doit4luv
starting to shine!
Member since September 2004
Posts: 43
|
Post by doit4luv on Oct 12, 2004 13:15:33 GMT -5
1. Is it helpful to add gentle washing powder (like Ivory or Tide) to the grit and/or polish during tumbling?
2. What are the benefits of using washing powder?
3. I read that when tumbling obisidian, you should add several tablespoons of sugar to make the slurry thick which helps avoid fracturing the obsidian. Can't you just use plastic pellets or other filler material alone? What are your thoughts on this?
As always, I thank you all sincerely for your help and feedback.
James
|
|
|
Post by krazydiamond on Oct 12, 2004 16:07:50 GMT -5
i've only read about adding soap flakes after the final polish cycle. my instruction book calls this "burnishing". i add borax sometimes to the polish cycle, but i haven't really noticed a difference of using it to not using it. i have noticed a little difference when i do a final burnish (i use borax now), kinda like it really cleans any afterthought of polish of the surface.
i'd never add sugar, although i've read about that too. i use the plastic pellets.
my thoughts, KD
|
|
|
Post by connrock on Oct 12, 2004 19:37:54 GMT -5
Hi James, Some people (like me) use powdered soap throughout the entire tumbling cycle.The soap helps the grit to stay suspended around all of the rocks so when they "tumble" you are sure to have grit on all of them.It also helps when you're rinsing your rocks between grit changes.
Powdered soap is more gentle then a liquid detergent.It's the phosphates you're trying to stay away from.Ivory Flakes were the norm until the mid 80's when Procter Gamble desided to stop production on them.People didn't wash diapers when Pampers,etc hit the market so it wasn't profitable for them anymore.
Some alternatives are Dreft,Ivory bar soap chipped,Borax,etc.
You can use plastic pellets or other fillers for obsidian.I've tried the sugar and didn't see any advantages.Mke sure you use different pellets,etc for each grit,polish and burnishing stage.
I hope this helps a little.
|
|
|
Post by cookie3rocks on Oct 12, 2004 19:50:11 GMT -5
I had been putting a little borax in every cycle, just cause I thought it wouldn't hurt. This last batch I didn't and the rocks keept getting stuck to the bottom, so maybe it does help.
cookie
|
|
|
Post by cookie3rocks on Oct 12, 2004 19:51:21 GMT -5
Wonder how Woolite would do? Its for your "delicates"
|
|
|
Post by connrock on Oct 16, 2004 6:51:44 GMT -5
Hey Cookie, You told me I was a guinee pig a while back,, How bout you takin a turn and try the Woolite??Tee Hee Hee!! Tom
|
|