herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Nov 17, 2013 0:23:35 GMT -5
Well I've had a mixed batch of Chrysocolla and Peruvian Blue Opal tumbling for about 6 months. I started with about 15# I bought from a member on here last year and it has mostly just run in rough until about 6 weeks ago when I sorted a pound or so out to see if I could get a shine. Honestly a lot of this was matrix when I started and what wasn't was pretty fractured. Looking at it all now I am thinking that by the time I get a decent polish all the pieces will be pea-sized. All that said, there is a lot of color here; even some surprise hematite! I will probably set this aside and mix it back into a 120 grit batch that should be coming along soon. For now this is my worst final product ever, but also the softest, most difficult material, and my first try at polishing in a rotary. First, though is a barrel I let set up still in the rough stage, this stuff will keep tumbling for a while but rinsed right off tonight when I started. This sat for 3 weeks because I turned it off when I went hunting and forgot about it Next some hematite This is the whole batch from polish
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Nov 17, 2013 7:47:02 GMT -5
I am not brave enough to rotary tumble soft stuff. Glass and obsidian is about a good limit.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Nov 17, 2013 19:40:14 GMT -5
Those are great colors and it don't look like a total loss. I really that picture of the single piece of hematite.
Chuck
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Thunder69
Cave Dweller
Thunder 2000-2015
Member since January 2009
Posts: 3,101
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Post by Thunder69 on Nov 17, 2013 19:40:28 GMT -5
John I haven't done a polish in a rotary since I got the vibe...It is for me the best way to do it..The hemetite is cool..John
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timloco
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2012
Posts: 545
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Post by timloco on Nov 17, 2013 20:39:56 GMT -5
Wow 6 months, how much of that was in each stage? Cool looking rocks.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Nov 17, 2013 20:54:07 GMT -5
That hematite is great. What's the green stuff in it?
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carloscinco
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,639
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Post by carloscinco on Nov 17, 2013 20:56:48 GMT -5
I love those shades of blue and green. That hematite could be wire wrapped as is. Now you'll have to baby it through the final polish. Great looking stuff!
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Nov 17, 2013 21:38:18 GMT -5
Wow 6 months, how much of that was in each stage? Cool looking rocks. Tim it was almost entirely stage 1, just bumping and crumbling along slowly. I ran the loads very full with lots of filler because I didn't know how it would tumble being soft. You can see in the 12 # barrel that after sitting and having ground down the load was still nearly full, I had it almost to the top before I ran that load.
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Nov 17, 2013 21:39:35 GMT -5
That hematite is great. What's the green stuff in it? With the exception of the translucent blue opal all of this was all Chrysocolla mined rough. The hematite was a surprise.
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Nov 17, 2013 21:42:09 GMT -5
I am not brave enough to rotary tumble soft stuff. Glass and obsidian is about a good limit. James do you vibe polish soft stuff at all? This all seemed to be about 4-5 Mohs and I wanted to try and baby it with lots of cushion which is why I kept it in the rotary; I was afraid the vibe would just eat it.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Nov 17, 2013 21:56:23 GMT -5
No vibe timblers in my possession. If i was doing soft, i would run the barrel like 85 % full to reduce hitting and stay with rubbing. In a smaller diameter. At a slow speed. And make the liquid syrup using sugar in 500 and polish. A slow spinning rotary that is 80-85% full is very gentle.
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riverrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2010
Posts: 1,395
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Post by riverrock on Nov 18, 2013 7:58:27 GMT -5
Nice job. I am almost done the stone I got from you awhile back.
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Post by pghram on Nov 18, 2013 22:33:40 GMT -5
The color of those really pops, & the shine is pretty good consirering how soft it is. I too, like the hematite.
Rich
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