Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Plastic
Jun 25, 2004 23:38:34 GMT -5
Post by Mazanec on Jun 25, 2004 23:38:34 GMT -5
What plastic are those little pellets made of?
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Plastic
Jun 26, 2004 2:17:36 GMT -5
Post by stoner on Jun 26, 2004 2:17:36 GMT -5
polypropylene
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duke
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since May 2004
Posts: 77
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Plastic
Jun 26, 2004 20:32:53 GMT -5
Post by duke on Jun 26, 2004 20:32:53 GMT -5
Has anyone ever used the 'ceramic media' (looked like they were small cylinder-shaped, but larger than the pellets) instead of the plastic pellets? I saw them advertised on a rock site and I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with them..? Are they better? worse? Are they for rotary or vibe tumblers?
duke
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Plastic
Jun 26, 2004 22:57:05 GMT -5
Post by docone31 on Jun 26, 2004 22:57:05 GMT -5
Ceramic media is very agressive. I have not used it, however I have read about it and some folks swear by it, and others hate it. Ceramic media is much harder than corundum grit so theoritically it should last longer. It is mostly used in fabrication, and mass produced cabachons for pre and final polish.
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Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Plastic
Jun 27, 2004 10:41:08 GMT -5
Post by Mazanec on Jun 27, 2004 10:41:08 GMT -5
Ceramic media is much harder than corundum grit so theoritically it should last longer.
SAY WHAT!? I thought the only things harder than carborundum were diamond and a few exotic laboratory curiosities like carbon nitride, borazon and cubic lithium nitride (ow is that cubic lithium boride?). BTW, what recycle number is polypropylene? 5?
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Plastic
Jun 27, 2004 14:35:40 GMT -5
Post by docone31 on Jun 27, 2004 14:35:40 GMT -5
In response to what seems total duh, the ceramic media is manufactured, grit is crushed. From what I have read, it is more stable longer than grit. I do use ceramic laps on my faceter and they outlast the diamond laps. In faceting, ceramic laps are used for diamonds. Mind you, I do not facet diamonds and probably never will. I could not compete. However a lot of diamond faceters use ceramic. Now I am going hmmmm.
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Plastic
Jun 27, 2004 16:54:45 GMT -5
Post by krazydiamond on Jun 27, 2004 16:54:45 GMT -5
the ceramic media is best used in vibratory tumblers (according to my research) and only recommended in larger rotary units. i've only used the plastic pellets, which, again, according to my relentless surfing can be of either polyethelene or polypropolene and are well suited in smaller rotary tumblers where soft to average materials are being used, especially where larger stones make up some of the mix or there are a lot of irregular shapes....
that's my 2 cents, KD
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