karldubya
starting to shine!
Member since March 2021
Posts: 32
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Post by karldubya on Apr 3, 2021 9:25:50 GMT -5
Are my expectations to high? I expected these to have more “shine” then I’m getting. You can see a little bit in the pictures but I was hoping for more. This is my 5th batch and probably the best so far at least. Stage 1 - 60/90 - heck knows how long, I keep one barrel running constantly and pull out the smoothest stones. Guessing 4 weeks. Stage 2 - 150/220 - 10 days Stage 3 - 500 - 7 days - with plastic pellets Stage 4 - AO TXP - 7 days - with plastic pellets Between each stage I tumbled for 4-6 hours in borax. i saved my TXP byproduct slurry, should I just pop them back in another week with another scoop?
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standles
spending too much on rocks
Well all I got was a rock ... Cool!
Member since February 2021
Posts: 325
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Post by standles on Apr 3, 2021 12:20:06 GMT -5
So some rocks are just naturally not going to shine but those seem like they would. I see some suface pitting and open fractures that could be holding grit that could contaminate later stages. Also I did not see where you use borax, dishsoap, or something else in between stages to clean the rocks. Are you making sure to clean your bbl real well between stages? Finally, the plastic pellets. Are you keeping them separate by grit? Plastic can hold onto grit (embeds into it) from previous stages and contaminates the following finer stages.
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USMC15
Cave Dweller
I feel like I just came out of the tumbler ...
Member since March 2021
Posts: 273
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Post by USMC15 on Apr 3, 2021 12:29:58 GMT -5
If you look at a rock and it has a bunch of little holes like a sponge, it will not shine up like you want. Some of your rocks look like that. Sorry.
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karldubya
starting to shine!
Member since March 2021
Posts: 32
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Post by karldubya on Apr 3, 2021 13:21:04 GMT -5
The one on the left is pitted and probably shouldn’t have gone. The rest a fairly smooth
I didn’t mention but I did clean with borax for 4 hours between stages. I’ll update the post.
The plastic pellets were updated between as well.
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karldubya
starting to shine!
Member since March 2021
Posts: 32
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Post by karldubya on Apr 3, 2021 13:24:53 GMT -5
What do I do now with the smooth ones? Go to burnish? The pitted ones got to trash? Or should I clean everything really good and remove the trash stones and drop back in another week? Are they a lost cause?
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HuntingHuron
starting to shine!
Member since October 2020
Posts: 39
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Post by HuntingHuron on Apr 3, 2021 13:38:24 GMT -5
I've only been tumbling for about 8 months now, but have put through many batches though. One of the first things I quickly learned was to toss out anything with specs of Mica embedded in it - no matter how nice the rock. I'm assuming you're familiar with the Mohs scale, and of course Mica is not very high on that scale, and causes nothing but grief. It looks like the one may have specs of Mica.
I like collecting at the beach because of course a lot of the rocks have been already "naturally tumbled" over time, and I can get a good idea of how well they will polish when seeing them wet.
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 766
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Post by lordsorril on Apr 3, 2021 15:14:48 GMT -5
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Apr 3, 2021 18:46:39 GMT -5
Your almost there! OK first you have some Granite (or Gneiss or Schist) in there. They are very difficult to polish as the stones are compromised of several different minerals all with different hardness. So you want to run them with the goal to polish the softest (usually the Mica) so lots of cushion and longer runs. I do a minimum or 2 weeks in 120/220, 2 weeks in 500 (with pellets) and 2 weeks in pre-polish (you need to add this step)with pellets. I like Tripoli for pre-polish but others use 1000 grit Silicon Carbide, or Aluminum Oxide . Then polish for.. you guessed it, 2 weeks (again with pellets). 24 hour burnish after that (again with pellets). If they are not shiney after the 2 week polish, I would go ahead and run a 3rd week (do not add more polish, just load everything back up and go!). I promise you much better results, or your money cheerfully refunded! (thats why I love free advise!)
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Apr 4, 2021 4:27:04 GMT -5
As mentioned granites are tricky to tumble to a high polish karldubya. Granted they are beautiful. Try agate and other Mohs 7 stones if you want a nice polish and expect about 8 weeks/8 recharges to shape them in step 1. Granites are composed heavily of felspar and it too is tricky to tumble polish.
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gatorflash1
spending too much on rocks
Active in Delaware Mineralogical Society, Cabchon Grinding and Polishing, 2 Thumlers B's and a UV-18
Member since October 2018
Posts: 375
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Post by gatorflash1 on Apr 4, 2021 14:47:23 GMT -5
As mentioned granites are tricky to tumble to a high polish karldubya . Granted they are beautiful. Try agate and other Mohs 7 stones if you want a nice polish and expect about 8 weeks/8 recharges to shape them in step 1. Granites are composed heavily of felspar and it too is tricky to tumble polish. This would be my advice. Stick with step 1 for a few months until all the pit, cracks, etc. are ground off. If they shine when wet all over then you might be ready for step two. As has been mentioned agate, jasper, tiger eye, etc. might be better stones to tumble than granite, of which there many types.
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karldubya
starting to shine!
Member since March 2021
Posts: 32
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Post by karldubya on Apr 4, 2021 20:30:12 GMT -5
Thanks for all the input. I don’t know one stone from another, so I have no idea what mohs hardness each is. My Son collects them from the beach and I tumble them.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Apr 5, 2021 18:07:34 GMT -5
Moh's is easy. Basically if it will scratch a knife blade your good to tumble, if a knife blade can scratch it- toss it aside!
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