jlpaloy
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2019
Posts: 14
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Post by jlpaloy on Oct 9, 2019 12:42:43 GMT -5
Hello!
I've been tumbling material for several years, but this stuff is giving me a bit of grief. I collected a bucket of this material this summer and have started to break it apart with a rock hammer and then tumble. The problem is that the material seems to fracture easily and have lots of pits and not shape up well. I've tumbled in a rotary with 60/90 SiC for 3 and 4 weeks, and still some won't shape up well. Some that did seem to shape alright got moved to the vibe, and after the 220 grit stage, I noticed more pits and grit stuck in cracks on most every piece.
If I had a saw I might cut instead of break the larger pieces apart, which might help, but otherwise, I'm just wondering what I can do different to get some material through stage 1 shaped up well enough to move forward for finishing. More time in rough? Different grit?
Any advice appreciated. JP
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Oct 9, 2019 13:17:28 GMT -5
If your current equipment is limited to just the tumbler then more time in stage one is the basic answer. Coarser grit is an option if your barrel is large enough. Barrels with a 3 pound or less capacity work best with 60/90. 6 pound thru 12 pound benefit from coarser 46/70 and 15 pound and up can go as low as 30 grit.
A tile saw would not only help for breaking the material down without fracturing but also for using the edge of the blade to grind out deep flaws. Grinding out flaws is a huge time saver.
3-4 weeks in stage one sure don't sound extreme to me. All of my rough spend at least that long in stage one using 46/70. Many of my Botswana, Brazilian and Lake Superior agates spend 16-20 weeks in stage one with weekly clean outs and recharges.
Chuck
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Post by miket on Oct 9, 2019 15:43:07 GMT -5
Yep, patience. If you're just putting stones in as is, it will definitely take a while in the coarse stage. I have some rocks that I've been tumbling since last Christmas and they just keep going round and round. As Chuck stated, pre-shaping and a little bit of grinding will help.
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