markymark
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2015
Posts: 395
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Post by markymark on Feb 16, 2023 19:23:41 GMT -5
I haven't tumbled much and started back again with this batch of amethyst. Overall pretty happy but was trying for a higher gloss. My main issue is some have small chips, so how can I avoid this in the future? I'm using the tumble vibe 5 with 3 separate barrels,(course, medium and polish),ceramic and small quartz in the first couple stages and only small quartz in the final stage. A/O polish and some borax in the final stage. Will ceramic in the final stage help? Mark
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Feb 16, 2023 19:24:55 GMT -5
They look pretty shiny to me. Nice job!
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Post by jasoninsd on Feb 16, 2023 21:19:10 GMT -5
I think those came out great Mark!!
I'm not much of a tumbler...but I read all the threads! LOL - The only thing I've figured out when it comes to bruising/chipping is to increase the filler ratio so there's a lot more cushioning. I've seen some people say they have over 50% cushioning media in the tumbler...
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Post by susand24224 on Feb 17, 2023 2:42:18 GMT -5
Hi, your shine is fantastic; and amethyst is a difficult tumble. Amethyst is brittle and prone to fracturing, as are all (to my knowledge) macrocrystalline quartzes. I've had pretty good luck with thickening the slurry with shavings of ivory soap as well as adding extra filler (ceramic). Essentially you want them sliding around rather than falling. Another problem with amethyst is what happened to it before it got to you. If it was crushed (such as would happen if you hit it with a hammer), there are fractures and chips waiting in the wings no matter what you do. If you're using a rotary, you can also try adding a bit more water than you usually do as well--each stage will take longer, but it helps protect the rocks.
I've known of people adding such things as sugar, flour, even Karo Syrup to thicken the slurry, but the idea of adding something that might produce gas makes me nervous with a rotary.
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Post by fernwood on Feb 17, 2023 5:55:19 GMT -5
I think they look great. When tumbling Amethyst and similar rocks I use pea gravel and sometimes ceramics in the first 3 stages. Plastic media in the last 2 stages. The plastics are pretumbled, so they are smooth.
The ratio is usually 40% media and 60% rocks for stage 4. 60% media and 40% rocks in stage 5 for rocks prone to fractures. Even then, some fractures do not show up until after the last stage. I also run a Borax cleaning stage between each step and after polish.
I have a CE and Lortone tumbler.
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chapslv
having dreams about rocks
Member since June 2020
Posts: 56
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Post by chapslv on Feb 17, 2023 9:27:46 GMT -5
Wow! Those are beautiful. I have never produced a batch that looked that good so I can't add anything besides a compliment.
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markymark
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2015
Posts: 395
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Post by markymark on Feb 17, 2023 12:29:10 GMT -5
Thank you all for the kind words of encouragement as well as the helpful tips and tricks. Here is a pic of some that stand out to me. Thanks again
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rocknewb101
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2022
Posts: 1,368
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Post by rocknewb101 on Feb 17, 2023 13:22:38 GMT -5
I'm in agreement with the others. I thing they look fantastic and the shine is quite nice! I have some chevron/banded amethyst I'm tumbling now and I'm hopeful they'll turn out half as nice as these. Thanks for sharing!
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Feb 18, 2023 17:34:40 GMT -5
Great tumble. If I were to be ULTRA critical I would say perhaps a little longer in course. I think some of the chipping you see would have been taken care of in course. Also for polish and burnish you really need cushioning. I have not vibed any Ammy yet, but for the rotary I would use my saved polish to make the slurry as thick as possible. I would use a little less water and add plastic pellets to the very top (almost having to "squish" them down with the lid. I also ran 4 weeks instead of my usual 3. Burnish was with extra borax (3 tablespoons instead of 2) and lots of pellets again. Honestly I don't think you your going to improve that shine very much!
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