RockyBeach
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2023
Posts: 319
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Post by RockyBeach on Aug 19, 2023 10:26:48 GMT -5
I get why it pays to run stage one over and over in the Rotary until perfection (or near perfection) is obtained (if only to prevent looking at your "finished" rocks and starting over again because of minor flaws that now loom as major irregularities.
BUT, in general, is there any reason to run Stage two in the vibrator for longer than the suggested one or two days ?
Question ditto for stage 3,4 and burnish. Will longer tumbling accomplish anything much?
Talking regular everyday general river and beach rocks.... no agates or purchased "exotics" ... yet !
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RockyBeach
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2023
Posts: 319
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Post by RockyBeach on Aug 19, 2023 20:37:47 GMT -5
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ashley
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2023
Posts: 927
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Post by ashley on Aug 19, 2023 20:45:44 GMT -5
Sometimes it is helpful to get a better polish. It depends on what you consider “typical” run time. I sometimes run 500 for twice as long and skip polish.
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RockyBeach
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2023
Posts: 319
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Post by RockyBeach on Aug 19, 2023 20:55:30 GMT -5
Sometimes it is helpful to get a better polish. It depends on what you consider “typical” run time. I sometimes run 500 for twice as long and skip polish. Thanks for the info. I see that some folks run polish for a LOT longer than the generally recommended "2 days" and their pictures show some really terrific results. I am waiting for the tumbler to finish the coarse run so will probably let the polish stage keep working until they catch up and see what happens and checkthe shine periodically when I do the "water check".
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,071
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Post by dshanpnw on Aug 20, 2023 6:44:51 GMT -5
I do run the coarse stage for however long it takes to try and get them nearly perfect. Then I follow Randy's vibe recipe I found on here. 4 days in 220, 2 days then do a cleanout and repeat 220 for two more days, this ensures the 60/90 grit scratches are removed. Two days might be enough, but I have done 4 and it works well, so I stick to that method. I find two days in 500 and two days in 1000 works very well. The 500 and 1000 stages are for removing the scratches from the previous steps. It also depends on the type of rock your tumbling too. Some beach rocks, granite for instance, might never get smooth enough for a brilliant shine, it's just too porous. So, 4 days 220, 2 days 500, 2 days 1000, and 2 days polish is just right, but I guess keeping them in longer in any stage after 220 couldn't hurt, but it might also be overkill. Great questions.
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