bouldergal
freely admits to licking rocks
Glacier Meadow
Member since July 2007
Posts: 783
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Post by bouldergal on Feb 27, 2008 1:30:24 GMT -5
Has anyone tried the dry vibratory method? Do you like it better than using water and grit?
Susan2
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Feb 27, 2008 1:46:52 GMT -5
Hi I use Conrocks method and its neither water or dry = damp
I think a lot of people make the mistake of using a lot of water and turn their vibes into "Rock Washing machines" without sitting down and thinking what is happening inside the bottle
Jack
Yorkshire UK
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Post by deb193redux on Feb 27, 2008 14:26:29 GMT -5
I think the dry stuff is more for metal than rock. In the polish stage, I have seens mention on this board of some dry compound for lapidary, but I have no experience with it.
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 27, 2008 21:00:44 GMT -5
I use Diamond Pacific Vibradry for final polish and silver tarnish removal. A friend uses it for all her cabs. She grinds and sands to 400 then uses 600, 1700, 3000, 8000, 14000, 25000, an 50000 24 hrs. each step in a 4 lb Mini-Sonic. All her cabs have a mirror finish. She mounts them in silver and if the silver tarnishes she throws them back in th 25000 over night. One thing that is important is if using less than the whole container you need to mix up the polish really well. And, if it dries out you need to add a little extender. I've had good luck with it and like the fact that you can reuse it. Several customers have not liked it but I don't know exactly what they did with it.
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Post by deb193redux on Feb 29, 2008 17:26:36 GMT -5
John, how much can you resues it? I am starting to give this a lot of thought because my vibes are going to have to be set up in my spare room and not may basement (don;t have one anymore.)
At $11 to $35 a pound depending on grit size and supplier, it is a lot more than a pound of SC or AO. A pound of AO gives me a hundred or more batches if I just put a teaspoon or two in each run.
If I got near 100 batches out of a pound of 50,000g dry polish, it might be OK with me to spend 25 dollars instead of 8 dollars on the polish. - Especially if it means I don;t have to pay my landlord for a carpet that got ruined when slurry leaks all over the place.
I have not been able to find much info on the web about how long the stuff lasts or how to tel when it is shot.
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 1, 2008 2:01:56 GMT -5
I wish I could say how long it will last. I've used a lb. of 25000 grit a lot but never kept track of how many times. I dried it out tumbling some ammonite halves and it doesn't work as well now. I picked up some of their extender fluid which is supposed to rejuvinate it (1 tablespoon per lb.). I just got home after 2 months on the road and after four days off to a weekend show so I have not had time to try it. It is weird stuff. Something like wild bird feed mix with apparently diamond powder and an oil. The jewelry we clean has a slight oily feel and the extender is a small bottle of oil. Doesn't work when dried out so the oil makes it stick to the rock maybe. If you buy it for $11 let me know where.
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 1, 2008 18:22:09 GMT -5
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 1, 2008 20:55:13 GMT -5
It's dry so no problem.
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Nov 14, 2024 18:17:57 GMT -5
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Nov 14, 2024 18:17:57 GMT -5
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Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
