shastamoi
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2024
Posts: 4
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Post by shastamoi on Apr 25, 2024 17:49:53 GMT -5
Hi all. I'm new to tumbling having received a Dan & Darcy 3-speed tumbler for Christmas. I quickly learned to buy better quality grits and the value of a vibrator tumbler. My newest lesson is not to tumble turquoise with lapis lazuli. After 9 days I opened the cannister and said, "hey, where's the turquoise?" There were just a few tiny pieces left! My bad! Even though I checked the harness scale, the difference was too great. I guess it will take me awhile to learn our to tumble turquoise. I will use the TV5 vibrator tumbler next time to try any turquoise. I wonder if I should just forget tumbling it and use my vevor flat lap to shape and polish turquoise?
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Mark K
Cave Dweller 
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,818 
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Post by Mark K on Apr 25, 2024 18:13:35 GMT -5
Probably should hold off on the turquoise until you get some experience. Too expensive to start on. Get some agate and jasper to learn the ropes.
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Post by chris1956 on Apr 25, 2024 18:18:31 GMT -5
Welcome from Missouri. I don't know much about polishing turpuoise but I am sure someone will.
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titaniumkid
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2023
Posts: 499
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Post by titaniumkid on Apr 25, 2024 18:24:39 GMT -5
I know nothing about turquoise but that seems like jumping into the deep end with rock tumbling. Hope you get some helpful advice, and welcome to the forum  |
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shastamoi
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2024
Posts: 4
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Post by shastamoi on Apr 26, 2024 12:28:07 GMT -5
Thanks for the comments. This was a costly way for me to learn that I need more knowledge on how to tumble turquoise. I have tumbled agate (including Mexican crazy lace), jasper, obsidian, and some others. The Lapis Lazuli seems ok so far, but I've only done stage 1 (60-90). I've done some orders, by rock type, from some commercial sites, such as Rock Shed. I have a lot to learn about identification. My wife and I met in an upper division geology class in college 56 years ago. SAdly, we both have CRS now . I'm going to try and shape the turquoise with my Vevor flat lap machine and/or my Dremel gem cutting set up. I would like to finish tumbling the Lapis L in my tv5 vibrator tumbler. It's a small amouunt, but will the ceramic media filler solve that issue? |
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Post by rockjunquie on Apr 26, 2024 12:46:20 GMT -5
Welcome from Virginia! I don't tumble a lot, but I did polish some in a vibe. I wasn't terribly successful. I had to finish it with Zam.
Hope you figure out the turquoise. There's lots of different hardnesses of turquoise. Maybe you need to use a stabilizer to harden it? Dunno, just spit balling.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 26, 2024 14:02:18 GMT -5
Welcome from Southern Nevada.
Personally, I would not tumble turquoise. Turquoise can run from chalky to naturally hard (very rare), and can run from a penny a carat all the way up to $1,000 per carat.
Price varies based on a number of factors, but hardness being a major one. Naturally hard turquoise, which could be tumbled, is too expensive to really tumble. The cheap stuff is too soft to tumble, unless maybe stabilized.
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shastamoi
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2024
Posts: 4
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Post by shastamoi on Apr 26, 2024 18:16:33 GMT -5
Welcome from Southern Nevada. Personally, I would not tumble turquoise. Turquoise can run from chalky to naturally hard (very rare), and can run from a penny a carat all the way up to $1,000 per carat. Price varies based on a number of factors, but hardness being a major one. Naturally hard turquoise, which could be tumbled, is too expensive to really tumble. The cheap stuff is too soft to tumble, unless maybe stabilized. I realize now that I shouldn't just dump any rocks into the tumbler and expect good results. When I first received the tumbler, I glanced through the manual and the whole process seemed pretty simple. 3 months later, I've discovered that I still have a lot to learn. There are many good youtubes to learn from though. I like Michigan Rocks and Lapidary Dave's stuff. My son is living in Henderson and doing construction work at McCarran airport. He's also interested in lapidary. Thanks for the info. |
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 27, 2024 15:22:42 GMT -5
Welcome from Southern Nevada. Personally, I would not tumble turquoise. Turquoise can run from chalky to naturally hard (very rare), and can run from a penny a carat all the way up to $1,000 per carat. Price varies based on a number of factors, but hardness being a major one. Naturally hard turquoise, which could be tumbled, is too expensive to really tumble. The cheap stuff is too soft to tumble, unless maybe stabilized. I realize now that I shouldn't just dump any rocks into the tumbler and expect good results. When I first received the tumbler, I glanced through the manual and the whole process seemed pretty simple. 3 months later, I've discovered that I still have a lot to learn. There are many good youtubes to learn from though. I like Michigan Rocks and Lapidary Dave's stuff. My son is living in Henderson and doing construction work at McCarran airport. He's also interested in lapidary. Thanks for the info. Your son can join our club Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society, which would allow him to join on rock hounding trips and use the club lapidary equipment. |
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shastamoi
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2024
Posts: 4
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Post by shastamoi on Apr 28, 2024 12:04:21 GMT -5
I realize now that I shouldn't just dump any rocks into the tumbler and expect good results. When I first received the tumbler, I glanced through the manual and the whole process seemed pretty simple. 3 months later, I've discovered that I still have a lot to learn. There are many good youtubes to learn from though. I like Michigan Rocks and Lapidary Dave's stuff. My son is living in Henderson and doing construction work at McCarran airport. He's also interested in lapidary. Thanks for the info. Your son can join our club Southern Nevada Gem and Mineral Society, which would allow him to join on rock hounding trips and use the club lapidary equipment. Thanks, I'll let him know. His work is keeping him untra-busy right now though and he's commuting weekly fron LA. |
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Post by Pat on Apr 28, 2024 22:55:12 GMT -5
Welcome from California.
Not a tumbler, but there are many knowledgeable tumblers here.
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