georgeb138
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2017
Posts: 68
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Post by georgeb138 on Aug 19, 2017 16:36:52 GMT -5
Any advice would be appreciated, I have tumbled this over and over and only get a light luster. I was thinking maybe I just didn't have enough ceramic media, but I figured I would ask before I waste more valuable tumbler time. My wife is about ready to hand polish them. They are very smooth to the touch.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,423
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Post by Wooferhound on Aug 19, 2017 16:41:39 GMT -5
Are you doing a cleaning tumble between each stage ?
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georgeb138
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2017
Posts: 68
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Post by georgeb138 on Aug 19, 2017 16:44:46 GMT -5
At the time I was burnishing with soap for a few hours, I have moved to a minimum 12 hours of borax between stages. Could that be the whole problem? How would you proceed? These have been sitting for a month or so.
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Post by captbob on Aug 19, 2017 16:47:25 GMT -5
You mean aventurine?
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georgeb138
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2017
Posts: 68
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Post by georgeb138 on Aug 19, 2017 16:51:04 GMT -5
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 19, 2017 17:09:05 GMT -5
Isn't Aquamarine a clear blue mineral... Not to pry...
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georgeb138
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2017
Posts: 68
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Post by georgeb138 on Aug 19, 2017 17:14:20 GMT -5
Isn't Aquamarine a clear blue mineral... Not to pry... Guess I could specify, this was sold to me as green aquamarine. It does have some clear qualities to it. This obviously isn't gem quality, probably why I got such a good deal on it. it looked more like this when it was rough.
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georgeb138
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2017
Posts: 68
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Post by georgeb138 on Aug 19, 2017 17:18:57 GMT -5
Isn't Aquamarine a clear blue mineral... Not to pry... Guess I could specify, this was sold to me as green aquamarine. It does have some clear qualities to it. This obviously isn't gem quality, probably why I got such a good deal on it. it looked more like this when it was rough. Hardness level is right on. 7.5 or better.
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Post by orrum on Aug 19, 2017 17:29:37 GMT -5
I think yours is a degraded aquamarine. Likely only mined to crush for berylium.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 20, 2017 11:01:32 GMT -5
Run them with Ivory soap for a few hours,see what happens... Hope the shine come to the material... Thumbs up
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Post by pauls on Aug 20, 2017 15:53:02 GMT -5
I think I can see a couple with broken edges, hook those out before running them again. Aquamarine will scratch Aquamarine.
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georgeb138
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2017
Posts: 68
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Post by georgeb138 on Aug 20, 2017 15:56:23 GMT -5
I think I can see a couple with broken edges, hook those out before running them again. Aquamarine will scratch Aquamarine. Some of the smaller ones do have some sharper edges. Thanks for the tip.
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 20, 2017 22:03:33 GMT -5
I tumbled 2 lbs. of Aquamarine bought from Amazon, and I am NOT happy with the stones either. For a picture, just look at georgeb138's pictures at the opening of this thread - they are identical. I periodically throw them back into my UV-10 to enjoy a different polish... or I just return them to the beginning 220 grit stage and try again... and again... and again... Still have not seen any polish that seems to work. I even tried to hand polish using my dremel with no better results. It is one of the few rocks that I have given up on (along with green opal). Sooo... Georgeb138... I feel your pain! (snif... tear... sob... etc...)
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 22, 2017 22:02:05 GMT -5
I think yours is a degraded aquamarine. Likely only mined to crush for berylium. OK! I got this! It is like finding the Grail! I know how to make those pesky fractured Aquamarine stones take a shine!!! I even have photographic proof. The recipe… Start with: ~4 lbs. Botswana Agates that have been tumbled in a Lortone QT66 for 3 weeks in 60-90 grit with a cup of kitty litter. ~3 lbs. Blue Lace Agates that have been tumbled in a Lortone QT66 for 5 weeks in 60-90 grit with a cup of kitty litter. ~1 lb. Miscellaneous previously tumbled/polished rejects that even the kids won’t touch (bottom of the fish bowl stuff – Amethysts, Jaspers, Quartz, etc…) (And here it is!!!!)… 1-SINGLE Aquamarine reject
(NOTE – I think Oorum is on the right track when he said the Aquamarine’s quality was degraded by harsh treatment during the beryllium mining… And Pauls was also when he said that he thought the fractured off pieces were degrading the rest of the load.). Place these stones into a Thumlers UV-10 vibratory tumbler and add enough ceramics to come up to the top of the center cone (about 80% lg. + 20% sm.). Run the vibe: 2-days with 220 grit 1-day with 600 grit And here is the trick to the whole thing… Have your UV-10 bowl’s bottom fracture and cover your garage with mud. Then go out and buy a new UV-18 and redo the 600 grit stage for another 2-days (using large/small ceramics to make-up the needed volume – it essentially changes the ratio of stones to ceramics to 50:50 … more cushioning for that fractured Aquamarine stone!). 2-days with 1200 grit SiC 2-days polish with Aluminum Oxide 1-day burnish with 1-TBS Dove and 3-TBS Borax. That’s it Goorgeb138! Simple( ) Or… you can re-tumble those Aquamarine stones you can’t seem to get a shine on in Aluminum Oxide polish using a 50:50 small ceramic to stone ratio to increase the cushioning to reduce fracturing. If you look hard, you can find the single Aquamarine. LOL!
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 22, 2017 23:02:41 GMT -5
Bravo Glenn. Remember when the garage floor got hit.. You've learned a ton and got the shiny rocks piling up. hehehehe .
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Post by orrum on Aug 23, 2017 6:44:22 GMT -5
Way to go that's a great aqua!!!
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Post by grumpybill on Aug 23, 2017 6:45:20 GMT -5
I tumbled 2 lbs. of Aquamarine bought from Amazon, and I am NOT happy with the stones either...) I haven't bought stones from Amazon sellers, but have had bad experiences with eBay sellers. Several purchases were obviously someone's culls/rejects. Some even had saw marks where the good parts had been removed! I'll never again buy from any seller who doesn't also have a website/legitimate business presence.
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 23, 2017 8:39:41 GMT -5
Bill and Glenn and all... The better tumble material have seen is The Rock Shed and Richardson's Rock Ranch. Also Great Rough has this sale now. I have enough tumble for 300 years and mostly roll odd and med-larger pieces of it but here is a cheap sale.
"SALE: Bulk purchase of 20 pounds or more: $0.75/pound!!!!! These are mixed grab bags of tumbling rough...a little bit of everything! Some pieces could potentially be cabbed, as many of them are small bits of slabs. Please NOTE: we cannot identify the stones in these parcels for you. "
Great Rough is usually a reasonable place for rough slabbing rock like this but anything practically can be broken into tumble.
African Queen Landscape Jasper Rough - "A" Grade - $3.00/pound Locality: Namibia
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georgeb138
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2017
Posts: 68
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Post by georgeb138 on Aug 23, 2017 17:28:42 GMT -5
Always impressed with the responses in this group. Lots of knowledge being shared freely. I very much appreciate all of your input. I dont have a vibratory tumbler. I am going to add a bunch of ceramic, burnish for 12 hours, prepolish for a week or better, burnish again, add clean ceramic and a week or 2 of polish. We will see what happens.
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Post by gmitch067 on Aug 23, 2017 18:04:07 GMT -5
Keep us updated Georgeb138. I am interested in the results of your Aquamarine rotary tumble when it comes out of the final burnish. I actually think they will polish better in a regular tumbler that has plenty of small ceramic cushioning. The vibratory tumblers seem to be a little harsh on heavily fractured stones.
(... a much debated issue follows... You make your own decision... It will probably be a good one) I use the same ceramics throughout the whole process. As long as you take the time to wash them in soapy water between grit changes. I put them in a Tupperware container (with a lid) and a squirt of Dawn. Then I shake-rattle-n-roll them until clean... seems to be no problem with that. If you are doing a burnish run before AND after the pre-polish stage... that should clean the ceramics just fine - just make sure you wash it off well with fresh clean water.
The larger ceramics are good for making up lost volume (after the 80 grit chews away at the rocks for a week or three), while the small ceramics are really good at cushioning. Vibratory tumblers get sort of choked-up when to many small ceramics are used (especially the new 2mm ceramic beads! However, the 2mm ceramics will work very well in a rotary tumbler).
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