bobmac
starting to shine!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 28
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Post by bobmac on Mar 9, 2008 15:12:19 GMT -5
UV 10 Newbie First load of beach stones in polish stage: Concerned
I'm in day two of polish stage with AO from RockShed and wasn't sure whether to change grit (AO to AO) after day one so I went ahead and did so thinking probably no harm; maybe better if I do. The rocks didn't look very shiny when I did my same stage semi-wash. My questions are: How long in polish stage? Change AO or not? What to use to burnish... I've read every tip from Ivory Soap flakes ( couldn't find anywhere ) to AO half/half with sugar, and how long for that final stage. Many thanks in advance from NJ beach. BobMac
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 9, 2008 16:05:49 GMT -5
Changin AO does not har, but not a lot of good. You can go multiple days in same AO polish.
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bobmac
starting to shine!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 28
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Post by bobmac on Mar 9, 2008 16:22:02 GMT -5
thank you deb193... one concern resolved... any idea how long for UltraVibe polish stage? Course it's so cold in NE now I may not get to turn on hose for a few days anyway. Tnx again.
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holdemplyer
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2008
Posts: 418
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Post by holdemplyer on Mar 9, 2008 16:48:46 GMT -5
Bob, speaking one newb to another, vibe polish should be 3-7 days. Is NE for Nebraska?
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bobmac
starting to shine!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 28
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Post by bobmac on Mar 9, 2008 17:37:12 GMT -5
thanks for timeline 3 -7. No, NE abbrev for northeast, specifically NJ barrier island community. Glad to hear I was rushing things re outcome, you give me optimism. Any/all suggestions welcomed. Thanks again.
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 9, 2008 20:35:11 GMT -5
By end of 2nd day, you shoudl see areas of shine. When tilted under light, you may observe some scratches or hazy areas until end of 3rd or 4th. Only very difficult stones take 7 days. I once ran some Apache Tears for 6 days.
Otherwise, you should have stayed in pre-polish longer.
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bobmac
starting to shine!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 28
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Post by bobmac on Mar 10, 2008 10:30:50 GMT -5
d193rx, many thanks. examination under magnifying glass showed exactly as you described "hazy areas" but seemingly aok. I'll just let it crank a couple of more days. Then, too, I may be doing "silk purse out of sow's ear" routine with beach stones. I look at some of the pictures and Wow!
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Post by Lady B on Mar 10, 2008 10:57:12 GMT -5
Hi Bobmac,
I used to spend all of my summers in Ocean City. I have some Cape May Diamonds. Many of the North East's beach stones will tumble to a soft shine because they have agates in the mix but some of our beach stones from up that way are forms of granite. You might not get much shine on your stones no matter how long you tumble or vibrate them but they all should have a wonderfully smooth feel to them when you are done.
We gave some of our beach stones a go of 3 or 4 days in our Ultra-Vibe. They never had a high gloss finish but they had a beauty all their own. And they all have found new homes with family who felt like I did--rubbing a tumble-smoothed beach stone is like finding one fresh out of the water. Brings back WONDERFUL memories!
Hope your batch brings you joy no matter the degree of luster!
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm going to go have a look at the stone I managed to keep for myself and think about the ocean waves hitting the Jersey beach!!
Lady B
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huffstuff
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since August 2007
Posts: 1,222
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Post by huffstuff on Mar 10, 2008 11:32:46 GMT -5
Oh, Lady B, you have been gone for a while. It's the Jersey SHORE, not the Jersey Beach! ;D
Good luck bobmac, I don't have a vibe so I can't help.
Has anyone mentioned Borax (20 mule team Borax, a laundry booster, powder) instead of Ivory? That's what many of us use. I found mine near the laundry detergents in the grocery store.
Amy
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bobmac
starting to shine!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 28
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Post by bobmac on Mar 10, 2008 16:59:32 GMT -5
Amy, thanks for the Borax tip... I'll try and find it, hopefully without mules... "Shore" is decidedly correct.
Lady B... Check you messages.
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grayfingers
Cave Dweller 
Member since November 2007
Posts: 4,575 
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Post by grayfingers on Mar 10, 2008 17:55:16 GMT -5
I use grated Ivory soap bars mixed with borax to burnish, filling the barrel REALLY full with plastic pellets and water so the stones do not whack against each other, and the burnisk seems to go more quickly.
Bill
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chassroc
Cave Dweller
Rocks are abundant when you have rocktumblinghobby pals
Member since January 2005
Posts: 3,586
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Post by chassroc on Mar 11, 2008 13:16:17 GMT -5
As a former Jersey boy, It's good to see a member from beautiful Mantoloking.
Rock on
csroc
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bobmac
starting to shine!
Member since March 2008
Posts: 28
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Post by bobmac on Mar 12, 2008 9:32:08 GMT -5
csroc, re picture: You should have had a better attorney. re Mantoloking: Thank you for "beautiful". Probably much the same as you remember it. re Bedford, MA: great spot.
To All Who Helped: I am extraordinarily pleased with results of my first effort, as is Bride. Many thanks. The beach stones I thought would most benefit from tumbling are beautiful but ordinary; the darker ones I thought of as 'no particular distinction' are the ... WOW's!
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