|
Post by MsAli on Nov 13, 2017 20:09:42 GMT -5
Ok maybe a dumb question...but for those of you that have experience tumbling these...Do you leave them in stage 1 until it is smooth all around stone or would grinding them be a better option? This is one week in course.... Thank you
|
|
|
Post by Garage Rocker on Nov 13, 2017 20:15:19 GMT -5
That one doesn't have any deep pits that would benefit from grinding, so I usually let them roll until rounded. That's high dollar material and I hate to grind away and take material unnecessarily. But we're talking months instead of weeks in the first grind. You can speed it up by grinding, definitely. Different strokes for different folks.
ETA: If there is an odd protrusion that will look funny when the rest is rounded, I'll go ahead and grind that part down.
|
|
fishnpinball
Cave Dweller
So much to learn, so little time
Member since March 2017
Posts: 1,491
|
Post by fishnpinball on Nov 13, 2017 20:16:50 GMT -5
I have been increasing the stage 1 time for the improved outside on most of these. I think there are some on the site that spend a large amount of time in stage 1 (months) but do they ever end up with beautiful tumbles. I need to learn some more patience I guess. Sometimes if it looks like I might lose the pattern that is showing I pass them on anyways.
|
|
|
Post by MsAli on Nov 13, 2017 20:21:29 GMT -5
That one doesn't have any deep pits that would benefit from grinding, so I usually let them roll until rounded. That's high dollar material and I hate to grind away and take material unnecessarily. But we're talking months instead of weeks in the first grind. You can speed it up by grinding, definitely. Different strokes for different folks. ETA: If there is an odd protrusion that will look funny when the rest is rounded, I'll go ahead and grind that part down. Thank you That' what I was thinking but didnt know for sure. Back in they go......
|
|
|
Post by aDave on Nov 13, 2017 20:43:59 GMT -5
While you've made a decision, my stance on Bots is to tumble off any skin that hides what is underneath. At first, I was in the same spot as you...how long to roll this stuff? I got to the point of eliminating the "skin" and then some. I'm not claiming to roll to "perfection," but I usually tumble Bots quite a while. The "skin" is removed, and I'm looking for glossy stones while wet. Bands should be fairly visible. That's my take. Hope this helps some.
Dave
|
|
|
Post by MsAli on Nov 13, 2017 20:56:27 GMT -5
While you've made a decision, my stance on Bots is to grind off any skin that hides what is underneath. At first, I was in the same spot as you...how long to roll this stuff? I got to the point of eliminating the "skin" and then some. I'm not claiming to roll to "perfection," but I usually tumble Bots quite a while. The "skin" is removed, and I'm looking for glossy stones while wet. Bands should be fairly visible. That's my take. Hope this helps some. Dave Dave you have given me something to think about. I have more that I have yet to tumble so maybe I'll try grinding the skins 1st the next batch.
|
|
Luminin
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2017
Posts: 400
|
Botswana
Nov 13, 2017 21:14:38 GMT -5
via mobile
MsAli likes this
Post by Luminin on Nov 13, 2017 21:14:38 GMT -5
I've got a few of these, that's an exceptional rock. Mine all have very deep pits. I've been running them for a month and a half - two months in stage one now. They've still got a ways to go. They make me want to sweat off agates as a whole, such a time consuming pain!
EDIT: Correction, mine are Mozambique agates, not bots.
|
|
|
Post by MsAli on Nov 13, 2017 21:24:43 GMT -5
I've got a few of these, that's an exceptional rock. Mine all have very deep pits. I've been running them for a month and a half - two months in stage one now. They've still got a ways to go. They make me want to sweat off agates as a whole, such a time consuming pain! EDIT: Correction, mine are Mozambique agates, not bots. I just bought some Mozambiques and the "skin" on those made me go oh crap! Gonna be interesting to tumbles those thats for sure. I am loving these Bots and how they are coming out. The skin isn' that bad on them so I will check again next Sunday and go from there. Patience is needed that' for sure.
|
|
|
Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Nov 13, 2017 21:50:55 GMT -5
I grind just about every Botswana agate I tumble but I also have a decent quantity of rocks so losing an ounce here and there to speed things up don't bother me. If you only have a few and you want them as large as possible let them run.
Chuck
|
|
|
Post by gmitch067 on Nov 13, 2017 21:51:23 GMT -5
There are VERY BEAUTIFUL wonders hiding under that thin candy shell! tkvancil recently posted pics of one of his Botswana tumbles that makes me drooool: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/80909/botswana-agate-2It made me rethink the length of time in the 80-grit stage that I am willing to commit to. I just purchased 10 lbs of Bots from The Rock Shed and plan on devoting a QT-12 rotary tumbler in a "weed-n-feed" throughout 2018 for their unveiling!
|
|
|
Post by MsAli on Nov 13, 2017 22:03:29 GMT -5
There are VERY BEAUTIFUL wonders hiding under that thin candy shell! tkvancil recently posted pics of one of his Botswana tumbles that makes me drooool: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/80909/botswana-agate-2It made me rethink the length of time in the 80-grit stage that I am willing to commit to. I just purchased 10 lbs of Bots from The Rock Shed and plan on devoting a QT-12 rotary tumbler in a "weed-n-feed" throughout 2018 for their unveiling! Got these from the Rock Shed and am going back to get more. I saw his thread and drooooll is an understatement. I can only dream mine will come out that good.
|
|
|
Post by Garage Rocker on Nov 13, 2017 22:39:20 GMT -5
Ok, this might sound hokey, but you should look at the rock and let it tell you what to do with it. Adding water/grit and cleaning out the tumblers is the mechanical part of the hobby. Deciding what you want the tumble to look like when it's done is the creative part of it. With practice, you'll be able to have some control over how your tumbles will turn out. Not all the time, there will always be surprises, but you can prep them in a way that can help you achieve what it is that you want. That's the fun part, the rest can be tedious. Just like those that take a slab and capture a feature or pattern they are after in a cabochon, you can do similar with your tumbles. The small nodules you are tumbling whole are more of a challenge, but when you have a larger rock you are breaking down, especially using a saw, you can cut it so that a particular feature is expressed. Even with those Bots, you have artistic freedom to shape them how you want. Leave some of the skin, get rid of all the skin, cut it into two pieces and show the inside, or whatever you like. Depending on how it comes to me tells me what my options are going to be. I like to look at it as a puzzle. Remember that after tumbling that rock pictured above until it is rounded and smooth, that you will have tumbled a lot of that skin down on the back. It may reveal some banding as you go. You can grind it down part way through the tumble if it isn't doing what you want. I like pictures to help give a visual, so I hope you don't mind.
Lakers are a lot like Bots, banded and hard and often with that skin covering the bands. This one took a little grinding to expose banding all around.
Some of my favorites show some banding revealed from the outer skin. The one in the middle is a good example of this.
The Bahia agate on the left is an example of one that is a total surprise. They are too rough in the raw state to know exactly what will show up as it grinds into shape. That makes them fun.
Here's a Brazilian agate that had a heavy crust all around. Once split open, some nice banding was exposed. I decided to grind just enough crust off the back to expose some of the banding, but left a lot of the crust for a window look.
Another Brazilian that was split, but the skin had nice features, so it was left to look like two completely different rocks. Inside
Outside
I guess my point is, read the rock, have a vision of what you want it to look like and work towards that. Sometimes it doesn't come out as hoped, but that's ok. Tumbling doesn't have to be, nor should it be, a passive endeavor. That becomes just another chore. Use it as an opportunity to exhibit your creativity.
|
|
|
Post by MsAli on Nov 13, 2017 22:47:29 GMT -5
You dont sound "hokey" to me at all...I totally get what you mean. The pictures help a lot and I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
|
|
tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
|
Post by tkvancil on Nov 14, 2017 10:45:57 GMT -5
MsAli I tumbled my Bots for months, about three give or take. Many of them I left the "flaws" in. Specifically the indentations where maybe softer minerals were but are long gone. Many of these indentations are deep enough that tumbling a year might not remove them. I consider these "part of the rock" and actually like how they look in a finished piece. My decisions on when to pull one from stage one were based on a few factors. First did I think I'd like it polished even if not "perfect". Would continued tumbling perhaps remove a feature I liked. Conversely would continued tumbling bring a feature closer to the surface. And does the flaw clean easily, with just a few spray bottle squirts, and not trap grit. I like the way Garage Rocker described his decision making process, and the fact that you get it. This is much the same way I look at tumbling these days but am not sure I had the right words. You may find some tubes or mosses in your agates. Tubes and mosses almost always under cut in my experience. The worst undercutting occurs when the feature runs roughly parallel to the surface. Don't get hung up on tumbling these to perfection, probably won't happen.
|
|
|
Post by MsAli on Nov 14, 2017 11:03:44 GMT -5
How often do you check them? I find myself looking every 3 days or so.
|
|
tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
|
Post by tkvancil on Nov 14, 2017 11:59:57 GMT -5
How often do you check them? I find myself looking every 3 days or so. I'm pretty much a "set 'em and forget 'em" type ... Fill and charge the barrel and let it roll for a week. Some get a volume top off at mid week but I don't look then.
|
|
|
Post by MsAli on Nov 14, 2017 12:16:02 GMT -5
Thank you-This has all been very helpful and appreciated.
|
|
|
Botswana
Nov 14, 2017 12:22:34 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Garage Rocker on Nov 14, 2017 12:22:34 GMT -5
I've never been a 'checker' or 'recharger' either. I use a little litter as a thickener with my grit and water, then listen for the sound of the tumbler to change from a swishing sound to a slight clunking sound before doing a total clean out. (Technical terminology) That's usually between 5 and 7 days.
|
|
|
Post by MsAli on Nov 14, 2017 13:05:01 GMT -5
I've never been a 'checker' or 'recharger' either. I use a little litter as a thickener with my grit and water, then listen for the sound of the tumbler to change from a swishing sound to a slight clunking sound before doing a total clean out. (Technical terminology) That's usually between 5 and 7 days. The (technical terminology) made me laugh. Out of curiosity, what is the purpose or benefits for using a "thickener"
|
|
|
Post by Garage Rocker on Nov 14, 2017 13:12:58 GMT -5
Well, the theory is that rapidly building the thicker slurry helps carry the course grit and speed up the grind time. I've noticed that when I start with water and grit only, the grit takes longer to break down and there is often some grit left in the bottom of the tumbler when cleaned out at 5-7 days. This was based on jamesp's experiments with clay additive. I'm a believer, but not everyone subscribes to this process.
|
|