jeanette
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2010
Posts: 11
|
Post by jeanette on Oct 26, 2011 16:09:27 GMT -5
Hi, I just got back from a trip to Arizona where I picked up some chalcedony (mostly rose). Some of it's really gorgeous so I don't want to tumble it, but the stones still have dirt wedged into little crevices.
Does anyone have any tips for cleaning it? The only equipment I have is a couple of 3 lb rotary tumblers. I've tried soaking the stones in water and working on them with a toothbrush, but that's had very limited results.
Currently I'm trying a barrel of dry stones mixed with a lot of crushed corn cob. I'm also trying sand, but is there any danger that the sand cd wear down the stone? I don't want to lose the shape or the waxy luster.
I'm also planning to tumble some of the less spectacular ones. Is there anything I need to know for chalcedony? Some of them may be carrying a little bit of fire agate in them.
Different subject, I'm still inexperienced so I'm going to ask this: why is it so important to clean all the grit off the stones when going to the next stage when the grit breaks down? Why change the grit at all if the stones are ready to move to the next stage? Wdn't the broken down grit serve as a finer grit?
Thanks for any and all advice, Jeanette
|
|
|
Post by 150FromFundy on Oct 26, 2011 17:03:39 GMT -5
Welcome!
You can try burnishing your stones. Fill your rotary barrel 2/3 full of rock, almost fill the barrel with water (to reduce the tumbling action) and add a teaspoon, or two of borax. 20 Mule Team in the laundry detergent section of many stores.
If you have staining from iron, try a stain remover sold for removing hard water stains from bathtubs. CLR or Iron Out.
Sand will polish your stones slowly just like river rock, or beach stone. Both sand and rose quartz are silicon dioxide (SiO2) with an equal hardness of 7.
If you don't clean your stones between grit changes, they will polish and shine a little, but you will not get a 'mirror like see your own reflection' shine. Grit contamination is the #2 causes of a less than perfect polish. Not enough time (patience) in Stage 1 is the #1 cause of a less than perfect polish. Patience and fussiness are two traits held by the best and most experienced members.
Good luck and ask many questions.
Darryl.
|
|
|
Post by susand24224 on Oct 26, 2011 19:55:40 GMT -5
Hi, Darryl gave you some great comments but I will expand a bit. You are absolutely correct that grit breaks down, and if none of the little grit particles got stuck under the lid, in the crevice of a stone, or otherwise hiding out you could, in theory go from start to finish (or almost) with your 60/90 grit. Actually, there have been a few members that have accidentally done this with good results. However,
1. Especially if your rocks are absolutely beautiful, some of the grit will manage to hide out and then extricate itself at inopportune moments scratching the almost-polished surface you have achieved. A thorough washing between stages gets rid of this problem.
2. Not all of your stones will be ready for finer grit at the same time. There is no reason to keep tumbling all of your stones in 60/90 because a few aren't ready, and there is even less reason to move stones that are not ready into the next stage. Allowing the grit to break down on its own will almost guarantee that the stones are not in the proper stage.
I hope this helps.
Susan
P.S. Despite the above, I often let 60/90 run longer and skip the 120/220 stage--*usually* with good results. With finicky stuff, I don't skip 120/220.
|
|
jeanette
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2010
Posts: 11
|
Post by jeanette on Oct 27, 2011 9:33:23 GMT -5
Thanks folks! Geoff, your secret is safe with me!
Oh, one more question: what is the right way to pronounce "chalcedony"? Someone told me the [o] is silent. Is that true? What syllable has the accent? What little I know about rocks is from reading, not talking, so I don't know how things are actually pronounced.
Not that important, I guess, but I don't want to sound like a COMPLETE idiot. (I'm an underachiever and am quite happy to sound merely like a partial idiot.)
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Oct 27, 2011 10:23:15 GMT -5
Yep, CAL SED Knee
|
|
|
Post by jakesrocks on Oct 27, 2011 11:00:31 GMT -5
If you don't want to loose the waxy shine on chalcedony roses, soak them for several days in CLR. Use more CLR than the instructions on the bottle call for when you dissolve it in water. Follow that with a couple days in plain water, changing the water every few hours. Then follow that with a strong blast of water. (Water Pics work great for this step). Anything left in cracks can usually be cleaned out with a sewing needle and more rinsing.
I wouldn't tumble them at all if you want to keep the natural waxy shine. Any amount of abrasive, even the roses tumbling against each other will begin to dull them and remove some details.
The H and O are both silent.
An Indian friend of mine used to make beautiful pieces of jewelry out of the most perfectly formed roses he found. He would carefully carve small pieces of turquoise to epoxy in to the centers. They looked just like little flowers.
|
|
jeanette
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2010
Posts: 11
|
Post by jeanette on Oct 27, 2011 12:02:16 GMT -5
CLR: calcium, lime, and rust remover?
|
|
|
Post by jakesrocks on Oct 27, 2011 12:32:18 GMT -5
Oops, my mistake. I'm using Super Iron Out. But CLR will do the job too. I got my Iron Out at Menards, but I think WalMart carries it too.
|
|
|
Post by ColtChainmailJewelryDesigns on Oct 27, 2011 13:08:04 GMT -5
I tried using a brass wire brush on my rocks.... lasted about 10 5lb'er chuncks befor it got bent up. I got a "TIRE BRUSH" at the dollar store. and it works great! Lot more surface area with the tire brush, and the brissles dont get ruined. Also a brass wire brush is NOT good for what you are doing, because it leaves a brass color on the rocks.
150fromfundy said; "Patience and fussiness are two traits held by the best and most experienced members"
I'll have to say, you don't have to have patience & fussiness to be a great or experienced rock tumbler. It's just a plus to have those if you are in the hobby! I plan to be in the hobby for the long hall. But I really have no clue if I have patience and fussiness (whatever that means), so I by what you said, I will never be a great and expirenced rock tumbler?
~Colt
|
|
mjflinty
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2011
Posts: 358
|
Post by mjflinty on Oct 27, 2011 16:25:06 GMT -5
Excellent tips and tricks! I think I'll try out skipping the 120/220 on my next batch.
Thanks, Michael
|
|
|
Post by johnjsgems on Oct 27, 2011 18:54:40 GMT -5
I've heard many variations on tumbling and tried many of them. I think they all work. I've run agate batches in 60/90 and added some 220 without rinsing. I usually chicken out and rinse before 500, after 500 really rinse, and burnish with Tide after polish. A neighbor only tumbled Montana agate, only used 60/90 and followed up with polish. He had giant bags of blindingly polished agate. I think it is best to follow established guidelines until you get a few batches successfully done. Listen to variations by other successful tumblers and experiment with the ones that sound good until you have your own way. Your question on grit breaking down shows you are thinking up your own variations already. The main reason people worry about grit contamination is if you move rocks on with cracks, crevices, pits, etc. the coarser unbroken down grit can pack in those voids and dislodge later. If you either grind out flaws or tumble away flaws there is less chance for contamination.
|
|
blessed
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2010
Posts: 329
|
Post by blessed on Oct 28, 2011 19:46:11 GMT -5
I use one of my old tooth brush for dentures.They do a good job. James
|
|
mia
starting to spend too much on rocks
As you travel on thru life, whatever be your goal. Keep your eye upon the donut, not upon the hole.
Member since January 2011
Posts: 150
|
Post by mia on Nov 16, 2011 0:55:44 GMT -5
If you have a few bucks to spend get one of those Dry cleaner spray guns off ebay. They are an electric spray gun that shoots and incredible tiny stream of water out at high pressure. Don't spray your hand tho! It Hurts! It will clean out all kinds of tiny cracks and fissures.
|
|
Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
|
Post by Minnesota Daniel on Nov 18, 2011 1:08:51 GMT -5
Cal SAID on knee, "So that's how you pronounce chalcedony!" If spoken quickly though, it comes out as just: "cal SAID knee".
|
|
jeanette
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2010
Posts: 11
|
Post by jeanette on Nov 18, 2011 13:06:48 GMT -5
Thanks!
|
|