tongarocks
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2008
Posts: 4
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Post by tongarocks on Mar 24, 2008 15:53:30 GMT -5
Is it possible to use a sandblasting media such as "Black Beauty" as grit for tumbling rocks in a rotary tumbler?
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 24, 2008 17:16:56 GMT -5
What is it made of? It has to be harder than the rocks to wear them down fast. Look at river/beach rocks. Tumbled in gravel/sand. My guess is it would take longer than you are willing to wait.
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Post by Bikerrandy on Mar 24, 2008 17:57:07 GMT -5
Sandblasting media is usually glass, which on the MOH scale is 5, so I would say no, especially if you're tumbling agates or hard jaspers.
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Wolfden
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2007
Posts: 1,368
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Post by Wolfden on Mar 25, 2008 9:53:05 GMT -5
I have the "Black Beauty" and gave it a try, but i think its made out of metal , it didnt seam to work . I have lbs of this stuff and thought I'd give it a try. I left it in for 2 wks and it didnt do anything so it must be soft or just doesnt work on rocks
Wolf
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L.L.
starting to spend too much on rocks
Great Pyrenee?s Lover Extraordinaire
Member since January 2008
Posts: 135
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Post by L.L. on Mar 25, 2008 11:52:16 GMT -5
I always used either silicon carbide or aluminum oxide grits when blasting because they are much harder than the slag type grits. I think most companies guarantee their slag grits to be at least a 6 on the MOH scale which doesn't make it hard enough for most of the rocks we tumble. Black Beauty is a slag grit which according to the manufacturer has a hardnaess of 6-7.
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lsmike
spending too much on rocks
Maxwell's demon lowers tumbling entropy
Member since January 2007
Posts: 468
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Post by lsmike on Mar 25, 2008 14:45:06 GMT -5
Hmmm,then it might work on nephrite jade which is about the same hardness--this could avoid orange-peel.Mike.
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 25, 2008 15:46:34 GMT -5
If you start now Mike can you post a picture - in a thousand years or so?
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tongarocks
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2008
Posts: 4
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Post by tongarocks on Mar 25, 2008 15:51:43 GMT -5
Thanks folks:
You all saved me from wasting a couple of weeks of my valuable time. (I'm retired!!) Does anyone know of a source where silicon carbide or aluminum oxide can be purchased in bulk (50 or 100 #s)? Shipping costs seem to be pretty high because of the weight of the material. I live in West Virginia and haven't been able to locate a source locally. My wife and I travel quite a bit, especially in the southeastern part of the country, and I'm thinking that maybe someone could direct me to a source and I could pick it up while traveling.
Thanks in advance.
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Saskrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2007
Posts: 1,852
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Post by Saskrock on Mar 26, 2008 1:46:51 GMT -5
I tried aluminum oxide 200 grit once on agate. It didn't seem to do a whole bunch. Its hard enough but I don't think it has sharp enough edges. Kind of like using a dull file. Hard enough but just doesn't cut.
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 26, 2008 10:31:51 GMT -5
milessupply.com should have SC grit in 50# barrels
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Post by fishenman on Mar 26, 2008 12:57:56 GMT -5
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Mar 26, 2008 14:38:42 GMT -5
I get my 60/90 from miles supply- Great price- great grit- no complaints~
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