pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Placed another order in rockshed. Happy 2024 everyone!
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,370
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Post by pebblesky on Sept 7, 2022 23:34:34 GMT -5
Before - I like the bands, the color and size of this agate, and thought it was a perfect preform of a oval shape. After I have marked two features on both photos to show how I recognized it. This is after a 120-200 grit vibe run for 30 hours. Other agates or quartz in the same barrel barely changed their shapes. I was wondering if it is due to the crystal-like structure in the middle of the rock. Should I avoid tumbling agates like this one in the future? Update: Seems I mistook another agate with the original one. The original one was in the rotary tumbler for two weeks instead… the ACTUAL after: It has a long way to go but it is not gone😄
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2022 6:59:27 GMT -5
Oh no! That’s sad. I can’t answer your question but others can. Perhaps Brent or Jason. Starguy jasoninsd
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 8, 2022 9:10:20 GMT -5
I've noticed on a lot of fortified Agates that I've worked, that quartz area (like the one in yours) is considerably softer than the rest of the rock. When I'm cabbing, I have to watch for undercutting in those areas...much the same with tumbling. With tumbling, I don't know that there's a way to avoid it...
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Post by RickB on Sept 8, 2022 9:43:28 GMT -5
I wonder if there might be some calcite mixed into the rock.
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Post by Starguy on Sept 8, 2022 9:59:34 GMT -5
pebblesky That’s a nice agate. I would have tumbled it for sure. I’ve watched nice rock features/patterns get ground away in the tumblers for years. The nice part is that new features are being exposed at the same time. I have never used a vibratory tumbler. 35 years of rotary experience. Your agate looks considerably smaller from the first photo to the second. With what I understand about vibes, that surprises me a little. As lapidaries, we are all changing the rocks we work on. It’s usually a change for the better but not always. Don’t give up on the rock until it looks the way you want. Thanks for showing. Like RickB said. I’ve seen calcite in crazy lace rough. It’s pretty soft but in the long run, the agate areas usually turn out fantastic.
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pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Placed another order in rockshed. Happy 2024 everyone!
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,370
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Post by pebblesky on Sept 8, 2022 10:44:55 GMT -5
Thanks for the discussion ashley jasoninsd RickB Starguy! It is fun to talk about rocks with experts! I did expect the middle part of the rock to softer or brittle, but not to the extent that the majority of rock is gone, or tumbled to a form that I could no longer recognize. A typical rock in the same run looks like this, which is more aligned with my expectation. Before After I enjoy the ride anyway. Maybe I should leave pieces like this as is, or hand polish the bands part:
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Post by Starguy on Sept 8, 2022 11:02:13 GMT -5
Thanks for the discussion ashley jasoninsd RickB Starguy ! It is fun to talk about rocks with experts! I enjoy the ride anyway. Maybe I should leave pieces like this as is, or hand polish the bands part: Those quartzy parts of rocks can be difficult. My rotaries tend to beat and bruise that part of the rocks. I always feel happy when I can get the quartzy areas to shine.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2022 12:07:20 GMT -5
Those are some beauties!
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Post by fernwood on Sept 8, 2022 12:10:45 GMT -5
Sometimes the banding is not very deep into the rock. I agree about tumblers abusing the quartzy parts. Have had that happen often with rotary.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Sept 11, 2022 11:59:16 GMT -5
Most likely calcite (mohs 4) mixed in those bands. It happens. Frustrating for sure, but for every let down you will have 20 YES moments. Wait to you have that perfect agate in the saw and discover that perfect patter in the slab fractures along the calcite line. Frustration frustration frustration.
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pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Placed another order in rockshed. Happy 2024 everyone!
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,370
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Post by pebblesky on Sept 14, 2022 11:44:11 GMT -5
Update: I ended up finding that pinkish agate in my rotary tumbler, looking good The piece I picked up from my vibe for comparison, must be from some other piece of agate... So it is not something wrong with that agate, it is my book-keeping (and the way I thought I recognized rocks) being indeed off... Sorry for the confusion, and I will share with you its final form one day
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Post by jasoninsd on Sept 14, 2022 22:15:50 GMT -5
Update: I ended up finding that pinkish agate in my rotary tumbler, looking good The piece I picked up from my vibe for comparison, must be from some other piece of agate... So it is not something wrong with that agate, it is my book-keeping (and the way I thought I recognized rocks) being indeed off... Sorry for the confusion, and I will share with you its final form one day
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Deleted
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Member since January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2022 11:11:29 GMT -5
pebbleskyGlad that wasn’t the one! How are they looking?
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pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Placed another order in rockshed. Happy 2024 everyone!
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,370
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Post by pebblesky on Sept 16, 2022 12:32:20 GMT -5
Hopefully I will see it again tomorrow - my sweet Saturday for tumbler progress check.
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pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Placed another order in rockshed. Happy 2024 everyone!
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,370
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Post by pebblesky on Apr 15, 2023 0:32:18 GMT -5
Have been wanting to do this for a while. This is how the agate of the first post eventually looks like:
Looking back, I probably tumbled too much, trying to get rid of all the chips, just ending up revealing more quartz pockets. The good thing is I purchased an ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner so I was no longer too afraid of chips and holes.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,686
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Post by khara on Apr 15, 2023 10:29:08 GMT -5
Very nice. Ya I understand the temptation to continue going a bit more trying for perfection. I’m always bothered by fractures in an otherwise nice tumble. We have a bunch of large Montana’s and the cracks just bug me. I know it’s nature, and they’re not perfect, but… How long did you ultimately tumble it? Your first post was scary but luckily I got your two week update instantly since I only now read this! 🤓
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Apr 15, 2023 11:05:43 GMT -5
I think it turned out beautiful!
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pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Placed another order in rockshed. Happy 2024 everyone!
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,370
|
Post by pebblesky on Apr 15, 2023 11:21:43 GMT -5
Very nice. Ya I understand the temptation to continue going a bit more trying for perfection. I’m always bothered by fractures in an otherwise nice tumble. We have a bunch of large Montana’s and the cracks just bug me. I know it’s nature, and they’re not perfect, but… How long did you ultimately tumble it? Your first post was scary but luckily I got your two week update instantly since I only now read this! 🤓 I would blame RTH to have set the bar high By looking at all these magnificent macro photos I can't stop imagining my tumbles to be like that... From my flickr timeline, I started tumbling it at the end of August 2022, and it was done for step 1 in Dec 2022. I did take it out to cut a corner off it to avoid a hole (it ended up becoming a larger hole), and switched to other rocks at a time, so it roughly 3 months in step 1. I finished polishing it through normal vibe steps on Feb 22 2023.
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pebblesky
fully equipped rock polisher
Placed another order in rockshed. Happy 2024 everyone!
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,370
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Post by pebblesky on Apr 15, 2023 11:22:11 GMT -5
I think it turned out beautiful! Great to see you back Robin!
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Post by parfive on Apr 15, 2023 12:38:24 GMT -5
Saw a nice rock . . . wasn’t expecting the tune. Great shot.
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