scotydog826
starting to shine!
Member since July 2023
Posts: 41
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Post by scotydog826 on Nov 22, 2023 21:10:02 GMT -5
Never tried but I figured someone had. I have some rocks from many tumbles ago that I feel would shine up better with my current processes. Would I need to take them back to like 220 and go from there or would putting them into polish work?
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Post by jasoninsd on Nov 22, 2023 21:18:52 GMT -5
I wouldn't go clear back to the 220 stage. That would more than likely do some more "shaping" (to a degree). If it's just the polish you're not happy with, I'd take it one step back before the polish stage...run it in that one, then run it through polish again.
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dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,622
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Post by dillonf on Nov 22, 2023 21:43:02 GMT -5
Never tried but I figured someone had. I have some rocks from many tumbles ago that I feel would shine up better with my current processes. Would I need to take them back to like 220 and go from there or would putting them into polish work? I agree with Jason, If you are happy with the shaping and overall smoothness of the rocks I would go back to either pre-polish or 500 grit depending on what you do prior to your polish stage. |
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scotydog826
starting to shine!
Member since July 2023
Posts: 41
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Post by scotydog826 on Nov 22, 2023 22:57:11 GMT -5
Thanks
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RockyBeach
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2023
Posts: 342
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Post by RockyBeach on Nov 22, 2023 23:04:41 GMT -5
fwiw ... doing a Borax burnish or even two does wonders for some somewhat sub-par shines without the undercutting that seems to happen in the final grit stages / stages.
Depends, of course, on the variety of rock in motion.
Some recommend a "dry" burnish with just a little water in the vibratory but I have had better results with a really wet wash with a drop of Dawn added to the bathwater followed by a soapless session ... again with lots of water.
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hplcman
spending too much on rocks
Looking forward to my Friday Night Barrel Clean out!
Member since August 2022
Posts: 494
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Post by hplcman on Nov 22, 2023 23:16:51 GMT -5
I agree with the above. I wouldn’t go all the way back to 220. I think once you go AO, you don’t go back…
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Nov 24, 2023 7:30:51 GMT -5
I re-polish once in a while. It is usually for a shaping issue, or a break from a fracture (or in the case of my last re-polish- a near deer/truck collision that saw my box of give away rocks go flying into the dashboard and crashing to the floor). For this I go back to course grit. If there are no shape issues, then a prepolish and polish run would be all it takes.
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blackgirlrocks
starting to shine!
Member since November 2023
Posts: 49
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Post by blackgirlrocks on Nov 26, 2023 8:41:23 GMT -5
When doing a repolish from 500AO is it 7 day cycles again? I'm doing 500,1000,and AO polish.
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dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,622
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Post by dillonf on Nov 26, 2023 8:51:35 GMT -5
5-7 days. I'd do 2 weeks in polish with the barrel 80-85% full (add extra media) - no clean out - let it run for 2-weeks straight.
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hplcman
spending too much on rocks
Looking forward to my Friday Night Barrel Clean out!
Member since August 2022
Posts: 494
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Post by hplcman on Nov 26, 2023 11:21:59 GMT -5
5-7 days. I'd do 2 weeks in polish with the barrel 80-85% full (add extra media) - no clean out - let it run for 2-weeks straight. I first used the technique (14 days in polish, no cleanouts or anything, in a barrel backfilled with ceramics to about 80% full) with a chunk of obsidian I was tumbling. The results were pretty amazing. That’s my ‘go-to’ method for polishing rocks now! |
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blackgirlrocks
starting to shine!
Member since November 2023
Posts: 49
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Post by blackgirlrocks on Dec 5, 2023 14:13:28 GMT -5
5-7 days. I'd do 2 weeks in polish with the barrel 80-85% full (add extra media) - no clean out - let it run for 2-weeks straight. I first used the technique (14 days in polish, no cleanouts or anything, in a barrel backfilled with ceramics to about 80% full) with a chunk of obsidian I was tumbling. The results were pretty amazing. That’s my ‘go-to’ method for polishing rocks now! I'm going to try this today. Hope I can hold out for two weeks. 😆 |
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hplcman
spending too much on rocks
Looking forward to my Friday Night Barrel Clean out!
Member since August 2022
Posts: 494
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Post by hplcman on Dec 5, 2023 16:06:18 GMT -5
I first used the technique (14 days in polish, no cleanouts or anything, in a barrel backfilled with ceramics to about 80% full) with a chunk of obsidian I was tumbling. The results were pretty amazing. That’s my ‘go-to’ method for polishing rocks now! I'm going to try this today. Hope I can hold out for two weeks. 😆 That's honestly the hardest part, the waiting.  |
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RockyBeach
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2023
Posts: 342
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Post by RockyBeach on Dec 7, 2023 23:17:47 GMT -5
I have been noting lately that a polish stage that extends farther than an obvious state of shiny when samples are explored during moisture checks often leads to an increase in undercutting when the rocks are a type subject to same.
BUT will extended time in final polish increase shine once shine is achieved in things like the quartzes and agates and such or is shiny simply shiny with no degree and level of shininess once the glow is there ?
reading back. my question reads like a peter piper pickle tongue twister and maybe it seems like a silly question but it is not meant as a joke ... does extended polishing really make a difference?
I am using a vibratory and usually polish for 2 days.
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Post by victor1941 on Dec 9, 2023 10:47:30 GMT -5
RockyBeach, I run jasper and agate cabs in a UV-18 vibe polish stage a minimum of 2 days and check the polish under a bright light source for shine after 2 days. If the polish looks good I stop and if not add an extra day if I think that might help. I add borax to all steps and always run a high percent of media-never short the media.
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dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,622
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Post by dillonf on Dec 10, 2023 8:44:59 GMT -5
I have been noting lately that a polish stage that extends farther than an obvious state of shiny when samples are explored during moisture checks often leads to an increase in undercutting when the rocks are a type subject to same. BUT will extended time in final polish increase shine once shine is achieved in things like the quartzes and agates and such or is shiny simply shiny with no degree and level of shininess once the glow is there ? reading back. my question reads like a peter piper pickle tongue twister and maybe it seems like a silly question but it is not meant as a joke ... does extended polishing really make a difference? I am using a vibratory and usually polish for 2 days. I have experienced and wondered the same thing as you. What I've noticed: For materials prone to undercutting the rotary works better for polishing - I basically don't use the vibe. In a rotary I feel longer tumble times do increase shine. I let it go 2 weeks at ~80% full. This is noticably better than just 1 week. In the vibe - For harder material longer in the polish stage doesn't seem to make a notable difference - to me. For quartzes in the vibe I have shifted to using Tripoli powder and that does need longer in the vibe to break down - 4-5 days. I found the normal rock shed AO polish slurry to be to thin and it led to cracks and impact fractures even with 50% filler. The Tripoli creates a thicker slurry. |
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RockyBeach
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2023
Posts: 342
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Post by RockyBeach on Dec 10, 2023 9:51:44 GMT -5
dillonfThanks for the input ^^^^ ! Am newbie enough to be still learning which types of rocks look likes ones that may get the pitting in the final polish stage and which should be unaffected. Am also working on not minding the roughness and seeing it as part of the charm and character of the rocks.
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