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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 6, 2017 15:01:48 GMT -5
I bought some Mookaite from The Rock Shed and need advice about how to best process the stones - Tumble or Vib?
I first lumped the stone into the Jasper category and was proceeding to plan my attack; But now have found them to be Porcelanite; 6.5-7 Mohs, with Tin Oxide being the preferred polish - and very brittle. I have seen other members posts which showed good results tumbling, and a few indicating success doing the finish in a Lot-O vibe (I have a UV-10)... but no words of wisdom or warnings - which I am fishing for with this post.
Are these stones best tumbled (or vibed) alone, or can they share in a load with other 6.5-7 Mohs stones?
Should I treat them as I would treat Obsidian in a tumble (lots of ceramic cushioning and avoid the UV-10's harsh treatment)?
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victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,978
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Post by victor1941 on Aug 7, 2017 10:00:28 GMT -5
I vibe tumble in a UV-18 and have been very pleased with the results on preformed cabs if the material is solid. Soft spots will undercut or show erosion and should not be used in this process. I preform on a flat 60 grit and go directly to the 180/220 silica carbide in the vibe and fill(do not under fill) with small media and vibe for one or two two day cycles until the scratches from the 60 grit are removed. Two days in 500 and two days in 1000 aluminum oxide and finish in polish for a minimum of three days. Wash well between each cycle so contamination does not occur. All materials used in the vibe as abrasives or polish come from the Rock Shed. Remember that this process finishes the surface on harder stones and is not a replacement for shaping rough rock in a rotary. A vibe will definitely shape and eat up soft material.
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 7, 2017 10:15:24 GMT -5
Mookie is a very easy and rewarding tumble. What great colors and easy finish. Any odd shaped ones should be preformed if you have a wheel or something. Bad spots can be removed but my mookie is never too bad. Always run some ceramic for the smaller sizes and cushioning. Like the slurry also in the rotary. Slurry is important in all materials in a rotary to avoid headaches and heart breaks of damaged stone. Some undercutting but not too bad. Mookie processes fast and easy. It seems to run with a lot of different materials. Hers some in a mix with Reye agate, blue forest wood, kambaba jasper and carnelian so if you have tumbled these Mitch you can see how it goes when compared to them. Hope your week is a good one and know that the higher price for the material was sure worth it. Cliff
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 7, 2017 19:51:11 GMT -5
Thank you Cliff and Victor1941. Beautiful results Cliff - very colorful! Nice++. Your comments have helped me to determine my strategy... I will tumble off the rough and sharp spots, and then proceed to run the Mookaite through the UV-10 vibe. It will just be Mookaite this time... no sharing the load.
I am running a Lorton QT-66 6 lb drum continuously in 80 grit (6TBS) - doing a weekly "weed-n-feed" to reserve enough Mookaite to start a 220 grit UV-10 load. So far I have 4.5 lbs ready and tomorrow marks the completion of my latest 80 grit load. I have noted that it doesn't take long in 80 grit to knock off rough edges and remove troublesome spots. Yes... The rocks were a bit more expensive, but their rough quality looked well above average.
I have noted that the 80 grit slurry is very thick. I am not sure if this is because of the natural grinding debris mud or because I am also adding 6TBS kitty litter to each batch. I have a feeling the vibe's 220 grit runs will get a bit sticky at the ends of it's 2-day 220 grit runs (there goes my beauty sleep - LOL!). I will have to evaluate if they will even need the second 220 grit run (brush their teeth well and break out the 20X Loupe to check removal of the old 80 grit scratches).
Thanks again for the replies! I will keep this thread going with pictures as I progress.
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victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,978
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Post by victor1941 on Aug 7, 2017 21:17:01 GMT -5
Glenn, it is important to check the tumble after a few hours to see if the developing slurry requires the addition of water to keep the speed constant and see if the grit is broken down before two days. I vibe cabs so my knowledge is in this area and not natural shaped stones.
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 8, 2017 2:28:07 GMT -5
Thank you for the advice Victor1941!
When running a UV-10 vibe load with 220 grit, I check the action every 2-3 hours. I give it a few sprays of water and wait a minute to see how the action picks up - adding more until I am satisfied.
I have not yet started running the Mookaite through the UV-10. Presently I am just running batches through the 6 lb QT-66 tumbler, each week collecting those rocks ready for a UV-10 220 grit load. At the end of each week I have noted a very thick slurry (in the 6 lb drum)... but not thick enough to stop the tumbling action. It seems thicker than would be expected with a load of jaspers or agates.
Last May, my very first UV-10 load met with disaster because the rocks were all feldspar (Amazonite, Moonstone Mix). The slurry was very thick after the first day. The second day everything just locked-up. I added to much water in an attempt to thin it out... and ended up flooding the load. I learned a lot from that first load. I also learned to listen to the sounds to tell if the cyclonic action is slowing.
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