jukerocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 154
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Post by jukerocks on Aug 20, 2012 19:09:08 GMT -5
Can I tumble amethyst and red jasper rock together?
What is petrified rock best tumbled with? I don't have enough of one kind of rock to tumble alone.
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Aug 20, 2012 19:24:17 GMT -5
With the pet wood,I throw anything thats handy in with it,agates,jaspers,etc. I've always had the amethyst by itself,or with similar quartz material,mostly by itself,but someone with more experience with it could tell you.
snuffy
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Steve
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2005
Posts: 506
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Post by Steve on Aug 20, 2012 19:33:51 GMT -5
Your pet wood and jasper may go well together. The amethyst and jasper together will probabily not give good results. The most likely result is that the jasper will polish and the amethyst lose a lot of mass and at best take on a matte finish with frosted edges. Try to tumble rock of similar harness together.
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jukerocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 154
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Post by jukerocks on Aug 20, 2012 19:37:05 GMT -5
That's my problem. I don't know the different hardness of the rocks.
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jukerocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 154
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Post by jukerocks on Aug 20, 2012 19:37:37 GMT -5
Does anything tumble well with amethyst?
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Aug 20, 2012 20:13:03 GMT -5
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jukerocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 154
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Post by jukerocks on Aug 21, 2012 11:14:55 GMT -5
Thanks Chuck for your reply. I have been rock tumbling since March of this year and have yet to get a batch that comes out like I want. I have some rock tumbling in the coarse stage now for 11 weeks and still have pits that I'm trying to get out. I don't have any other tools though - grinding wheels or saws, etc. to assist me in my efforts. This is all a rotary project - I'm beginning to wonder if it's all worth it.
At least now I have a better idea how to sort the different rocks. Thanks again.
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gtal
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2011
Posts: 2
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Post by gtal on Aug 21, 2012 21:42:05 GMT -5
I sprung for a hardness pick set. It was pricey but I'm so glad I did. I now don't have to guess; I just test all the rocks and tumble all the same hardness together. But I haven't been tumbling for very long, so I've really done just the harder rocks so far. Gale
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Post by Jugglerguy on Aug 21, 2012 22:47:26 GMT -5
I'm pretty new at this too. I've been at it about eight months. I've finished several batches and most have turned out pretty well, considering it's mostly been rocks I've collected myself and probably aren't all rocks best suited for polishing. For example I do a lot of granite that just isn't great for tumbling because it undercuts. I have to learn to stop picking it up even if it is pretty!
Right now I have a batch of agate in rough tumble that have been there roughly forever. I've taken out a few rocks that are ready for the next stage over those weeks, but there are some rocks that I don't think will ever be done. Some have deep pits, so the whole rock will basically have to be worn down to get to the bottom of those holes. Other rocks have cracks that keep chipping away. I should probably have just hammered them along those cracks a long time ago because they're never going to get better. My point is that if your rough rocks are crappy, I don't think that any amount of tumbling is going to make them good.
Rob
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Post by susand24224 on Aug 22, 2012 0:50:47 GMT -5
The problem with amethyst and jasper together isn't hardness, it is brittleness. Amethyst, citrine, quartz, rose quartz, they are all prone to shattering because they are brittle. But all of the crystalline quartzes tumble well together, at least for me. There's a few I forgot to throw in there.
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Aug 22, 2012 7:57:05 GMT -5
I usually tumble my Amethyst with Quartz, Rose Quartz, Aventurine, Smoky Quartz...
Jasper and Agates in general go in a separate barrel from Amethyst/ QUartz. Some red Jaspers are an iffy proposition though. Is it really red Jasper or did the seller/collector just call it red Jasper and it's really a soft clay-ey type stone that won't tumble well? Some Petrified Wood doesn't seem all that hard compared to other Jaspagates...it can be better to wait until you do have a full barrel just of Pet Wood, as this is one of the cheapest and most available materials around.
These are the questions I ask myself, to make it easier on me as a rank amateur in the tumbler world.
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Post by connrock on Aug 22, 2012 9:26:06 GMT -5
Rock tumbling can be overwhelming and frustrating at first and more so if a little research isn't done beforehand. I doubt if there is any one book that can help you as much as this web site can so DO NOT quit! You have to crawl before you walk and walk before you run so in order to walk you should start tumbling rocks that are tried and true. Two types of rocks fall into this category and are agate and jasper.Although agate and jasper have a wide variety to choose from,most can be done perfectly without worrying about "if the rocks are suitable and hard enough to tumble"! Most of the quarts family can be a bit tricky for a newbie and petrified wood can also cause a little frustration. The softer and harder rocks are a BIG no-no at first and should be left until you know what your doing. What's soft, what's hard, what's just right and how do I tell one from the other? There is a scale of hardness know as Mohs scale. It will give you a general idea of the hardness of different rocks and minerals but to a rock tumbler who's starting out it can be a bit confusing. Here is an example of Mohs scale of hardness and if you go to each selection, on the right, and scroll tot he bottom of each page you can look up each type of rock(or gem) in the selection as view it's properties. www.gemselect.com/gem-info/gem-hardness-info.phpI KNOW there is a better example for tumbling out there but I can't find it. I hope this helps you a bit and if you have any specific questions just ask but again DO NOT quit! connrock
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jukerocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 154
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Post by jukerocks on Aug 22, 2012 19:08:16 GMT -5
I'm hanging in there. I hope to post a finished batch in about another month. Thanks for the support ya'll. This forum definately is the best!
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