rockinronda
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2023
Posts: 241
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Post by rockinronda on Dec 24, 2023 11:00:18 GMT -5
I did some gem grubbing, kept the toothbrush cleaned rocks soaked in a bucket of mineral oil for abt 2 months in a warm environment. Will these rocks behave any differently during tumbling or any lapidary process I might try my hand at? Will it make ID’ing them harder? Is it detrimental in any way to the structure of the rock?
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Post by chris1956 on Dec 24, 2023 13:15:56 GMT -5
I haven't stored rocks in mineral oil but I have put rocks that I have sawed in oil in the tumbler. Typically, I place these rocks and chips from sawing on paper towels for at least a few days before tumbling (lots of people use kitty litter to soak up the oil). I don't see any problems when doing this but would think you would want to get as much of the surface oil off as you easily can before tumbling. I don't think it would do anything to the structure of the rock unless you had something really soft (which you probably wouldn't tumble well anyway).
I think if you are just soaking most rocks in mineral oil, and not baking them in oil, the mineral oil will probably evaporate in a few weeks after you expose them to air. However, I have seen some rocks that I saw in oil where the mineral oil does seen to dramatically change the appearance and may be a little more permanent. Both of the ones I can think of contain mica. One is aventurine and the other is something that was called Canadian mica (quartz and mica). The mineral oil seems to coat the mica particles and make them less reflective and this doesn't seem to have changed with time. You might just have to experiment.
I may post a picture of the Canadian mica tomorrow if I can finish it up what I am working on today.
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rockinronda
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2023
Posts: 241
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Post by rockinronda on Dec 24, 2023 14:13:29 GMT -5
Ok cool (whew) sounds like they’ll be ok. Thanks for the info! I have since dried them and rubbed them with microfiber cloth and stored them dry in 2 jars. One jar for those that got scratched by the nail and one jar for those not scratched as I prepare to tumble them.
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 24, 2023 14:36:34 GMT -5
After cutting in oil, all my slabs for lapidary go into kitty litter, then a bucket with purple degreaser before going to the cabochon shop or to storage.
The tumble bits go into a bucket with the older less effective kitty litter, then into buckets for future tumbling. A little oil is no big deal, won't hurt the slurry at all, and by the time it has gone through all the tumbling and polishing it will be gone from the rocks.
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