Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Jun 20, 2004 18:12:27 GMT -5
Hi! I'd like to hear how you track your rock tumbling cycles. As for me, I used MS Word to create a 8.5x11 (portrait) "log file" for my tumbling. It is just a big table with these columns: - Type of Rock
- Phase/Cycle
- Date
- Days (total days in that cycle)
- Comments
Your turn! Jeff
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Post by krazydiamond on Jun 20, 2004 18:28:14 GMT -5
that is way too high tech for me....i just keep a little notebook (handwritten) with types, comments, days i check and stuff like that....
if i had to turn this darn thing on each time i messed with rocks.......sheesh.
KD
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Jun 20, 2004 22:01:58 GMT -5
I agree...I just print about 10 sheets at a time and hand write as well. The table just keeps me organized.
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on Jun 20, 2004 23:08:38 GMT -5
Jeff, You're way more organized than I am. I always just write my rock activity on my calendar. But I like your idea. I may have to give that a try. Sure would be alot quicker checking back on each load than having to dig back thru a calendar to find out what happened and when!
BE
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bschultz
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 234
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Post by bschultz on Jun 21, 2004 9:01:07 GMT -5
I have a dry erase board where I keep up with what my tumblers are doing. A guy in my club has a pretty simple but effective solution. He uses stick-on lables on his barrels that say what phase he is on, when they were started etc.
Bob
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Post by creativeminded on Jun 21, 2004 10:23:37 GMT -5
I have one tumbler therefore I just keep track of the time in my head. When I am knot tumbling something that I bought I usually tumble mixed loads. Most of my rocks are seperated by size and when I do a mixed load I just grab a handful of each size and if the barrel isn't full I just add a little more of each until the barrel is full. I like being surprised with what comes out.
Tami
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Jun 21, 2004 11:19:09 GMT -5
I just started a page in my word processor and each time I mess with the rocks, I add that info. I just do it in paragraph style. I like the idea of a chart. Think I will make me up one and make copies, put them on a clipboard with all my tumbling stuff. Maybe that way I won't forget to write down what I am doing - which I do on occasion with my current method. I like the dry erase board idea too, but just don't have a place to put one, so guess I will just have to do the chart method.
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Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
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Post by Banjocreek on Jun 21, 2004 12:38:38 GMT -5
I started doing that with the tumblers and the grits my rocks are in, But then it just got too nuts, and not fun, so now its all in my head except for a note telling me what day I started and what the rocks are, on a legal pad. The trumblers are all labeled so I know what grit they are in.
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Post by rockyraccoon on Jun 21, 2004 14:33:31 GMT -5
i had a nice neat entry in my weekly calendar book on may 1st and from there it's been downhill. the getting out of school activities revved up - play, zoo field trip, dance recital, may day play day, birthday parties....then they actually got out of school and the summer activities started - tennis lessons, swimming lessons, company to play - so my next entry said "didn't do barrels". but like banjo my barrels are labeled so i at least know which stage they are on even if i can't remember what is rolling and where. kind of makes opening the barrels more fun - find things i didn't know i'd thrown in. and standing on this broken foot for hours is a killer though i broke down and did it sunday then took a whole pain pill ;D.
kim
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Pdwight
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 619
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Post by Pdwight on Jun 21, 2004 16:55:13 GMT -5
Post it notes
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RiverOtter
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2004
Posts: 339
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Post by RiverOtter on Jun 21, 2004 17:01:38 GMT -5
My barrels are marked as well. I use a wax pencil to write on the lids, what's in them, grit stage and date started. I also keep a log book. For those of you wanting to keep it on your computer, try using Excel instead of Word. It's a spreadsheet and already has columns and rows, just add headings. I plan to set up a database using Access. That way each load I do will have it's own entry with any comments I want to put in. It will also allow me to do a search using keywords if I need to find something. It would sure beat paging through sheets in my notebook or what could possibly be pages in a Word or Excel file.
Otter
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jun 21, 2004 18:26:17 GMT -5
For my last batch, I found the reciept for the day I bought my 80 grit, cause I know I couldn't have started it till I got some. Real scientific I only have one barrel but it turns out they were a wekk further in than I thought. I just got a camera that gives you a disc with your prints and I'm doing a photo journal on this load since I finally got this vibe thing firured out. Or as Taryl wrote in an IM to me "Glad you figured out how to use your vibrator" Fun explaining that one to my hubby ;D I have started keeping hand written notes when I take pictures but my hand writting is so bad even I can't read it. Think I'll try Excel spread sheet, if I get that ambitious cookie.
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Post by sandsman1 on Jun 22, 2004 19:35:35 GMT -5
i went looking on my computer and found that word thing and you shoulda seen me tryin to make a chart hahahaha, im so friggin dumb with this computer stuff i was about to pull the little hair i got left out hahaha i can laugh now but i was freakin out yesterday whats that excell thing does it come with XP? I DID A SEARCH AND LIKE 7 THINGS CAME UP THAT WHERE ON MY COMPUTER BUT WHEN I TRIED TO OPEN EACH ONE IT SAID MICROSOFT CANT OPEN THIS GO ON LINE TO TRY SO I FIG IF MY COMPUTER CANT OPEN IT THEN IT MUST NOT BE IT ---sorry bout the caps i aint retypen all that i type with two fingers hahaha
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Lordwolf
off to a rocking start
rock and roll hehe
Member since June 2004
Posts: 10
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Post by Lordwolf on Jun 22, 2004 19:48:39 GMT -5
sorry sandman, excel doesnt come stock with XP. unless you have a gateway or dell that had it preloaded, but it doesnt sound like you have it. you would have had to load Office 200, or excel itself to have gotten it. But if you just wanted a hardcopy chart to write on, then maybe if you told us what rows and colums you wanted I could make you one and mail a couple to ya. Then you could just go get copies . Would kinda be cool to help. I've sure learned alot on this forum;D
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jun 22, 2004 19:50:55 GMT -5
Sandman, Excel came with my XP. Still don't have a clue how to use it, espescialy spread sheets. My sister-in-law started trying to explain it to me and my eyes glazed over, might have well been speaking greek. I told my brother that and he said "Greek or Geek?" Hell, both. I don't speak either. ;D
cookie
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jun 22, 2004 19:52:47 GMT -5
I have a used emachine. Maybe that's why I have it cookie
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Jun 22, 2004 23:11:55 GMT -5
Well, if anyone wants my word doc with the table for tracking, just email me and I'll be happy to send it to ya (y'all). Jeff skipper@ca.ibm.com
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RiverOtter
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2004
Posts: 339
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Post by RiverOtter on Jun 22, 2004 23:30:35 GMT -5
It's really not that difficult for no more than what you need. But then again sometimes I forget how well trained I am on Excel. It's a piece of cake to me. Kinda had to be.
Otter
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Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
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Post by Banjocreek on Jun 22, 2004 23:46:21 GMT -5
If someone has a decent log sheet they use, why not just post it as a 'PDF' file then anyone could use it who wanted to have a hard copy? That way Sandsman could have something to write on before he goes bald ;D
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Post by sandsman1 on Jun 22, 2004 23:51:24 GMT -5
hahahaha wont be long now i been stocking up on hats for winter and pledge furniture polish hahahaha if i cant dazel them with hair i blindum with the shine hahahaha
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