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Post by gingerkid on Jul 31, 2015 1:44:03 GMT -5
A plateful of disasters... Fancy jasper/Bloodstone Bubblegum agate Coral from jamesp Fossil materials from manofglass and snowmom Metamorphic feldspar Rhyolite from Tommy with Bruneau jasper Saw trimmings added to tumblers Some of the saw trimmings that I picked out... Deschutes with Desert Picture jasper Jugglerguy material (I owe jamesp cabs of this pretty stuff!!), medfordite, Hampton Butte pet wood (seafoam triangular thingy), chatoyant jade Sheep Creek dendritic agate Vistaite Thanks for checking them out. What are the secrets to tumbling rhyolite materials?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Jul 31, 2015 4:18:28 GMT -5
About all Mohs 5-6.5 gives me fits Jan. Every once in a while I get a polish on them. May be my PVC barrels, but my Vibrasonic doesn't get it done either. The agates polish with a half barrel full of oversized agate/coral no problem i.e. poor conditions. Basalts/rhyolites/dallasites/felspars/granitoids just do not like me. Major jihad. Got a big pile of satin finished 5-6.5's LOL. Don't forget obsidian.
Rob's unakite has come out with fine polish. About the only softer rock. Even the Cartersville jasper does not polish as well. Coral, Savannah River, coastal cherts, Rio, pet wood from quartz/Texas shine like jewels, rotary or vibe. All hardcore Mohs 7.
Chuck/Rob/tkvancil manage polish on those materials, must be the Great Lakes water. Animosity. Consortium. Jealousy LOL. Curse of Confederacy ? Am certain the Lotto helps some of them. Don't feel alone.
P.S. Agates mixed with rhyolite and other soft stones can be problematic. The hard agate will often steal the shine, especially in the rotary. Have run Cartersville jasper by itself and gotten a fine polish, but add 50% coral and the jasper losses polish.
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Post by snowmom on Jul 31, 2015 4:46:45 GMT -5
Gingerkid Jan, I'd be happy to make it that far with my tumbles, those aren't so bad...I see some good shine coming on. I am surrounded by Michigan perfectionists here, gives me a good example to strive to emulate... so far I'm in the disappointment boat with you. Keep on keeping on, you have company.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jul 31, 2015 6:41:39 GMT -5
I really like those bubble gum agates. Never tried those yet myself.
Chuck
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Post by mohs on Jul 31, 2015 10:18:36 GMT -5
but I like it !
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Jul 31, 2015 10:22:03 GMT -5
Lots of nice stuff there .... mixing hardness can indeed be problematic .... I think ya done good. Partial to the bubblegum myself.
Rockshed used to have bubblegum but not any longer. I haven't been able to find any elsewhere. Did you collect yours or buy it?
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Post by gingerkid on Jul 31, 2015 13:15:23 GMT -5
Thanks, y'all, for your kind comments on the tumbles! jamesp, I greatly appreciate your advice! Need to reread the threads concerning tumbling rhyolites. Tried tumbling some of the Georgia Queen Picture jasper from Jay of Jay's Rock Shop and followed his instructions that he kindly shared with me. I was so ashamed of them that I never posted pics of them, lol. I tumbled these for about a month in 60/90, and pulled these metamorphic feldspar and a bloodstone out before final polish (should've taken them out sooner). Think some of the metamorphic feldspar was too large for tumbling in the AR-2 and TV-5. Thanks, tkvancil! I purchased the bubblegum and fancy bloodstone from Mark of Super Agates. Just checked for you, and he doesn't have any available now. (superagates.com) Any tips on how to tumble materials, such as the metamorphic feldspar or the GA Queen pic jasper, that has mixed hardness? Both of these have quartz in their mixes. Thank You!!
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Jul 31, 2015 15:28:14 GMT -5
Like them all-liking the eastern Oregon jaspers the best.....
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megalotis
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2009
Posts: 226
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Post by megalotis on Jul 31, 2015 21:14:32 GMT -5
Nice material, nice polish! Some of those rhyolites are sweet!
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Jul 31, 2015 21:17:41 GMT -5
What are the secrets to tumbling rhyolite materials? Love those Sheep's Creek! As for the answer to your question, a wise man once told me, "swearing, a lot of swearing." It works sometimes...
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Post by gingerkid on Aug 1, 2015 13:26:04 GMT -5
Thank you, Fossilman, megalotis and peachfront! As for the answer to your question, a wise man once told me, "swearing, a lot of swearing." It works sometimes... Many thanks for your tip, peachfront!
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Aug 4, 2015 9:58:13 GMT -5
Thanks for the tip on Superagates gingerkid. Tumbling an individual stone with mixed hardness is a crap shoot. Undercutting is going to happen if it's going to happen. I have noticed that with a straight graded grit like 80 undercutting seems to be less. Perhaps the larger particles in a coarser grit get deeper into the softer material because of their larger size. I have also noticed that if most of the load is a similar hardness to the softer part of the mixed rock undercutting lessens. Most of the time if a mixed hardness piece goes really bad on me it is in the polish step. When I used to rotary polish I used a whopping 6tbs. of polish with 5/8 cups H2O in a 3# barrel. This gave me a thick slurry which I believe provides some cushion. These days I finish in a vibratory tumbler, Thumlers UV18. I add 6 tbs. of borax to my polish. Makes the polish slurry thick, almost batter like.
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Post by gingerkid on Aug 7, 2015 23:03:48 GMT -5
Thank you, tkvancil, for answering my question concerning tumbling an individual stone with varying hardness. I greatly appreciate your tips! You are welcome for the info on the Bubblegum agate. Will use Borax next time instead of crushed Ivory for burnishing/cushioning.
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