tiamet3
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2023
Posts: 1
|
Post by tiamet3 on Aug 13, 2023 0:17:11 GMT -5
A year and a half ago, my husband got me a tumbler from wire jewlery. I did a couple of the batches that came with it and forgot about it. Then last fall I got interested again. And now I've been tumbling any rock I find that looks remotely interesting. I've gotten a second tumbler from there. My husband got me a kit of rocks and grit for Xmas from natgeo. The rocks are.... ok.... they're kind of small. But they're nice. I've joined fb groups. I've been learning a little here and there. I have so much to tumble though and I am bringing more in faster than I can tumble. Then I learned I can make my own sea glass. And I keep picking up rocks everywhere I go.
So I ended up here because I was trying to figure out the difference between aluminum oxide and silicon carbide. I found the answer. I'm attempting a batch of rainbow fluorite and found directions on Rock shed. But I have s.c so it looks like I need to buy some a.o. I have a bunch of obsidian to work on too so I think I'll work on that while I wait, lol.
Grit and times is what I'm trying to figure out. Getting my hands on rocks isn't too hard. Even if they're just "plain" rocks, they all have potential. But what to do with everything, that's what I'm here for.
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Aug 13, 2023 0:29:28 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from South Dakota! Chances are, someone on the forum has at one point or another tumbled something you're trying to tumble...and you're going to get a lot of your questions answered...whether through searching through the vast threads in the tumbling forum...or asking questions in a "question" thread from you!
|
|
|
Post by vegasjames on Aug 13, 2023 2:35:02 GMT -5
Welcome from Southern Nevada.
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Aug 13, 2023 3:14:48 GMT -5
The difference between aluminum oxide and silicon carbide Well one is corundum, and the other carborundum, can't remember which though. Welcome from AZ
|
|
dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,622
|
Post by dillonf on Aug 13, 2023 5:59:28 GMT -5
Welcome! Chemically I can't speak to the differences (other than the obvious). Functionally, in general, I find SC to be a more aggressive grit, while AO is better in the pre-polish and polish stages. You are working with some materials that have a reputation for being more difficult to tumble (fluorite/obsidian), neither of which do I have experience with. That said I have tumbled a large variety of quartz and I have found I like to have a variety of grit types to deal with situations as they evolve. For example I have both 500 SC and 500 AO. I use AO 90% of the time, but there are situations where I'd like a more aggressive 500 stage and I use SC. I have also been experimenting with Tripoli as a pre-polish and I find it very useful with quartz. In your situation tumbling method is also relevant - rotary vs vibratory. Hope this helps a little?
|
|
|
Post by liveoak on Aug 13, 2023 6:27:12 GMT -5
Welcome from NW Florida. Patty
|
|
|
Post by chris1956 on Aug 13, 2023 7:53:04 GMT -5
Welcome from Missouri.
|
|
skmcconnell361
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2023
Posts: 125
|
Post by skmcconnell361 on Aug 13, 2023 8:42:15 GMT -5
Welcome from Missouri I am new here and to tumbling also, I got the book "Modern Rock Tumbling" by Steve Hart from RockTumbler.com. He has a whole chapter on your question. might be worth looking into.
|
|
iamchris
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2023
Posts: 722
|
Post by iamchris on Aug 13, 2023 8:49:50 GMT -5
Welcome from Rochester, NY!
|
|
|
Post by opalpyrexia on Aug 13, 2023 9:12:03 GMT -5
Welcome from Washington.
|
|
ashley
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2023
Posts: 927
|
Post by ashley on Aug 13, 2023 9:30:03 GMT -5
Hi from Illinois!
|
|
|
Post by hummingbirdstones on Aug 13, 2023 9:46:47 GMT -5
|
|
Rockyy
starting to shine!
Member since August 2023
Posts: 47
|
Post by Rockyy on Aug 13, 2023 17:51:58 GMT -5
Welcome from just north of you. The solution to your problem, besides the grit ID stuff. You need a bigger tumbler.
|
|
|
Post by drocknut on Aug 14, 2023 9:33:46 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from south central Arizona
|
|
michiganpebbler
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2023
Posts: 344
|
Post by michiganpebbler on Aug 15, 2023 14:22:46 GMT -5
Welcome from lower Michigan! New here as well.
|
|
texhex
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rocks 10 - TexHex 2
Member since August 2023
Posts: 149
|
Post by texhex on Aug 19, 2023 17:22:00 GMT -5
Welcome.... Your post is interesting. I have always wanted to go rock hounding for petrified in Oregon. The photos I have seen of Oregon petrified are totally different than what I find in Texas.
Wishing you luck on your research and experiments. I am also in that phase.
|
|
JR8675309
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since August 2019
Posts: 807
|
Post by JR8675309 on Aug 22, 2023 5:34:37 GMT -5
Welcome from Central Oregon!
|
|
rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,033
|
Post by rockbrain on Aug 22, 2023 8:28:09 GMT -5
Welcome from Central California!
|
|
wedger
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2023
Posts: 95
|
Post by wedger on Aug 22, 2023 11:11:00 GMT -5
Welcome from the Pacific Northwest
|
|
silverstallion
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since September 2022
Posts: 109
|
Post by silverstallion on Aug 27, 2023 10:47:56 GMT -5
Hi from Quebec! =)
|
|