bcgal
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2016
Posts: 94
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Post by bcgal on Mar 31, 2016 13:27:41 GMT -5
new to this, i have some small broken pieces of geodes just hanging around. (my kids were excited to break them open and then lost interest) Can i tumble all the pieces or will they just break each other all to dust? any other ideas? there isnt much color to the broken pieces. from what i can tell, its alot of quartz, white and really nothing else. if a picture helps i can take post one later today
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,679
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Post by Tommy on Mar 31, 2016 13:51:02 GMT -5
Hi Michelle welcome to the board. Other more qualified tumblers will be along shortly but yeah I would agree it's a bad idea. Too many variable hardness' within a geode from the outter crust to the quartz or agate layers to the crystals, etc. You'll get something out of it but it probably wouldn't be recognizable.
If you have a trim saw you could try to isolate the quartz or agate areas if they exist and tumble those together.
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bcgal
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2016
Posts: 94
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Post by bcgal on Mar 31, 2016 13:58:34 GMT -5
Thanks Tommy. I will see what I can do. Leave the tumbler for the other treasures
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Post by Toad on Mar 31, 2016 15:42:52 GMT -5
If nothing else they can be broken up for small filler. Not everything thrown into a tumbler is meant to survive...
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 31, 2016 19:35:16 GMT -5
Yes,cut them with a trim saw and than save the crystals......
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johnnymac1969
starting to spend too much on rocks
I Like A Rolling Stone
Member since January 2016
Posts: 139
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Post by johnnymac1969 on Apr 1, 2016 0:19:42 GMT -5
Welcome to the addictive world of rock tumbling and this forum! This site is filled with all kinds of information and some amazing people. RTH is my new FB.
That being said, I agree with Toad… use them for filler. I've tumbled a few larger chunks of geode with varying success, but nothing spectacular. Better yet, don't tumble the larger pieces at all. Just keep them as is and use the fragments as filler.
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Post by adam on Apr 1, 2016 6:40:49 GMT -5
The quartz crystals in a geode are not ideal for tumbling, as there is not sufficient tumbling action to produce a smooth, shiny finish. Tumble rocks that have no pits, nor a concave appearance. Tumble agate, jasper, maybe some pet wood. Takes time to tell what can tumble and what can't and what might turn out to be a disaster.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,165
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Post by jamesp on Apr 1, 2016 7:38:40 GMT -5
Not a bad idea to run a curiosity rock with a normal batch. Whats to loose. Have been totally surprised tumbling the odd and unique.
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