Post by herchenx on Jan 5, 2012 23:45:55 GMT -5
Hi all, I have been reading around this forum for a couple weeks and really have been appreciative of the help I see everyone offering to each other.
For as long as I can remember I've been fascinated with rocks, gems and minerals.
For the past couple of years my kids have gradually become more and more interested in rocks and several of them can recognize some local jaspers and agates, and we are all rampant "pickers"
A year ago my wife and I bought our oldest daughter a Lortone tumbler. Due to a number of factors including a move, we didn't really start using the tumbler until a week ago. We have three fledgling batches of a mix and some agate/Jasper loads.
About a year ago I also reconnected with a friend from high school who used to collect gems. It turns out he is a casual dealer and I have bought a number of beautiful faceted gems from him.
Recently I found out he had an old Lortone combination machine that had been sitting unused for 20 years or so and we started talking.
I bought the machine this week and am finally on my way to cutting cabs, something I have wanted to do for several years but never really knew where to start.
The machine will need a number of replacement parts, most of which are ordered and in transit. I am still working out the details of the polishing options I have.
We are also getting a large vibratory tumbler so we can accelerate the polishing phase of the tumbling and perhaps vibe polish my cabs if I start making them in any quantity.
Needless to say I am very excited to get going. I work in technology and already have some creative hobbies, but producing cabs and polished stones is very exciting.
As I learn I hope to be able to return the kindness I have received already and become useful enough to be genuinely beneficial.
Thanks to you all who make this such a great place.
John
misc facts about me: married, 4 kids, small business owner, coordinate a life drawing class, collect gems, am on my church board of directors, play guitar, paint, draw, shoot landscape and studio photography, bow hunt (white tail), fish, boat, varmint shoot (.223 RRA AR-15), and in my spare time play video games. I felt I needed a hobby so I am going to start cabbing
For as long as I can remember I've been fascinated with rocks, gems and minerals.
For the past couple of years my kids have gradually become more and more interested in rocks and several of them can recognize some local jaspers and agates, and we are all rampant "pickers"
A year ago my wife and I bought our oldest daughter a Lortone tumbler. Due to a number of factors including a move, we didn't really start using the tumbler until a week ago. We have three fledgling batches of a mix and some agate/Jasper loads.
About a year ago I also reconnected with a friend from high school who used to collect gems. It turns out he is a casual dealer and I have bought a number of beautiful faceted gems from him.
Recently I found out he had an old Lortone combination machine that had been sitting unused for 20 years or so and we started talking.
I bought the machine this week and am finally on my way to cutting cabs, something I have wanted to do for several years but never really knew where to start.
The machine will need a number of replacement parts, most of which are ordered and in transit. I am still working out the details of the polishing options I have.
We are also getting a large vibratory tumbler so we can accelerate the polishing phase of the tumbling and perhaps vibe polish my cabs if I start making them in any quantity.
Needless to say I am very excited to get going. I work in technology and already have some creative hobbies, but producing cabs and polished stones is very exciting.
As I learn I hope to be able to return the kindness I have received already and become useful enough to be genuinely beneficial.
Thanks to you all who make this such a great place.
John
misc facts about me: married, 4 kids, small business owner, coordinate a life drawing class, collect gems, am on my church board of directors, play guitar, paint, draw, shoot landscape and studio photography, bow hunt (white tail), fish, boat, varmint shoot (.223 RRA AR-15), and in my spare time play video games. I felt I needed a hobby so I am going to start cabbing