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Post by Starguy on Sept 22, 2022 21:07:25 GMT -5
jasoninsdCongrats on the 10k cabs, and posts too.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 21, 2022 21:29:00 GMT -5
It seems too easy doesn’t it?
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Post by Starguy on Sept 21, 2022 10:37:20 GMT -5
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Post by Starguy on Sept 20, 2022 16:10:44 GMT -5
vance71975That will cut small rocks just fine. A lot of people on RTH use tile saws. Check for used ones at second hand stores. Sometimes people buy them for one project then get rid of them.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 20, 2022 15:53:06 GMT -5
Nice cuts my friend!! The second one down in the group pic...I'd bet my last two dollars that's a Black SKin Agate. I've cut a bunch of those. Fun material to work! Funny, I pulled out my bag of Black Skin Agate preforms just this morning and was looking at them! That MMA is a stunner! Great pattern in that one. Looks SOLID as well!! Thanks Jason. They were all incredibly solid. I kept expecting more cracks to show up. That was one of the darkest MMAs I’ve seen.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 20, 2022 15:16:48 GMT -5
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Post by Starguy on Sept 20, 2022 15:12:14 GMT -5
They would work on soapstone. They won’t touch agate. How does Agate Compare to Granite as far as harness even tho they are both a 7 on the mohs scale? I ask because I have saw these bits used to shape and cut Granite. Diamond tools are going to be your best bet. They seem expensive but they will last. Agates are very durable. If carbide works at all, the bits won’t last.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 20, 2022 14:58:18 GMT -5
What about Double Cut Tungsten Carbide Dremel Bits? They would work on soapstone. They won’t touch agate.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 19, 2022 11:02:37 GMT -5
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Post by Starguy on Sept 19, 2022 10:52:38 GMT -5
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Post by Starguy on Sept 19, 2022 10:20:17 GMT -5
vance71975A long time ago I tumbled a bunch of garnets. I actually weighed what went in and what came out. It seems like the polished rocks ended up being around 30% of the original weight. I haven’t ever tried to record the efficiency of tumbling agate. I think agate would have a higher recovery. I typically run all grits a week although I figure coarse is pretty worn out after 4 days. In seven days, I know the grit is worn out.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 16, 2022 21:51:20 GMT -5
Photos 1 and 3 look like foam. When you fix that, your grinds will work better.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 16, 2022 20:10:17 GMT -5
I wish I had your eye for it. I’ve been slabbing like crazy the last couple days. Maybe I can practice getting the best pattern into the best shape. Are you gonna post some pics of the slabs? Remember the old "Cab that Slab" threads? Those were fun to see what people would come up with out of the same slab of material!! I’ll post some photos soon. I cut a very dark but cool Montana agate, some Bruneau, I’m working on a rock that was sold as Brazilian but it looks like something else.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 16, 2022 19:21:44 GMT -5
I like it ashley. You already took the first step.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 16, 2022 19:16:20 GMT -5
Great looking cabs jasoninsd . You always match the cab shape with the rock pattern. Fantastic polish too. Thank you my friend! For me, choosing the pattern in the preform is one of most fun parts of this hobby! I wish I had your eye for it. I’ve been slabbing like crazy the last couple days. Maybe I can practice getting the best pattern into the best shape.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 16, 2022 18:20:54 GMT -5
Great looking cabs jasoninsd. You always match the cab shape with the rock pattern. Fantastic polish too.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 16, 2022 10:55:37 GMT -5
It looks foamy electrocutus. Foam will suspend grit so it’s not between the rocks where you want it. Could there have been some soap in the barrel when you started it?
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Post by Starguy on Sept 12, 2022 17:11:39 GMT -5
electrocutusThe stuff on the right could be Tripoli too. Is it light weight? Any SiC I’ve ever seen was gray to black in color.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 12, 2022 17:02:49 GMT -5
I think it’s getting kind of popular in the US. Not so much in Idaho though.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 12, 2022 16:59:44 GMT -5
vance71975 I don’t think the RPMs will hurt on coarse grit. I would be more concerned about fine through polish. The high RPMs could cause chipping/bruising. Based on the thread title: One time I thought I was wrong but I was mistaken. Can I offset the risk of chipping/brusing with a lot of ceramic media? A good mix of sizes and having the barrel 2/3 - 3/4 full is the best way to go. I tend to look for small agates (50-100 pieces per pound) to use as filler instead of ceramics. Small agates work just as well, they cost about the same and they stand a chance of turning out attractive. Ceramics don’t turn out attractive. Plastic pellets work well as filler/cushioning in later stages. It kind of depends on what you are tumbling too. With a tumbler full of agate, I don’t add anything. With obsidian/glass, quartz, garnet, or anything crystalline I’ll usually add some plastic pellets. Is there any way to adjust rpm’s?
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