calura
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2024
Posts: 21
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Post by calura on Jun 24, 2024 13:14:01 GMT -5
Contact jamesp also in Georgia, can tell you anything about tumbling. See what he has written in the Tumbling Section. Been a long time Dave. Cranked up rotary for first time in a year with a load of 6 pounds of glass a couple of days ago. Note worn down shaft ends. Hey the bearings are still spinning ! I've actually wondered if that might be how some of the more profit-driven stores made "sea glass" out in Hawaii. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,603
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Post by jamesp on Jun 25, 2024 6:41:10 GMT -5
Been a long time Dave. Cranked up rotary for first time in a year with a load of 6 pounds of glass a couple of days ago. Note worn down shaft ends. Hey the bearings are still spinning ! I've actually wondered if that might be how some of the more profit-driven stores made "sea glass" out in Hawaii. Likely calura. |
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calura
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2024
Posts: 21
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Post by calura on Jul 6, 2024 23:25:23 GMT -5
I've actually wondered if that might be how some of the more profit-driven stores made "sea glass" out in Hawaii. Likely calura . I just found a source that confirmed it. They use the same types of grit we use for the rocks themselves. It sat on my mind since a visit to my Brother-In-Law's place in 2022. EVERYBODY seemed to be selling sea glass, or something made out of sea glass, or something made with sea glass. There was so much for sale, but... almost none to be found on the beaches themselves. So it seemed weird that you couldn't just walk out and find it, but hundreds of stores (and hundreds more people) seemed to have it. Now I know why. They didn't find sea glass. They used rock tumblers to make it themselves! |
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calura
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2024
Posts: 21
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Post by calura on Jul 6, 2024 23:35:54 GMT -5
So the latest update is: This little bear-looking tumbler is actually pretty darn good! We've been through three stages so far, with the last one ending this evening. But we aren't going to open it until tomorrow. This batch is just the "sample rocks" they sent to us, which made my husband fall in love with Mookaite Jasper! At least five pieces of tiger eye in this little bundle too. But the tumbler has yet to leak, yet to cause problems, and yet to show much wear and tear on the belt. For $50, this thing is REALLY giving me my money's worth! But I was eyeballing that 3-drum tumbler earlier today... This bear-faced tumbler will do for now though. I just have to wait for the results, and patience is a virtue, right?
My next question relates to the two types of rock we bought separately to tumble (but NOT at the same time). I will need to buy more grit to tumble these, so I am looking for suggestions. The rocks are Lapis Lazuli and Chalcopyrite. The chalco is going to turn gold, of course, but we are getting nitric acid to try and bring the iridescence back out.
What types of grit should we use for these two types of rock? Are either of them particularly hard where you might suggest longer-than-normal tumbling? I can set the number of days on the tumbler and the speed if that would help. And would you *really* suggest the plastic beads for either of them (i.e. they have enough tiny nooks that plastic beads would help wear them down)? Would you suggest a different grit for either of them? Maybe extra-coarse or even a fine grit? Would you suggest fewer stages (like three total, skipping stage two or something)? Or maybe an extra polishing stage for one or the other?
I'll have to learn a LOT of the hardness values and grit values, but I'm just beginning, and in three days after the mixed rocks are done, I should be venturing out on my own for purchasing grit and tumbling my own rocks (not the pre-packed included ones that came with the tumbler). So I'm completely lost right now. Any good websites to look up the hardness of each type of rock?
And last, but certainly not least, which source do YOU (all of you) use for rocks and grit? What is the cheapest? Most reliable? Best value?
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titaniumkid
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2023
Posts: 499
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Post by titaniumkid on Jul 7, 2024 0:30:42 GMT -5
Exciting! Rocks through 3 stages already!
I recommend searching the forum for both rocks separately to see if others have experience with them. Also, you could try searching other places such as youtube. Your best option is finding someone who has tumbled that specific rock. Here's a good example:
I find the above type of video is great because it is specific for that type of rock (but it's also good to find more general rock tumbling videos so you can get your head around the whole process). I love reading, but outside of this forum I find written rock tumbling resources online tend to lack detail, are not very rock specific, or are basically flawed rock tumbler manufacturer instructions.
I haven't tumbled soft rocks, so anything I tell you would just be me parroting what I've seen/heard. Hopefully someone experienced can weigh in here.
Plastic beads are more for cushioning rocks to stop them hitting each other hard during tumbling rather than getting grit into tiny nooks. A good mix of stone sizes, particularly smaller stones, is better for this.
I haven't found a single great resource for rock properties. For something like hardness, google is fine. Hardness testing yourself is probably better, as rocks can vary.
I buy stuff from aussiesapphire.com.au, which probably won't be helpful to you.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,603
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Post by jamesp on Jul 7, 2024 13:00:07 GMT -5
I just found a source that confirmed it. They use the same types of grit we use for the rocks themselves. It sat on my mind since a visit to my Brother-In-Law's place in 2022. EVERYBODY seemed to be selling sea glass, or something made out of sea glass, or something made with sea glass. There was so much for sale, but... almost none to be found on the beaches themselves. So it seemed weird that you couldn't just walk out and find it, but hundreds of stores (and hundreds more people) seemed to have it. Now I know why. They didn't find sea glass. They used rock tumblers to make it themselves! If collecting sea glass below the heavily populated cliffs of Italy it takes little work to fill a bucket calura. Other old heavily populated civilizations on rocky beaches are similar. Most American beach glass suppliers are finding it in their rotary tumblers lol. Reality. And most of them could not tumble 'polish' glass if their life depended on it. They just shape it with SiC 60-90-220 or whatever and leave it 'sanded'. But people on the RTH can sure tumble polish glass and obsidian. |
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calura
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2024
Posts: 21
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Post by calura on Jul 8, 2024 16:42:02 GMT -5
I just found a source that confirmed it. They use the same types of grit we use for the rocks themselves. It sat on my mind since a visit to my Brother-In-Law's place in 2022. EVERYBODY seemed to be selling sea glass, or something made out of sea glass, or something made with sea glass. There was so much for sale, but... almost none to be found on the beaches themselves. So it seemed weird that you couldn't just walk out and find it, but hundreds of stores (and hundreds more people) seemed to have it. Now I know why. They didn't find sea glass. They used rock tumblers to make it themselves! If collecting sea glass below the heavily populated cliffs of Italy it takes little work to fill a bucket calura . Other old heavily populated civilizations on rocky beaches are similar. Most American beach glass suppliers are finding it in their rotary tumblers lol. Reality. And most of them could not tumble 'polish' glass if their life depended on it. They just shape it with SiC 60-90-220 or whatever and leave it 'sanded'. But people on the RTH can sure tumble polish glass and obsidian. Yeah the ones I was referring to were primarily in Hawaii. Sea glass is REALLY popular there, and it just didn't make sense how none of the beaches seem to have it, but it's readily available in stores and on artwork. But now I know. |
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