docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Nov 20, 2008 14:49:04 GMT -5
I googled Myers Lapidary Supply and found this article by Dick Friesen with lotts of great information about different polishes, polishing techniques, and sources for products. The address is users.lmi.net/drewid/DF_COMPOUNDS.htmlMark H. |
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Post by johnjsgems on Nov 20, 2008 23:38:45 GMT -5
I just found that the other day myself. Myers retired and sold the polish production to Val at Minnesota Lapidary Supply. Myer's Rapid Polish is now #61 Rapid Polish.
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Post by connrock on Nov 21, 2008 13:11:54 GMT -5
Great info!
Thans,,,
connrock
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ksk
having dreams about rocks
Member since October 2008
Posts: 69 
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Post by ksk on Nov 23, 2008 13:57:51 GMT -5
Interesting read. I am wondering if anyone has tried something other than soap or borax to reduce surface tension. The article mentions that in theory ethyl alcohol would be the best additive. Has anyone tried this or other?
Please advise, thanks!
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Nov 23, 2008 14:56:43 GMT -5
I would prefer to save the ethyl alcohol for other purposes (heh, heh!) but when I think of surfactants and surface tension reduction I think of soap. Alcohol makes flammable fumes, is expensive, and may adversely react with the rubber in the barrels. i'm not sure, but I don't think the writer had actuaklly tried that approach. Chemically, I can't see that ethanol or other alcohol would be helpful as low molecul.ar weight alcohols would all be very polar solvents and that is why they are so water soluble. Soaps and detergents physically interfere witht he alignment of water molecules at the surface of a film, preventing their eelectrostatic attractions from being optimized. That lowers surface tension and makes the water "wetter" It might be interestiung to see how a highher molecular weight alcohol like ethylene or propylene glycol would work. They would also increase viscosiy slghtly, too. The ethylene glycol in common antifreeze is toxic so propylene glycol is preferable- it si also available for automotive use and is nontoxic.
About the Myers .Minnesota Lapidary Suupply products- I saw a listing in another lapidary supply - the only one I could find for this product- where Rapid 61 was sonfused with TXP- as if they were the same product. Those folks really needed a web designer. Anyway, I want to try the stuff myself. I recently finished a load of obsidian in my vibratory and I can't get a decent luster on it even after 4 days in cerium oxide, my usual polish. I'll check out Minnesota lapidary supply.
Mark H.
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ksk
having dreams about rocks
Member since October 2008
Posts: 69
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Post by ksk on Nov 23, 2008 16:25:40 GMT -5
Good point Mark about the alcohol and rubber, I was wondering about that myself. I was cleaning my coffee pot last week and used some powdered dishwasher soap (Cascade Complete w\enzymes). The solution was very slippery. I may try this as an additive at some point.
I purchased a grit kit for vibratory tumblers (includes #61 Rapid Polish) from Minnesota Lapidary Supply. Pricing seems competitive.
Keep on polishin'
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Nov 23, 2008 21:52:17 GMT -5
I checked out the web site today. 5 lbs was b3tween 35-40 bucks plus shipping. not too bad. One other thing to anyone readiong this- NEVER use oange oil containing cleaners. They'll turn the rubber to goo. One thing about the dishwashing detergent- it is basically chlorinated lye and detergent. VERY alkaline and corrosive. Some stones might be discolored or etchedso try it on some scrap first. I don't think anything will work any better than plain old hand-dishwashing liquid.
Mark H.
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Post by deb193redux on Nov 30, 2008 13:21:23 GMT -5
I enjoy looking under the hood at polishing process, talking hydrated layers, scratches, and ions ... etc.
Just remember that tumbling and cabbing are a bit different. This was written entirely for cabbing on belts and wheels. Many of these polishes crap out in the tumbler, for example diamond paste.
SO lets read an learn, and think and grow - but when we get tips posted here about what worked BEST in a rotary or vibe - lets continue to treat that like gold.
A few years ago I asked about tumble polishing softer stones like African Butter Jade or Petesoky. I got lots of advice about Zam and RP#61 and CO and TO ... etc. BUT NONE OF IT WAS TUMBLING ADVISE. I spent $50 on three kinds of polish and a pre-polish and found out none worked in the Lot-O as well as AO from the RockShed.
People had info and were glad to share it with me, but I was not savvy enough to say "is this for tumbling?" - I assumed that polish advice on a tumbling forum would be tumbling advice.
So lets be careful to distinguish polishing tips for cabs on soft leather pads vs rotary or vibe tumblers. Lets not assume that what works best on a Bullwheel works best in a barrel. The two contexts are very different.
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Dec 2, 2008 3:51:03 GMT -5
Thanks Mark for the link,
A, excelent article I will keep for future reference (like Dick says "Unfortunately, at my age, memory is the second thing to go- I don't remember what the first thing was. !! ")
Thanks
jack
Yorkshire UK
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Dec 4, 2008 17:34:48 GMT -5
Update- i realized I had some Lusteite on hand and tried in in my vibe on that stubborn obsidian. The best I've gotten is a satiny shine. This is mahogany and snowflake material and I wonder if it can be polished as well as yhe more translucent material. Next step, I'll try burnishing.
mark H.
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