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seashell polishing

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joejansal noticing nice landscape pebbles Member since August 2009 Posts: 98	seashell polishing Jan 11, 2010 13:03:11 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by joejansal on Jan 11, 2010 13:03:11 GMT -5 Any information of polishing of seashells would be greatly appreciated. Put my shells through the first four steps, seven days each step, shells like great but no shine. H-E-L-P!

deb193redux
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RIP Daniel Bontempo (1959 - 2022)

Member since September 2007
Posts: 6,010

seashell polishing Jan 11, 2010 15:04:00 GMT -5

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Post by deb193redux on Jan 11, 2010 15:04:00 GMT -5

First, is this a type of shellyou have seen polished? Some shells will be more mostly calcium or calcium carbonate and will not polish. I have see the ones that look pearly or opalescent and I guess this will polsh - but be careful this is not a thin layer that you grind off.

Second, what did you batch look like. A small number of walnut-sized sea shells will not contact each other enough to get much abrasive action. Were there many small bits of shell or filler int he batch? A picture of the batch would be real helpful.

joejansal
noticing nice landscape pebbles

Member since August 2009
Posts: 98

seashell polishing Jan 11, 2010 16:42:53 GMT -5

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Post by joejansal on Jan 11, 2010 16:42:53 GMT -5

the shells are quhag shells, they are the hardest shells, i make wampum with them, they smoothed up real nice, used plastic pellets in the polish tumble for 8 days. last batch i did came out fine, could have been a little shinyer. did not burnish because they were really dull.

number21
having dreams about rocks

Member since November 2009
Posts: 72

seashell polishing Jan 11, 2010 23:56:43 GMT -5

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Post by number21 on Jan 11, 2010 23:56:43 GMT -5

Most of the shells I do are like the one on my avatar. I just spray them with gloss paint as they do not polish. We do have a local tourist trap called the 'Shell Factory' here in Ft. Myers. The last time I went on the factory tour 20 some years ago they were using felt buffing pads and I believe tripoli polish for the big shells. You may want to try a felt buff in a dremel tool w/tripoli and see what happens.

Brian

johnjsgems gets rocks for Christmas Member since August 2007 Posts: 6,959	seashell polishing Jan 12, 2010 10:21:17 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by johnjsgems on Jan 12, 2010 10:21:17 GMT -5 You might try a fine sub micron aluminum polish or a polish suitable for soft stones. A tripoli prepolish would probably help also.
	John at JS Gems www.jsgemslapidary.com

joejansal noticing nice landscape pebbles Member since August 2009 Posts: 98	seashell polishing Jan 12, 2010 10:22:19 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by joejansal on Jan 12, 2010 10:22:19 GMT -5 thanks brian, will be heading to punt gorda next week for a month, will try to go to the shell factory. ps my first batch came out great, i dont remember what type polish i used.

joejansal
noticing nice landscape pebbles

Member since August 2009
Posts: 98

seashell polishing Jan 12, 2010 10:27:42 GMT -5

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Post by joejansal on Jan 12, 2010 10:27:42 GMT -5

hi johnjsgems, thanks for the comeback, will try to find it, the shells shape up real quick, i go 7 days, then fine grit for 7 days, prepolish 7 more days, i used aluminum oxide polish, 7 days maybe i eed more time on the polish

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seashell polishing

Post by joejansal on Jan 11, 2010 13:03:11 GMT -5

Post by deb193redux on Jan 11, 2010 15:04:00 GMT -5

Post by joejansal on Jan 11, 2010 16:42:53 GMT -5

Post by number21 on Jan 11, 2010 23:56:43 GMT -5

Post by johnjsgems on Jan 12, 2010 10:21:17 GMT -5

Post by joejansal on Jan 12, 2010 10:22:19 GMT -5

Post by joejansal on Jan 12, 2010 10:27:42 GMT -5

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