bwolfe1
off to a rocking start
Learning the Hard way
Member since December 2011
Posts: 19
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Grit
Jan 16, 2012 14:52:25 GMT -5
Post by bwolfe1 on Jan 16, 2012 14:52:25 GMT -5
Somewhere along the line I must have ordered 46/70 Grit? I have not seen anything here that mentioned using this course of grit. Does anyone use this, and what could I use it for with a model B?
The rock hardness seems to be something I'm having some trouble grasping?? I have a bunch of rocks stockpiled, some partially polished, some rough. Is there any easy way to determine the hardness level and are there any rules like 7,8,9,can be run together or 1,2,3 ect, or do all rocks have to be the same hardness? Just trying to find the easiest way to ID these rocks without having to test every one? All have been picked up locally but there seems to be a large variety?
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Grit
Jan 16, 2012 15:53:06 GMT -5
Post by tntmom on Jan 16, 2012 15:53:06 GMT -5
Bruce,
46/70 would be a good fit for your 15lb barrel. It doesn't work well in smaller rotaries but it will produce a somewhat faster grind in larger barrels. I use it for my 12lb'er and use 60/90 or 80 in my smaller barrels.
As far as hardness goes it is best to keep like hardness stones together. For instance agate and jaspers are great together but there's always a learning curve. For instance quartz, which is also mohs 7 doesn't tumble that great with agates of mohs 7 because it is fracture prone and chips easily. Those kind of stones usually work better by them self with ceramic or other type of filler.
The easiest way without testing them would be to tumble what you've found and when it finishes polish, separate the ones out that did not polish. Those would be your soft stones. Keep separating them out until you have a full load of soft stones to run by them selves.
~Krystee
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grayfingers
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2007
Posts: 4,575
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Grit
Jan 16, 2012 16:54:39 GMT -5
Post by grayfingers on Jan 16, 2012 16:54:39 GMT -5
That is all I use in my 12 lb. barrel. Better value, get more grind from it before it goes away.
Bill
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bwolfe1
off to a rocking start
Learning the Hard way
Member since December 2011
Posts: 19
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Grit
Jan 16, 2012 19:35:42 GMT -5
Post by bwolfe1 on Jan 16, 2012 19:35:42 GMT -5
Thanks Everyone, I did notice when running agates and quartz together that the quartz did more chipping. I also had one piece of amethyst, same problem. How many hardness categories should I have, just soft and hard? One more question, I just checked my UV-18 which is running a prepolish on what I believe are softer rocks and noticed it was foaming, which I had not seen before? The only thing I've done different is add some plastic pellets, and its colder than its been in the workshop.
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Grit
Jan 16, 2012 22:14:06 GMT -5
Post by susand24224 on Jan 16, 2012 22:14:06 GMT -5
Hi--the better you can "grade" hardness of stone, the better they will turn out. Also, hardness is not the only factor. Amethyst and agate "may" be the same hardness, but the agate, as you noticed, will chip and/or fracture the amethyst. This is due to the brittleness of the amethyst, not its hardness.
I should say that some people on this board routinely tumble amethyst and other "touchy" quartzes in with agate and jasper, and they turn out just fine. I have never been able to do that--I always end up with fractured or chipped amethyst.
Susan
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Grit
Jan 16, 2012 22:47:19 GMT -5
Post by tntmom on Jan 16, 2012 22:47:19 GMT -5
Uh, Bruce, I can't give you a definitive answer regarding the foam in your vibe. I can say that I have never used plastic pellets in my vibes. From what I have been taught that is a big no-no. Plastic pellets are virtually weightless and you need the weight for your vibe to work correctly. Ceramics or softer small pebbles are the choice filler for vibes. Pellets are great for rotaries as long as you don't move them along to the next stage!
Did you add anything besides grit to your vibe batch? (ie dawn, borax, ivory etc.....?) Sometimes too much detergent will cause a bit of foaming.
Oh! One more thing! Do you have any glass in there? That can definitely foam before gassing out!
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bwolfe1
off to a rocking start
Learning the Hard way
Member since December 2011
Posts: 19
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Grit
Feb 26, 2012 7:39:35 GMT -5
Post by bwolfe1 on Feb 26, 2012 7:39:35 GMT -5
I figured out what caused the foaming. The plastic pellets
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