unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
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Post by unclesoska on Apr 26, 2017 14:00:35 GMT -5
Anybody have a good recipe for tumbling Fluorite? Issues I'm having include breakage along the cleavage planes, looking good (start of shine) after a good 2 days in 1000 grit SiC, but getting dinged and frosted in the Tin Oxide stage. I'm using an MT4 vibe, very slow speed in polish. Not using filler, but barrel is full w/ mixed sizes, and I'm pulling clinkers between stages. Ceramics remove too much material, walnut shells (damp) make a big motionless blob after a few minutes. Someone help me PLEASE!
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Post by spiceman on Apr 26, 2017 20:59:45 GMT -5
I know there is a answer out there somewhere. I'm close to running out of flourite because I'm trying so many different recipes. Reading different posts on the forum, it sounds like people have the same trouble. You tube has videos on flourite, one of them ta person used a small chisel and by hand they Chip away pieces to get a clear shine. It almost like knapping but with a flat chisel. Checkout you tube.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Apr 27, 2017 10:16:28 GMT -5
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Post by Garage Rocker on Apr 27, 2017 10:30:38 GMT -5
jamesp , I had to look through MANY pages of your threads to find that one. Could have google searched for it, but I had a good time just looking at the varied, and sometimes unusual, thread titles. Got sidetracked a few times, curiosity got the better of me. Still holds true...
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Apr 27, 2017 10:42:19 GMT -5
I got a few fluorites out of the batch to get a decent polish. 80% had cleavage chipping issues. Only the ones with no fractures cam out well which was very few. I think I ran them Sic 220-ao 500-ao 1000- ao 14,000 in a Vibrasonic vibe with lots of already smooth glass media. A slow vibe sure sounds good. I don't think slow is the correct term, low amplitude is more accurate meaning smaller distance between the vibrations. Like strapping a bungee cord over the vibe to num it or make it not bounce your stuff around so hard. Yes sounds ludicrous but vibes are made to do agate. Not so sure that bungee will damage your vibe. They have a natural frequency that travels say 1/16" each cycle probably regardless of speed(motor RPM). That travel needs to be reduced. If those fluorites are bouncing they WILL frost. Best way: If your vibe has a counter weight, you could do the same thing(reducing travel) by making another counterweight that is less off-balance. I believe that is the key. I think the Lot-o is less off balance than my Vibrasonic with that 1/3 HP V-8 motor in it. It polishes soft rocks. And takes longer to break down AO 80(for instance) than my Vibrasonic. Makes sense, soft stone/gentler action...
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Apr 27, 2017 10:50:38 GMT -5
jamesp , I had to look through MANY pages of your threads to find that one. Could have google searched for it, but I had a good time just looking at the varied, and sometimes unusual, thread titles. Got sidetracked a few times, curiosity got the better of me. Still holds true...
I'm your man. I'm the man. I was such a genius yesterday. I got a load of steel bowls in. 14 were 48" diameter thick ass steel 300 pounders. I was out there playing cage fighter flipping them up on their edge so i could roll them into stock. About the third one my feet slipped out from under me and that bowl rolled back up and punched me on the front of my chin as I face planted into it. I saw a bright white light for about 60 seconds and realized if that thing had hit me an inch higher I would have been toothless. Guess I better change my procedure a bit. Life goes on. Gettin to old for this.
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Post by captbob on Apr 27, 2017 10:51:54 GMT -5
Did you get a Lot-O?
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Apr 27, 2017 11:55:06 GMT -5
I've tried dry polishing it similar to what Jugglerguy does with petoskey stones. Turns out OK. Gather no moss, Colin
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Apr 27, 2017 12:52:25 GMT -5
Me ? Not. The Vibrasonic for instance is not so good for obsidian(frosts it) even when dialed down and using the Lot-O recipes with lots of ceramic filler. It also takes about 4 days for the Lot-O to break down AO 80 verses 2 days or less for the Vibrasonic. Conclusion appears the Lot-O is simply gentler.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Apr 28, 2017 2:39:44 GMT -5
Best I could do on fluorite. Maybe 1 out of 20 ratio. During coarse grind, the whole batch. Half is trash. Only half of the other half was not fractured. And half of that had cleavage issues. Trash in = trash out, but it is not easy to find grade A fluorite.
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