|
Post by rockjunquie on Jan 8, 2023 7:01:28 GMT -5
Hematite and pyrite are fine. The only things I've had trouble with, like I said, are native silver and native copper stones. I'm not sure if I have done howlite, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it. I have done soft stones, but whatever they may have absorbed didn't effect them. Tela, thanks for chiming in. I'm way too nervous trying it with Batcave...which is why I haven't wrapped any yet. I think they'd look "off" wrapped in silver. When in doubt, throw a scrap piece in some LOS and see what happens.
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Jan 8, 2023 7:07:13 GMT -5
Tela, thanks for chiming in. I'm way too nervous trying it with Batcave...which is why I haven't wrapped any yet. I think they'd look "off" wrapped in silver. When in doubt, throw a scrap piece in some LOS and see what happens. Very true! Sometimes I have blinders on and forget it's okay to "test the waters" first! LOL
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Jan 8, 2023 7:13:11 GMT -5
When in doubt, throw a scrap piece in some LOS and see what happens. Very true! Sometimes I have blinders on and forget it's okay to "test the waters" first! LOL I bet it will be fine. I have a coffee warming thingie (candle warmer) that I use to chase the water out of the softer cabs.
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Jan 8, 2023 7:16:56 GMT -5
Very true! Sometimes I have blinders on and forget it's okay to "test the waters" first! LOL I bet it will be fine. I have a coffee warming thingie (candle warmer) that I use to chase the water out of the softer cabs. Hmmm...I suppose a crock pot on low setting would accomplish the same thing... Of course if I do that, I run the risk of my wife thinking I'm making dinner...and then she'll think Hell froze over! LOL
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Jan 8, 2023 7:18:22 GMT -5
I bet it will be fine. I have a coffee warming thingie (candle warmer) that I use to chase the water out of the softer cabs. Hmmm...I suppose a crock pot on low setting would accomplish the same thing... Of course if I do that, I run the risk of my wife thinking I'm making dinner...and then she'll think Hell froze over! LOL LOL!!!
|
|
khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
|
Post by khara on Jan 8, 2023 20:23:19 GMT -5
Interesting. Thanks rockjunquie and jasoninsd for your input. I do tend to lean towards the just want to look at pretty things side of this hobby more-so than the sciencey side of it. :-) I feel like I can give a try with most of the materials I'll be working with here early on and I think I'll go ahead and order some of these materials I've been wanting to play with. If ever I have a premium favored piece I'll just be extra cautious. I saw somewhere where someone was hand burnishing their wraps using steel wool when they didn't want to tumble them. Not really sure if any hardening could be happening that way but it looked like an ok method for the patina polishing.
|
|
khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
|
Post by khara on Jan 8, 2023 20:28:55 GMT -5
Very true! Sometimes I have blinders on and forget it's okay to "test the waters" first! LOL I bet it will be fine. I have a coffee warming thingie (candle warmer) that I use to chase the water out of the softer cabs. See this is the sciencey side I was talking about. How does one know to chase water out of a cab using a coffee cup warmer? Experience I suppose.
|
|
|
Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 8, 2023 20:44:21 GMT -5
I bet it will be fine. I have a coffee warming thingie (candle warmer) that I use to chase the water out of the softer cabs. See this is the sciencey side I was talking about. How does one know to chase water out of a cab using a coffee cup warmer? Experience I suppose. Coffee cup warmer, underneath an incandescent bulb, your blower dryer ... whatever you have that works. I usually make a very small amount of LOS solution and use a cheap watercolor paintbrush to brush the solution on my pieces. I can watch the color change and paint it again until I get the color I want. Then dunk it in cold water and baking soda solution to stop the reaction. Everyone has their own way of doing things.
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Jan 8, 2023 21:11:50 GMT -5
Interesting. Thanks rockjunquie and jasoninsd for your input. I do tend to lean towards the just want to look at pretty things side of this hobby more-so than the sciencey side of it. :-) I feel like I can give a try with most of the materials I'll be working with here early on and I think I'll go ahead and order some of these materials I've been wanting to play with. If ever I have a premium favored piece I'll just be extra cautious. I saw somewhere where someone was hand burnishing their wraps using steel wool when they didn't want to tumble them. Not really sure if any hardening could be happening that way but it looked like an ok method for the patina polishing. LOS treatment...then I use steel wool on them...then tumble them (when I'm going to tumble them). So I do both...
|
|
khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
|
Post by khara on Jan 9, 2023 0:17:13 GMT -5
jasoninsd Ahhhhh. 🤔 And it’s the 0000 steel wool right? Do you know if there is risk of that scratching softer stones? Like did you use it in your malachite?
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Jan 9, 2023 0:45:20 GMT -5
jasoninsd Ahhhhh. 🤔 And it’s the 0000 steel wool right? Do you know if there is risk of that scratching softer stones? Like did you use it in your malachite? Yes, it is 0000 steel wool! I actually did not use it on the Malachite as it was wrapped in silver. Personally, I do think there's a risk of damage on softer stones. Any of the stones I've been concerned with, I was FAR more careful than I would be with an agate for instance.
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Jan 9, 2023 5:59:14 GMT -5
I use #0000, too. It doesn't scratch soft copper- it's not gonna scratch a stone. I have never scratched a stone with it and I have wrapped some really soft stones.
I use LOS, dry it (I usually heat it up to get the water out of the crevices and stone, if there is any), and then take the steel wool to it- then I tumble it-if needed, before I polish it with a sunshine cloth.
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Jan 9, 2023 9:57:16 GMT -5
I use #0000, too. It doesn't scratch soft copper- it's not gonna scratch a stone. I have never scratched a stone with it and I have wrapped some really soft stones.
I use LOS, dry it (I usually heat it up to get the water out of the crevices and stone, if there is any), and then take the steel wool to it- then I tumble it-if needed, before I polish it with a sunshine cloth.
Thanks for saying that about not scratching copper. I was doing the steel wool on a piece one time (I think it was Velvet Obsidian) and thought I had scratched the crap out of it. I wasn't wearing my glasses. Turns out it was the "fibers" that had come off the steel wool and they washed right off. I think that "horror" of thinking I had scratched up the piece is stuck in my head as "steel wool can damage!"....unnecessarily and unwarranted though it is! PTSWD - Post Traumatic Steel Wool Disorder...apparently it's a real thing! LOL
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Jan 9, 2023 10:03:18 GMT -5
I use #0000, too. It doesn't scratch soft copper- it's not gonna scratch a stone. I have never scratched a stone with it and I have wrapped some really soft stones.
I use LOS, dry it (I usually heat it up to get the water out of the crevices and stone, if there is any), and then take the steel wool to it- then I tumble it-if needed, before I polish it with a sunshine cloth.
Thanks for saying that about not scratching copper. I was doing the steel wool on a piece one time (I think it was Velvet Obsidian) and thought I had scratched the crap out of it. I wasn't wearing my glasses. Turns out it was the "fibers" that had come off the steel wool and they washed right off. I think that "horror" of thinking I had scratched up the piece is stuck in my head as "steel wool can damage!"....unnecessarily and unwarranted though it is! PTSWD - Post Traumatic Steel Wool Disorder...apparently it's a real thing! LOL Yeah, it's messy, no doubt. I have a friend who uses the pink pumice spider wheels. She swears by them, but I like doing it with steel wool.
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Jan 9, 2023 10:14:26 GMT -5
Thanks for saying that about not scratching copper. I was doing the steel wool on a piece one time (I think it was Velvet Obsidian) and thought I had scratched the crap out of it. I wasn't wearing my glasses. Turns out it was the "fibers" that had come off the steel wool and they washed right off. I think that "horror" of thinking I had scratched up the piece is stuck in my head as "steel wool can damage!"....unnecessarily and unwarranted though it is! PTSWD - Post Traumatic Steel Wool Disorder...apparently it's a real thing! LOL Yeah, it's messy, no doubt. I have a friend who uses the pink pumice spider wheels. She swears by them, but I like doing it with steel wool. Yeah...I remember rockbrain had posted about using those. I almost ordered some...but I've just stuck with the steel wool too.
|
|
khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
|
Post by khara on Jan 10, 2023 20:40:25 GMT -5
jasoninsd OK, well so I must have PTPPSWD. :-) I have it stuck in my head that the pink pumice spider wheels are dangerous for stones. I think this is from way back trying to clean up some old dirty patina'd silver work and thinking I'd scratched the stone with them. So I've only been using the PPSW's on wire scratch accidents far and safe away from the stone. rockjunquie Does your friend take efforts to cover or stay away from the stone? Another thing to do some intentional testing on now... Thanks both of you for the steel wool order of operations. I thought it was an either/or thing, either steel wool or the tumbler. I didn't realize it was both so I'm going to add that to my tool bench now.
|
|
|
Post by rockjunquie on Jan 10, 2023 20:43:16 GMT -5
jasoninsd OK, well so I must have PTPPSWD. :-) I have it stuck in my head that the pink pumice spider wheels are dangerous for stones. I think this is from way back trying to clean up some old dirty patina'd silver work and thinking I'd scratched the stone with them. So I've only been using the PPSW's on wire scratch accidents far and safe away from the stone. rockjunquie Does your friend take efforts to cover or stay away from the stone? Another thing to do some intentional testing on now... Thanks both of you for the steel wool order of operations. I thought it was an either/or thing, either steel wool or the tumbler. I didn't realize it was both so I'm going to add that to my tool bench now. No, she polishes with the stone in.
Sometimes, I tumble after patina. If I intend to leave the patina black, I will tumble it when it comes out of the LOS. Leaves a beautiful polished black finish.
|
|
khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
|
Post by khara on Jan 10, 2023 20:56:21 GMT -5
jasoninsd OK, well so I must have PTPPSWD. :-) I have it stuck in my head that the pink pumice spider wheels are dangerous for stones. I think this is from way back trying to clean up some old dirty patina'd silver work and thinking I'd scratched the stone with them. So I've only been using the PPSW's on wire scratch accidents far and safe away from the stone. rockjunquie Does your friend take efforts to cover or stay away from the stone? Another thing to do some intentional testing on now... Thanks both of you for the steel wool order of operations. I thought it was an either/or thing, either steel wool or the tumbler. I didn't realize it was both so I'm going to add that to my tool bench now. No, she polishes with the stone in.
Sometimes, I tumble after patina. If I intend to leave the patina black, I will tumble it when it comes out of the LOS. Leaves a beautiful polished black finish.
The range of finishes is fun. rockbrain at the beginning of this has some great dark silver gray finishes. :-)
|
|
khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
|
Post by khara on Mar 24, 2023 1:13:14 GMT -5
rockbrain How are all your patina finishes holding up? I did a few around this same time frame and just noticed tonight that they have already changed! Granted, I do not have them protected in any kind of bag or anti-tarnish wrapper. They are just out in my studio but I’m surprised to see in just two months quite a change in color. I had started with a sort of deep copper/gray color and noticed today that they have really turned quite orange, kind of a brighter orange. I polished with a sunshine cloth and that calmed the orange back down a bit maybe closer to the original color but not quite as gray. I’ve been wondering if over time and multiple polishes if the patina ultimately goes away and you are left with bare clean copper again, especially if polishing is required every month or two. I have to wait for a lot of time to go by to see for myself. Also, my pieces are coated with Renaissance wax so I’m surprised even more to see such a quick color change.
|
|
rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,172
|
Post by rockbrain on Mar 24, 2023 9:08:05 GMT -5
khara, mine just seem to get a little darker and in need of polishing a bit. I haven't noticed a color shift. I wonder if the wax has something to do with it.
|
|