Recent posts by woodman | Rock Tumbling Hobby

woodman
driving up their electric bill

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it.

Member since December 2014
Posts: 2,710

Stinking Water Oak Slab Apr 5, 2020 9:56:55 GMT -5 rockjunquie and hummingbirdstones like this

Quote

Post by woodman on Apr 5, 2020 9:56:55 GMT -5

Apr 5, 2020 8:46:05 GMT -5 hummingbirdstones said:

Stunning! What method did you use to polish such a large slab?

Flat lapped it on my lapping machine, then used the 4 inch diamond pads most of the way and finial polish using cerium oxide polish on a 6 inch pad using HF hand polisher. Not fast but it gets the job done.

woodman driving up their electric bill If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it. Member since December 2014 Posts: 2,710	Stinking Water Oak Slab Apr 5, 2020 9:54:28 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodman on Apr 5, 2020 9:54:28 GMT -5 Apr 4, 2020 23:39:44 GMT -5 jasperfanatic said: That's totally awesome! What are you going to do with it once you're done with the polish? Hang it on a wall!

woodman driving up their electric bill If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it. Member since December 2014 Posts: 2,710	Stinking Water Oak Slab Apr 4, 2020 21:34:52 GMT -5 RWA3006, RickB, and 12 more like this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodman on Apr 4, 2020 21:34:52 GMT -5 I have been working on this 25 inch slab for the last several months on and off. Just about finished!

woodman
driving up their electric bill

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it.

Member since December 2014
Posts: 2,710

Mystery lap - mechanical operation diagram. Apr 4, 2020 9:51:17 GMT -5 RocksInNJ likes this

Quote

Post by woodman on Apr 4, 2020 9:51:17 GMT -5

Very similar to a bearing lapping machine we used at work. we lapped carbon seal mating rings for turbine engine that had to be perfect flatness.

I can see where this machine would flat lap but am failing to see how it would polish the slab.

It looks like simple design, build one and show us the results!

Last Edit: Apr 4, 2020 10:17:12 GMT -5 by woodman

woodman driving up their electric bill If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it. Member since December 2014 Posts: 2,710	Deschutes Apr 2, 2020 21:05:52 GMT -5 RocksInNJ likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodman on Apr 2, 2020 21:05:52 GMT -5 almost a shame to make cabs out of that one!

woodman driving up their electric bill If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it. Member since December 2014 Posts: 2,710	Another Brazilian Agate Video! Apr 2, 2020 13:50:53 GMT -5 RWA3006, toiv0, and 6 more like this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodman on Apr 2, 2020 13:50:53 GMT -5 Waiting this morning for it warm up outside so shot another agate video!

woodman driving up their electric bill If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it. Member since December 2014 Posts: 2,710	New member introduction Apr 1, 2020 17:17:57 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodman on Apr 1, 2020 17:17:57 GMT -5 Welcome to the forum, have fun tumbling, just don't get in hurry, let them roll!

woodman driving up their electric bill If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it. Member since December 2014 Posts: 2,710	Highland Park J3 Slab Saw Belt Replacement Apr 1, 2020 15:41:40 GMT -5 toiv0 likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodman on Apr 1, 2020 15:41:40 GMT -5 Apr 1, 2020 15:11:03 GMT -5 toiv0 said: Apr 1, 2020 12:08:28 GMT -5 catmandewe said: If you can find it get some Kroil, its a miracle in a can!! Tony I love Kroil. i like the smell also!

woodman driving up their electric bill If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it. Member since December 2014 Posts: 2,710	Brazilian agates Mar 31, 2020 21:20:39 GMT -5 RocksInNJ likes this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodman on Mar 31, 2020 21:20:39 GMT -5 Mar 30, 2020 18:15:50 GMT -5 NDK said: Dayyyum! I have a loooong way to go with my vibe lap 😆 Well done woodman ! Never had much success with my vib lap, it is laying around here someplace.

woodman driving up their electric bill If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it. Member since December 2014 Posts: 2,710	Highland Park J3 Slab Saw Belt Replacement Mar 31, 2020 21:17:36 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodman on Mar 31, 2020 21:17:36 GMT -5 Take your time and use lots of pb blaster or other good penetrating oil. they will come off but take your time and do no more damage.

woodman
driving up their electric bill

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it.

Member since December 2014
Posts: 2,710

Highland Park J3 Slab Saw Belt Replacement Mar 31, 2020 17:42:33 GMT -5

Quote

Post by woodman on Mar 31, 2020 17:42:33 GMT -5

Link belts are known to reduce vibrations not cause more. they are sold as an ant vibration belt. I like them'

are the colors the cam lock type that you have to rotate after you loosen the set screws, can't tell from your photo?

woodman
driving up their electric bill

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it.

Member since December 2014
Posts: 2,710

Brazilian agates Mar 30, 2020 15:11:23 GMT -5 hummingbirdstones likes this

Quote

Post by woodman on Mar 30, 2020 15:11:23 GMT -5

Mar 29, 2020 18:30:52 GMT -5 wpotterw said:

Mar 29, 2020 18:27:07 GMT -5 MsAli said:

Makes me want more Brazilians

I'll take Sonia Braga. You can have the rest... :-)

Na, she is about the same age as these agates! (lol)

woodman driving up their electric bill If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it. Member since December 2014 Posts: 2,710	Brazilian agates Mar 29, 2020 15:36:49 GMT -5 Fossilman, RickB, and 3 more like this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodman on Mar 29, 2020 15:36:49 GMT -5 Just a few of the Brazilians i have polished up!

woodman
driving up their electric bill

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it.

Member since December 2014
Posts: 2,710

HP B26 wet belt sander and buffer. Mar 29, 2020 11:12:39 GMT -5 RocksInNJ likes this

Quote

Post by woodman on Mar 29, 2020 11:12:39 GMT -5

Mar 29, 2020 11:02:21 GMT -5 Getta Grip said:

I have some slabs with bad saw marks. I would like to salvage and maybe polish them on this machine. I expect I will need a range of belt grits, starting around 100 grit and going up to

??

How fine do I need to go before moving to a polishing wheel?
What range belts would you want to have, to clean up slabs and polish them?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts

Glen

On my bull wheel sander, I start with 100 and then go to 400 and then to the polisher. kind of depends on the material tho. I was using 100, 220 then 400 but found i got just as good of reslts by just skipping the 220..
Good luck!

woodman
driving up their electric bill

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it.

Member since December 2014
Posts: 2,710

Bleaching Mar 29, 2020 11:09:52 GMT -5 fernwood and RocksInNJ like this

Quote

Post by woodman on Mar 29, 2020 11:09:52 GMT -5

Mar 29, 2020 5:17:19 GMT -5 fernwood said:

I am considering this piece of Brilliant from AL.

What are you considering doing with it? I think I would take cut off of the end and see what the inside looks like. I only bleach cut and polished faces not whole speciums. I don't what you would get if you bleached tehw hole thing, might be good might be bad.

woodman driving up their electric bill If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it. Member since December 2014 Posts: 2,710	Slabbing Mar 27, 2020 16:39:49 GMT -5 miket, RocksInNJ, and 1 more like this Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by woodman on Mar 27, 2020 16:39:49 GMT -5 forgot to show how i get last slab off. then a bit of time in oven break the glue bond.

woodman
driving up their electric bill

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it.

Member since December 2014
Posts: 2,710

Slabbing Mar 27, 2020 14:49:51 GMT -5 RWA3006 and RocksInNJ like this

Quote

Post by woodman on Mar 27, 2020 14:49:51 GMT -5

The wood I used to glue to is Elm from Stinking Water, now that I got an end cut I will make a large stand up out of it. I will cut the last slab of with a wood saw and them heat the wood to break the glue bond to the cardboard. will clean right up.

Last Edit: Mar 27, 2020 14:52:39 GMT -5 by woodman

woodman
driving up their electric bill

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it.

Member since December 2014
Posts: 2,710

Slabbing Mar 27, 2020 11:57:37 GMT -5 RWA3006, fernwood, and 5 more like this

Quote

Post by woodman on Mar 27, 2020 11:57:37 GMT -5

I have chunk of cyad that rwa3006 sent me a few years ago that I polished a face on and it ws just sitting here. Since I normally do not cabs I did nothing more with it. recently I have been thinking about maybe doing some so I wanted to slab it up. maybe I will do a cab or two or just give the slabs away. time will tell.
I wanted to keep all the slabs parallel to the polished face so I used the method in my feeble attempt of a video about the process. I know that people use wood glue to glue pieces to a two by four but this method, there is no waiting time. I was cutting within a minute of making the last glue joint. I have used this method where it two two people to lift the piece being glued on. at any rate just the method that I learned that works for me. sorry mo music on this one!!

Last Edit: Mar 28, 2020 9:10:39 GMT -5 by woodman

woodman
driving up their electric bill

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it.

Member since December 2014
Posts: 2,710

lunch hour saw clean out Mar 26, 2020 22:07:47 GMT -5 RocksInNJ likes this

Quote

Post by woodman on Mar 26, 2020 22:07:47 GMT -5

In my 18 and 24 inch saws I use used ATF and it never get like this, solids settle out real good and does stay pretty clean. smells a bit bad for a cut or two and then gets better. on another plus side it does not mist at all. I do wear rubber gloves all the time tho, why push my luck!

woodman
driving up their electric bill

If you cannot explain something in simple terms, you do not know enough about it.

Member since December 2014
Posts: 2,710

Cutting fluid ? Rv anti-freeze? Mar 26, 2020 9:25:06 GMT -5

Quote

Post by woodman on Mar 26, 2020 9:25:06 GMT -5

Mar 25, 2020 22:41:47 GMT -5 toiv0 said:

Mar 25, 2020 21:01:53 GMT -5 woodman said:

I was using water on a diamond bladed drag saw and it sort of worked with the softer materials, but when i got some harder materials it would stop cutting real quick, I switched to using diesel and it cuts like a champ. I know a number of high volume cutters that use diesel. some add oil some don't, they don't get in hurry to open the saws tho.

A neighbors garage burned down before I got into rocks. One of my friends told me he used diesel in his rock saw and that was why it went up. I personally can't stand the smell of diesel or gear oil. Always keep an extra set of clothes at work and try to refuel in the afternoon so I don't smell it all day.

there is a danger of fire in using any petroleum product, i like the smell, i worked for 35 years around jet fuel and kind of got used to the smell. I don't even smell diesel but the wife sure does!! if your oil produces heavy misting, don't open the saw until it has settled down. would be interesting to know what caused the fire. diesel is just the fuel for the fire, it did not start the fire in and of itself.
thee are different choices out there, use what you feel is good for you.