and lots of shiny rocks!
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Bucknutty
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2017
Posts: 171
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Post by Bucknutty on Dec 31, 2018 20:25:58 GMT -5
Welcome! Love the rock on the bottom left of the photo.
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Post by rmf on Dec 31, 2018 20:49:22 GMT -5
Kai The rocks in the left of the image appear to be quartz family. These should be a mohs hardness of 7. The rock in the lower left corner is a conglomerate. You may have more trouble polishing it depending on what the cementing material is. The ones in the center bottom look like epidote which may be too soft to get a good polish with the quartz. rocks on the right appear to be jaspers. make sure your tumbler is 75%-80% full. That means if you do coarse grit and come out with rocks as above. Then do a second batch in coarse and then combine to get back to 80%. These rocks look pretty much the same size. make sure there is a good size mix in your batch the smalls help polish the big ones.
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,168
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Post by RWA3006 on Dec 31, 2018 23:27:31 GMT -5
Welcome. I look forward to seeing more from you.
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kskid
Cave Dweller
Member since July 2014
Posts: 98
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Post by kskid on Jan 1, 2019 0:30:22 GMT -5
Welcom Kai. I also live in a glaciated region that provides great variety. I used to try to identify them, but after awhile realized that there were more kinds of rock than I have patience to learn. I've since devised a more useful identification system: boring, pretty, and really pretty. Now I can identify them all!
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Kai
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2018
Posts: 331
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Post by Kai on Jan 1, 2019 2:02:20 GMT -5
Thank you rmf , this is some useful advice. Regarding size: I tried to make my batch varied, but as I said, some of them ground down way more than I expected. A few of them totally disappeared. On that topic: what is your opinion about using ceramic media/fillers? kskid : haha, thanks, this sounds like an interesting method!
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Kai
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2018
Posts: 331
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Post by Kai on Jan 1, 2019 10:44:20 GMT -5
Above my valley: beautiful layers of boring limestone.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2019 16:04:41 GMT -5
Above my valley: beautiful layers of boring limestone. That looks like a very steep climb (or fall). Sometimes flint nodules will form in limestone. Do you find any fossils there?
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victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,974
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Post by victor1941 on Jan 1, 2019 16:05:05 GMT -5
Kai, the photo looks like the scenery around Austin, Texas since our area is also limestone with fossils and chert. I vibe tumble with harder preformed rough cabs and use ceramic media for at least 50% of the load and basically fill the vibe. My experience will not help you with what you are doing but others should be able to give good advice. Best wishes.
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Post by TheRock on Jan 1, 2019 21:51:55 GMT -5
Kai to RTH Forum from ~Duke in SW Michigan. Welcome aboard
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Kai
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2018
Posts: 331
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Post by Kai on Jan 2, 2019 2:02:13 GMT -5
That looks like a very steep climb (or fall). Sometimes flint nodules will form in limestone. Do you find any fossils there? Yes, fossils are very common, especially corals, sea lilies and shells such as megalodons. An occasional filled-in core of a snail. The largest individual fossil I found was a snail shell about 6 cm. But if you find a shelf where corals grew, that can be a couple of meters together.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,676
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 2, 2019 11:39:55 GMT -5
Howdy and welcome..
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Post by mohs on Jan 2, 2019 13:31:33 GMT -5
Kai got to ask a question It’s a long shot But it is quest of mine There is wall size marble mosaic of Beauty & the Beast my great uncle made it in the late 1800’s It supposedly resides in some Venice museum I’ve done a internet search to locate it ect... to no avail Was wondering if your ever see it ? Like I said: it’s a long shot But now that you know & if you ever visit that museum You’ll know Thanks Ed
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Kai
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2018
Posts: 331
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Post by Kai on Jan 2, 2019 15:17:35 GMT -5
Unfortunately I don't know of it. Venice is still quite some distance away from me and I was there only twice in my life. Is it surely a mosaic or maybe a painting, fresco, stained glass? Could you please tell me the name of your great uncle? I can try to do some search with italian keywords ("mosaico di marmo", "bella e la bestia"...)
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Post by mohs on Jan 2, 2019 15:56:55 GMT -5
Thanks Kai That would be real helpful I have a write up in my archives But this is the quick info My uncles name and the creator of the mosaic is Umberto Davia Now that name was probably spelt as Da’Via Before the family moved to the U. S. around 1870’s from the Belluno area -I referred to earlier My Uncle owned a major marble shop in Chicago Illinois I think it was called Davia Marble But don’t quote me on that He created the mosaic stateside And the last I heard it was donated to a Venice Museum probably around the 1920's I’ve only seen an old black & white post card of it Some 30 years ago Unfortunately that card seems to be misplaced now Anyway it was family talk -that I grew up with I like to say I have marble in my blood So that pretty much what I know But thanks so much for responding Best to all there in the New Year Ed mosaica de marmo ! bella e la bestia ! i like
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kskid
Cave Dweller
Member since July 2014
Posts: 98
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Post by kskid on Jan 3, 2019 0:04:18 GMT -5
I never use ceramic in course tumbling. If I need more volume I add more rough.
I do use ceramic if I need filler to add volume in intermediate stages (if those stages have removed too much material to keep the barrel 3/4 full).
I always use plastic pellets in polish, rinse, & burnish stages for volume and to soften the end stage tumbling.
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Kai
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2018
Posts: 331
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Post by Kai on Jan 3, 2019 0:28:23 GMT -5
kskid : thank you, this is useful information. mohs : Okay, I will do a quick browse in Italian
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Post by 1dave on Jan 3, 2019 15:57:38 GMT -5
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Kai
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2018
Posts: 331
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Post by Kai on Jan 3, 2019 16:20:15 GMT -5
Thanks, but here in the hills, in the area where limestone is prevalent, there mostly isn't any hydrothermal activity. Caves are nevertheless very common and widespread throughout the karst terrain. There is some hydrothermal activity out to the east in the flatlands, but no limestone there. Anyway, I'll have a look when I'm next in that part of country. This is one cool map, thanks! I see what I'm going to play with for the next couple of days...
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