johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 10, 2016 14:30:03 GMT -5
Cool tumble. Must be a hard rock, rounds slower than imagined. It's listed at 6.5 - 7… I say bullish*t! I feel the same way about pet wood. There is no way these two fossils are that "soft".
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 9, 2016 21:28:15 GMT -5
I have been tumbling my first batch of turritella for some time now. Here are the key points... - After almost a month of Stage 1 in one of the barrels of my 33B rotary, the rough turritella had hardly changed a bit. - I bought a Lot-O and knew it would be collecting dust while I waited for them to be ready and have enough material for Stage 2 in the vibe. - So I decided to empty the 33B barrel and put them into the vibe, along with a shit-load of "new rough". - After about 2wks in the vibe, I think I almost have enough smooth surfaced turritella to send back to Stage 1 in the rotary. - The best part is that I got to experiment and learn about my new toy… the Lot-O! I hope that this jibbrish makes sense to some of you? Shown wet… the sides are smoother than they look. Hoping a few weeks back in Stage 1 with the rotary will round the edges.
Here's what I have so far, about 2lbs ready to go back to Stage 1… almost there.
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 8, 2016 20:44:40 GMT -5
Turritella (by itself), Baculites (by itself), rutilated quartz, Montana Dendrite, Coquina Agate and a few various others.
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 7, 2016 17:20:08 GMT -5
Thanks for the info, James! I will take your suggestion and use my finest grit, but I will have to create my own mud. Also, I just got done reading that some people shape them by hand using wet/dry sandpaper. I don't own a cabbing machine (YET!), so polish will be my issue. Thanks again!
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 7, 2016 16:59:01 GMT -5
Just received some pretty cool Selenite material… a few "wands" that I'm just going to give to my daughter as is, and a large slab of it. I know they are very soft (2 on the Mohs scale, I believe), but I have seen them looking as if they had been tumbled. Can they only be rounded on a grinding wheel? If I broke up the large slab and threw it into my 3lb barrel, would I end up with nothing but tiny shards and flakes? About 8" long, 6" tall and 1½" thick… a little over 4lbs.
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 6, 2016 17:38:30 GMT -5
A few weeks ago, Fossilman posted some amazing pics of his tumbled baculites and I knew I had to get a few of my own. After some thorough research and eBay hunting, I finally found a great eBay seller in Texas. They just arrived today and I can't wait to get them tumbling!!! Thanks for introducing me to these amazing fossils, Fossilman!
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 6, 2016 17:18:21 GMT -5
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 6, 2016 1:35:58 GMT -5
"spiceman" needs help.
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 6, 2016 1:27:22 GMT -5
Thank you for figuring out his gibberish, Garage Rocker. However, I have neither the time nor the crayons to help this guy.
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 5, 2016 22:40:16 GMT -5
Sounds like a good place to try because that's less than a hour away and it is bad my driver will get home faster. Thank you WHAT???
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 5, 2016 18:45:05 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum! I am also fairly new to this hobby (4 months) and have learned SO much from the kind people on this site (Chuck is one of my favorites). - Keep asking questions and take notes. - Buy separate equipment for each stage (strainers, buckets, tablespoons, etc). - Get an additional barrel specifically for the POLISH stage! - Buy large ceramic media. They are great for filler and cushioning. - If you organize your supplies on shelves, keep the polish on the top shelf, Stage 3 below, and so on. - Personally, I get (buy) most of my rocks from my local rock shop and/or eBay. I like what I like and I don't have the time to search for rocks. - Stage 1 sucks and takes a ton of patience. I've had some rocks in Stage 1 for several months now. - I have a Lortone 33B and the barrel(s) have NEVER leaked. Not sure what to say about your MP1 leaking. - Read and print out this…http://www.skeenastormstones.com/uploads/1/3/2/4/13243124/rock_tumbling_tutorial_for_beginners_rev7-18-09.pdf (this gave me enough confidence to get started and gave me the basic knowledge I needed. After awhile, you will learn tricks of your own) - Have fun and post pics!!!
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 3, 2016 20:38:20 GMT -5
This is one hard rock! After over a month in my rotary (46/70), no noticeable changes could be seen. So I gave up and decided to put them in my vibe. After only 2 days (220), they are somewhat smooth on the flat surfaces. Is this cheating? How long will it take in the rotary to round the edges?
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 2, 2016 21:33:51 GMT -5
What a bummer, but the act of kindness was worth it. Our show is in mid-April with lots of vendors, lots of displays, and lots of demonstrations. Hi Pat, All I really wanted to see were some demonstrations and other things that could educate me. Instead, I was bombarded with crappy jewelry stands and fake polished stones. But yes, that little girl's act of kindness will always be close to my heart. It made my 8 year old daughter's day.
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 2, 2016 21:12:25 GMT -5
Sorry, but glad to hear it was BAD, because I was thinking about going, living in Ohio. It would have been my first show also. And I'm too old for the kids area. So .... Have a good day. Wow… that's a strange response to my post.
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 2, 2016 18:09:39 GMT -5
On the other hand, I witnessed one of the kindest gestures I have ever seen… In the Kids Area, there were two games set up. One was a "Spin the Wheel" and the other was a "Plinko" type game. They cost .25 cents per turn and whatever they landed on, the kid won that rock, pendant, etc. My daughter REALLY wanted to land on a large pendant, but after my cash ran out, she never landed on it. I overheard the little girl behind us tell her dad that she also really wanted it and landed on it on her very first try. As we began to walk away, I tried to soothe my daughter's disappointment. Then that little girl tapped on my daughter's shoulder and handed her the pendant. It was like a scene from a movie. We thanked the girl and her father many times and gave her MANY rocks that we had won while trying to win the pendant.
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 2, 2016 17:06:41 GMT -5
My daughter and I went to our first ever Rock/Gem Show today in Canton, OH. What a disappointment! I guess I was expecting too much. I thought there would be demonstrations on cabbing, wheel grinding/polishing, tumbling, wire-wrapping, etc. There was none of that! It was just a bunch of booths set up to sell hastily made, crappy jewelry and BS "polished" rocks. They weren't even polished… they were coated with clear nail polish!!!
Thankfully, there was a "Kids Area" and my daughter had fun doing that stuff. But overall, highly disappointed.
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 1, 2016 18:20:52 GMT -5
Thanks guys, Orange Calcite it is! Once I said those words, both my wife and daughter said "That's it!"
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 1, 2016 16:17:05 GMT -5
My wife and daughter got this at our local rock shop and didn't write down what it is. I can't figure out what it is. Can someone help me out? Thanks!
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 1, 2016 14:17:07 GMT -5
I have a steel plate and an aluminum plate that I use. The steel holds up better but is much louder so I mostly use the aluminum. I work for a tool and die shop so I just replace the aluminum when needed. Long sleeve shirt, jeans, gloves and eye protection are all advised. Rock fragments will fly up to 20 feet in all directions so I always make a quick enclosure out of plywood or cardboard to contain the debris. My rock breaking setupChuck Chuck, I remember seeing that post awhile back. It's actually where I got the idea of getting a metal plate. Thanks! And yes, I learned the hard way to always wear protective clothing. Ouch!
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 1, 2016 0:24:12 GMT -5
Perfect, dollar plate! I will have to find myself one! Good weight to it as well! I can't wait to try it out tomorrow! (too late to hammer rocks with the family asleep). It must weigh close to 100lbs.
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