shyla
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2012
Posts: 1
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Post by shyla on Feb 14, 2012 7:18:30 GMT -5
Ok so my daughter loves rocks and my grandfather used to make them all the time when I was a kid. So we purchased a Lortone 3A kit for her for christmas. Came with Grits 60/90 and 120/220/polishes alum oxide pre-polish and Ultra fine Alum Oxide polish, a pound of stone plus plastic pellets. We ran the first stage for a week and the difference in the rocks were amazing. Second week goes fine, third week ok and fourth week, no high luster on rocks at all. They are smooth but once dry are dull. Read online to redo the pre-polish for 10 days and Polish for 2 weeks. Just took the batch out yesterday and still the same - dull! We went and bought a bunch of rocks to do for the second batch but after seeing the first, I am afraid to begin! What could be going wrong and how do I get a high luster on these rocks? Keep in mind I have never worked one of these machines before, only know what they should look like when finished. Thanks for all the help you can give me as I would like this next batch to come out right.
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Post by connrock on Feb 14, 2012 7:42:24 GMT -5
Hi shyla,,, It may be a lot easier for us to help you if you start a new load with the right type and size of rocks. As a matter of fact there are quite a few people who are new to tumbling with threads going right now that I know will help you. There is a VERY good set of instructions for beginners at this link,,,,,scroll down a bit,,, forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/index.cgi?board=trtphoto&action=display&thread=22055&page=4I think f you follow these instructions to the letter you will do great! Good Luck,,, connrock
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Feb 14, 2012 8:54:20 GMT -5
Welcome Shyla. As connrock hinted, it would be easier for us to help if we knew what you were trying to tumble. Agates are the best way to start because they're very hard and polish well.
It's also important that you keep your tumbler 2/3 to 3/4 full with rocks and/or pellets. You need to add pellets to make up for the lost volume of rock that has been ground away.
Chuck
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Feb 14, 2012 11:17:36 GMT -5
You have come to the right place for help, everyone here helped me a bunch on my first few tumbles. The more pictures you can post the better help you will recieve. Pictures of what type of rocks you have in there and pictures of the barrel with the rocks and water in it so we can tell how full you have it would be great. good luck and glad to see another parent getting there children into rocks! Chuck
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Feb 14, 2012 14:08:21 GMT -5
Hi Shyla,
I was in your shoes, I followed the Lortone directions to a "T" and found only disappointment.
As everyone is saying, posting pics really helps.
It is important to learn that the Lortone instructions will only yield mediocre results if followed.
The link connrock posted above saved my rock tumbling, and actually helped me make good progress. It also has photos that will blow your socks off and show you what you are capable of depending on your patience and the material you are trying to tumble.
Please post as much detail (including photos and the material you are using) and you will be able to get the help you need.
Good Luck!
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Feb 14, 2012 18:40:26 GMT -5
I use the small 5 lb. bags of river rock rounded pebbles from Home Depot for filler instead of beads. They really seem to help get a good gravy consistency going in first rough tumble and get the grit to working. Good luck in your tumbles.
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Post by susand24224 on Feb 14, 2012 21:06:56 GMT -5
I'm going to assume that none of your rocks are shiny at all, which means that mixed hardness is not your problem. You do mention plastic pellets, though--did you keep using the same pellets through all of the stages? If you did, that is enough to keep your rocks from developing a shine. The pellets "capture" enough grit that they alone would dull your rocks as they move along (little bits of 60/90 stuck in the pellets knocking off the shine).
If that is not the issue I agree with all of the above--we need to know a bit more.
Susan
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Post by Bikerrandy on Feb 14, 2012 21:46:39 GMT -5
I was thinking same as Susan. Also, you've gotta scrub out the tumble barrel really good with a tooth brush and warm soapy water. It really does sound like cross-contamination is the problem, either from the pellets, barrel, or both. Be sure to thoroughly clean the rocks as well. It also doesn't hurt to do a pre-polish burnish (tumble in Borax) before starting the polish stage and again after the polish stage. Give it a try!
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Post by helens on Feb 14, 2012 22:40:47 GMT -5
While we did very different hardness rocks, I found that taking out the smallest stones below 1/4" made a HUGE HUGE difference. Especially the little chips. I could not get a shine until those were removed, than boom, within a few hours, the shine started to show. I think when chips get really small, they decide to act as grit:).
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Feb 15, 2012 22:57:55 GMT -5
Did you burnish them after the polish? If not, put the rocks in the barrel for another round, but this time with just a couple tablespoons of Borax and a little powdered dishwasher soap, or laundry soap, and run that for just a day. Are they still dull after that?
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