sphereguy
having dreams about rocks
Hello all I've been lurking for months now
Member since March 2017
Posts: 73
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Post by sphereguy on Mar 2, 2017 19:14:29 GMT -5
Question. I recently received some grits and polishes. And one I'm not able to identify. It's called silver bond b silica. I'm curious as to what it polishes and if it is a good polish
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sphereguy
having dreams about rocks
Hello all I've been lurking for months now
Member since March 2017
Posts: 73
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Post by sphereguy on Mar 4, 2017 21:29:21 GMT -5
I have had a great deal of research on this polish and no one seems to know anything about it. Any leads would be great.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Mar 4, 2017 21:52:34 GMT -5
Probably not the answer your looking for but I do not use any polish unless I know what it is. I have gotten a bunch of unknown polishes at estate sales and tossed it all. The polish step is the most important part so I would not try to save a buck there. Best case scenario is that you use it and like but even then you will not be able to find more and will then have to adjust to a new polish.
Chuck
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sphereguy
having dreams about rocks
Hello all I've been lurking for months now
Member since March 2017
Posts: 73
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Post by sphereguy on Mar 5, 2017 0:07:31 GMT -5
Thank you chuck for the advice. I did get about 100 lbs. May try it as a polish or even a pre polish just to see. But I think before I use any it would be nice to know what it polishes first.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Mar 5, 2017 4:44:40 GMT -5
Holy crap that is a lot if polish. I have been tumbling in large quantities for 4 years and have only used about 6 pounds total. With that much it is worth trying to figure it out.
Chuck
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Post by captbob on Mar 5, 2017 5:13:06 GMT -5
Where did you come across 100 lbs of polish? That may be a clue as to what it was used for. Something that may help you figure out what it is or can polish would be to send a Zip-Loc baggie of it to some of the big time rock polishers here. jamesp would come to mind here. Folks that use vibes to polish their rocks could probably report back much sooner than folks that rotary tumble. Get the opinions of 4 or 5 folks here an what it does and then start selling pound or 2 pound bags of it on eBay or wherever else you can to get rid of it. There is no way that you will ever go through that in a lifetime, unless you tumble commercially.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Mar 5, 2017 6:34:34 GMT -5
Probably not the answer your looking for but I do not use any polish unless I know what it is. I have gotten a bunch of unknown polishes at estate sales and tossed it all. The polish step is the most important part so I would not try to save a buck there. Best case scenario is that you use it and like but even then you will not be able to find more and will then have to adjust to a new polish. Chuck Best answer IMO. I will add, for Mohs 7 stones, Rock Shed's AO 14,000 is hard to beat for quality and cost. For a variety of rotaries and vibes. Apparently for softer rocks too. As mentioned, repeatability and familiarity.
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Post by captbob on Mar 5, 2017 6:51:33 GMT -5
Hard to just throw away 100 pounds of polish. I'd sure want to figure out what it is -pre-polish or polish- and what its capabilities are. That's 3-4 hundred bucks worth of ... something.
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Post by MrMike on Mar 5, 2017 6:58:09 GMT -5
Question. I recently received some grits and polishes. And one I'm not able to identify. It's called silver bond b silica. I'm curious as to what it polishes and if it is a good polish Looks like it's just ground silica so it would be no use as a rock polish. www.brilliantadditions.com/prod-silverbond.cfm
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Post by captbob on Mar 5, 2017 7:18:15 GMT -5
Question. I recently received some grits and polishes. And one I'm not able to identify. It's called silver bond b silica. I'm curious as to what it polishes and if it is a good polish Looks like it's just ground silica so it would be no use as a rock polish. www.brilliantadditions.com/prod-silverbond.cfmLOL so much for a great deal of research! Guess that didn't include Google. For polishing rocks .... not so much.
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sphereguy
having dreams about rocks
Hello all I've been lurking for months now
Member since March 2017
Posts: 73
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Post by sphereguy on Mar 5, 2017 12:12:58 GMT -5
The old timer I got it from passed without much for notes on what he used which grits and polishes but he did use the silver bond b He had flat laps vibra laps and barrel tumblers. And most of his art was high end tumbles i.e. Crysophrase and a tons of cabs. Sadly all the tumbles and cabs were not part of what he left to me. But I am blessed to receive his equipment and grits. For more info about me I have been tumbling for about ten years and ran a 500 lb tumbler for a while and currently use a diamond pacific 65 t for all first pass material and 4 15 lb barrels and 4 12 lb barrels and three 10 lb vibe tumblers. I Finnish about 100 lbs of tumbles each month. As to the silver bond b don't want to waste it or cross contaminate my current barrels until I figure out what it's place is for the lapidary art. Cannot express how much all of this forums input is appreciated. Thank you RTH
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Post by captbob on Mar 5, 2017 15:15:29 GMT -5
With that much product, it would be a shame to waste it. Try using it in place of 500 grit on a load or two to see what it does for ya. Does it move the rocks forward or back? Go from there as to where in the tumbling process it may have the best results on your rocks.
All you have to lose is the time the experiment takes!
Glad you finally decided to join us ya lurker! Would LOVE to see your tumbling operation. What do you do with all your rocks? Must sell them somewhere!
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sphereguy
having dreams about rocks
Hello all I've been lurking for months now
Member since March 2017
Posts: 73
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Post by sphereguy on Mar 5, 2017 18:31:12 GMT -5
I'm pretty non tech with computers. But as soon as I figure out how to post pictures I'll share my Little Rock shed. As for selling only once a year I have a sale to make enough for more rough and saw oil and grit. But the idea of using it as pre polish I'm will. I'm cleaning out a uv 10 to see. I am starting with part of a batch that have been prepolished. To see if it finnishes or is not as finished as the remaining half.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Mar 6, 2017 5:51:17 GMT -5
There is a good chance he used the softer silica grit to tumble softer rocks. Many soft rocks with fine polishes from overseas are sold in the US. My guess is that they use softer grits that will break down with softer rocks. Apatite, Fluorite, Turquoise, calcite etc, all these are available with a dead wet polish.
Silicon carbide and aluminum oxide work great on Mohs 7 rocks. Mohs 9 abrasives for Mohs 7 rocks.
How about Mohs 7 abrasives for Mohs 5 rocks ? Mohs 6 abrasives for Mohs 4 rocks ?
Soft rocks have a hard time breaking down abrasives. The break down thing is important in tumbling, especially at polish level.
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Post by tims on Mar 6, 2017 21:49:16 GMT -5
Jamesp's suggestion makes sense. I also wonder if that might have been used as a lapping polish instead of for tumbling.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Mar 7, 2017 5:05:43 GMT -5
Jamesp's suggestion makes sense. I also wonder if that might have been used as a lapping polish instead of for tumbling. I guess you could take it to extremes. Soapstone would probably have a hard time breaking down hard AO 1000 to 3000 or 4000 to prepare for AO 14,000. You about have to use softer abrasive to get it to break down when tumbling soft rocks, or do many steps. I wish someone would try quartz 220-500-1000-14,000 on obsidian. Moms 7 abrasive on a Mohs 5 rock. Where to get quartz 220-500-1000-14,000 is the problem. Soft rocks frost easily from mechanical impact, another problem.
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sphereguy
having dreams about rocks
Hello all I've been lurking for months now
Member since March 2017
Posts: 73
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Post by sphereguy on Apr 22, 2017 0:17:53 GMT -5
Well I did two small batches in the uv 10 First we're kalama agates prepolished with 500 f n a 10 lb lortone barrel which I have done this way for years
These hard carnelian came out with the same shine on them as the Tripoli I use as a final polish The silver bond b works as a polish here Second I did a small batch of adventure and the same 500f in barrel for pre polish then to the uv 10 with silver bond b and they came out less polished than the Tripoli I usually use So I am going to experiment more with the silver bond b but it seems like the harder the mohs the better the polish
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,623
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 23, 2017 0:08:56 GMT -5
Somewhere out in the shop I've got an old set of various polishes that were sold in spritz bottles for use in faceting. And among them was a Silica spray. I think it was labeled as Colloidal Silica but can't remember for sure. It's pouring down rain outside right now but tomorrow I'll take a look and see if I can find it and see if it says what it was recommended for.
But if it turns out that the Silver Bond B Silica is something that you don't want to use for tumbling then if you know a potter in your area I'm sure they would love to have it to use to make ceramic glazes with.
Larry C.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Apr 23, 2017 8:49:27 GMT -5
Somewhere out in the shop I've got an old set of various polishes that were sold in spritz bottles for use in faceting. And among them was a Silica spray. I think it was labeled as Colloidal Silica but can't remember for sure. It's pouring down rain outside right now but tomorrow I'll take a look and see if I can find it and see if it says what it was recommended for. But if it turns out that the Silver Bond B Silica is something that you don't want to use for tumbling then if you know a potter in your area I'm sure they would love to have it to use to make ceramic glazes with. Larry C. I see mirror polishes on tumbled calcite form oversea suppliers. Curious what abrasives the they use. Either they use a lot os steps on hard abrasive that will not break down in the tumbler. Or they used a say Mohs 5 abrasive set that actually did break down in the tumbler for these soft rocks. Calcite or fluorite, both well tumble polished, both very soft.
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QuailRiver
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,623
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Post by QuailRiver on Apr 23, 2017 12:41:07 GMT -5
Somewhere out in the shop I've got an old set of various polishes that were sold in spritz bottles for use in faceting. And among them was a Silica spray. I think it was labeled as Colloidal Silica but can't remember for sure. It's pouring down rain outside right now but tomorrow I'll take a look and see if I can find it and see if it says what it was recommended for. But if it turns out that the Silver Bond B Silica is something that you don't want to use for tumbling then if you know a potter in your area I'm sure they would love to have it to use to make ceramic glazes with. Larry C. I see mirror polishes on tumbled calcite form oversea suppliers. Curious what abrasives the they use. Either they use a lot os steps on hard abrasive that will not break down in the tumbler. Or they used a say Mohs 5 abrasive set that actually did break down in the tumbler for these soft rocks. Calcite or fluorite, both well tumble polished, both very soft. I've not done much tumbling so have very little experience to draw from on that subject. But what you state would seem to make sense. Also I remember hearing something many years ago about using small cut-up pieces of leather and aluminum oxide in the polishing stages of soft materials like fluorite, turquoise, howlite and malachite. With a MOHs hardness of nine I would imagine that aluminum oxide doesn't break down too much with stones that soft but I guess some of the AO clings to the pieces of leather and makes them work like mini buffing pads. Larry C.
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