ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on May 8, 2017 17:03:17 GMT -5
Some cracks are so deep that no amount of coarse grinding will get rid of them. Or maybe it will take many months, and your material will weather away to a fraction of its original size. Here's a couple other options to consider:
- Sometimes I'll split the material with a chisel on a crack line. I'll end up with two or more smaller pieces, but no deep cracks. - Learn to love deep cracks in your tumbled material.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on May 8, 2017 16:36:39 GMT -5
The dino poo arrived yesterday. It looks good. I'm going to throw a few pieces in the tumbler this weekend. Thanks, Andrea Even though it's only been a couple of weeks, any update as to how it's shaping and hardness? Anyone else have any reports how this stuff tumbles? Thanks and regards. Dave I've got a chunk grinding away right now. As of my last clean out on Saturday, it looked to be rounding out pretty nicely; On par with other mohs 7 stuff. I'll snap a pick on Wednesday if I don't forget.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on May 2, 2017 14:43:42 GMT -5
I have bought from Donnie and you get premium material !!! Worth the investment people! Ditto
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on May 2, 2017 14:43:13 GMT -5
Since I did some more cutting this weekend I have added more to the box of tumbling material. Too much more & I won't be able to close the box. What's the weight of the box?
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 23, 2017 11:49:45 GMT -5
You're not the only one. I tumble these all the time and have a small collection of quarter-sized t-egg halves.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 17, 2017 23:01:07 GMT -5
I use an ultrasonic cleaner.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 10, 2017 21:47:15 GMT -5
Rock A. Turned out okay.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 9, 2017 15:06:34 GMT -5
I'll post the final result of Rock A on Monday or Tuesday.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 9, 2017 15:05:39 GMT -5
I'm starting a tumble journal to document the progress of three rocks, start to finish. I spent about 30 seconds rummaging through my flower bed, grabbing the first three that looked about Mohs 7. Next time, i'll go with something more interesting or at least be more selective. For this first journal, I want to see if I can "polish a turd" and find a diamond in the rough. Another thing I'll do next time is take starting measurements and weight. All three were added to my Thumler B on 3/26, and will be finished in a Lot-O. Rock A looks the most promising, and I've already moved it to the Lot-O. The other two look like they'll be duds. Second photo were taken on 4/1. Rock A Rock B Rock C
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 7, 2017 14:38:30 GMT -5
Who needs eBay? Nice job selling the material so quickly.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 5, 2017 22:21:21 GMT -5
How important is the Borax? I have been avoiding it since it will kill the vegetation and I don't really know how to get rid of the slurry with borax in it. It's not, in my opinion. Soap works just as well, and even that, I don't use all the time anymore.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 5, 2017 22:18:56 GMT -5
Your photography is insane. And the rocks are nice too!
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 5, 2017 22:12:39 GMT -5
I agree wholeheartedly about the three days...hence, my use of Borax for only a few hours. Dave Thanks guys. I found a post somewhere on these boards that recommended running Borax for 3 days, so......being the noobs that my daughter and I are, that is what we did. I am VERY hopeful that this polish stage will produce at least SOME polished rocks. My question now is, how long should I run these rocks in the polish stage? In a rotary, a week is the standard prescribed duration. At the very least, it might be a good point to open up the barrel and see how your stones look and run longer if necessary. Your stones may still look a little hazy after they dry, until you burnish with borax for a few hours to remove any residue.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 5, 2017 16:59:25 GMT -5
OK, gang. We moved from Borax stage to polish stage. I believe we have done everything "right" this time, other than being ignorant of the MOHS profile for our rocks as we do not exactly know what all of our rocks are. From what I have seen, tumbling harder rocks with softer rocks is a 'no-no", so if this batch still comes out dull from the polish stage, I am not sure what I will try next. Tumbling mixed Mohs in a single batch won't impact shine on the harder stones. The softer stones will just weather away faster than the harder ones, and are more difficult to polish in general.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 5, 2017 16:56:30 GMT -5
A borax-only stage before polish? Yep. I've been going straight from 500 to polish, so I use it to help clean any remnants/film of the 500 before moving it along. It only runs for about 6 hours or so. Dave Three days of straight borax with no grit just seemed a bit excessive. I don't use borax anymore, but when I did, I only ran it for 4 hours or so after the polish stage.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 5, 2017 6:58:22 GMT -5
A borax-only stage before polish?
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Apr 3, 2017 19:32:36 GMT -5
One or the other. No need to use both. And it doesn't have to be Ivory. I've used several brands and they all work fine.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Mar 29, 2017 17:11:24 GMT -5
I'm presently running a tumble cycle inspired by this method. Couple differences; I'm using AO 320 instead of AO 500 (just what I had on hand). I also hope to cut that stage from 5 days to 3 days and assess the results. At that point, i may switch to AO 14k, but hopefully I won't need to. Overall goal is to keep Lot-O stages to 5 days or less.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Mar 28, 2017 17:37:06 GMT -5
Yep. Nothing wrong with "sterile" procedures. Better safe than sorry.
I choose to roll the dice, b/c I probably have less patience than most (according to my wife). Most of the time, tumbling is pretty forgiving, so if I screw something up, I can just toss it back in the barrel.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Mar 27, 2017 12:40:23 GMT -5
I believe that the impact of grit contamination is overstated, if not a myth. Yes, this is contrary to one of the oldest and most widely shared axioms in all of tumbling. I realize my statement is akin to blasphemy, but hear me out.
- Grit breaks down in the tumbling process. Given. - Grit breaks down fairly aggressively. Within 2-3 days, SiC 60 (or any size for that matter) is pulverized into imperceptible dust; Maybe SiC 500 or smaller. Note that this is observed using a 15 lb barrel. I suspect the rate of reduction may vary depending on size and contents. Nevertheless, grit doesn't last very long.
Given those observations, I found it suspect that a few stowaway grains of grit could survive subsequent stages long enough to make any sort of meaningful impact. I tested my hypothesis in the following ways.
1. My first step was stopping meticulous cleaning between stages. I stopped looking for stray granules, repeated rinsings, and carefully scrubbing each stone with a toothbrush. There were no noticeable consequences after making this change. 2. I stopped using a dedicated barrel for the polish stage. Like most Lot-O users, I have multiple barrels. I've only been using one barrel for the past 2 months, and again, no noticeable impact. 3. For my past 5 or 6 standard tumble cycles, I stopped cleaning out between stages entirely (in the Lot-O). I will still rinse out mud/slurry between stages, but the rocks stay in the barrel. Once again, no difficulty achieving a wet shine.
I am by no means advocating that anyone follow my lead. Especially those new to the hobby who are still working towards achieving that desired shine. I've always been a maverick with little patience and certainly not someone to emulate. Just wanted to share some food for thought.
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