ts
starting to shine!
Member since March 2023
Posts: 36
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Post by ts on Feb 19, 2024 23:56:18 GMT -5
Curious if there is any advantage of one over the other?
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Post by chris1956 on Feb 20, 2024 9:42:33 GMT -5
I think most people on the forum would say the ao. I started with 600 sc but switched to 500 ao because that seemed to be what most people recommended. One thing about the 600 sc is that it is super fine and it sticks to everything. Or maybe it is just more noticable than the ao?
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,158
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Post by dshanpnw on Feb 20, 2024 9:51:21 GMT -5
There is definitely an advantage one over the other. There's a science to grits, but simply put, SC is more abrasive than the AO. SC will grind better and it leaves minute scratches because it's edges are sharp, whereas AO grit particles are more rounded or less sharp and won't remove as much mass, but will smooth out the surface which will leave a shine or at least the beginning of a shine. There are posts on here about this: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/69121/silicon-carbide-aluminum-oxide?page=2 |
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skmcconnell361
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2023
Posts: 125 
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Post by skmcconnell361 on Feb 20, 2024 15:18:31 GMT -5
My personal opinion says it depends on whether you use a 4 or 5-step process, the pre-polish step should be AO.
I use a 5-step process,
1 is 60/90 grit SC
2 is 150-220 grit SC
3 is 600 grit (Ungraded) SC
4 is 1200 AO
5 is 8000 AO
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ts
starting to shine!
Member since March 2023
Posts: 36
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Post by ts on Feb 20, 2024 16:32:34 GMT -5
There is definitely an advantage one over the other. There's a science to grits, but simply put, SC is more abrasive than the AO. SC will grind better and it leaves minute scratches because it's edges are sharp, whereas AO grit particles are more rounded or less sharp and won't remove as much mass, but will smooth out the surface which will leave a shine or at least the beginning of a shine. There are posts on here about this: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/69121/silicon-carbide-aluminum-oxide?page=2 |
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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 Feb 20, 2024 19:16:54 GMT -5
Depends on the application. I generally use 500AO, but if I want a more aggressive 500 stage I use SC. I usually follow up 500SC with 500AO then pre-polish. Might be a bit overkill, but gives me piece of mind  I like playing around with different grit applications, can't say I learned any secrets, but it has led to some preferences. |
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