montezuma
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2009
Posts: 21
|
Post by montezuma on Dec 3, 2009 9:13:15 GMT -5
I'm new at this and still need to get equipment. My wife's father was a rock hound and died in 1972. I married into the collection and after 14 years decided I should do something with it, rather than have it take up space in the garage.
Now to the question: This is a geode that was in the collection. It has both parts to make total piece.
1. Should I tumble it as one piece and then cut it smooth at the cracked area or would that not be a good idea. It seems to me it would look better tumbled first but I've only seen the cut version (rough outside).
2. If I tumble it, how do I "glue" it together?
3. Is there a way to shine the crystals inside afterwards?
|
|
|
|
Post by johnjsgems on Dec 3, 2009 10:30:27 GMT -5
Better to wait until you have the equipment to polish the faces. A lot of people tumble whole small nodules (the solid center version of geodes). Tumbling removes the softer outside (usually rhyolite) and exposes the agate center. This is usually done on the ones too small to cut. Crystal lined geodes make nice display pieces with faces polished on a flat lap, vibrating lap, etc.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Dec 3, 2009 12:36:23 GMT -5
I've tumbled small hollow geodes as an experiment and they got ground to dust. John is right: it will work for solids, but for hollows I would face polish.
That one looks like a Keokuk geode and I would use Super Iron Out or Oxalic Acid to remove the iron staining (the red color in the crust).
Chuck
|
|
MikeS
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2009
Posts: 1,081
|
Post by MikeS on Dec 3, 2009 18:47:12 GMT -5
You can either just clean it up and display it as it is, or you can cut each face smooth and polish the edges. Tumbling would destroy that specimen for sure. As for the crystals inside, I'd start out just with hot soapy water and an electric toothbrush first and work your way up to more agressive cleaning methods if needed after that....
|
|
montezuma
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2009
Posts: 21
|
Post by montezuma on Dec 4, 2009 0:19:56 GMT -5
Thanks, that's the kind of thing I need to hear. This is the only one that could be put back together, I have 5 more that are open but unfinished. My wife has a "finished" one and that's how I came to ask these questions. The last thing I want to do is destroy them. The one in the attached picture is the smallest of the group, 2 1/2" on the base.
|
|
