Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Feb 29, 2008 17:05:44 GMT -5
Okay, I need some advice on how i can clean up the chips that fall on the floor. My law of gemtree making is:
Whether or not the chip falls on the floor from the branch I'm trying to glue it to is directly proportional to how wonderful looking the chip is. If it's awesome and is the perfect piece for that branch, it falls and is glued to the carpet.
So, advice on cleaning glue, carpet fibers and dirt off of the chips so I can reuse them? I don't want to lose the shine, just clean them up.
I was thinking of tumbling them in AO for a week, would that work?
Oh, and they are quartz, carnelian, garnet, prehnite chips.
Eileen
PS
Please don't suggest that I put down something on top of the carpet. Not only is the carpet already ruined, but I don't want the chips to bounce when they fall.
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SirRoxalot
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 790
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Post by SirRoxalot on Feb 29, 2008 17:26:56 GMT -5
Depends on what glue you're using. Those minerals look pretty resistant to solvents if that's what you need.
Personally, if I was dealing with hundreds/thousands of little tiny apple seed sized stones, and one fell on the floor... I'd leaverite there. Especially if you're using epoxy, I bought a can of epoxy solvent, called Attack... that's some nasty stuff.
SirRoxalot
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Feb 29, 2008 17:45:30 GMT -5
Depends on what glue you're using. Those minerals look pretty resistant to solvents if that's what you need. Super Glue. I think acetone will dissolve it, but I don't want to have to scrub all those chips. Obviously yer not on a budget  Seriously, I have to watch what I spend and most of them are really, really nice chips. Too nice just to leave -- sacrilegious, even. I want to clean them up and reuse them. Ugh. Glad I'm not using epoxy, though I've been wondering if I should. Eileen |
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geogoddess
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2007
Posts: 287
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Post by geogoddess on Feb 29, 2008 19:18:19 GMT -5
I want to say I've seen orange goo attached to a scrubby of some sort? My brain is failing me today.
The rocks you mention are resistant enough to put into the tumbler... but I wonder if glue is sufficiently hard? crystallized? and if the tumbling action is sufficiently abrasive to act on such a small stone. Plus, if the chips are already polished, if you toss them into a coarse grit, then you'd to follow it through to the polish again. And are you dropping enough to fill up your tumbler to run just chips?
I think I would probably drop them into an acetone bath in the afternoon, and then sit in front of the tv that evening, and just sit and scrub whatever hasn't dissolved off.
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mike4bears
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2007
Posts: 275
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Post by mike4bears on Feb 29, 2008 21:37:20 GMT -5
yep i just took some glue off a stone. all i did was put it in a jar with goof off paint remover let it sit for a day. took it out and wipe it clean. did not hurt the shine at all. mike
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Feb 29, 2008 22:29:12 GMT -5
Okay, I'm sold I'll try the acetone and see how it goes. Much thanks for all the advice. You guys rule! Eileen |
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Mar 1, 2008 13:50:23 GMT -5
Okay, what about blue lace jasper or agate? Will that take acetone as well?
Eileen
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Post by akansan on Mar 1, 2008 14:37:47 GMT -5
Jaspers and agates are pretty hardy things...if they are really jasper and agates. Acetone would work fine on them. (Technially, carnelian is in that same category.)
I would think you'd only have real problems with stones that are softer, but as they're also more work to polish I wouldn't think you would use those anyway. (Harder to polish = more time put in making them shine = too time-consuming (generally) to make tiny polished chips)
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Mar 2, 2008 0:09:20 GMT -5
Jaspers and agates are pretty hardy things...if they are really jasper and agates. Acetone would work fine on them. (Technially, carnelian is in that same category.) DOH! You're right, they are. I'm such a doof  Do you mean work to clean up or work to produce them in the first place? Just wondering, cause the person I buy my chips from has aventurine chips as well. Eileen |
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geogoddess
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2007
Posts: 287
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Post by geogoddess on Mar 2, 2008 0:42:10 GMT -5
Aventurine is basically another quartz. But it has mica in it, which is tons softer, and can make it tricky to work with.
Really soft stones like fluorite, take a magic touch to get that shine to them, which is usually why the fluorite chips used for jewelry are so expensive.
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Roan
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2008
Posts: 600
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Post by Roan on Mar 2, 2008 2:29:31 GMT -5
Aventurine is basically another quartz. But it has mica in it, which is tons softer, and can make it tricky to work with.
Really soft stones like fluorite, take a magic touch to get that shine to them, which is usually why the fluorite chips used for jewelry are so expensive. Dang, there go my hopes of making a fluorite tree I might take a chance on this guy's aventurine, but I'm not sure. The citrine chips I bought from him are sub-par compared to even the garnet ones I bought. I'd say that at least half of them have no shine at all. Disappointing. Doesn't help that he's the only person I've found selling chips. Sigh. Thanks, Geogoddess. Eileen |
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geogoddess
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2007
Posts: 287
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Post by geogoddess on Mar 2, 2008 3:05:10 GMT -5
Aventurine will have a bit of a sparkle anywhere the light reflects off the mica. So there might not be a high polish.. but there's still a chance for shimmer.
Most of the chips I find are drilled for jewelry. They can be found, just not always at the price I'm willing to pay.
I know the local place here sells unpolished chips... sapphire (low grade) by the half pound (maybe $6?). They have some others... can't remember what since sapphire is my birthstone and my eyes automatically go it. I think they had a mix too. I'm not sure if they're producing there in the shop, or buying them someplace. Usually when I go in, the guy behind the counter is pretty clueless when it comes to tumbling.
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Post by akansan on Mar 2, 2008 11:45:20 GMT -5
Do you mean work to clean up or work to produce them in the first place? Just wondering, cause the person I buy my chips from has aventurine chips as well. Eileen Work to get them to shine! As geogoddess mentioned, they're special techniques you have to use to get some stones to shine, whether it's friction heat or hand buff. Anything under a 6 on the MOHs is almost impossible to shine in tumbler. I'd say impossible, but there's probably one or two stones out there that would make a liar out of me ( ). That's one of the reasons we recommend 7 or harder for newbies...and why the oldbies prefer quartz and above as well. |
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SirRoxalot
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 790
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Post by SirRoxalot on Mar 2, 2008 13:54:06 GMT -5
If you want to tumble your own chips, I'd suggest the pea sized India garnet that can be had for about two bucks a pound. There's a lot of stones in a pound, too. Takes a spectacular polish but they are a very dark, saturated red, pretty much black unless backlit. Easy tumble.
Arizona peridot would be another one, not as cheap but even prettier. Lots of other gems out there too that are typically found in small sizes, you'd have fun at any good gem show like Tucson, where you'll see entire barrels full of bright blue apatite chips and so on. A bit painful if you're buying by the gram, but for a lot of things you wouldn't really be spending a fortune to fill a half pound tumbler. Low grade stuff isn't insanely expensive.
Also, If you have any serious tumbler operators in your area, I'd make friends with them. Tumbling produces a lot of little bits and there isn't a whole lot that can be done with them.
SirRoxalot
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