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Post by majesticrockqueen on Apr 21, 2020 20:19:11 GMT -5
Hey all! So I’ve been enjoying mineral collecting for several years, but just seriously got into collecting and tumbling a few months ago. Super excited to be here! Just your typical river rat living in western Washington exploring what nature has to provide!
Now my question is that I saw someone tumbling a batch of rocks (amethyst) and they put it through the final stage, then soaked them in mineral oil and then painted them with a high gloss varnish. Is this a normal practice? I’ve never seen anything like that before and have heard of and practiced burnishing tumbled rocks before with successful results. Any who, any input would be greatly appreciated! Cheers!
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Post by Rockoonz on Apr 21, 2020 20:29:47 GMT -5
Welcome your majesty, Lee from SW WA. Grew up in Kelso and live in Vancouver now. As for your question, I have seen varnished rocks in old collections, but didn't know it was still done. Sounds like questionable enhancement in this case. We run a burnish cycle on our tumbles as well.
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Post by knave on Apr 21, 2020 20:33:17 GMT -5
Welcome! Amethyst loves to fracture but I wouldn’t varnish it Maybe some cactus juice? Maybe?
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Post by taylor on Apr 21, 2020 20:39:12 GMT -5
Welcome from southern Arizona.
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Post by manofglass on Apr 21, 2020 20:46:18 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum
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Post by opalpyrexia on Apr 21, 2020 21:15:45 GMT -5
Welcome from Snohomish County.
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Post by MsAli on Apr 21, 2020 21:27:38 GMT -5
Welcome from Mn
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Post by joshuamcduffie on Apr 22, 2020 6:50:32 GMT -5
Welcome from South Carolina! We have lots of amethyst here, but I've never heard of varnishing it. Seems like a bad idea. If you do a good job polishing them and burnishing them, they won't need any enhancement.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,687
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 22, 2020 9:53:48 GMT -5
Welcome..... No I wouldn't prepare them like that either..
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Post by majesticrockqueen on Apr 22, 2020 11:24:26 GMT -5
Thank you all for the welcomes and input!
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Post by Pat on Apr 22, 2020 11:36:19 GMT -5
Welcome from California. Varnishing sounds like a bad idea, and a lot of work!
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Apr 22, 2020 12:34:01 GMT -5
In the good old days we used to hide the cracks in the hand blown marbles by putting them in hot Bacon grease, the grease ran down into the cracks and hid them fairly well. I suspect the cracks expanded and the grease pretty much filled the cracks and when the Marbles cooled the grease stayed in the cracks pretty much hiding them. Don't know how this primitive procedure would work on rock but what the heck, it's worth a try, we just put the marbles in the grease and heated them up together so there was no instant shock to the glass and they got hot together and cooled that way as well. You could experiment with a piece of cracked leaverite and see what happens ! Good experiment to try during lockdown.
Good luck !
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Post by joshuamcduffie on Apr 22, 2020 13:00:21 GMT -5
In the good old days we used to hide the cracks in the hand blown marbles by putting them in hot Bacon grease, the grease ran down into the cracks and hid them fairly well. I suspect the cracks expanded and the grease pretty much filled the cracks and when the Marbles cooled the grease stayed in the cracks pretty much hiding them. Don't know how this primitive procedure would work on rock but what the heck, it's worth a try, we just put the marbles in the grease and heated them up together so there was no instant shock to the glass and they got hot together and cooled that way as well. You could experiment with a piece of cracked leaverite and see what happens ! Good experiment to try during lockdown. Good luck ! using a thin cyanoacrylate adhesive like the red version of "Hot Stuff" might be better for crack filling than bacon grease. It certainly won't leave your rocks smelling like breakfast.
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Post by rockhoundingwithkids on Apr 22, 2020 13:18:28 GMT -5
I was thinking that seems like a good way for a dog to end up eating your marbles In the good old days we used to hide the cracks in the hand blown marbles by putting them in hot Bacon grease, the grease ran down into the cracks and hid them fairly well. I suspect the cracks expanded and the grease pretty much filled the cracks and when the Marbles cooled the grease stayed in the cracks pretty much hiding them. Don't know how this primitive procedure would work on rock but what the heck, it's worth a try, we just put the marbles in the grease and heated them up together so there was no instant shock to the glass and they got hot together and cooled that way as well. You could experiment with a piece of cracked leaverite and see what happens ! Good experiment to try during lockdown. Good luck ! using a thin cyanoacrylate adhesive like the red version of "Hot Stuff" might be better for crack filling than bacon grease. It certainly won't leave your rocks smelling like breakfast.
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Bucknutty
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2017
Posts: 171
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Post by Bucknutty on Apr 22, 2020 13:43:52 GMT -5
Welcome!
Mineral oil works pretty well to keep a shine on softer rocks like marble and wonderstone that don't keep the wet look on their own, but I wouldn't think it would do much for Amethyst .
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Apr 22, 2020 18:48:44 GMT -5
If your dog should eat your Marbles, just follow him around for a couple days, they will show up sooner or later, not smelling like breakfast any more !
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Post by RocksInNJ on Apr 23, 2020 10:00:47 GMT -5
Welcome from New Jersey.
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NevadaBill
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,332
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Post by NevadaBill on Apr 24, 2020 19:36:32 GMT -5
Welcome from the desert Southwest! I've personally never heard of varnish on rocks. Wouldn't that yellow over time?
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Post by TheRock on Apr 25, 2020 17:59:26 GMT -5
Welcome from SW Michigan .
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