jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Dec 10, 2018 9:18:05 GMT -5
I finally figured out how to tumble glass after years of efforts back in Jan. 18. This was the first decent successful batch. Not the best but close. The key was modifying a Vibrasonic vibratory tumbler by numbing the vibration. And using strange methods to say the least; namely sugar for slurry thickener and all aluminum oxide abrasives in the vibe. Shaped in a rotary using SiC 60 and SiC 500. Time from start to finish a week and a half. I have since done over 60 loads of glass. $15 chicken found at Hobby Lobby on clearance carefully broken with a small hammer. Some of these were a bit heavy at 60 plus grams causing some frosting and bruising. Much better surface finish keeping the glass tumbles below 30 grams.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 10, 2018 9:36:53 GMT -5
You have come a long way in a short time. The experimentation and the results were exciting to watch! From just tumbling already made glass to making your own melts with the amount of success you've had at it is a testament to your creativity and methodical approach to figuring out what works and what doesn't.
I'm excited to see what you come up with in the new year!
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Dec 10, 2018 9:55:47 GMT -5
You have come a long way in a short time. The experimentation and the results were exciting to watch! From just tumbling already made glass to making your own melts with the amount of success you've had at it is a testament to your creativity and methodical approach to figuring out what works and what doesn't. I'm excited to see what you come up with in the new year!
The most important thing I learned was allowing people to motivate me during this experience. Damn indépendant spirit can be a curse. I hope you know how much it meant to me Robin. Alison and Beth. Happy early New Year to you guys.
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Post by MsAli on Dec 10, 2018 10:30:53 GMT -5
You have come a long way in a short time. The experimentation and the results were exciting to watch! From just tumbling already made glass to making your own melts with the amount of success you've had at it is a testament to your creativity and methodical approach to figuring out what works and what doesn't. I'm excited to see what you come up with in the new year!
The most important thing I learned was allowing people to motivate me during this experience. Damn indépendant spirit can be a curse. I hope you know how much it meant to me Robin. Alison and Beth. Happy early New Year to you guys. The glass is even better in person! Now just need to motivate you to stop neglecting the Rio's
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Post by gmitch067 on Dec 10, 2018 11:01:02 GMT -5
I finally figured out how to tumble glass after years of efforts back in Jan. 18. This was the first decent successful batch. Not the best but close. The key was modifying a Vibrasonic vibratory tumbler by numbing the vibration. And using strange methods to say the least; namely sugar for slurry thickener and all aluminum oxide abrasives in the vibe. Shaped in a rotary using SiC 60 and SiC 500. Time from start to finish a week and a half. I have since done over 60 loads of glass. $15 chicken found at Hobby Lobby on clearance carefully broken with a small hammer. Some of these were a bit heavy at 60 plus grams causing some frosting and bruising. Much better surface finish keeping the glass tumbles below 30 grams. jamespHow do you process the load(s) if you have multiple larger (>60g) pieces... do you split them up so there is only one large piece to a load... or keep them all together?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 10, 2018 11:55:06 GMT -5
Well, Humpty Dumpty was an egg, so it looks like his old dad met the same fate - only a bit more attractively.
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Post by aDave on Dec 10, 2018 12:48:30 GMT -5
Now just need to motivate you to stop neglecting the Rio's I was actually hoping he'd neglect them more and more...to the point he could start offloading them to me. It hasn't worked yet.
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Post by MsAli on Dec 10, 2018 12:51:57 GMT -5
Now just need to motivate you to stop neglecting the Rio's I was actually hoping he'd neglect them more and more...to the point he could start offloading them to me. It hasn't worked yet.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Dec 10, 2018 13:32:52 GMT -5
Y'all are too funny. The Rio's are in a safety deposit box - ha ha. Having to stand guard over them w/ aDave and MsAli floating around out there. They sit in a pile waiting their turn.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Dec 10, 2018 13:34:19 GMT -5
Well, Humpty Dumpty was an egg, so it looks like his old dad met the same fate - only a bit more attractively. Good one @rocks2dust. The big rooster met his fate. No more colored eggs...
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Dec 10, 2018 13:45:39 GMT -5
I finally figured out how to tumble glass after years of efforts back in Jan. 18. This was the first decent successful batch. Not the best but close. The key was modifying a Vibrasonic vibratory tumbler by numbing the vibration. And using strange methods to say the least; namely sugar for slurry thickener and all aluminum oxide abrasives in the vibe. Shaped in a rotary using SiC 60 and SiC 500. Time from start to finish a week and a half. I have since done over 60 loads of glass. $15 chicken found at Hobby Lobby on clearance carefully broken with a small hammer. Some of these were a bit heavy at 60 plus grams causing some frosting and bruising. Much better surface finish keeping the glass tumbles below 30 grams. jamespHow do you process the load(s) if you have multiple larger (>60g) pieces... do you split them up so there is only one large piece to a load... or keep them all together? That is an easy answer gmitch067. Only glass less than 30 grams is tumbled. If over 60g it will be ground on or cut in half. Bear in mind the glass is soft so it does not take much effort to reduce it's size. Not everyone is weighed but in time you learn what is roughly less than 40 grams for instance. A 30 gram piece of tumbled glass is big enough to pass as a substantially sized piece of jewelry mind you. The weight factor is not an issue with tougher/harder agates of course. One big chunk of glass in a batch of smaller glass can and usually does cause frost type damage to the other glass in the batch. This situation happens more so in the vibe and less so when shaping in the rotary. 100% glass in rotary w/no media. 30% quartz pea gravel in the vibe w/sugar. Increase the media in the vibe and the mild bruises still happen with 60+ gram chunks.
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Post by MsAli on Dec 10, 2018 13:57:15 GMT -5
Y'all are too funny. The Rio's are in a safety deposit box - ha ha. Having to stand guard over them w/ aDave and MsAli floating around out there. They sit in a pile waiting their turn. poor babies all along out there in the cold Its just been too long since we have seen the absolutely fantastic job you do with them
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Post by Pat on Dec 10, 2018 14:13:56 GMT -5
I love the last line in your original post; “carefully broken with a hammer”!!
You are the tumbling master. It’s a pleasure to follow. Thanks for sharing your successes and failures. It’s all good.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Dec 10, 2018 15:24:14 GMT -5
Y'all are too funny. The Rio's are in a safety deposit box - ha ha. Having to stand guard over them w/ aDave and MsAli floating around out there. They sit in a pile waiting their turn. poor babies all along out there in the cold Its just been too long since we have seen the absolutely fantastic job you do with them Well thank you very much Alison. Cold ? Don't be surprised if they lived part of their life in a glacier... What if they were outside in Minnesota ? brrrr Pretty sure they took a rough road to get where the ended up all piled on top of each other. Thanks for the words but there seems to be plenty of highly able tumblers around here. Granted Rio's are not much of an EBAY item, shame Sabre52 stopped selling his Rio's. I get ridiculed for eating food one thing at a time. Sorta the same with glass and rocks I suppose. Gotta figure them out one at a time. Stricken with tunnel vision...
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Post by MsAli on Dec 10, 2018 15:32:48 GMT -5
Youre doing very well with that glass so I dont blame you for the tunnel vision
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Post by aDave on Dec 10, 2018 15:33:45 GMT -5
Granted Rio's are not much of an EBAY item, shame Sabre52 stopped selling his Rio's. I get ridiculed for eating food one thing at a time. I got lucky and was able to get some of the last that I recall seeing him selling. Actually have some of my last pieces going through now. Maybe I'll finally have to dive into a box that I got from another member - about 25 lbs. Funny about the food thing. I'm exactly the same way. And, I eat FAST. Too many years of having meals interrupted while working. Couldn't waste any time clearing the plate.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Dec 10, 2018 15:35:25 GMT -5
I love the last line in your original post; “carefully broken with a hammer”!! You are the tumbling master. It’s a pleasure to follow. Thanks for sharing your successes and failures. It’s all good. The hammer thing, oxymoron comes to mind Pat. "Chip away at that stone" A song by Arrowsmith and undoubtably the term used for a different motive he he. Thanks a bunch. Time to put a neck brace on to support a big head.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Dec 10, 2018 15:37:36 GMT -5
Youre doing very well with that glass so I dont blame you for the tunnel vision Let's just say the creative juices were flowing more than normal at that time. Thanks for the compliment, will be back in the saddle soon enough.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Dec 10, 2018 15:44:51 GMT -5
Granted Rio's are not much of an EBAY item, shame Sabre52 stopped selling his Rio's. I get ridiculed for eating food one thing at a time. I got lucky and was able to get some of the last that I recall seeing him selling. Actually have some of my last pieces going through now. Maybe I'll finally have to dive into a box that I got from another member - about 25 lbs. Funny about the food thing. I'm exactly the same way. And, I eat FAST. Too many years of having meals interrupted while working. Couldn't waste any time clearing the plate. Looks like Dave has the Rio stock under key. Now we know where they are. Can't wait to see how they come out Mr. Dave. They are in good hands. Darn workplace won't even let us eat in peace. Heard that one before. Maybe we need to tell that boss to shove it. Why are people intrigued with eating one item at a time ? I think it shows sophistication Dave. Like clearing your pallet for fine wine. Like having a deep relationship with each item on your plate(guess it is getting kinda thick...). Savoring each item...
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Post by MsAli on Dec 10, 2018 15:45:49 GMT -5
Youre doing very well with that glass so I dont blame you for the tunnel vision Let's just say the creative juices were flowing more than normal at that time. Thanks for the compliment, will be back in the saddle soon enough. I know and hopefully things are so much better for you now.
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