oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,540
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Jul 10, 2019 22:30:23 GMT -5
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jul 10, 2019 22:50:23 GMT -5
For your first batch, I think these turned out pretty decent. It will only get better from here!
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jimaz
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2018
Posts: 461
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Post by jimaz on Jul 10, 2019 23:08:56 GMT -5
Look good for a first batch.
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,540
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Jul 11, 2019 0:19:49 GMT -5
Thanks! Definitely much room for improvement but my daughter is very happy with them and her interest in the hobby has only grown so couldnt ask for more. Being selective and being patient were two biggest lessons learned so far.
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,540
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Jul 11, 2019 0:21:08 GMT -5
Well, rather, those are the two biggest lessons we are still learning..
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Post by aDave on Jul 11, 2019 13:52:35 GMT -5
Those turned out pretty nice, but they can be improved upon (not a criticism at all). I don't know why Nat Geo labels its 1200 as polish, because it's really not. 1200 would usually be considered a pre-polish which would not be a final stage - there would be a "true" polish stage after that. Much of the AO polish that is out there is 1 - 1.5 micron which equates to 14,000 - 13,000 grit. That's quite a bit finer than what you had to work with. And, if you added that step, I think you'd see some improvement in the shine. That said, if you and your daughter are happy with them, don't sweat it. But, if you want to try to get a bit more out of those rocks, pick up some AO polish from somewhere like the Rock Shed.
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,540
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Jul 11, 2019 14:59:17 GMT -5
Those turned out pretty nice, but they can be improved upon (not a criticism at all). I don't know why Nat Geo labels its 1200 as polish, because it's really not. 1200 would usually be considered a pre-polish which would not be a final stage - there would be a "true" polish stage after that. Much of the AO polish that is out there is 1 - 1.5 micron which equates to 14,000 - 13,000 grit. That's quite a bit finer than what you had to work with. And, if you added that step, I think you'd see some improvement in the shine. That said, if you and your daughter are happy with them, don't sweat it. But, if you want to try to get a bit more out of those rocks, pick up some AO polish from somewhere like the Rock Shed.Thanks for the critique and tip! Welcome any advice for how to improve our results. Yeah, The 1200 ao polish was from nat geo and also from a grit pack from polly plastics off amazon. Was only after purchasing it that I read here about it not being true polish like what's sold at rockshed. So i Recently listened to the advice of so many here and purchased a new Lot o and grit pack from the rockshed with real polish and will definitely run these through the final polish stage once get a feel for the lot o.
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Post by miket on Jul 11, 2019 15:11:03 GMT -5
Nice variety and nice shine! The Rock Shed is a good place to go, he does a good job. I look forward to seeing what you do in the future!
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Post by Rockindad on Jul 11, 2019 19:47:55 GMT -5
I think this is a perfect first batch for doing this with a child. My tumbling partner is my son and our first batch was the typical "mixed bag" and we ran four stages at one week each. We were very happy with the results and it was enough to make us want to delve deeper into the hobby. There is plenty of time to raise your standards gradually if you, and your daughter, so choose. I think it would be a pretty hard sell to most kids to tell them we are going to put this batch of rocks in coarse grind for three months (and inevitably there will be weeks where little has changed) because we want the ultimate shine some day.
My boy has turned into our quality control inspector- he determines when each stone gets to move onto the next stage. I would really have to disagree with him about one to intervene. I have been amazed how quickly his standards have evolved and how much patience he has shown. He is now at the point that he is willing to wait as long as it takes to get the best results possible. This has not only been a very fun activity/bonding experience for us but it has also taught/reinforced responsibility, paying attention to details, record keeping, patience, science/geology.......
One other great thing about tumbling is you reserve the right to run your stones again if you desire better results down the road. Best of luck to you and your daughter!
Al
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Post by MsAli on Jul 11, 2019 21:59:49 GMT -5
A really good 1st batch with mixed material
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Jul 12, 2019 8:52:36 GMT -5
Those came out great!
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,540
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Jul 12, 2019 10:28:13 GMT -5
Thank yall for the kind words. Never ceases to amaze me how supportive members here are. Rockindad, I really like your idea of having your son decide what moves on or not. I will be trying that with my daughter. I have found that some of her favorite stones have been ones more flawed or less appealing to me personally and her having bigger hand in outcome will keep her interests high. Very grateful that I found this forum and am able to learn and grow in the hobby and shared interest with my daughter. Funny , now my Daughters friends around the neighborhood pick up any "cool" rocks they come across and gift them to my daughter to tumble. And everywhere we go her eyes are trained on the ground looking for another to add to the growing pile!
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Post by Rockindad on Jul 12, 2019 20:10:47 GMT -5
Thank yall for the kind words. Never ceases to amaze me how supportive members here are. Rockindad, I really like your idea of having your son decide what moves on or not. I will be trying that with my daughter. I have found that some of her favorite stones have been ones more flawed or less appealing to me personally and her having bigger hand in outcome will keep her interests high. Very grateful that I found this forum and am able to learn and grow in the hobby and shared interest with my daughter. Funny , now my Daughters friends around the neighborhood pick up any "cool" rocks they come across and gift them to my daughter to tumble. And everywhere we go her eyes are trained on the ground looking for another to add to the growing pile! This is why I put him in charge of inspecting. He now knows it is largely up to him how well each batch turns out in the end. It really emphasized what happens at each stage and is much more interesting for him than watching me do everything . Al
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