robrit
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3
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Post by robrit on Jun 13, 2011 10:49:26 GMT -5
I'm looking at trying to polish some of the pieces of Trinitite that I have in my collection. Since Trinitite is a man made glass formed from the heat of the first atomic explosion on the desert sand, I'm not sure how to do it or if it can even be done at all. Anyone have any pointers for tumbling and polishing it? If it can be done, it should be rather nice. Has some really nice green colors. CAN ANYONE HELP!!
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Post by Toad on Jun 13, 2011 11:14:46 GMT -5
I imagine you'd polish it just like glass. You'll have to wait for someone that has polished glass before to come along. Or you can do a search. Plenty of threads on polishing glass.
Do you have any pictures?
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robrit
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3
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Post by robrit on Jun 13, 2011 11:37:10 GMT -5
Currently I do not but could take some and put them up on here. I havent ever polished glass. Ive only done rocks and I think that I'm a novice at that. I guess I will have to see what it would take to polish glass in a tumbler.
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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 Jun 13, 2011 11:42:54 GMT -5
Please don't do it. Once you have polished the Trinitite, all you have some very faintly radioactive green glass. You have destroyed the value of the specimen. I have pictures, OK, found it, this is our specimen. It's a light green glass. You can't collect any more, you have to either purchase specimens from the gift shop or receive them as a gift. We got it as a gift from an old boy (probably deceased now) who was living in the area and about 12 years old at the time of Trinity. He and his family saw the explosion but didn't know what he was seeing. Heck of a story... Folks, you can have the look of light green glass a lot of ways. Once it's polished, it is no longer Trinitite to the eye, although it may still be possible to prove what it is, to the Geiger Counter... It's like those misguided New Age folks who polished Moldavite. Why, why, why? As a natural specimen of this lovely green glassy meteorite, you have something special. Cut it as a gem and all you have is some green glass that could have just as well come from a soda bottle. Please, Robrit, I urge you to reconsider this ill-advised project. If you need that color, in a glassy finish, then please use a soda bottle. Heck, if you wanted history, some broken "desert sand" soda bottles from the MacDonald ranch where the workers stayed would be better than destroying the Trinitite specimens. I really can't urge you strongly enough NOT to do this. Sorry if I seem insistent. You may feel the specimens are ugly as they are, but they are history. Since it is no longer legal to collect, and since the military long ago destroyed a lot of the glass whilst cleaning up the Trinity site, it would be a shame to destroy any of them.
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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 Jun 13, 2011 11:50:27 GMT -5
Oh, and this one shows the unpolished unworked Trinitite specimen with an old piece of soda glass from the MacDonald ranch at the Trinity site. A chip of dishware also. You can work and polish glass easily, in the tumbler or I do it by hand, just please spare the Trinitites..I think this is the way to respect history while still creating a "gem" or mosaic piece for jewelry, mosaic crafts, etc.
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robrit
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3
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Post by robrit on Jun 13, 2011 12:03:50 GMT -5
I understand your concern and yes, your right. I have thought about it long and hard for the very reasons that you have mentioned. I currently have about 13-14 pieces which all have stories too. I was going to try one of my small pieces and keep the rest to pass down to my kids just as they were to me. All have a pale green color and all are special in their own way. Not sure if I will do it or not.
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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 Jun 14, 2011 10:01:07 GMT -5
OK, I'm glad you're taking care and putting thought into this. You had me worried...
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Post by 150FromFundy on Jun 15, 2011 21:51:53 GMT -5
Fascinating post and history. Thanks.
Darryl.
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