rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 2,664
|
Post by rockbrain on Jun 3, 2022 8:41:19 GMT -5
Yes it is. I used some on a carpeted wheel for cab polishing and it seemed to work well. Hopefully I'll get to try it in the tumbler soon.
|
|
dshanpnw
freely admits to licking rocks
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_pink.png) ![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_pink.png)
Member since December 2020
Posts: 922
|
Post by dshanpnw on Jun 3, 2022 10:49:38 GMT -5
Hello Amanda4, welcome from Olympia, Washington. Being brand new to tumbling, I would begin by tumbling the harder stones, MOHS 6.5-7 first, then try the softer more expensive stuff once you are more comfortable. The softest rock I have tumbled so far are sunstones, MOHS about 6, and I did those in a 4 lb Lortone with lots of media, 60/90 grit checking frequently, then 220, 500, 1000, and into polish. The type of rock you are working on is a big factor when deciding what polish to use. I know a lot of websites recommend this or that polish for this or that stone and it can be very confusing. I have found what works very well on agates and jasper is aluminum oxide or tin oxide, I have used both with great results. Cerium oxide I think, from what I've read, is better for the more softer rocks, or certain mineral types. Lortone is not out of business, just suffering from the supply chain issues as a result of the pandemic, great resignation, and high demand from the surge of people who have found this hobby. In other words, they are just lagging the same as a lot of other companies right now.
|
|
markb
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2022
Posts: 472
|
Post by markb on Jun 3, 2022 17:31:34 GMT -5
Hello everyone, My name is Amanda and I am new to this hobby, but I have been bit bad by it! I started out with 1 old lortone tumbler that I bought a zillion years ago and never used and it sat rusting out in my garage, but my dad got it all fixed up for me and I started buying rocks and now I cannot stop!! My main problem is I just don’t know what to do after the first run. I now have 7 piles of rocks that have been run through the first stage and one pile that has been through number 2 stage but after reading up on everything, I just don’t know what to do. I have been reading to just keep tumbling the rocks until they are nice and smooth but it seems there will be nothing left of some of them if I try to get out all the holes etc. some even wore down to almost nothing the very first time. I realize now that I should have run similar hardness together but what do you do with all the softer rocks in the first place? If I run all the softer rocks together won’t they still just grind away to tiny pellets? Do I skip the first grit and just go to 2nd grit with softer stones? Then the steps 3 and 4 really have me bamboozled. Every you tube video I watch or article I read recommends different polishes. Tin oxide, Cereium oxide, aluminum oxide etc.... how do I know which one to use? I don’t want to mess up my rocks. One last question, I was a complete dummy and spent a fortune on some Peruvian blue opals (should have waited till I knew what I was doing) but they looked soooo pretty I couldn’t resist. I have run maybe a half pound of them through the first grit (60/90) and they seem to be ok and didn’t grind away too badly, but since I spent a lot on them I don’t want to go any further till I can find out exactly what is the best procedure for them. Have any of you ever polished this kind of rock? I can’t find any info on it as to what it’s moh is or polishing info. I have bought 4 more tumblers (lortone) and borrowed my dads wet tile saw to slice up some cool agates I got online and now I want to do nothing but cut up rocks and get them polished but I am too afraid to go past stage 2. I appreciate any help or advice. Sorry this is so long. Btw, did lortone go out of business? I wanted to get a bigger one but it says sold out and no one answers their phones or responds to any messages sent via the internet on their website. Hello amanda4 , Welcome from the Pacific Northwest! It looks like you've already gotten several good responses to your questions from the folks here. ![:)](//storage2.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) Just know, many of us have been in your shoes at sometime as well and we completely understand. Like you I began to realize not long ago that the longer you leave some stones in Stage 1, the smaller they may become. Thus, I began to check on my batches every 2-4 days, to evaluate how things are progressing along, pulling out the stones I don't want to get smaller or that I'm okay with the shape, and add more into the tumble as I go. When I do this I strain and collect the liquid and any remaining slurry into a small container and if I'm going to continue on with the tumble as is, I'll put that liquid back into the barrel, plus a little more grit if I add new stones, and keep going. Or, if I check my rocks and most of them are ready to pull out for the next Stage, I set them aside in a container marked "To Stage 2", clean out the barrel and start fresh again. Only we can decide if we want perfectly rounded stones without blemishes, or not worry about having to make every rock round. I'm finding that if I start with a rock that's already naturally shaped and partially rounded by water, it's ready to move to the next stage much quicker than if I start with one that's rough all the way around. Another thing I've learned is that "garbage in means garbage out." If you put in a rock with lots of pits, fractures, and difficult areas to tumble, it will be difficult to get these removed even after several Stage 1 runs. Thus, I'm getting more choosey with what rocks I choose to tumble in the first place. An option to getting rid of them all together would be to try and break them apart or cut them up, and then try tumbling smaller pieces of them. Only time will tell by trying different approaches. One neat thing about trying to tumble most rocks in Stage 1 is that sometimes a different color will be revealed, after the grit has ground the rock down some. For me, every rock has its own story to tell. As for grit, I'm following the majority of folks here and now ordering my grit from The Rock Shed, in South Dakota. They are super fast in shipping and you often get stuff a day or two early. Part of the fun of rock tumbling, is being a rockhound and going out to collect your own stuff. Depending on which state you live, you can probably find information on nearby clubs or good locations to find rocks. But however you choose to do it, just have fun with it!
|
|