mrflake
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2003
Posts: 58
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Post by mrflake on Aug 19, 2003 7:06:24 GMT -5
I know this sounds obvious but why if the 80 grit breaks down to slurry, do I need to go through two finer grits, won't they be coarser than the slurry from the 80 grit which has broken down, having not yet started on a second grit stage of polishing I am wondering if I need to do both of the finer grits or maybe just the finest if anything before polishing, some stones I have took out of 80 grit buff up really shiney when rubbed on cotton cloth, admittedly the shine does not persist too long though.
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donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on Aug 19, 2003 8:31:20 GMT -5
Hi mrflake, you raise an interesting question. I agree with you. Although the little tumbling I have done, I have gone through all the stages. I suppose it is a little more controlled that way? But, I will tell you this, I have a friend who has been tumbling Flintridge flint for quite some time and he has a method that works for him with good results. It is simple and is exactly what you are talking about. He starts his rolling tumbler with coarse grit and leaves it run for 21 days. As the grit breaks down it slowly moves to finer stages on its own. After the 21 days, he simply cleans and goes straight to pre polish for 7 days and then to final for 7 to 9 days (ceranium oxide). The flint turns out great, with super polish. It sure seems to save the $ on med. and fine grits. I guess one draw back would be if a piece or 2 breaks during the process, you wouldn't know, and it may scratch the other rocks setting you back some. Other than that, it sure sounds like an economical way to tumble. Any other opinions out there? Rocks, they do a body good ;D , Don
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donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on Aug 19, 2003 8:39:12 GMT -5
Me again. My gosh, I did it again It is CERIUM oxide not ceranium. I should have proof read 11 times instead of just 10..hehe. I must have some kind of mental glitch making me do that. Sorry folks, Don
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Post by Beachcomber on Aug 19, 2003 8:48:11 GMT -5
I use grit on my gemstones, but for all other rocks like agate etc. I use beach sand (I'm cheap... most places its illegal to remove sand from the beach but there are private ones that are ok.. besides who doesn't get a little sand in their socks at the beach.. ahem...LOL) Beach sand breaks down quickly as well, depending on where you got it from and rids the need of med grits in some cases. But as in grit.. I suppose that not all of it breaks down and later stages are nessasary for better results. When collecting beach sand it is important to remember that sand high in iron tends to accumulate near the tide line, finer grades are found higher up from the tide line because they are lighter and get blown around easier. You will have to sift beach sand if you use it.
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donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on Aug 19, 2003 9:13:21 GMT -5
Good suggestion BC, sand works for Mother nature, why not in a tumbler? Probably a bit slower than SC grit, but the price is right! I might have to try some. The only problem I see is I usually walk the beach bare-footed no socks, and I sure would hate to have to hide it in my shorts! Thanks for the good idea, Don
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mrflake
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2003
Posts: 58
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Post by mrflake on Aug 19, 2003 10:19:26 GMT -5
Hey Downrob, be sure to store the sand at the front of your shorts, a few bulges there might get better attention than if you have a few bulges at the back which I think may just get folk staying well clear of you... I will follow the normal procedure as this is my first tumble and I am guessing that it is done that way for a good reason, but on subsequent tries I will experiment, unless anyone else has the definitive answer as to why all the stages are required. Back to the beach, I will be at one in the UK this weekend, supposed to be amethyst and jasper to be found. Unfortunately I am about as central in the UK as you can get so got to make the most of the weekend. p.s. how commonplace is Blue John in collections in the states ( I realise you can't obtain it from there just wondered how many people owned any, although it is not a rock for tumbling)
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donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on Aug 19, 2003 11:24:16 GMT -5
LOL, hehe, thanks for a good laugh mrflake, I read your answer over several times in my best British accent. You guys grew up watching Benny Hill & Monty Python and the Flying Circus thing, no wonder you have a good sense of humor. Thanks for the cheer-up! I needed that . I've never heard of Blue John, sorry. What kind of rock or mineral is it? I hope you have a great weekend at the beach and find lots of gems, TTYL, Don
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mrflake
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2003
Posts: 58
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Post by mrflake on Aug 19, 2003 11:43:21 GMT -5
Sorry, donwrobbeen spelling your name wrong! Anyway Blue john is a Flurspar that can only be found in two mines in Derbyshire in the UK, about an hours drive from me, it is the worlds 26th most rare gemstone so not that important. They mine just one ton a year for use in the mines workshops for jewelery and gifts. When worked it is expensive with thimble sized bowls selling for 3 figures. I have a large chunk of it which is poor grade and could not be used for anything other than an ornament, I cut a pice of and hand polished it but it is extemely brittle. Oh yeah I should say it is a blue/ green colour, very attractive. For more info put "Blue John" into www.google.co.uk search engine and you will find the mine pages.
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Post by docone31 on Aug 19, 2003 21:35:45 GMT -5
Boy, after reading about Blue John I almost forgot the subject. I believe, I qualify this is my opinion, that going the cycles with graded grits maintains predictibility. This is just my opinion. I have gone longer cycles with 80, and it seems to have been mostly reduced in size. I did find "chunks" in the slurry. I have used sand for grit, and I have used sand as a buffer. I prefer it as a buffer for the grits but I like borax better. For cost purposes, I have used sandblasting grit. Not too bad. It comes in 50lb. bags and in a tumbler lasts forever. I have tried running it into the second cycle, but I ended up using 220 for the cycle. The problem I ran into with sand was, it retained the grit particles no matter how hard I washed it. I couldn't get a decent polish untill I backed up and did 220, pre, and final. This is one of those hmmmm, I hope someone replies with cataloged results. It will be interesting. Also sand will differ with geographic locations. Here, the water is heavy with manganese, that stuff is miserable. Unless I use water from my R/O unit it stays hazy through all polishes. In Oregon where we were before the water was heavy with sulpher. Limestone based stones took a beating, so did jaspers. Good topic.
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donwrob
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2003
Posts: 509
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Post by donwrob on Aug 20, 2003 9:30:12 GMT -5
Thanks Doc, great input. Very helpful. You raised yet another subject I hadn't even considered before, water quality. Here we have well water, loaded with minerals. I have a softner, but now it is loaded with salts. The flint and jasper seemed to take a decent polish that I've done using it, but I am really struggling with some obsidian I've been experimenting with. A hazy semi-gloss is the best I can do. Water could be the problem, I will try some bottled distilled water just out of curiosity. I have a vibrating tumbler on the way and some tin oxide, that was going to be my last hope for the obsidian. Thanks again, Don
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Post by docone31 on Aug 20, 2003 9:37:49 GMT -5
What I do for my water quality, which also turned into a grail of sorts, mostly health. I "supercharge" my softener. This is done by putting calcium chloride into the salt tank. This is a common down here to get all the dissolved minerals from the plastic beads in the softener. I use HTH 10%, one gallon per recharge. You will definately feel the difference in a shower. As you know, the filter head flushes the salt from the softener before it is in use, the chlorine hyper ionizes the pellets. IT has made a big difference. You can also put a gallon of water in an empty milk jug in the 'frige with the top open overnight. The refrigerator will evaporate the organics, and some more of the dissolved solids. Cheap fix, might be worth the try. Less cost than de-ionized water.
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mrflake
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2003
Posts: 58
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Post by mrflake on Aug 20, 2003 9:45:40 GMT -5
Water quality was mentioned on a site I found (but can't remember whose, sorry), the page on the site was about facetting and final polish, the guy had been asked what he used for a final polish on his gems ( I gather he has won many competitions for his work). The reply was "just water", the minerals in the water were enough to add the ultimate polish to his work. I found it hard to believe at the time but the previous posts show there is truth in the matter.
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Post by addictedtorocks on Aug 23, 2003 13:23:00 GMT -5
If you use water as the last stage after final polish, what keeps the rocks from scratching each other? I have a vibrating tumbler, and yesterday I had a load finish in last polish with titanium dioxide. After I rinsed the titanium dioxide with water, I ran the load with 4 tbsps Oxi-clean powder, a bit of car wash liquid soap, distilled water and cut up bits of fiberglass window screen material. Ran it 2 hours and it came out gorgeous. After rinsing, not a speck of polish left, even in the pits that did not polish out. (Vibrating tumbler is not good at getting out the big pits). Vibrating tumbler takes only 5 days to polish. 2 days in #600 and 3 days in titanium dioxide. Now I want a rolling tumbler for the pitted rocks. Addicted to rocks
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hurk
starting to shine!
Member since March 2003
Posts: 37
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Post by hurk on Aug 25, 2003 14:45:03 GMT -5
if the rocks are of the same hardness no scratching will happen keep in mind the grit you are useing is harder than the stone ... for washing after the polish i use plastic pellets to prevent possible bruising.... HURK
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