silverfish
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smolt
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Reged: 10/13/01
Posts: 16
Loc: Sequim,WA.
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I've been looking for a decent rock polisher for some time but really don't have a clue about brands, size or price. My wife and I have found lots of fossils, some agatized which may polish up nicely. If anyone wants to add to my knowledge in this area please let me know.
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busybeaver
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sockeye
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Reged: 03/31/01
Posts: 91
Loc: Western Washington
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I am a rookie on the rock front but we have one made by Lortone. No idea if it is good or bad compared to other types. My buddy Jim is a rock nut and I am sure he know better...will have to ask or get him to sign up so he can teach us some of the tricks.
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Marty
Welcome to my home ...
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silverfish
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smolt
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Reged: 10/13/01
Posts: 16
Loc: Sequim,WA.
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Thanks for the reply Marty, I wish I had a rock polisher today after almost losing it with my river boat and truck on Elwah hill!!!!!!!!!! A hasty retreat home..I think I'll look at rocks. It would be great if your friend could clue us in.
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Maltby
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Native Slab
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Reged: 12/17/00
Posts: 1183
Loc: Woodinville, WA, USA
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I'm about to take my first batch of agates out of my Lortone. What size is yours Marty? Mine has three small barrels. It will take a year to polish all of the agates I have because the volume for each barrel is so small.When I was a kid my dad rigged up a polisher made out of a tire and man, could he get a load of rocks in all at once. I'm tempted to get him out of retirement to build another one of those contraptions. I'm way too impatient. I hear that there is a creek down in Centralia that you can find more agates than you can carry, especially after a good rain gives the creek a good flushing. Most of the agates I have came from the Washougal area at one of my company's gravel pits. It is closed down now so I don't get down there any more but I could fill my pockets in five minutes whenever I visited.
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Maltby
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Native Slab
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Reged: 12/17/00
Posts: 1183
Loc: Woodinville, WA, USA
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If you guys ever get down near Centralia, there is a creek called Lucas Creek that is full of agates and other neat rocks, even some petrified wood. My brother in law was down there last week and picked fifteen pounds of agates in a short time. He says it is best after a good rain has scoured the creek.
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busybeaver
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sockeye
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Reged: 03/31/01
Posts: 91
Loc: Western Washington
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Maltby its a small one like yours. I don't know if I am cut out to be a rock polisher either. At least its not to complicated provided you don't use the wrong grit and mix the wrong rocks together.I saw the most common rock polishing mistake is overloading your polisher. It burns up the motor. A tire setup would really polish a lot of rocks. The motor setup would have to be big to turn that sucker with out burning up. I don't think I am at that level of rock polishing.
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Marty
Welcome to my home ...
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Maltby
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Native Slab
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Reged: 12/17/00
Posts: 1183
Loc: Woodinville, WA, USA
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I think I would have to agree with you. Lot's of other hotter irons in the fire.
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Maltby
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Native Slab
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Reged: 12/17/00
Posts: 1183
Loc: Woodinville, WA, USA
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I still haven't finished with my first batch. I think I got in a hurry and ended up having to re-do the first can. The hardest part is trying to get the pits out of some of the agates. Boy, I don't know if I have the patience for this. I have another week of the polishing phase then a few days of burnishig then I will see if it was worth the wait.
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busybeaver
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sockeye
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Reged: 03/31/01
Posts: 91
Loc: Western Washington
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Really builds the appreciation when you see them ![[Smile]](images/icons/smile.gif) It doesn't really seem that hard just takes a long time. Like that chicken cooker commercial...SET it and FORGET it.
Wonder if a dremel tool with a diamond tip would speed up your pitting problem.
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Marty
Welcome to my home ...
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Maltby
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Native Slab
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Reged: 12/17/00
Posts: 1183
Loc: Woodinville, WA, USA
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Whoa..that's a great idea..just happen to have that very tool and bit...hmmm, think I'll try that. I was wondering about the plastic pellets they mention in the guide book. They didn't come with my set and I was thinking they might help with getting at the gooves and pits buy I like the Dremel idea better. ![[Jumping King]](graemlins/jumping king.GIF)
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busybeaver
Offline
sockeye
Profile Status:
Reged: 03/31/01
Posts: 91
Loc: Western Washington
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Just pulled a batch of polished from the machine (one barrel polisher). My rocks were from the beach so I was able to skip the coarse grind step and start with medium. They turned out pretty nice.
Some of the ones with deeper crevises didn't polish in the cracks, but it adds character to the stones. One of them cracked in the final stage..bummer but it didn't damage the rest of the batch. Would have been a good time to use the pellets for cushion.
How are yours working out?
My friend uses a couple polishers and they have really big barrels. Much bigger than my tiny loretone. Would be nice to do bigger rocks.
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Marty
Welcome to my home ...
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Maltby
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Native Slab
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Reged: 12/17/00
Posts: 1183
Loc: Woodinville, WA, USA
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Mine turned out pretty good too. I need more grit and found a rock shop in Everett but it doesn't open until 3 pm each day and I'm having a tough time getting over there. By the time I get off work, all I want to do is go home and the shop is in the opposite direction.
I need a bigger tumbler too. I'm just a little hesitant to tell my wife that that bigger is better after all these years.
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busybeaver
Offline
sockeye
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Reged: 03/31/01
Posts: 91
Loc: Western Washington
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Rofl...good one. Was back picking them up yesterday and I found some that look really promising again. Some of the best colored ones are the jaspers red and the green.
I found another really big stone that might be the jade again. Left if to be sliced..perhaps it is. I had the same outside skin as the jade previously and was ultra smooth already. waiting on the results .
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Marty
Welcome to my home ...
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busybeaver
Offline
sockeye
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Reged: 03/31/01
Posts: 91
Loc: Western Washington
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Turned out to be a jasper rock...darn . Its off to Rialto beach for jasper pebbles this weekend. The latest batch of polished rocks just finished.... Not all are beautiful.
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Marty
Welcome to my home ...
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Maltby
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Native Slab
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Reged: 12/17/00
Posts: 1183
Loc: Woodinville, WA, USA
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Just happened to be digging through my bucket of rocks yesterday cuz my wife asked, " do we really need all these buckets of rocks? How many projects do you have going on anyway?" Of course being a real man I replied, " I know it's kind of a mess darling, and I will straighten everything up right away, sweetheart." ahem...
I really need to get more grit (in more ways than one) so I can get the rest of my stuff polished.
Too bad that wasn't jade but jasper is cool too IMHO.
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