User Tag List

Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: Rock tumbling

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Flagstaff, Arizona
    Posts
    11,228
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Rock tumbling

    IMG_3294.jpgIMG_3348.jpgIMG_3040.jpgIMG_3317.jpgIMG_3319.jpgIMG_3335.jpgIMG_3340.jpg



    I cranked up a new/old hobby from my childhood this last winter - nature's art revealed - I love rocks

    Anyone else?
    Anyone want to start?

    - Garro.
    Steve Garro, Coconino Cycles.
    Frames & Bicycles built to measure and Custom wheels
    Hecho en Flagstaff, Arizona desde 2003
    www.coconinocycles.com
    www.coconinocycles.blogspot.com
    9
     

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Portland
    Posts
    1,762
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    4 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    My 11 y/o got a kit from their grandpa a few years ago and I helped get everything going. We were both surprised at how much the rougher grits reduce the overall size of the rocks. Other than running the tumbler for weeks, it was quite an enjoyable process and seeing the excitement of a then 8 y/o as they unpack and rinse the ultra-polished rocks from the final round of sludge is well worth it.
    Sean Chaney
    www.vertigocycles.com
    a peek behind the curtain
    1
     

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Hillsdale NY
    Posts
    26,348
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    75 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Arizona is definitely the place for colored rocks. Found some nice turquoise in an old mine rubble pile once. Those rubble piles are fun to dig around in. There were some rocks that looked like they had yellow lichen on them. Turned out it was sulfur. Found an array of black rocks strewn across a section of desert south of Tucson. They were really heavy for their size, dented when hit with a hammer and were mildly magnetic. I thought maybe they were asteroid particles and took them to the asteroid lab at ASU. Scientist there wasn’t interested until I handed one to him. Then he got excited and we ran some tests and made a few slices. But they were just blobs of magnetite. Still cool.

    Never thought to have a rock tumbler in AZ but would have been a great thing to have there.

    Nice collection Garro!
    Jorn Ake
    poet

    Flickr
    Books
    1
     

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    DC
    Posts
    30,265
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    59 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Fun stuff G. The last time I did that was in Petoskey Michigan. Bring the fun bub :)
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petoskey_stone
    0
     

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Flagstaff, Arizona
    Posts
    11,228
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Quote Originally Posted by VertigoCycles View Post
    My 11 y/o got a kit from their grandpa a few years ago and I helped get everything going. We were both surprised at how much the rougher grits reduce the overall size of the rocks. Other than running the tumbler for weeks, it was quite an enjoyable process and seeing the excitement of a then 8 y/o as they unpack and rinse the ultra-polished rocks from the final round of sludge is well worth it.
    I was born in Oregon and lived there through 1st grade and that's where I picked it up, OR has great agates and obsidian and so many other cool rocks - other GP's were from Idaho and were way into lapidary work, ID is the "Gem State" after all

    - Garro.
    Steve Garro, Coconino Cycles.
    Frames & Bicycles built to measure and Custom wheels
    Hecho en Flagstaff, Arizona desde 2003
    www.coconinocycles.com
    www.coconinocycles.blogspot.com
    0
     

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Flagstaff, Arizona
    Posts
    11,228
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Quote Originally Posted by j44ke View Post
    Arizona is definitely the place for colored rocks. Found some nice turquoise in an old mine rubble pile once. Those rubble piles are fun to dig around in. There were some rocks that looked like they had yellow lichen on them. Turned out it was sulfur. Found an array of black rocks strewn across a section of desert south of Tucson. They were really heavy for their size, dented when hit with a hammer and were mildly magnetic. I thought maybe they were asteroid particles and took them to the asteroid lab at ASU. Scientist there wasn’t interested until I handed one to him. Then he got excited and we ran some tests and made a few slices. But they were just blobs of magnetite. Still cool.

    Never thought to have a rock tumbler in AZ but would have been a great thing to have there.

    Nice collection Garro!
    Yeah !
    I got some nice quartz from a mine in Cherry, AZ recently - nice of them to dig it up & leave it there or you
    - Garro.
    Steve Garro, Coconino Cycles.
    Frames & Bicycles built to measure and Custom wheels
    Hecho en Flagstaff, Arizona desde 2003
    www.coconinocycles.com
    www.coconinocycles.blogspot.com
    0
     

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Flagstaff, Arizona
    Posts
    11,228
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Quote Originally Posted by Too Tall View Post
    Fun stuff G. The last time I did that was in Petoskey Michigan. Bring the fun bub :)
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petoskey_stone
    Ah, yes - Petoskey Stones - here I have a lifetime supply of fossilized glass sponges but they are much softer than the chert they are deposited in so I keep them as-is

    Of course I have an amazing fossil collection as well............

    - Garro.
    Steve Garro, Coconino Cycles.
    Frames & Bicycles built to measure and Custom wheels
    Hecho en Flagstaff, Arizona desde 2003
    www.coconinocycles.com
    www.coconinocycles.blogspot.com
    0
     

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Beechworth, VIC
    Posts
    2,543
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    10 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Quote Originally Posted by steve garro View Post
    I cranked up a new/old hobby from my childhood this last winter - nature's art revealed

    - Garro.
    Ha, that takes me back. I grew up in Wahroonga (Sydney) long enough ago for there to be a small mine in the locality (? Chrysoprase maybe: it was a long time ago).

    It's not there any more, possibly due to the depredations wrought by my self and my siblings*. One of my brothers got right into the whole thing and produced some lovely pieces.




    * More likely due to the >$2M average house prices these days. My parents sold this house: https://www.onthehouse.com.au/proper...-2076-11776029 in 1970 for $22,000 (about $175 k adjusted for inflation).
    Mark Kelly
    1
     

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    DC
    Posts
    30,265
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    59 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    At the place where we camp the most there are abundant water sources. Apparently, there was a tiny gold strike close to the turn of the century. I was able to find the gold bearing quartz vein and followed it downhill to a waterfall. Soooooooo being the goofball what I am I got a gold washing pan and did some proof of life :) After a few pans I was able to find a few micro specks of gold. It was enough to prove to the other campers I was not completely FOS. You can find minute amounts of gold in a zillion places, you just have to do the work and trust me it is alot of work.

    Still, the business of amateur rock hounding is fun stuff.

    Steve-O If we ever meet up I'll give you a fossilized giant snail that I dug out of a creek bed in S. Maryland. Using some old rock hunting articles I found references to the snails. It took a pause to realize exactly what I was looking at because the d@mn things are huge....but there it is a solid strata of snails!!!!

    Of course here in MD we have Calvert Cliffs where with a very small amount of luck you can find pockets full of sharks teeth, mollusk shells and maybe even a bone.
    .
    Yeah, it's fun. I'd love to do some panning some place where there is gold worth panning. It's a blast.
    Last edited by Too Tall; 08-30-2023 at 11:57 AM.
    1
     

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Flagstaff, Arizona
    Posts
    11,228
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Quote Originally Posted by Too Tall View Post
    At the place where we camp the most there are abundant water sources. Apparently, there was a tiny gold strike close to the turn of the century. I was able to find the gold bearing quartz vein and followed it downhill to a waterfall. Soooooooo being the goofball what I am I got a gold washing pan and did some proof of life :) After a few pans I was able to find a few micro specks of gold. It was enough to prove to the other campers I was not completely FOS. You can find minute amounts of gold in a zillion places, you just have to do the work and trust me it is alot of work.

    Still, the business of amateur rock hounding is fun stuff.

    Steve-O If we ever meet up I'll give you a fossilized giant snail that I dug out of a creek bed in S. Maryland. Using some old rock hunting articles I found references to the snails. It took a pause to realize exactly what I was looking at because the d@mn things are huge....but there it is a solid strata of snails!!!!

    Of course here in MD we have Calvert Cliffs where with a very small amount of luck you can find pockets full of sharks teeth, mollusk shells and maybe even a bone.
    .
    Yeah, it's fun. I'd love to do some panning some place where there is gold worth panning. It's a blast.
    Yeah.......see, I got two collections going, or I should say three - fossils, cool stones not for polishing, and cool stones that can be polished

    - Garro.
    Steve Garro, Coconino Cycles.
    Frames & Bicycles built to measure and Custom wheels
    Hecho en Flagstaff, Arizona desde 2003
    www.coconinocycles.com
    www.coconinocycles.blogspot.com
    0
     

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Flagstaff, Arizona
    Posts
    11,228
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Just took out some obsidian from Oregon - man, this was trying but elegant
    - Garro.

    IMG_3411.jpgIMG_3413.jpg
    Steve Garro, Coconino Cycles.
    Frames & Bicycles built to measure and Custom wheels
    Hecho en Flagstaff, Arizona desde 2003
    www.coconinocycles.com
    www.coconinocycles.blogspot.com
    4
     

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Western MA
    Posts
    4,486
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    9 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Years ago I visited the Livermore's ranch in CA: Montesol, by name. Old family place. Arrowheads were abundant and took no effort to find. The best obsidian had little white blossoms.
    Jay Dwight
    0
     

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Flagstaff, Arizona
    Posts
    11,228
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Quote Originally Posted by ides1056 View Post
    The best obsidian had little white blossoms.
    Snowflake !
    - Garro.
    Steve Garro, Coconino Cycles.
    Frames & Bicycles built to measure and Custom wheels
    Hecho en Flagstaff, Arizona desde 2003
    www.coconinocycles.com
    www.coconinocycles.blogspot.com
    0
     

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Western MA
    Posts
    4,486
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    9 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    I had the privilege to spend two weeks on Santa Cruz Island when I was in high school. We camped out there. The first trip out I came on several teachers with their wives who were amusing themselves rolling boulders down a hill. Kids.
    Jay Dwight
    0
     

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Posts
    11,391
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    13 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Are there any rock tumblers integrated in bicycle rollers?
    --
    T h o m a s
    1
     

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Flagstaff, Arizona
    Posts
    11,228
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Quote Originally Posted by sk_tle View Post
    Are there any rock tumblers integrated in bicycle rollers?
    People take old Pelotons and make tumblers out of them !!!

    What you would want to do is charge a battery which runs the tumbler - they don't use much juice at all - about as much as a light bulb.
    - Garro.
    Steve Garro, Coconino Cycles.
    Frames & Bicycles built to measure and Custom wheels
    Hecho en Flagstaff, Arizona desde 2003
    www.coconinocycles.com
    www.coconinocycles.blogspot.com
    0
     

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    3,663
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    5 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Whenever I see this thread I can't help but remember these images.

    If you read the BBC story at the link, there are actually THREE monster rocks involved here:

    1) The large gray one in the top image, that "had been dislodged many years previously." (you can see there is no fresh track behind it)

    2) The one that came down recently and took out the barn. (fresh track behind it)

    3) A third one, which came down at the same time as the second one, but stopped right before the house. (seen in second and third images below)

    So, given that record of near-misses, how much longer would you be able to live (and sleep soundly) in that house?

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-25975251





    3
     

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Western MA
    Posts
    4,486
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    9 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    I think this belongs in the Future Proof thread...
    Jay Dwight
    0
     

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Flagstaff, Arizona
    Posts
    11,228
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    11 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default Re: Rock tumbling

    Quote Originally Posted by ides1056 View Post
    I think this belongs in the Future Proof thread...
    I think that unless someone else chimes in on topic it's run it's course
    - Garro.
    Steve Garro, Coconino Cycles.
    Frames & Bicycles built to measure and Custom wheels
    Hecho en Flagstaff, Arizona desde 2003
    www.coconinocycles.com
    www.coconinocycles.blogspot.com
    0
     

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •