churross
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2008
Posts: 15
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Post by churross on Feb 16, 2009 10:32:46 GMT -5
I've got a bunch of tumbling sized pieces; search led to some cabs, but nothing about tumbling dos and don'ts. Any 'best practices' to tumbling psilomelane that can be gained from the board would be put to immediate use. Thanks  |
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,496
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Post by Sabre52 on Feb 16, 2009 15:41:52 GMT -5
Hmm. Never had enough to try it in a tumble but it's fairly hard, mohs 5-6 and often has a high silica content too so, were I to try and tumble it, I'd treat it pretty much like jasper with maybe a bit more pellets in the final stages to cushion the load. I've cabbed it though, and man is it messy....Mel
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 16, 2009 17:45:32 GMT -5
It is a form of manganese so messy as Mel said. Looks like you have enough to experiment with. I'd save any large botroidal pieces to cab as the bumps give you neat swirl patterns.
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Post by frane on Feb 17, 2009 10:00:59 GMT -5
If it is a 5-6, be very careful, especially in the later stages. Check often at the beginning so you don't build up too much gas and blow the cap off. Use a lot of cousioning after the initial first days and I would treat them more like Obsidian to be on the safe side. Just my :2cents:
Fran
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Post by Michael John on Feb 24, 2009 2:34:32 GMT -5
Steve and I were looking for this stuff at manganese mines and didn't find any. I had only previously seen pics of finished pieces before, though. Now that I see what it looks like in rough form, I'll have to look for it again. If you could post some more pics of the rough, it would be greatly appreciated!
As far as tumbling in a rotary, I dunno. It makes really pretty cabs, almost seems a waste to tumble it. Mind if I ask what you paid per pound?
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