xag
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Member since April 2019
Posts: 10
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Post by xag on Apr 2, 2019 13:47:58 GMT -5
Hello, I try to polish beads in vibrating tumbler and I have perle spoiling each other. Your experience would be welcome. Thanks
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Post by aDave on Apr 2, 2019 13:58:33 GMT -5
Hello, I try to polish beads in vibrating tumbler and I have perle spoiling each other. Your experience would be welcome. Thanks Welcome to the forum. I have many questions for you. What are the beads made from? Are they stone or glass or another type of material? What type of vibrating tumbler are you using? What are you doing for your polishing steps - what abrasive(s) are you using, and are you using any tumbling media such as ceramics? With those questions being answered, perhaps someone can help.
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xag
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
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Post by xag on Apr 2, 2019 16:27:25 GMT -5
Hello aDave, I made different type of stone beads. Si far I made Owyhee Opal, Jasper, Agate, Eudialyte and some other. I have miling and forming beads machine so the first part is ok. I manage to make perfect round beads until polish stage. I use vibrating tumbler starting on 220 silicon carbite with egal water as media and that's when problem start. Whatever the type of stone I finish with 70 to 90% of beads not round anymore. It's like the beads stay stick together and loss the propre form. I order some Vibradry to make some try but didn't receive yet. Maybe there is some media like nuts Shell or corn to add?
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xag
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
Posts: 10
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Post by xag on Apr 2, 2019 16:39:46 GMT -5
This is what look like the worst
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Post by aDave on Apr 2, 2019 17:33:04 GMT -5
Unfortunately, I've never tried to do beads, so I'm not sure I have alot to offer. I asked many questions, just to see if others might be able to jump in.
Have you checked similarity in hardness of the different source stones? I looked up hardness of eudialyte, and it appears to be 5-6 on the Mohs scale. Your agates and jaspers might be around 7 or more, generally speaking. Are your softer stones being flattened more than your harder stones? If so, you might want to try to run similar batches.
As to vibradry, I can't help. Never have used it before. Good luck.
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xag
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
Posts: 10
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Post by xag on Apr 2, 2019 17:46:45 GMT -5
Thank you, I don't mix the different type of stone, I know it would be a nightmare. The thing is the result is the same with all different try I made. Have you ever try corn or nuts Shell in tumbler? I'm afraid it could be a mess. I let you know about vibradry when tested
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Post by aDave on Apr 2, 2019 18:09:53 GMT -5
Thank you, I don't mix the different type of stone, I know it would be a nightmare. The thing is the result is the same with all different try I made. Have you ever try corn or nuts Shell in tumbler? I'm afraid it could be a mess. I let you know about vibradry when tested I have not used shells of any sort. Sorry.
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Post by Rockindad on Apr 2, 2019 18:45:59 GMT -5
greig could probably help if he sees this. He did a YouTube video a while back, mostly about making the beads with a bead mill but did address tumbling the beads towards the end. Al
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Apr 2, 2019 19:00:05 GMT -5
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Post by greig on Apr 4, 2019 13:33:53 GMT -5
I have not used a vibratory tumbler enough to offer good advice. High level, it seems to me that you might want to reconsider using 220 grit on rocks (that are already rounded to your satisfaction). Medium grit In a rotary tumbler will continue to shape/grind your rocks. Maybe try starting with prepolish instead?
The issue that I experienced with the rocks in the above video, is BIFs are two types of layered stone (jasper & hematite) and the softer rock ground down faster than the harder rock. I have not made enough beads with the mill yet to fully sort out all of the processes.
As for using corn husk or walnut shell, I have tried both for polishing. They work OK, but in my opinion, not as good as aluminum (or cerium) oxide for most situations. FYI - You can get crushed walnut shell at pet supply stores. There are videos online from guys using a vib tumbler and walnut shell to clean/polish their brass cartridges for reloading.
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xag
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Member since April 2019
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Post by xag on Apr 5, 2019 3:34:16 GMT -5
Hello Greig, First of all congratulation for your vidéo. I saw few of them and they are nice and freindly. I will made some new polishing try. One with vibradry and one starting with 220grit and walnut ( I try walnut as beads separator to avoid beads grinding each other). Let you know the result when it's done.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Apr 5, 2019 5:46:32 GMT -5
Hi xag. I’m not sure what “egal water” is. Might be a typo. I’d use ceramic media of mixed sizes in the vibratory. Try using lots of media and fewer beads. Maybe 50-60% media. I’ve never tumbled beads, but I do tumble other shapes this way. Take a look at this video: If that doesn’t work, you could try dry corn cob. Vibradry should be similar, but even better than corn cob. Use lots of corn cob and just a few beads. Here’s a thread documenting my first experiments with corn cob:How did you make your beads?
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Post by Rockindad on Apr 5, 2019 5:55:51 GMT -5
Hi xag. I’m not sure what “egal water” is. Might be a typo. I’d use ceramic media of mixed sizes in the vibratory. Try using lots of media and fewer beads. Maybe 50-60% media. I’ve never tumbled beads, but I do tumble other shapes this way. Take a look at this video: If that doesn’t work, you could try dry corn cob. Vibradry should be similar, but even better than corn cob. Use lots of corn cob and just a few beads. Here’s a thread documenting my first experiments with corn cob:How did you make your beads? Every time I see those deer heads I'm amazed at how they stayed intact. Al
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xag
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Member since April 2019
Posts: 10
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Post by xag on Apr 5, 2019 10:18:15 GMT -5
Hi Jugglerguy, I will try vibradry next week and tell you the result. For the tumbling with corn what quantité of water you think is need? For making beads I start by cutting in cubes, the cubes go the milling machine then To the forming machine. Astrophillite cubes, Scolecite from India in Milling machine, Eudialyte dry and wet and Rainbow Moonstone.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Apr 5, 2019 10:44:20 GMT -5
Hi xag. I’m not sure what “egal water” is. Might be a typo. I’d use ceramic media of mixed sizes in the vibratory. Try using lots of media and fewer beads. Maybe 50-60% media. I’ve never tumbled beads, but I do tumble other shapes this way. Take a look at this video: If that doesn’t work, you could try dry corn cob. Vibradry should be similar, but even better than corn cob. Use lots of corn cob and just a few beads. Here’s a thread documenting my first experiments with corn cob:How did you make your beads? Every time I see those deer heads I'm amazed at how they stayed in tact. Al Half of them didn´t. Now they´re does.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Apr 5, 2019 10:48:15 GMT -5
The corn cob media is used dry.
Cool machine. That´s a Chinese machine, right? I saw one like that on the Web once, but I don´t know if it´s available in the United States. Can you show a picture of the milling machine and the forming machine? They´re two separate machines?
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xag
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Member since April 2019
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Post by xag on Apr 5, 2019 11:09:35 GMT -5
Yes this is the chinese ones but they have been rebuilt in Germany to meet Europeen regulation (electrical). I'm in France I don't know if they are available in US. The Scolecite who was in the milling machine coming out from forming machine and still wet. 15 minutes to make 150 pièces 6mm.
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Post by Rockindad on Apr 5, 2019 12:20:50 GMT -5
Every time I see those deer heads I'm amazed at how they stayed in tact. Al Half of them didn´t. Now they´re does.
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Wooferhound
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Post by Wooferhound on Apr 9, 2019 8:41:45 GMT -5
I think that you need Different Sizes of material in the tumbler with the beads. If everything is the same size there will be rotating resonances that will put the material in a repeating motion that will deform some of the beads.
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xag
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Member since April 2019
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Post by xag on Apr 9, 2019 10:25:02 GMT -5
Thanks for this advice, I will try to add some cab on the same matériel.
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