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Post by Sea Faring Wang Dang on Feb 16, 2009 22:53:24 GMT -5
Well here some rough rocks that went into the tumbler a couple of days ago. Its a mixture of amethyst, ocean jasper & peach uh............ I forgot. Also Just finished my first batch of a mixture of rocks that I've collected over the years, some beach pebbles and the sort. I'm overall happy with the out come. Only had to send about a quarter of them back to previous stages. Not bad for the fact I've not tumbled a rock in 20 years. I will post some pics of these in the next couple of days when I get home. Also have some Pet wood tumbling & another mixture of test stuff (learning what I can actually tumble) in another. Will keep you guys updated on the progress. Here is a pic of the rough I just started.....  |
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Post by 150FromFundy on Feb 17, 2009 9:33:46 GMT -5
The peach rock is peach aventurine. It also comes in green, yellow, raspberry, blue, orange. It is really quartzite (metamorphic sandstone) with a few impurities (often mica) that give aventurine its characteristic "sparkle" under certain light.
The rock has a hardness of around 7, so it will tumble well with amethyst and jasper.
I find fractures in aventurine will hold the residue from the final polish that won't come out. You will see many posts about "white gunk" and lines in an otherwise shiny rock.
Post your finished product. Hopefully you will have better luck with getting the residue out.
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Post by frane on Feb 17, 2009 11:10:10 GMT -5
Aventurine does fracture easily due to the mica in it. Seems to make it undercut and it does capture the grit in those lines so it requires a lot of washing! I have been told it tumbles best on it's own but don't believe that. It gives me fits by itself too! I am hoping to have a batch done today or tomorrow of just aventurine.
Just make sure to keep the batch full, especially towards that last few stages and you should be fine. It looks like it will be a beautiful batch!
Fran
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Post by Sea Faring Wang Dang on Feb 17, 2009 21:08:02 GMT -5
Thanks Guys for the info. I wonder if adding soft medium (pellets) will help with fractures or are the fractures already present? Any way I will keep an eye on them, thanks.
Casey
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Feb 18, 2009 4:13:32 GMT -5
Hi
Watch the amythyst it fractures I ruined a batch once
You got a very colourfull batch there BEFORE it is polished Im looking forward to the end results
Jack
Yorkshire UK
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