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Post by rockyraccoon on Jan 8, 2004 12:10:27 GMT -5
ok i've got rocks that look great and some that i'm not 100% satisfied with their shape/feel BUT my new twin 6# tumbler with extra barrels, grit packs, more tumbling rock has not arrived yet. i've gone through all the course grit that came with my toy and the refill pack. i've been on stage 1 since Dec. 26th. i'm running a cascade clean cycle and then starting stage 2. can i move any rocks i continue to be dissatisfied with back to stage 1 when my stuff gets here if i want to? i'm an hour+ late for work from playing in my rocks. thank goodness i'm the owner and no one can fire me or fuss at me ;D. is it going to be alright for my rocks to stay in cascade until i get home? cause i will leave and come back to see about them if ya'll say i need to! will check this when i get to work and see what ya'll say.
thanks for all the wonderful info i'm trying so hard to remember it all.
kim
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Jan 8, 2004 12:29:20 GMT -5
You can repeat step 1 at any time. Also, you'd be supprised at actually how much additional griding takes place in step 2. Obviously not as much as in step 1 but still a significant amount. As for the Cascade, I only let it go for 15 minutes between steps 1, 2 and 3 . I than go for an hour after polish. Make sure you use hot water to help loosen up stuck grit particals. It is not necessary to wash for hours on end. I've never went for extended periods of time using Cascade. Hopefully nothing happens while your at work. Let me know what Happens.
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Trylobyte
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 101
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Post by Trylobyte on Jan 8, 2004 12:39:02 GMT -5
I ALWAYS screen every rock between each stage, and if they're not ready to move on, they get held back...Sometimes two or three times if they don't get with the program.
They don't mind, because they're rocks, and they need the firm hand of discipline if they are ever to emerge in all their glory.
To be honest, some never get past the first stage if they're showing signs of cracking, fragmenting or spalling. Small fragments are not good for business...
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Post by rockyraccoon on Jan 8, 2004 14:20:52 GMT -5
excuse my ignorance but what is spalling? that sounds kind of serious
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Trylobyte
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 101
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Post by Trylobyte on Jan 8, 2004 14:26:07 GMT -5
Spalling is simply a conical fracture that you normally see on agate/jasper/glass/obsidian-type rocks that do not have a pronounced crystaline structure.
Think about the weird bullseye fractures you see in plate glass windows after a drive-by with bb guns...
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donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on Jan 8, 2004 18:19:03 GMT -5
Now we are talkin, the cool thing is that is the property that makes certain rocks 'knappable' in other words, suitable to make stone tools, as our ancestors did for so long before modern times. No matter where you are from or what nationality, chances are almost 100% that you have stone tool makers in your family tree. Spallable rocks, Crypto-crystaline, able to produce a hertzian cone, high in silica (glass-like). Spalling is a good thing in the knapping world ;D but not so nice at times while tumbling. The good news is most rocks that are knappable do take a great shine. Well, sorry for rattling on. This is my love, my passion, can ya tell? Maybe our connection with stone so long ago is why we all are attracted to them so much now? Who knows. I'll shut up now ;D, later, Don
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Jan 8, 2004 21:34:08 GMT -5
Beautiful speach donwrob! I think you're right about our attraction to pretty rocks. ;D
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Trylobyte
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 101
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Post by Trylobyte on Jan 8, 2004 23:06:50 GMT -5
Who would ever have guessed that the stone age continues into the 21st century.
Either that...or Don is the missing link...
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Post by rockyraccoon on Jan 9, 2004 3:24:00 GMT -5
well they survived the lengthened cascade wash and the barrel looks better but i can sure see why you wouldn't want to use the same barrel to polish.
this is quite amazing to watch. there is one big brown rock that seems to be the broomhilda of the bunch. is it going to surprise me by the end or did the rock packers throw this one in as a little joke?
i put some pellets in with the cascade wash for cushion. they came out grey. do i need to save them?
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WilliamC
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2003
Posts: 416
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Post by WilliamC on Jan 9, 2004 11:55:27 GMT -5
Greetings All, Hey Trylobyte, I'm with you on the obsessive sorting between stages. I don't let any rocks go into 600 grit unless they are perfectly smooth to the touch. Between that, running out of grit (again!) and with it being so darn dark all the time when I get home from work I haven't been making much progress lately . But tomorrow I'll finally be taking another batch out of aluminum oxide polish, depending on how they look I might try a second round of polish with cerium oxide. The good thing about rocks is that they don't complain if you take a few extra weeks to get them done, since they've already been waiting for millions and millions of years ;D WilliamC
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