|
Post by Cindy on Feb 15, 2005 18:52:53 GMT -5
Hi all, I am a newby to rock tumbling.....I plan to use it with beach rocks that I find in the NW. I collect Agates and Quarts that wash on the beaches. I have beach hunted in Oregon, Washington and Alaska coastlines. Presently in Alaska and found tons of beautiful rocks. I am a beader, and make cabachons with the rocks. I am having trouble with my first batch and have a few questions to ask. 1. I mixed many different beach rocks together in grit stages. I noticed that my Agates have a crack or flaw like lines in them. They were not there when collecting. Is this from mixing types or sizes of rocks? 2. Has anyone tried the Ceramic pellets? 6 months of the year I dont have an outside hose, so cleaning is messy with the grit. Since I dont want to plug up the pipes....
Any suggestions or comments all are appreciated to learn this new Hobby Cindy
|
|
WarrenA
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2003
Posts: 1,530
|
Post by WarrenA on Feb 15, 2005 20:02:33 GMT -5
as a general rule try to have about the same size rock in the tumbler I have cracked a couple of agates by having to big a rock in with the small ones, good luck with the beach rock as they are difficult to polish. I have ceramic pellets in my final polish barrel so far I like them take some time and wander back in the posts here and I think you will find a couple of threads on beach rock.
|
|
WarrenA
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2003
Posts: 1,530
|
Post by WarrenA on Feb 15, 2005 20:03:18 GMT -5
almost forgot JOIN THE GROUP
|
|
|
Post by Cher on Feb 15, 2005 23:33:44 GMT -5
I live in northeaster Minnesota so can relate to not having a hose outside for most of the year. You need to get some buckets, those 5 gallon white buckets work great. Use them to put the water in after cleaning the rocks and barrels. The slurry will settle down to the bottom and you can pour off the clear water on top. I've been doing it all winter and don't have a half of bucket yet of stuff I can't dump down the barrel.
Even if you use ceramic ... if it worked, your still going to end up with some sludge as the rocks wear down. Seems to me that would take a lot longer than using grit. I know there's someone here that uses the ceramic pellets as cushion instead of plastic pellets. I don't use anything in the coarse grit but I do put plastic pellets in all the other stages to cushion the rocks from beating too hard against each other.
Cher
|
|
|
Post by puppie96 on Feb 16, 2005 0:12:15 GMT -5
I use ceramic in the vibe regularly and the barrel sometimes. The small size (about 1/4 by 1/16 inch, maybe) are a big pain, they get caught in the crevices in the rocks and mixed up with the small gravel. I have a bigger size maybe 1/2 by 3/16 inch or so, I like them a lot. My purpose in this is to increase the amount of contact with the rock surfaces, because grinding can only occur when two surfaces are grinding against each other. That means that you need to have a bunch of smaller rocks in there. If you don't have enough smaller rocks, the ceramics make up for it. I like them a lot with the vibe and I believe it speeds up the process and improves the smoothing. Plastic pellets aren't useful in vibes. They are also a big pain in the butt to collect afterwards. Beware, ceramics aren't a substitute for plastic pellets during the polish run, they don't provide cushioning.
Brilliant thought of the day: a use for the zillions of Mardi Gras beads I've collected -- find the right size plastic beads and tumble them with the rocks. Maybe even leave several connected with their string to help with the cleanup process. Cool, No?
|
|
|
Post by Cher on Feb 16, 2005 0:17:45 GMT -5
If they aren't hard plastic, they'd probably work good. If they are the hard plastic, wouldn't they probably just break and crack into small pieces ... might make a bigger mess. If you try, let us know ok.
Cher
|
|
|
Post by puppie96 on Feb 16, 2005 0:20:19 GMT -5
Hey Cher, I've got a huge collection -- LOL -- some are the plastic like kiddie pop beads, those are the ones I'm figuring on gathering together tho of course those are the el cheapo type beads that I've never been as inclined to keep -- but I'm sure there are some around here!
|
|
MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
|
Post by MichiganRocks on Feb 16, 2005 8:24:14 GMT -5
a use for the zillions of Mardi Gras beads I've collected Hey Puppie, could you share with us what you did to earn those beads?
|
|
stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
|
Post by stefan on Feb 16, 2005 8:44:28 GMT -5
I just changed out my Tripoli and pellets (don't ask why I had to change it) and those plastic craft store pellets work awesome- and they float- A couple of dunks in a bucket of water and all but one pellet were cleaned out of the rock- Made for a very easy cleanup!
|
|
|
Post by creativeminded on Feb 16, 2005 9:21:04 GMT -5
I use the 2 1/2 gallon Schwan ice cream buckets for my main rinse and then I put the rocks and pellets in a second bucket fill it with water allowing the pellets to float, I use a small strainer that I bought at Wal-Mart for about $1.50 to scoop the pellets out. I then stir the rocks up, which releases more pellets and scoop those out. I put the pellets in a bigger strainer and let them dry and put them in a plastic bag saving them for the next round. I only have a 2.5# tumbling barrels. If I had a larger barrel this probably wouldn't work as well. Tami
|
|
|
Post by puppie96 on Feb 16, 2005 22:17:59 GMT -5
Hey Puppie, could you share with us what you did to earn those beads? Hey MichiganRocks, oh probably puppielike behavior, you know what I mean, like exchanging sniffs, going belly up, use your imagination, cause you know I'm a rocker......
|
|
|
Post by puppie96 on Feb 16, 2005 22:21:51 GMT -5
I cannot control plastic pellets.
They spill over the top of the bucket and splash out of the strainer. Wet or dry, they stick to anything organic. Such as human skin. Or plastic. They say they float, but they in fact consider that "optional" and sometimes hide among the rock, only to "rediscover" their floating abilities later. They also get trapped in the mud or in crevices only to reappear at embarrassing moments.
For some reason others don't seem to experience the same level of problems, which is somewhat a mystery.
|
|
rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
|
Post by rollingstone on Feb 17, 2005 1:56:56 GMT -5
Cindy, cracks in the agates might occur if you are using too big pieces so that they crash into each other with a lot of force. But my guess is that the cracks were there all along but just didn't show up until the rocks became shaped and smooth. Different hardnesses shouldn't crack the stones, but can prevent the softer ones from taking a shine if you continue to mix them right to the polish stage (quartz and agate should mix well at all stages).
Not clear from your message how you are using ceramic pellets -- these do not take the place of grit, rather they are used as a fine filler material to make sure there are lots of surfaces to work the grit into all areas of your stones. Ceramic pellets are used with grit, not as a replacement.
Alaska is a big place with a very varied climate, but if you are on the coast, your winters should be relatively mild, so you don't have to give up outdoor cleanings. I am in Alberta, and this is the first year that I have decided to do my washings outdoors throughout the winter (other winters I shut things down until spring). The coldest I've done it at so far is about -6F (-21C), but I've adjusted my clean out schedule once or twice to avoid much colder days. Even at -6F, clean out is actually quite easy outdoors. You just have to plan a bit ahead -- get a short length of hose that can be drained/blown out easily (I use 25 feet), and have all your sieves and pails with you and ready to go. In 10 or 15 minutes you're done and back inside. I even store the hose and spray nozzle outside, under our deck. Seems intimidating, but it really is very easy.
Or, go for the indoor pail option that many people use. Either way, you need to use grit and deal with it somehow.
|
|
|
Post by creativeminded on Feb 17, 2005 9:00:32 GMT -5
You also might be having problems with cracking if your tumbler isn't full enough. Tami
|
|
MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
|
Post by MichiganRocks on Feb 17, 2005 10:12:14 GMT -5
There are ceramic pellets that you can buy that have grit embedded in them. They are normally used in dry tumbling. Cracks in any Quartz based rock in the colder climates is very common. Because of the porosity of the material, water can soak in and freeze. Finding Quartz crystals in my area that are clear is pretty much unheard of. The freezing cracks them all. Best best for uncracked Quartz type rock is like the Lake Superior Agates that wash up. They don't freeze on the lake bottom. Also rocks that have been recently turned up from underground in things like a gravel pit or a farmer's field where he has just worked it with a sub-soil drag. The farmer's field method is the one that I use as I'm surrounded by it and he works some of his fields every year with his sub-soil drag. Rollingstone is probably right, the cracks were there all along. Rocks that have weathered also develop a "rind" of rock that is different than the parent rock and can hide the cracks. That's also why if you're dealing with rocks that you collected yourself it's best to wait until after the rough grind stage to check and sort for hardness. The "rind" is probably not the same hardness as the parent rock. Since I deal exclusively with rocks that I collect locally, I had a lot of trouble with this. I have to credit WilliamC for putting me on the right path. It seems like that was such a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away! Ron ps. Hey Puppie, I was just wondering because there's something specific that women due during Mardi Gras to earn a string of beads. I think it has something to do with their "lungs"?
|
|
stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
|
Post by stefan on Feb 17, 2005 10:22:37 GMT -5
LMAO-- My sister lived in New Orleans for 4 years (no she never got beads) But that city is nuts- She used to send us Pix of the "local" pet parades and such- also used to tell us the stories of the gunfire- I guess it is common practice to just start firin your guns into the air! What was this post about anyway?
|
|
chassroc
Cave Dweller
Rocks are abundant when you have rocktumblinghobby pals
Member since January 2005
Posts: 3,586
|
Post by chassroc on Feb 17, 2005 12:00:01 GMT -5
I'd have to agree that either the cracks 1) were there originally but unnoticeable, or 2) were enlarged during tumbling and became more noticeable.
|
|
SirRoxalot
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 790
|
Post by SirRoxalot on Feb 17, 2005 15:06:22 GMT -5
" a use for the zillions of Mardi Gras beads I've collected -- "
OMG, you got my attention there!
Post photos please!
SirRoxalot
|
|
|
Post by puppie96 on Feb 17, 2005 22:52:39 GMT -5
TEXT
Hey Ron, you must not have been paying attention up there when I confessed.
This is great information about collected rock. That's primarily what I'm doing as well and this is the first detailed info I've seen like this. Keep talking.
|
|
MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
|
Post by MichiganRocks on Feb 18, 2005 14:10:25 GMT -5
Sorry Puppie, my imagination was running wild and I forgot what day it is. Ron
|
|