|
|
Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 4, 2017 14:51:04 GMT -5
I have a real problem throwing out crappy rocks. I literally tumble some stuff to nothing, rather than throw it out. I'm getting better though. I made a medium flat rate box trade a few years ago that I'm finally getting around to tumbling. I should have probably thrown the whole box in the garbage, but I have trouble believing that someone would send me a whole box of trash. Anyhow, one of the rocks in the box is what I think might be bird's eye rhyolite. I've been tumbling this stuff for a couple months, but I decided today (about two months too late) to give up. The eyes are cool looking, but the stuff never shapes up well. If it is bird's eye rhyolite, are there varying qualities of it?  |
|
|
|
Post by orrum on Feb 4, 2017 15:23:46 GMT -5
Rob a lot of gemstone that I have cabbed wonderfully doesn't tumble of doesnt take a final polish. I have had some success with stones that dont final polish by trying them on a felt buffing wheel with AO or Zam. I have boxes and boxes of stuff I collected in Az with the club that cabs great but doesn't evenom r r motel tumnle. Even cabbing you need a very lite hand. I have a lot of stuff I haven't even tried yet. Ryolite and marble and such. I have been to a Birdseye claim in Quartzsite at the Stone Cabin but it's hard to find v and I got skunked. I have some from Mexico that's great! Good luck and keep onntumbling!!!
|
|
|
|
Post by orrum on Feb 4, 2017 15:39:50 GMT -5
Hey I just figured out how to put the pic on another thingy and enlarge it. I would say that's birds eye!
|
|
|
|
Post by adam on Feb 4, 2017 16:07:52 GMT -5
I love rhyolite... I have found some success tumbling it. Those stones you have are nicely colored. Violet, orange, cream, blue... fantastic.
Some of those stones have shaped very well, believe it or not.
|
|
|
|
Post by orrum on Feb 4, 2017 17:41:37 GMT -5
I have a friend who uses one of those flat lap things like All you need or something. He makes bolo tis in Quartzsite Az. He cabs Dumortrtite, chipboard ryolite snd all kinds of stuff and it shines like wa term wet. I think cabbing with diamond instead of my old SC belts is the answer. I have some incredible colored marble selection from Wenden Az and I can cab it pretty well but in a tumbler it pits and undercuts and looks worse than when I put it in! LOL. That's why I love tumbling, it's a whole lot more challenge than people give it! Rob is a genious at tile sawing and tumbling. If he is stumped then I am not going to try it. But also remember from one rock to another in the same deposit can change. Like wonderstone, one chunk knapps and cabs great and it's neighbor is like sandstone!
|
|
|
|
Post by Peruano on Feb 4, 2017 18:16:30 GMT -5
Wow, Jugglerguy, I don't remember sending you any rocks, but that sure looks like some of the mushroom rhyolite that I pick up on Mexican beaches. Some polish quite well and others tend to cling to the satin finish, but still can be pretty. I usually slab mine and do a rough cab and then throw them into the vibe. Some of the beige and tans are softer than the reds and browns; thus some of the most variegated can be undercut when you find them on the beach. I'd stay with it and see if you cant find a justification for making something out of it. Yes I do tumble the smaller pieces without cutting them into slabs but by slabbing you can remove the imperfections that creep in to rhyolites. most of the specimens in your lowest row will shine given the right love. Tom
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,492
|
Post by Sabre52 on Feb 4, 2017 18:33:44 GMT -5
Yup, birdseye or orbicular rhyolite. Much rhyolite is pretty porous but sometimes a type is pretty silica rich and solid. I know many lots have given me fits in the tumbler. Usually all I get is a satin finish....Mel
|
|
|
|
Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 4, 2017 20:05:11 GMT -5
Thanks everyone. I got this from a member who was last on this site in November. Most of the rest of the rocks were garbage. I haven't even gotten this rhyolite out of 46/70 grit. The lighter colored parts are wearing much faster than the other parts. Maybe it would work better on a grinder, but it's never going to tumble. Maybe I'll do something else with it, but it's coming out of the tumbler.
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,492
|
Post by Sabre52 on Feb 4, 2017 21:35:13 GMT -5
If you ever want a good orbicular rhyolite tumble, check out the Mexican material sold as Flor de Chihuahua. Real pretty,kind of gold and red birdseye material and very silica rich. That's the only one I've had good luck with and almost got a mirror polish in the tumbler. Leopardskin does pretty good sometimes too, but you really have to pick your piece as it really varies in quality and porosity....Mel
|
|
|
|
Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 4, 2017 21:44:14 GMT -5
If you ever want a good orbicular rhyolite tumble, check out the Mexican material sold as Flor de Chihuahua. Real pretty,kind of gold and red birdseye material and very silica rich. That's the only one I've had good luck with and almost got a mirror polish in the tumbler. Leopardskin does pretty good sometimes too, but you really have to pick your piece as it really varies in quality and porosity....Mel Thanks Mel! |
|
|
|
Post by adam on Feb 5, 2017 16:16:12 GMT -5
Some good orbicular rhyolite also can be found in the northwest Sonoran desert of southern California... can form some wicked thundereggs. Guess the stuff got deposited all over the region of southern California, parts of Arizona and Mexico, not sure if any other states have produce this stuff, or other parts of the world.
|
|
|
|
Post by vegasjames on Feb 5, 2017 16:22:20 GMT -5
Some good orbicular rhyolite also can be found in the northwest Sonoran desert of southern California... can form some wicked thundereggs. Guess the stuff got deposited all over the region of southern California, parts of Arizona and Mexico, not sure if any other states have produce this stuff, or other parts of the world. I brought some pieces including a 90 something pound one from a trip we made to Lund, Nevada. Kind of central eastern Nevada. |
|
|
|
Post by adam on Feb 5, 2017 17:34:24 GMT -5
The rhyolite comes in many forms... not sure how many, but all are cool. I love to tumble stuff like this. Decorative. Popping. Sometimes the colors get wild.
|
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Feb 5, 2017 21:20:44 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 5, 2017 22:01:07 GMT -5
Yes it does. Did you try tumbling it? |
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Feb 5, 2017 22:05:17 GMT -5
I think I tumbled the cabbing scraps. It tumbled to the same satin sheen as the cab. I did have to cut a bunch of slabs to find a half way solid piece worth cabbing. I got mine from an RTH member too but forget who now.
Chuck
|
|
jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,602
|
Post by jamesp on Feb 6, 2017 11:24:34 GMT -5
I would tumble those in a New York second. To heck with the liquid shine. They will be exceptional.
If they are slow to round off chances are they are hard enough to take a polish.
If burned out on rolling them, stick one of them in with another batch and see how it turns out.
I have some satin polished rhyolite that is has exceptional banding and color, poor polish. So what, they are some of my prettiest stones.
I should keep them under my bed but my wife may protest.
Still crack up about your son keeping his tumbles under his bed.
|
|
|
|
Post by orrum on Feb 6, 2017 13:06:10 GMT -5
X2 Jim I sell a lot of satin finished tumble cab pendants that r so great looking because of their parterns! LOL I also sell undercut pendants also! Some of them are really cool looking. It's in the eye of the beholder! I have some sandstone from the Dakotas that looks like picture jasper but soes not tumble at all!!! I slab it and use it for display platforms for things! I sell the slabs for more than the displayed piece because I really don't want to lose my display bases! LOL
|
|
|
|
Post by Peruano on Feb 6, 2017 18:21:25 GMT -5
While rhyolites come in many forms, they are chemically equal to obsidian (extrusive and cooled faster) versus granite (intrusive cooling slower and hence has crystals); but many rhyolites are extrusive like obsidian and cool to form strange patterns and colors) acidic and silica rich (hence the shine because still no crystal formation). Hardness can vary, but some are as hard as most agates. I like working with beach material because you get a preview of what its going to be when its cabbed.
|
|
QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,640
|
Post by QuailRiver on Feb 6, 2017 19:49:10 GMT -5
Seems like I remember hearing that some of the brown Birdseye Rhyolite can be turned red by heat treating similarly to the brown and tan "Clam Chowder Stone". I can't remember the temperature and time cycle for sure but it seems like it was either 400 degrees F for 8 hours or 800 degrees F for 4 hours. Dang adult on-set phantom dyslexia striking again! Maybe someone else here knows for sure.
Larry C.
|
|
