milfordman
starting to shine!
Member since August 2004
Posts: 32
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Post by milfordman on Aug 1, 2004 11:20:42 GMT -5
Hi Everyone:
I have some Rainbow & Snowflake Obsidian and Apache Tears. I use a 3# tumbler. Can anyone suggest a "recipe", and whether I can mix these three together? What is the best way to break up Obsidian into useful pieces (i.e. a good mix in sizes)?
Thanks a bunch,
Milfordman
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Aug 1, 2004 13:12:41 GMT -5
You can break them up using a cold chisel and a hammer. Make sure you wear goggles and gloves, as sharp shards are ofter send flying into the air. I'd also recommend breaking them inside a cardboard box to further protect yourself and keep the mess to a minimum.
Now, for polishing them, here are my recommendations. Dispite popular belief, you can tumble all the different obsidians together. Even the tears. All tears are, are heavily erroded obsidian. The only thing that matters in the end is that they are all of the same hardness. Which they are. About a 5 on the mohs scale.
Run them in 60/90 for about 2 weeks. Don't recharge the grit. Silicone carbide is a 9 on the mohs scale and doesn't break down fast with soft stones like obsidian. Then go to 120/220 for a week, 500 grit or pre-polish for 5 days, 1000 aluninum oxide for 5 days, (very important) and tin oxide polish for about a week, give or take. You have to use tin oxide. I've tried cerium and it sucks on obsidian. Also, make sure you use LOTS of PLASTIC PELLETS for the last 4 steps!
It's that easy. I hope it helps.
-James
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Post by Milfordman on Aug 1, 2004 15:24:01 GMT -5
Thank you James. I'm glad I found this Forum
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Aug 2, 2004 1:55:48 GMT -5
Anytime and welcome aboard!!! Cheers!
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Aug 2, 2004 8:35:56 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum, milfordman. Just follow James' advice and you'll turn out a beautiful batch of rocks. James knows how to get a shine on just about anything! Check out some of the photos he's posted for some inspiration. And, James, thanks for the info on obsidian. Shorty is sending me some obsidian in exchage for his walking stick. What a deal! Now I know how to tumble them! llana
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Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
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Post by Banjocreek on Aug 2, 2004 15:02:13 GMT -5
I've been tumbling a lot of Obsidian lately, and James taught me how to tumble it. I like it because you don't have to run it for a month in 60/90 and, I do check it a little more frequently than some of the other stones I tumble. Since it is a softer stone, and I may pick out a few of the tears after the first week if I like the shape. I go through them all one by one after that first week and pull out some of the smallest ones so they don't dissapear on me. I kinda like the little ones . But the Tin oxide is the way to go on them for sure. I had all kinds of obsidian all mixed up, and no problem with any of it being duller than a different type.
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Post by Milfordman on Aug 2, 2004 15:33:03 GMT -5
The amount of knowledge on this board is staggering. If it all could be captured in one format and organized, it would be a Lapidary best seller!
My first experience with rock tumbling was when I was about 8 (I'm 42 now) with my Dad. After a few batches the seal went bad, he tried to fix/make a new one, but it always leaked, thus ended my rock tumbling.
My wife and her girlfriend want to make jewelry, so I thought that starting up this hobby again could complement them.
I just started my first batch of the mixed stones that come with the Lortone 3A tumbler kit from Berg's Rock Shop. It's been 5 days on 60/90. What recipe have you all used with a mixed batch of agate/jasper and some quartz?
Do any of you Rockhound? I'm getting ready to try it. I live in Mass.
Love this forum,
Milfordman
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Post by krazydiamond on Aug 2, 2004 15:54:33 GMT -5
welcome to the board, milfordman, and welcome back to tumbling. a lot of the folks in here wander around and pick up great stuff, we here on the east coast (i'm in central NY) don't have as much to choose from, tho i've done some local driveway stone (granite mainly) with happy results.
if you read some of the threads in here i'm sure you will find what you are looking for as far as recipes for rocks. i like to make jewelry from the tumbled stones too.
good luck, KD
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Post by sandsman1 on Aug 2, 2004 16:22:40 GMT -5
welcome Milfordman my opinion for agate and jasper both hard rocks i leave them in 60/90 till i like the shapes sometimes 5/6 weeks rechargeing and rinsing every 7 days after i like the look i go a week in 120/220--500/600---1000--then polish a week maybe two if they dont come out nice the first time,, the most important stage is 60/90 if you dont like how they look or are shaped dont move on,, do another week and so on till there the way you want because they dont shape much after that grit so if you have crackes and chips or small holes they wont come out in later stages hope this helps alittle---seeya --john
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Aug 3, 2004 10:06:43 GMT -5
Welcome Milfordman,
It is always a pleasure to see new people joining the group.
I live in Southwestern Kansas, and we don't have many rocks here that are worth the effort of tumbling/cabbing. So, whenever we go anywhere, I am always asking/looking for collection sites. Now, if anyone ever developes a process for tumbling cow pies - I'll be set for life!
You will be amazed at the information you can get from the founders of this great hobby. I know a gentleman that is 87 years old and his memory is as sharp as a tack! He can tell you about places that have been long forgotten about. Besides that, he is a wealth of information when it comes to lapidary and the many varied processes. It is also a nice way to spend some time with elderly people who just don't get a lot of visitors.
Welcome to the board!
John
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milfordman
starting to shine!
Member since August 2004
Posts: 32
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Post by milfordman on Aug 3, 2004 10:25:03 GMT -5
Petrified cow pies... I wonder where they would sit on the Moh's scale...
Milfordman
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Aug 3, 2004 22:44:28 GMT -5
to John Bear at the Creek lapidary,
Hi John, Long time ago we as youngsters developed a way to set cow Pies tumbling. You walk throgh pastures along the river Rhine, preferably in swimming togs. You see a reasonably fresh Pie , pick up as much as you can and send it tumbling at your mates. At the time it was Hilarious. We had that whole river to wash off the PIE. as we had walked upstream . we dived into the river and while floating downstream we had a good ol' scrubdown. We were quite shiny , but as far as I can remember , nothing much was left of the Pies. And all that without the use of any grits or polish, it was an amazing finish.
Jack
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