petrifried
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 100
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Post by petrifried on Apr 28, 2017 14:57:28 GMT -5
Hey I finally decided a lot-o is what I need so I can focus on tumbling a couple handfuls of rocks and free forms instead of having to fill that 12lb barrel up every time. I ordered ceramic media, but am anxious to get it going and am wondering if I can use small rounded agates that are alrwady polished in place of the ceramic? Thanks Eric
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Apr 28, 2017 15:16:59 GMT -5
Most people will tell you yes. I will tell you yes BUT I do not think they are as good. I prefer the shape of store bought ceramics. The small ceramics while vibrating will get into a lot of the small odd shapes that a rounded agate would never contact. The biggest issue for me is large flats and cabs. ceramics will have better contact area as they slide parallel across the surface vs a rounded agate that has one small point of contact.
Chuck
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Apr 28, 2017 15:41:28 GMT -5
I tried using some aquarium rocks in my Lot-O as a test and was not really happy with the outcome. The finished rocks just weren't as shiny.
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petrifried
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 100
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Post by petrifried on Apr 28, 2017 15:50:40 GMT -5
Ok thanks, I will wait patiently for the ceramic to arrive and do more studying on the lot-o process. I currently have grit and polish for the standard 4 step rotary proccess(AO 500 -step 3). Can I work with that in the loto for a few batches or do I need to get something different?
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Post by wigglinrocks on Apr 28, 2017 15:58:01 GMT -5
Good idea to break in the ceramics by giving them a run through the vibe with the coarse grit to round off the sharp edges .
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ChicagoDave
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2016
Posts: 720
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Post by ChicagoDave on Apr 28, 2017 19:58:07 GMT -5
Ok thanks, I will wait patiently for the ceramic to arrive and do more studying on the lot-o process. I currently have grit and polish for the standard 4 step rotary proccess(AO 500 -step 3). Can I work with that in the loto for a few batches or do I need to get something different? I follow the steps in this thread, so if that's what you have, use it. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/76542/lot-recipe-card
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petrifried
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 100
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Post by petrifried on May 7, 2017 21:28:33 GMT -5
Thank you everyone. I have the 120/220, AO 500, and AO Polish. I also have some stuff labled "pre-polish I got from a rock shop and am wondering if this may be AO 1000? What exactly is pre-polish? I broke in the ceramic media by running it 24 hours in 120/220 and now have my first load going!
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on May 8, 2017 17:10:17 GMT -5
"Pre-polish" is just a label applied to fine grit used in the stage preceding polish. AO 500, SiC 500, or AO 1000 can all be used in a pre-polish stage.
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petrifried
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 100
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Post by petrifried on May 13, 2017 12:16:00 GMT -5
Just wanted to thank everyone for the info, I followed the receipt in the thread that Chicago Dave linked. I am in the burnishing stage now and am really stoked on how fast and efficient the loto process is! I had to skip the AO 100O step because I didn't have any. All the stones are hard agate, jasper, and wood that had a pretty good shine at the end of AO500. I ran each Step for 48 hrs, so I figured the grit probably broke down to AO 1000 and I'd be fine going straight to polish. Ceramic media kicks butt and I totally see why it is important now. So happy to not be dealing with those darn plastic pellets in the rotary!!! I will post pictures of the results in the tumbling photo section!
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