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Post by Toad on Sept 24, 2004 20:53:04 GMT -5
Do you use plastic pellets in all stages, just the polish, or not at all?
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birdseed
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since September 2004
Posts: 167
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Post by birdseed on Sept 25, 2004 5:47:47 GMT -5
pellets are mostly used at stage three(600) on to finish..I prefer garnets for filler...
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Post by Toad on Sept 26, 2004 23:03:10 GMT -5
Thanks, birdseed. It would be a shame to chip those little beauties right at the end.
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MoonStone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 202
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Post by MoonStone on Sept 27, 2004 0:10:26 GMT -5
Hello Toad!;D I use plastic pellets because they came free with my kit and also because they are very light and don't add extra weight. So far good.
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Post by Toad on Sept 27, 2004 19:23:09 GMT -5
The only problem seems to be that you need to segregate the pellets for each stage to avoid contamination. That or clean each of the ityy-bitty little things.
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Post by rockyraccoon on Sept 27, 2004 19:50:59 GMT -5
they are horrid little beasts aren't they? but they serve a purpose. some people have used the ceramic media, wood shavings, and more but i have never tried any of those so i can't say how well they work.
kim
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Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
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Post by Banjocreek on Sept 27, 2004 19:56:46 GMT -5
You are right on segregation. I have pellets stored in baggies for each of the steps I use, so I never have pellets from one stage going to the next. Basically, I put the tumbler on a sieve and fill it with water and all the pellets float to the top and over the edge. As I mix them up a bit with the water running, I try to make sure all the little floaties have surfaced and gone over the edge into the sieve. Then I should have a barrel full of water and rocks only. I'll let the pellets dry for a day, then pour them from the sieve into a baggie labeled 500 (or whatever) and bring out the pellets from the already marked bag '1,000, and continue on. But each step has their own pellets.
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Post by krazydiamond on Sept 27, 2004 20:03:53 GMT -5
horrid little beasts, you got that right!
i have plastic tubs that i keep to segregate pellets for various stages.....when i "chaff" them out of the rocks, i scoop them into a double layer of paper towel in the sink, then put them on a paper towel to dry. then i offload them to the plastic tub near the tumbler that is assigned it's stage. if they look contaminated, i move them back a stage. (i.e. if they come out of the polish looking discolored, i move them back to prepolish pellets).
yep, i have those little suckers everywhere, upstairs, downstairs, did i mention they stick to the cat...yes, i think i did....cousin to the dreaded dust bunny, they lurk in my corners.
but ya got to love them pellets,
KD
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