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Post by puppie96 on Jan 14, 2005 5:01:01 GMT -5
I bought some titanium oxide polish online & my only prior experience with this polish was a smaller amount I purchased at the local rock store. The stuff I just bought is bizarre. It foamed up like nothing I've ever seen, suds overflowing the barrel. In spite of my scooping out suds and dumping water, every time I opened the barrel it was just as bad. I wondered whether they had accidentally sent me a soap product except that it actually seemed to be polishing. Then when I finally went to clean the rocks, you can't get this stuff off. It forms a film on EVERYTHING it touches that doesn't want to come off. I ran this stuff in soap and water in a barrel and it didn't touch any of the polish deposited in the vugs or crevices (this unfortunately was vuggy rock.) The only way I could get it out was with brushing and brushing at it.
No kidding guys, this was majorly a nightmare. Opinions? Has anybody else had something like this? I don't know whether this merits a complaint to the dealer. One problem is that I am not sure whether to trust the local store where I bought the first Titanium oxide (supposedly) -- it would be easy enough to substitute something else. Whether or not it's the real deal, though, it has polished wonderfully and certainly not had all these associated problems. THANKS! I need your help here!
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Jan 14, 2005 5:06:49 GMT -5
Sounds to me like you should trust your local supplier, and forget the online folks with their bubble-bath polish.
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Jan 14, 2005 5:09:29 GMT -5
Sounds like titanium DIoxide. Try titanium oxide instead.
And no peeking! ;D Just let'em tumble.
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Post by Cher on Jan 14, 2005 11:08:54 GMT -5
What's the difference between the two?
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Post by krazydiamond on Jan 14, 2005 11:43:15 GMT -5
my experience with titanium Dioxide was similar, puppies, tho not quite as horrendous as you've described. it does seem thicker than the AO polish and yes, it sticks like the devil. i've added borax to try and control the foaming and a burnish cycle with borax helps with the final rinse (2-3 hours in a clean barrel with new pellets).
i didn't think you could get Titanium Oxide anymore.
anyway, it does give a nice shine, but i don't use it much.
KD
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JKowalski33
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 451
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Post by JKowalski33 on Jan 14, 2005 16:52:25 GMT -5
i have titanium dioxide, and it is fine. it does make foam when i open the barrel after a week, but it doesnt overflow or anything. and it washes off fine, and doesn't leave a film or anything. I don't know what you got, but mine is fine. ps. it polishes awesome
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Post by rockyraccoon on Jan 14, 2005 20:11:15 GMT -5
i haven't tried the titanium dioxide because i still have the titanium oxide. with the tit. oxide it does stick to any blemish on the stone which made me a little more obsessive with getting it right before it goes to polish - so obsessive that i haven't had a batch done in a lonnnng time lol. but for the ones that didn't have any blemishes it did a most beautiful job.
kim
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Post by puppie96 on Jan 15, 2005 4:30:38 GMT -5
Well, thanks for the input.... I had read that you couldn't get titanium dioxide anymore and always got oxide instead. I just looked in my file cabinet and actually found the receipt from the online dealer, and sure enough, it says it's titanium dioxide. I hadn't picked up on that before. The rock shop's stuff was supposed to be titanium oxide, but I'm not too sure whether to trust them. It's a pretty fair drive to get to them, plus they are overpriced, so I ordered online.
I had a very hard time finding any titanium polishes at all online. The stuff from the shop worked great but I would like to refuse to pay their inflated price for a tiny quantity. Does anybody have an online source?
James, my dear, if I hadn't peeked I'd have had lovely white suds all over the basement. The stuff was seeping through the edges of the lid. I have gotten better and better about not peeking generally, too, probably because there are such great role models hanging out here...not to mention any names or anything....
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Post by sandsman1 on Jan 15, 2005 7:26:35 GMT -5
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HarryB41
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2004
Posts: 605
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Post by HarryB41 on Jan 15, 2005 7:39:38 GMT -5
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Post by rockyraccoon on Jan 15, 2005 11:12:06 GMT -5
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Post by puppie96 on Jan 15, 2005 14:26:14 GMT -5
OK, thanks, I'll check out those sites. Kim, Alpha Supply is the one I used, and apparently its the DIoxide that I need to avoid, I guess. For those who haven't ordered it, I would highly recommend that you DON'T! Really, seriously, the worst mess I've seen yet.
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Post by puppie96 on Jan 15, 2005 15:11:49 GMT -5
FYI -- I went to Jades Rock Shop and found that on their updated site they list titanium DIoxide not oxide. Luckily I caught it in time. Rocks & things, however, lists titanium oxide so I ordered some. THANKS!!
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Post by puppie96 on Jan 15, 2005 17:15:23 GMT -5
OK, one more...I am certifiably a dumbhead, I guess. I went down to the basement and discovered that the polish I bought at the rock shop is in fact labeled as titanium DIoxide. The label on it is hand written. As noted before, I didn't have any problems with this stuff so if it is really what it says it is, and who knows, our oxide vs. dioxide theory about the problem is wrong. I hope I didn't just waste money buying the oxide polish online.
I did, however, get out a lot of frustration by whacking some of the rock I collected last fall with my new rock hammer that I got for Christmas. It was oddly satisfying. Made a big mess, though.
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Jan 15, 2005 21:30:18 GMT -5
Hey Pup,
Sounds like big messes are following you lately!
Congratulations on the rock hammer ... it'll definitely come in handy!!!
John
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JKowalski33
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 451
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Post by JKowalski33 on Jan 16, 2005 20:25:57 GMT -5
yeah i got mine from alpha supply, they were nice to deal with it was $15 for 5 lbs i think, so thats a good deal
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Post by puppie96 on Jan 17, 2005 2:12:05 GMT -5
J, did you get your polish recently? That's the one I am having the problems with. How has it worked for you? Thanks, pup
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Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
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Post by Banjocreek on Jan 17, 2005 4:49:12 GMT -5
Hey Pup- That is the same polish I have been using for about 8 months now. I love it! But... 3 things I have learned- #1 Don't use as much as all the little charts and stuff say. I use about 4 tablespoons in a 6# tumbler. maybe 2 or so in a 3# tumbler, but use less than you are used to. #2 Put in the stones, then add water to about the center of the top layer of stone. So actually you are using a but more water than I would use for Tin oxide or Cerium oxide. #3 Do not try to polish stones that still have a lot of vugs, and cracks that did not get out in the 60/90 cycle. If you really like the stone and it has pits and stuff use Cerium, or something else. Otherwise be ready fo a long rinse cycle after polish with warm water, and perhaps a toothbrush after that. I love the shine it produces ands will continue to use it, but sometimes I'll have to use Tin Oxide or something different if the stones have a lot of places for polish to fill.
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Post by puppie96 on Jan 18, 2005 1:54:49 GMT -5
Hey Banjo, thanks, that's all very good sounding advice. I was wondering about the polish quantities. I'm really majorly into following the directions. I just recently was thinking that the directions were written with some other polish in mind -- duh! I should have thought of that before. Did yours also come from Alpha Supply? I'll try it your way next time I've got some to polish.
Thanks, pup
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Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
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Post by Banjocreek on Jan 18, 2005 11:47:26 GMT -5
Yes, Puppies, it came from Alpha-Supply. I think they are good people.
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