Post by tkvancil on Mar 1, 2014 14:12:26 GMT -5
Commercially purchased rough, Lake Superior Agates from Kingsley North and the rest from the Rockshed's mixed rough packages. 60/90 roughing in 6# Lortone barrels and following steps in Lortone 3# barrels. Here's how I do things ....
Roughing in the 6#'s took between 4 and 12 weeks depending on my taste and the individual rocks. Barrels cleaned out every 7 days with fresh water and grit added. A 2/3rds full barrel has between 4 3/4 and 5 pounds of rough. I use 10 tbs. grit and measure in 1 & 1/8th cup water. The water is well below the "bottom of the top layer" guide line.
2lb. 3oz. of rough to step 2, a 2/3 full 3# barrel. 4tbs. 240 grit and 1/2 cup water. Again water is well below bottom of the top. This step ran 9 days. Normally this step runs 10 but for some reason it got gassy and I pulled it a day early. 2lb. 1oz. rock out, 6% loss of mass.
Going to step 3 I filled the barrel back to 2/3rds with some lakers I had from a batch I did some time back that did not shine well due to contamination. 2lb. 3 1/8oz. rough, 6tbs 600 grit and 5/8 cup water. With so much grit the slurry will get too thick if only 1/2 cup water is used, but even at 5/8 cup water is still below bottom of top. 2lb. 1 3/8oz. rock out, 5% loss of mass after a 10 day run.
Going to step 4 barrels is again topped off with dull lakers. I am using AO 1000 here as I feel most of the rocks will benefit from this optional step. 2lb. 3 1/4oz. rock, 6tbs. 1000 and 5/8 cup water. I got busy and "forgot" about this batch. It ran for 12 days. 2lb. 2 1/4oz. rock out,2.8% loss of mass. I was surprised that the AO ground this much.
Before going to polish I do a "tumble wash". 24 hours with 3/4 cup water , 1/2tbs. ivory soap shavings, 2tbs. borax and 1/4 cup plastic pellets. Rinse well but do not wipe the barrel, a small amount of soap sticks to the sides. Next everything goes back for another 24 hours with 3/4 cup water and 3tbs. borax. At this point the water should pour off a milky white. If it pours off grey I'll go another day but this is rare.
Polish runs for 14 days. I use AO polish from the rock shed. 6tbs. polish and 5/8 cup water to a 2/3rds full barrel. This batch got a 48 hour burnish after the polish run. For the burnish I used 1/4 tbs. ivory shavings, 3/4 cup water and 1/2 cup plastic pellets.
Enough talk now the pics. First the Lacy Bits.
Some Moss Agate and Green Tree Agate
Translucent pieces for the most part
"Larger" mixed Agates
"Medium" mixed Agates
"Smalls" and whatever else was left
It took several tries to get a pic of the subtle patterns hidden in this Agate
These two have a special place in my heart. My dad, who has passed, tried a couple crafty things in the mid 70's including turning bottles into lamp shades and rock tumbling. One of those small plastic toy tumblers was what he had. Mom gave me the tumbler a while back and it had the rocks he did in the box. After some deliberation I decided to re-tumble them, the rest are waiting to be finished.
Thanks for looking and keep on rollin' them stones
Roughing in the 6#'s took between 4 and 12 weeks depending on my taste and the individual rocks. Barrels cleaned out every 7 days with fresh water and grit added. A 2/3rds full barrel has between 4 3/4 and 5 pounds of rough. I use 10 tbs. grit and measure in 1 & 1/8th cup water. The water is well below the "bottom of the top layer" guide line.
2lb. 3oz. of rough to step 2, a 2/3 full 3# barrel. 4tbs. 240 grit and 1/2 cup water. Again water is well below bottom of the top. This step ran 9 days. Normally this step runs 10 but for some reason it got gassy and I pulled it a day early. 2lb. 1oz. rock out, 6% loss of mass.
Going to step 3 I filled the barrel back to 2/3rds with some lakers I had from a batch I did some time back that did not shine well due to contamination. 2lb. 3 1/8oz. rough, 6tbs 600 grit and 5/8 cup water. With so much grit the slurry will get too thick if only 1/2 cup water is used, but even at 5/8 cup water is still below bottom of top. 2lb. 1 3/8oz. rock out, 5% loss of mass after a 10 day run.
Going to step 4 barrels is again topped off with dull lakers. I am using AO 1000 here as I feel most of the rocks will benefit from this optional step. 2lb. 3 1/4oz. rock, 6tbs. 1000 and 5/8 cup water. I got busy and "forgot" about this batch. It ran for 12 days. 2lb. 2 1/4oz. rock out,2.8% loss of mass. I was surprised that the AO ground this much.
Before going to polish I do a "tumble wash". 24 hours with 3/4 cup water , 1/2tbs. ivory soap shavings, 2tbs. borax and 1/4 cup plastic pellets. Rinse well but do not wipe the barrel, a small amount of soap sticks to the sides. Next everything goes back for another 24 hours with 3/4 cup water and 3tbs. borax. At this point the water should pour off a milky white. If it pours off grey I'll go another day but this is rare.
Polish runs for 14 days. I use AO polish from the rock shed. 6tbs. polish and 5/8 cup water to a 2/3rds full barrel. This batch got a 48 hour burnish after the polish run. For the burnish I used 1/4 tbs. ivory shavings, 3/4 cup water and 1/2 cup plastic pellets.
Enough talk now the pics. First the Lacy Bits.
Some Moss Agate and Green Tree Agate
Translucent pieces for the most part
"Larger" mixed Agates
"Medium" mixed Agates
"Smalls" and whatever else was left
It took several tries to get a pic of the subtle patterns hidden in this Agate
These two have a special place in my heart. My dad, who has passed, tried a couple crafty things in the mid 70's including turning bottles into lamp shades and rock tumbling. One of those small plastic toy tumblers was what he had. Mom gave me the tumbler a while back and it had the rocks he did in the box. After some deliberation I decided to re-tumble them, the rest are waiting to be finished.
Thanks for looking and keep on rollin' them stones