matt111399
starting to shine!
Member since April 2008
Posts: 26
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Post by matt111399 on Apr 22, 2008 21:40:58 GMT -5
Take a look and try not to laugh. My first round of rocks has come out of the tumbler. A few observations - please correct if I'm wrong. 1. Some rocks were damaged (chipped/broken) in the final polish stage ~ would putting plastic beads or some other media in help keep the rocks from bashing each other? 2. Final polish I used was white (we're talking rotary). In the rock crevices, the white polish is shown. How do I get rid of this? Scrubbing at the sink with a brush does not work (bottom right & center in picture shows polish buildup).  Thanks again, Matt |
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snivlem
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 167
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Post by snivlem on Apr 22, 2008 22:17:49 GMT -5
Run the rocks with some ivory soap or some borax, it will help remove the polish and provide additional burnishing.
Plastic pellets are great for the final polish stage.
Keep rollin'.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Apr 23, 2008 7:00:39 GMT -5
Hi Matt,
Make sure you have a 3/4 full barrel in the last two stages, either with pellets or small stones that have already been tumbled. Because the load wears away in the process, the plastic pellets are a good way to add volume and cushion.
If your load is not full enough, you can also end up with little crescents all over the rock. These are small fractures caused by the rocks hammering each other.
Running your rocks longer in the first two stages will also remove some of the fractures in the rocks so that the grit and polish won't get embedded in them. Of course, some rocks have fractures that run all the way through the rock and you won't be able to remove them.
Snivlem was right that running your tumbler for 4-5 hours with Borax, Ivory Soap chips, Dreft, or another non-foaming soap will burnish the stones and help remove the polish. A garden hose with your thumb over the end to create higher pressure also works well.
Don't let your rocks dry with the polish in the crevices, because it will harden. You can back up to stage one or two and re-run your rocks to remove the new sharp edges and fractures and that will remove the polish.
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Terry664
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2005
Posts: 1,146
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Post by Terry664 on Apr 23, 2008 8:55:50 GMT -5
Matt, when I started most of my breakage was in polish stage, I use pellets to cushion and I usually don't put rocks in with vugs, or fractures that will trap grit. I either tumble them out, or pre-grind stone until they are out. At pre-polish and polish stage I leave no stones in with vugs that can trap grit. I also burnish with Borax every stage after 120/220.
Terry
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Post by fishenman on Apr 23, 2008 12:27:39 GMT -5
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huffstuff
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since August 2007
Posts: 1,222
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Post by huffstuff on Apr 23, 2008 15:23:29 GMT -5
Hi Matt,
No need to be embarrassed!
Great advice from all above - I use Borax between stages, plastic pellets/ceramic media starting in 120/220 (maybe that's too early). I, too, do not allow anything with pits, vugs, etc. go past the 120/220 stage. I know that can cut out a lot of stuff, but I don't want to take the risk of a piece of larger grit getting stuck, then dislodged in a later stage - it would scratch up everything.
If using plastic pellets, use different ones for each stage. They can get grit imbedded in them, which would create scratches if they were used in the next stage. Just store them in zip-top bags, labeled by grit size.
I also keep the pellets in the barrel while I'm cleaning with Borax (20 Mule Team Borax, laundry booster, laundry detergent aisle) to prevent chipping/fracturing. There isn't the same type of slurry with just water and Borax, so the pellets act to cushion the rocks.
Here's what I do. Everyone does it a little differently.
60/90 As long as it takes for good shaping (last batch was 8 weeks)
Borax wash 2-3 hours
120/220 with pellets 2 weeks?
Borax wash including the pellets 2-3 hours
Prepolish with new pellets (or pellets used in a previous prepolish stage) 2 weeks?
Borax was including these pellets 2-3 hours
Polish with new pellets (or pellets used in a previous polish stage) 2 weeks?
Borax "burnish" for 1-2 days with the pellets.
The only rock I have done that didn't react well to the long final burnish was tiger eye. I'll throw it in the next time I polish, and see if I get better results if I skip the burnish for these stones.
Good luck!
Amy
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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 Apr 24, 2008 11:31:48 GMT -5
I sometimes use an ultrasonic cleaner-it will usually blast out all or most of the gunk.For more stubborn stuff, a small household steam cleaner helps;you can get these at places such as Target.Small dimond plated riffler files can be used in pits and cracks.
NEVER LET THE ROCKS GET DRY until clean.Mike.
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