raindropsroses
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2024
Posts: 11
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Post by raindropsroses on Aug 13, 2024 15:56:08 GMT -5
hello! I’m new here and have been tumbling rocks for about a year or so. I get a lot of agates from the river that look like this and I’m wondering if there is a way to get all the “dirt” crust off out of all the little pits? It’s not dirt obviously it doesn’t wash off. thanks!  |
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Mark K
Cave Dweller 
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,818 
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Post by Mark K on Aug 13, 2024 17:03:36 GMT -5
If you want it off, you will have to grind it off. Or cut.
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Post by chris1956 on Aug 13, 2024 18:26:53 GMT -5
Welcome from Missouri. You get a gold star for including pictures on your first post.
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Post by pebblesky on Aug 13, 2024 18:31:13 GMT -5
Since you already have a tumbler, why don't you want to tumble the dirty crust off? Is it because you still want to keep the bumpy surface, but with that brown translucent color only?
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Post by vegasjames on Aug 13, 2024 19:20:31 GMT -5
Welcome from Southern Nevada.
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raindropsroses
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2024
Posts: 11
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Post by raindropsroses on Aug 14, 2024 8:33:42 GMT -5
I’d have to take way too much material off in the tumbler to get the surface smoothed off. I was just hoping there was some acid or cleaner that would remove the crust.
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,167
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Post by rockbrain on Aug 14, 2024 9:03:56 GMT -5
It depends on what the crust is made from. I've gotten a lot of rocks from a place nearby to me called Area 54. There is a crust on a lot of the rocks there. It's almost impossible to get off without acid. I dilute swimming pool acid (muriatic) with water, soak the rocks for a while, neutralize with baking soda and water, and rinse them off. Acid will eat away some rocks so be aware of that. I don't think these would be a problem. Working with acid can be inherently dangerous. Take precautions; protective clothes and goggles etc. If you've not worked with it before do some studying first. There's several safety factors to be aware of and an acid burn can be nasty.
Some cooling looking rock you've found. From the pics, I would probably classify it as chalcedony, basically the same as agate but without fortifications, tubes, moss, etc. There are varying definitions though of what an agate actually is.
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raindropsroses
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2024
Posts: 11
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Post by raindropsroses on Aug 14, 2024 18:31:35 GMT -5
Thanks! I will give that a try. When you say “a while” do you mean a few hours or days?
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,167
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Post by rockbrain on Aug 15, 2024 19:52:32 GMT -5
Thanks! I will give that a try. When you say “a while” do you mean a few hours or days? Yes! I've been very unscientific with it. Diluted the acid and unknown amount and then check on them every so often. The stuff I was cleaning off wasn't host rock. It's some kind of coating that get's on them later. It's very concrete like. Some I've left overnight but they had a thick coating. Others have just a bit, but it was the only way I was able to clean them. I tried pressure washing and a rotary wire brush on an angle grinder. |
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Aug 16, 2024 15:49:45 GMT -5
Cut it off. Get yourself a decent tile saw and cut it off.
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