RedWingTumbler
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 65
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Post by RedWingTumbler on Jun 8, 2021 14:09:41 GMT -5
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Post by miket on Jun 8, 2021 14:54:18 GMT -5
Wait just a minute...your first batch EVER? Wonderful results, love the variety! Great job.
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RedWingTumbler
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 65
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Post by RedWingTumbler on Jun 8, 2021 15:08:24 GMT -5
Wait just a minute...your first batch EVER? Wonderful results, love the variety! Great job.
Thanks, miket! I did a sample batch when I first got the NG tumbler, but there weren’t enough stones to fill the barrel & there wasn’t nearly enough grit & polish to do the job, so I had a handful of almost polished stones - some of which were added to this batch. In the meantime, I did a lot of reading & watched a lot of YouTube tutorials. Modern Rock Tumbling, by Steve Hart, was an excellent source.
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 8, 2021 15:14:35 GMT -5
Way to go! That's a fantastic result on your first batch! My favorite looking rocks out of the batch are on the top row 4th and 5th from the left in that first group picture!
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Post by paulshiroma on Jun 8, 2021 16:09:33 GMT -5
Love the variety. Nice job!
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,506
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Post by Brian on Jun 8, 2021 18:33:58 GMT -5
Great job on that 1st batch! I'm impressed. There are a few tough to tumble rocks in there and they all look good.
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quartzilla
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2020
Posts: 1,198
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Post by quartzilla on Jun 8, 2021 20:42:04 GMT -5
Good job! I love the big red stone with the white zig zag thru it...5th pic bottom center!
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jun 8, 2021 22:15:45 GMT -5
Great job on your first batch. Thanks for sharing!
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,094
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Post by stefan on Jun 11, 2021 15:06:30 GMT -5
Nice job. Some nice pet wood in there!
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saxplayer
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2018
Posts: 1,327
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Post by saxplayer on Jun 11, 2021 21:45:14 GMT -5
Good work on your first batch!
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Post by Bob on Jul 2, 2021 15:41:05 GMT -5
I predict you are going to become a fantastic tumbler with the patience to get better and better! Get a 12lb Lortone next and take even longer on the rough grind stage. That's one of the best pics I've ever seen for a first timer. Look up the Feather River Tumbling Contest and go for it in early January. If you can do that with THAT tumbler, it scares me what you will accomplish with the 12lb Lortone.
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RedWingTumbler
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 65
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Post by RedWingTumbler on Jul 3, 2021 6:47:22 GMT -5
I predict you are going to become a fantastic tumbler with the patience to get better and better! Get a 12lb Lortone next and take even longer on the rough grind stage. That's one of the best pics I've ever seen for a first timer. Look up the Feather River Tumbling Contest and go for it in early January. If you can do that with THAT tumbler, it scares me what you will accomplish with the 12lb Lortone. Thanks, Bob, for the kind words! This is a fun hobby & I've learned a lot through reading this forum. I'm not sure if I can afford to feed a 12lb barrel, but I am starting to consider buying a small vibratory tumbler.
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Post by Bob on Jul 3, 2021 8:24:54 GMT -5
It's cheap to feed. You would not believe how inexpensive good tumbling rough is on eBay and Amazon .
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saxplayer
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2018
Posts: 1,327
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Post by saxplayer on Jul 6, 2021 11:03:57 GMT -5
It's cheap to feed. You would not believe how inexpensive good tumbling rough is on eBay and Amazon . Just curious about your Amazon comment, Bob. Care sharing any specific sellers? there are SO many on Amazon I never know who is worth trying.
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Post by Bob on Jul 6, 2021 14:39:21 GMT -5
It's cheap to feed. You would not believe how inexpensive good tumbling rough is on eBay and Amazon . Just curious about your Amazon comment, Bob. Care sharing any specific sellers? there are SO many on Amazon I never know who is worth trying. Exactly my point. You just try some and see. I don't have favorites. Over time, you get a feel for what is a fair price for this or that. You might keep notes on prices you pay for this or that to learn from. Most material is just a few dollars per lb. You get a better deal buying at least 5 or more lbs at a time. Getting different kinds of material this way is a lot of fun. I but more on eBay than Amazon. Generally, the material quality is best when the buyer pays shipping and the price shown is merely for the material. You are only 2 hrs from Princeton. I can't urge you strongly enough to go to Minn. Lapidary Supply there. This is one of the best rock shops in the US. I had a long sit down with the owner of it a few weeks ago. The rough they sell there in the shop is very high quality for a low price too. But the expertise you will gain by having a relationship with this shop is amazing. Val the owner is one of the most knowledgeable lapidarists I have ever met. Thanks to his urging, I'm heading to the Quartzite show in Jan to be there when he is there. They also have many tumblers for you to look at. I predict you will be so excited at this store that you will easy spend 1 hr+ there. You could also go by Mary Ellen jasper mine shop in Biwabik, and buy a little. But don't get much because tumbling this gorgeous stuff is advanced work and not easy. I bought about 20lbs of it and am about to tackle it, but have 7 years of experience.
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saxplayer
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2018
Posts: 1,327
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Post by saxplayer on Jul 6, 2021 23:24:45 GMT -5
Just curious about your Amazon comment, Bob. Care sharing any specific sellers? there are SO many on Amazon I never know who is worth trying. Exactly my point. You just try some and see. I don't have favorites. Over time, you get a feel for what is a fair price for this or that. You might keep notes on prices you pay for this or that to learn from. Most material is just a few dollars per lb. You get a better deal buying at least 5 or more lbs at a time. Getting different kinds of material this way is a lot of fun. I but more on eBay than Amazon. Generally, the material quality is best when the buyer pays shipping and the price shown is merely for the material. You are only 2 hrs from Princeton. I can't urge you strongly enough to go to Minn. Lapidary Supply there. This is one of the best rock shops in the US. I had a long sit down with the owner of it a few weeks ago. The rough they sell there in the shop is very high quality for a low price too. But the expertise you will gain by having a relationship with this shop is amazing. Val the owner is one of the most knowledgeable lapidarists I have ever met. Thanks to his urging, I'm heading to the Quartzite show in Jan to be there when he is there. They also have many tumblers for you to look at. I predict you will be so excited at this store that you will easy spend 1 hr+ there. You could also go by Mary Ellen jasper mine shop in Biwabik, and buy a little. But don't get much because tumbling this gorgeous stuff is advanced work and not easy. I bought about 20lbs of it and am about to tackle it, but have 7 years of experience. I’m in St. Louis - this what you thought? Regarding Mary Ellen - it’s awesome
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saxplayer
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2018
Posts: 1,327
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Post by saxplayer on Jul 6, 2021 23:28:06 GMT -5
Just curious about your Amazon comment, Bob. Care sharing any specific sellers? there are SO many on Amazon I never know who is worth trying. Exactly my point. You just try some and see. I don't have favorites. Over time, you get a feel for what is a fair price for this or that. You might keep notes on prices you pay for this or that to learn from. Most material is just a few dollars per lb. You get a better deal buying at least 5 or more lbs at a time. Getting different kinds of material this way is a lot of fun. I but more on eBay than Amazon. Generally, the material quality is best when the buyer pays shipping and the price shown is merely for the material. You are only 2 hrs from Princeton. I can't urge you strongly enough to go to Minn. Lapidary Supply there. This is one of the best rock shops in the US. I had a long sit down with the owner of it a few weeks ago. The rough they sell there in the shop is very high quality for a low price too. But the expertise you will gain by having a relationship with this shop is amazing. Val the owner is one of the most knowledgeable lapidarists I have ever met. Thanks to his urging, I'm heading to the Quartzite show in Jan to be there when he is there. They also have many tumblers for you to look at. I predict you will be so excited at this store that you will easy spend 1 hr+ there. You could also go by Mary Ellen jasper mine shop in Biwabik, and buy a little. But don't get much because tumbling this gorgeous stuff is advanced work and not easy. I bought about 20lbs of it and am about to tackle it, but have 7 years of experience.
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Post by Bob on Jul 7, 2021 10:53:56 GMT -5
That MEJ looks good to me! The pieces I'm tumbling are the size of oranges or larger. Did you use just conventional polish methods or something unique?
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saxplayer
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2018
Posts: 1,327
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Post by saxplayer on Jul 7, 2021 16:03:22 GMT -5
That MEJ looks good to me! The pieces I'm tumbling are the size of oranges or larger. Did you use just conventional polish methods or something unique? Lortone qt66 for rotary stage 1, and lot-o after.
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Post by Bob on Jul 9, 2021 11:25:04 GMT -5
The main reason I'm interested in it is I've been telling a client, who has a daughter named Mary Ellen, that I would polish up this pretty rock with her name. Well, so far every piece I've bought online has had small internal fractures or voids, so she has about given up on me.
Yours look good though. This is why I went to the source recently to get high quality material. You would not believe how heavy a large piece of this is.
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