redpoll
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2023
Posts: 6
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Post by redpoll on Aug 18, 2024 10:24:22 GMT -5
I'm buying my mum some rough rock to tumble from Etsy for her birthday, and I came across some rough hemimorphite which I've never heard of. I'd love to get her some as it looks beautiful (both rough and tumbled), but Google says it has a Mohs hardness of 4.5-5, which I know is quite soft in terms of rock tumbling. She doesn't usually tumble anything particularly soft (she's still fairly new to it), so does anyone have any tips/guidance for tumbling softer rock? And would hemimorphite be any different to other types of rock of the same hardness?
Thanks.
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rockanoff
starting to shine!
Member since May 2024
Posts: 26
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Post by rockanoff on Aug 18, 2024 11:16:00 GMT -5
I think you would just tumble for less time? probably wouldn't start with too low of a grit, i know some people use the 35. yikes!
check every day or two, instead of every week like people seem to do with moh 7+
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redpoll
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2023
Posts: 6
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Post by redpoll on Aug 19, 2024 2:47:12 GMT -5
I think you would just tumble for less time? probably wouldn't start with too low of a grit, i know some people use the 35. yikes! check every day or two, instead of every week like people seem to do with moh 7+ Thanks, I'll let her know these things if I buy her some softer rock. |
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rockanoff
starting to shine!
Member since May 2024
Posts: 26
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Post by rockanoff on Aug 19, 2024 12:21:43 GMT -5
I've only read about low moh tumbling. Be sure to use plenty of filler (especially later stages). wouldn't want to end up with powder. I also found this www.rockshed.com/instructions3.htmlI recently went at a Petoskey fossil by hand with wet 180 grit sand paper. seemed to work quite well. |
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Post by pebblesky on Aug 19, 2024 13:12:17 GMT -5
From my experience, for soft rocks such as green calcite, serpentine, the Cherry Creek "Jasper", I will choose those that are very rough in shape, and put them in the same barrel with my normal mohs 7 rocks to run on my high-speed rebel 17. The first week run will mostly round the soft rocks up nicely and quickly which is actually desirable (to me), but once the soft rocks have been rounded up, they lose volume pretty quickly day after day. In that case I will move them to stage 2 in the vibe with only other soft rocks and a lot of small pellet fillers, and inspect after every two days of vibe run, so that I can still remove the imperfection but in a slower pace. I enjoy tumbling soft rocks when they are inexpensive  |
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Post by barnesindustries on Aug 19, 2024 16:27:02 GMT -5
If you have a vibratory tumbler, this is a great video from Jugglerguy (Michigan Rocks) to follow along with as he tumbles Petoskey stones. If you don't have a vibratory tumbler, it will make you want one.  If you only have a rotary tumbler, this thread from MommaGem may be of great use! Best of luck! |
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