dogparkmom
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2004
Posts: 19
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Post by dogparkmom on Jul 23, 2004 22:31:27 GMT -5
Hello all, I am interested in learning about rock polishing - possibly tumbling, so I searched and found this great forum. You sound like a great bunch with warmth and humor (I just read about the Drag Queens in N.O.!) and I hope to fit right in. (No, I am not a drag queen, but used to shop in the same Tall Girls' dress shop they did in Baton Rouge.) I am coming at your hobby from an odd direction. I like real stones in my jewelry and was always falling in love with sets in those museum catalogs. It just did not look that hard to do it yourself (and I am fundamentally cheap), so when I was in Toronto on vacation and fell in love with some Unakite beads, I bought them. Of course I needed a complementary bead to make a necklace and earrings. Lately I have been hooked on Labradorite. Now I have about $3000 sunk into beads and findings and jewelry sets I made up. I have not figured out how to sell them yet. I got a digital camera this spring, so I hope to get going on eBay or somewhere. This is where you all come in. I have some rainbow fluorite beads and someone I know liked the set I had made for myself and wanted me to make something for him. Unlike the set I was wearing, the RF I have now are not very well polished. A while back I got a bit crazy and got 24 strands of 4 mm beads on sale (really cheap). Today I sorted them by color intensity, and a lot of them need serious polishing. I also had some big (20+ mm) Rainbow Fluorite in a twisted rectangular 4-face faceted bead. The beads were not polished at all, had nicks and irregularities. But they did look promising, if I only could polish them up. I had gotten a Dremel for Christmas, so thought about what household item I could use for a polishing compound. I came up with cheap hospital-grade toothpaste, got out the polishing pads, and went to town on the big flat faces. It worked okay, the beads improved somewhat - the rough white areas disappeared. I polished them with water to get the toothpaste out, and shined them with baby oil. Now, I know that the baby oil is a "quick fix" and not a real polish. But it was a beautiful day in the mid-70s and I just wanted to sit on the porch with the dogs, so I did not stop to do an internet search or go shopping. But now my Dremel battery is dead, the sun is down, and the dogs are sleeping, so I want to figure out how to do this properly. I think that the faceted beads may not want to be tumbled. Will they lose their faceted shape? I am hoping that the little 4 mm beads could benefit from tumbling. My questions are: Is it advisable to tumble finished beads with holes in them, or will the compound fill the hole to the point that it is difficult to ream them out? I am not sure I want to get into the whole drill-press-Dremel thing. Getting a rock tumbler or vibrator is going to be enough for Santa to deal with! Do any of you have experience polishing with a dremel, or can I perhaps tumble or vibrate these big "finished" (yeah, right - they do not shine like they could, so they don't look finished to me!) faceted beads with polishing compound without losing the faceted look? They do not have sharp edges, so some finishing work has been done since they were faceted. What would you use if you were polishing with a Dremel? Did I ruin anything with toothpaste and baby oil? They look okay to me, and somewhat improved, albeit temporarily. Given that I am not currently rock-hounding and bringing raw materials home to tumble, what would you suggest for me? I expect to just "fix" the cheap beads I have been buying. I don't expect to become a true rock hound, my joints won't let me squat and my knees won't let me hike and I am kinda busy. Adding another hobby is not in the cards. I was SUPPOSED to be sewing a skirt today! Thank you so much for your great site, your generosity in sharing your wisdom, and reading my long post!  |
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Post by sandsman1 on Jul 24, 2004 0:50:12 GMT -5
hi dogparkmom your right about the rolling tumbler you will grind the facet out of them maybe not all but they will smooth out,, if your not gonna stick with rocks it wont pay to buy a vibe tumbler that would work better but if your just gonna use it once heck with that ,, i dont know a quick fix for your prob. but maybe you can try a fine piece of emory paper like 1200 grit,, and just smooth out what your not likin and then try and polish with the dremel,, i would buy some rock polish and make up a paste and see if that will doit
you best bet would be to find someone with a vibe tumbler and do a 600 run and polish that would prob doit nice and easy---seeya---john
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Jul 24, 2004 1:16:21 GMT -5
Hi dogparkmom, I agree with the good advice of hte handy sandyman, rotary tumbler will take edges off facets, so is a nono in your case.
welcome onboard , it IS a great place to be.
Jack
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dogparkmom
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2004
Posts: 19
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Post by dogparkmom on Jul 24, 2004 1:27:01 GMT -5
Hi John,
Thanks for the reply. I expect to need to shine up quite a few stones, since I keep buying them sight unseen on sale from Fire Mountain or on eBay. We also have a Gem and Mineral club here that I recently signed onto. I can't get to the meetings because I work that evening, but next fall I may change my work schedule. If I could get to their meetings, I could ask them for advice!
So in the long run, I just might use a tumbler both on badly finished beads and on raw rocks. I see that members here sell minerals to each other. The club I joined does rock hunting field trips, but I doubt I will join them. Maybe they will share their finds, though.
Would tumbling or vibrating beads work, or might they lose roundness, or have their hole filled up?
If I were to get rock polish, what would I ask for? Is there a certain grade, or graduated grades for successive polishing?
Maybe I can borrow a polisher from one of the club members, or buy a used one once I get to know them. I just can't get to any of their functions right now, Thursdays are my busy time at work.
Thanks for the ideas,
Nancy
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Post by sandsman1 on Jul 24, 2004 10:57:49 GMT -5
if you wanna get a tumbler i would get a small vib tumbler they dont round out stone as much as a rolling tumbler and for polish i think titanium oxide alotta people are having good results with that for an all around polish i have just used it for the first time so i cant tell ya first hand but i have seen some great rocks that where finished with it on this board --go to members pics an look around you will get an idea seeya---john
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dogparkmom
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2004
Posts: 19
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Post by dogparkmom on Jul 24, 2004 13:49:36 GMT -5
Thanks guys, Titanium oxide, isn't that what surfers wear on their noses? I willhave to look into that. I popped over to ebay and they have this listed cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4843&item=2258941804&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVWFirst, considering that I am just wanting to polish already "done" beads, is this cheapie a possibility for my bad-looking round beads? It looks like a toy, but a toy may be all I need for this. I'll look into Titanium Oxide for use with the dremel on the big faceted beads. Nancy |
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Post by sandsman1 on Jul 24, 2004 14:32:42 GMT -5
there good tumblers for small stuff like beads but ther rolling tumblers there gonna take the facet out of your beads i think you gotta look for a vibrating tumbler i think thats gonna work the best for you---and you can use that same polish if you get a tumbler too thats what im useing it for--ill keep my eye open for a used vibe tumbler if i see one ill post it here---seeya---john
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dogparkmom
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2004
Posts: 19
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Post by dogparkmom on Jul 24, 2004 21:07:14 GMT -5
Thanks John, I appreciate you keeping a watch out for one. I went searching online for the titanium oxide (and learned it is titanium dioxide in the sunscreen) and ran into a site for Rocks and Things in MN. I called and talked to the owner and he did not think the TO would work well with the Dremel. He suggested tin oxide and cerium oxide. He is sending me a catalog from another business he recently bought out. He has a tiny vibe tumbler just right for my use, says it is about $115. I'll look into that just in case Santa doesn't have ideas of his own this year. Anything you find will be great to look into, as well. You have been very helpful, I appreciate your knowledge and generosity.
Nancy
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jul 24, 2004 23:58:37 GMT -5
Hi Nancy,
Great to have you aboard! Thanks to you, I now know what a lap is. There are no "stupid" questions here, just good info. I use a vibe exclusively and you can't get better with the polish stage. It also grinds faster in coarse but I've learned that you need 2 seperate bowls, one for coarse/med and one for pre polish/polish.
I just ordered a second bowl (I'm a newbie 2). Just turned out my first "wet" shiney batch, but I also know there was cross contamination of grit from using one bowl and it could have been better. Any way, I would say get a vibe for polish on those beads. I have a Raytech 5, a good little machine for what you want to do.
Hang with us kid, we'll make you a star ;D
cookie
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Jul 25, 2004 0:00:53 GMT -5
Hello and welcome! I am not of much knowledge when it comes to tumbling, although I am learning ;D. This group of people is a great resource of knowledge and information. There is always someone willing to help with any aspect of the tumbling process! Again, welcome and we'll see you on the boards  . Enjoy, John |
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Post by connrock on Jul 25, 2004 13:04:45 GMT -5
Hi Nancy and welcome,,,, John hit the nail on the head with the vibe unit. The only Brand Name I have experience with is the Lot-O-Tumbler made by Calway. I have 2 of them which hold 4 lbs each.It took me a while to figure just how to use them and they do,do a great job. Some lapidaries finish their cabs with a vibe unit and get very good results.Not only does the vibe not round off the edges of the cab but at the same time polishes both sides! Here's a link to a web site that sells the Lot-O-Tumbler for $131.00 www.cyberrockhound.com/tumblers.htmHop this helps a little,,,,,,,,,,,, Tom |
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dogparkmom
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2004
Posts: 19
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Post by dogparkmom on Jul 29, 2004 10:57:44 GMT -5
How strange! I have a memory of working on a thorough and witty reply to this thread last night, but I never finished it. It went "poof" into the cyberspace and is lost forever.
Thanks to Cookie, John (BCL) and Tom for your replies!
Cookie, I cannot take credit for the "ta da!" moment about the lap because in my explorations I found Beachbum's thread on Newbie Questions and that is where that discussion had taken place. I am very interested in getting a vibe tumbler. I have a lot of cheap stones that will look a lot better if they are finished. I started making jewelry about three years ago. I had fallen in love with that "vomit stone" (per doc), unakite, and had bought a strand or two at a lapidary shop in Toronto on vacation. Since my feet were killing me at that time and I was spending more and more time over the next two years sitting in my chair, I got into making up necklaces and earrings and bracelets with natural stones, glass, and silverplate. (Couldn't afford the real silver.) I got my stones from Fire Mountain. Their regular stuff was great, but when I started to buy the clearance stones where the discount increased when you bought 20 strands, I started getting some really questionable stuff at times.
I was careful when shopping to get the natural stones, not dyed, not irradiated, not heat-treated. I just felt that this was important. Anybody could make a pretty piece of plastic (well, anybody with the degrees, experieince, lab, factory, raw materials...), but a natural stone was a thing that was real, a chance of nature, a gift from our hostess, Mother Earth. I used glass beads as accents - pretty spacers or secondary beads. Glass seams more real to me, too. It is an ancient art using raw materials from the earth. When you get down to it, though, the folks who take petrochemicals to make plastic are not exactly using man-made or extraterrestrial source materials - everything we have comes from the earth! Somehow, natural stones and glass just seem more real to me. Does this make sense to anyone?
Hi John (BCL - to distinguish you from the Sandman). I am looking forward to learning with you. I do not currently have the raw stones (yes I do! I picked up about a cup of stones on the beach of Lake Michigan in May!), and I will probably use the vibe I hope to get to fix the jewelry stones. I kind of laid aside the jewelry-making 18 months ago when the house was all torn up for a kitchen remodel, and since my feet are better, I am busy with other activities again.
Tom, thanks for the link to your vibe. I will be looking into the different units soon. I am eager to try the Dremel with the cerium oxide and tin oxide. Doc told me on Cookie's thread about her beautiful shiny stones that the Dremel won't work well because the RPMs are too high for use with these polishes. I guess I lucked out, though. DH (do you folks use these abbreviations like this one for Dear Husband?) researched and got me the best one he could find- one with a variable speed motor. It can do a slow grind like when the dentist is working on your molars. I guess I will have to read its manual to see if I can guess its RPMs based on its numbering system on the switch, but I am hopeful it will work out. I am just waiting for the polishes to arrive from Minnesota. I was in such a hurry last weekend - no time to really do serious shopping, so I ended up paying far too much. I am making bookmarks in my "Favorites" for the suppliers you folks use and I even have a "Rocks" folder now, so I guess this is looking like a serious case!
Thaks to all for making me feel so welcome.
Nancy
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jul 29, 2004 17:22:16 GMT -5
Hi Nancy, I got lucky,too. I bought a "Dremel like" drill on Ebay for $10.00 and crossed my fingers. I've been playing with it today and having a ball. It is variable speed also. The dial goes from 1-6, then Max. (so fast it's kinda scary!) The instructions were obviously written by someone who didn't speak english well for english speaking people. (It was made in China) Some of the instructions are a hoot. 1. The highest speed of grinders shall amount to the no-load speed plated at least  6. Look at flying direction of sparks. User himself should please not stand in path of sparks ;D Anyway, I shaped and drilled a hole in a piece of quartz that was slightly heart shaped. Now its very heart shaped and ready for a bezel (after I re polish it.) Have fun, and remember to say thanks to Mother Earth sometimes for giving up her beautiful creations for our enjoyment. We will treat them well and make her proud. cookie |
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dogparkmom
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2004
Posts: 19
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Post by dogparkmom on Jul 31, 2004 18:06:23 GMT -5
Hey Cookie, how did the polishing go with the dremel? What polish did you use, what method to hold the stone, how much water, did you use goggles or a face mask (my polish arived and it says to use a face mask and rubber gloves why?)? See, I am full of questions. Do you have a picture of the heart?
I was working on how to get my own picture to show instead of the cartoon doggie. I wonder if you folks could see it when I only got a red X box. My firewall may be the problem for me. But since I removed the url, and Bill found it burried in the coding, I have to wait until he is home and free to find it again - ant to help me with my firewall. I think my firewall is the problem because in other threads folks can see posted photos that I cannot.
Info, Cookie! I just might get the gumption up to polish tomorrow.
Nancy
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jul 31, 2004 21:08:50 GMT -5
Hey Nancy,
Youre not gonna like this answer,
I don't use my dremel for polishing, just shaping and drilling right now. I only have 80 grit diamond bits at this point. Eventualy I intend to get a drill press set up, the whole 9 yards, but now...
I wear my reading glasses with a scarf tied down to the top of them to keep the flyaways out. (I have ordered gogles, should be here soon). I hold the stone in my hand to shape, and to drill holes I use a pyrex flan cup and wax to hold down the stone. I spritz with water occasionaly for coolant. It's not good advise, but I'm having too much fun to care! Iv'e got a piece of amyhtist
that my husband found that was allready heart shaped (again!) that I've really destroyed some cheap bits to shape it better, but it's gonna be awesome when tumbled.
Speaking of which, I would definately invest in a small vibe tumbler for your beads to do a final polish on them. If grit gets caught in the hole (it would be pre polish to polish grit, very fine) you could poke it out with the dremel easily enough, ya think?
Hope this helps, I'm a newbe too, but sometimes I just follow my heart and see what happens. I was told the dremel was not good for shaping, but now I know better ;D
Good luck,
cookie
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dogparkmom
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2004
Posts: 19
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Post by dogparkmom on Jul 31, 2004 21:49:35 GMT -5
Cookie, you sound a lot like me, remember I used toothpast because that is what I had! I may get adventurous and use the dremel to polish tomorrow. I know that the toothpaste on a felt pad did not hurt my hands, so I may try holding the big stones myself (though I may use gloves!). We shall see. I will let you know how it works out, whenever I do it!
Nancy
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dogparkmom
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2004
Posts: 19
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Post by dogparkmom on Aug 1, 2004 18:17:28 GMT -5
Here is an update on using the dremel on my rainbow fluorite beads. I made a wet paste of Tin Oxide and used a felt cone on the dremel. I eventually added water until I was mostly using a while, milky liquid on each facet. I kept the beads on their string, which made holding them while I polished much easier.
After I polished each surface of each bead, I washed them thouroughly at the hose, using my rubber gloves to rub off the dried Tin Oxide. I also scrubbed down the plastic tray and lawnchair that I had used as a table and disposed of those gloves, remembering this board's advice to make sure nothing from previous levels of grit or polish is left to contaminate the next level. I used a new felt cone and water with 20 Mule Team Borax to polish the Tin Oxide out of the cracks. (Yes, I realize that if this were done properly, there would be no cracks. Remember, these are store-bought beads. And I do not yet have a tumbler!) After about three hours, the Dremel's battery bit the dust, so I finished shining the second half of the strand with a miracle cloth dipped in the water with borax. It worked quite well. Those little microfiber loops got the polish out of the cracks.
Overall, my husband could identify the polished strand from the unpolished strand, so there was a noticeable improvement. But since the stones were not of good quality to begin with, their imperfections may be more noticeable. Some definately look much better, though.
I think I have learned from this exercise that polishing can improve my store-bought beads. Obviously, though, this is not the way to go about it! There are Tin Oxide droplets for five feet in front of my chair on the porch! I spent the entire afternoon at this. My conclusion is that Sandman is correct, I need a vibe tumbler. This was the expected result of this experiment. Santa, Santa.... are you listening?
Nancy
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Post by cookie3rocks on Aug 2, 2004 22:45:15 GMT -5
I recomend the Raytech V5. Inexspensive and great for your usage ;D
Good luck!
cookie
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Post by Cher on Aug 9, 2004 0:10:07 GMT -5
Hi Nancy,  Grand Rapids, Virginia ... so you know my home area some, I'm about 16 miles west of Virginia. Did you know that Grand Rapids is Judy Garland's home town? I try really hard not to look in the mines for rocks, most of them are nothing but dirty dusty iron ore and now taconite tailings. Just dirty stuff LOL Good luck with finding the right stuff for your beading needs. I'm sure if anyone can help you, you'll find it here. As you saw, I'm a newbie too so can't help you with your questions but can understand the new addiction starting. Cher |
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Nancy
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2004
Posts: 8
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Post by Nancy on Aug 17, 2004 20:36:40 GMT -5
I have a Mini-sonic electronic tumbler that my dad gave me and it is so wonderful. It polishes my jewelry, loose beads and rocks. I do have 3 barrels for the grits I use, 220, 600 and Titanium oxide. I have seen them on Ebay over the last year and I wish I had bid on one as I now have many rocks to tumble after being on vacation and finding lots of goodies in Lake Tahoe. I have a load right now that is so pretty just after 3 days in 220 and 1 day in 600 grit. I told my husband that Santa better have a tumbler or TWO under the tree this year or else!
(just kidding). Email your local rock club and I bet they will tumble in a vibe tumbler your goodies. I know I would if you lived close by.
good Luck.
Nancy Willson (the other Nancy)
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