roxmonket
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2010
Posts: 6
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Post by roxmonket on Mar 24, 2010 0:47:58 GMT -5
Hey guys, I'm working on a mixed batch of green aventurine and amethyst. They looked good going into polish, but after a few days I ended up with frosted looking edges on most of the rocks. I didn't use plastic beads or anything, which I think might have been the problem. Yes/no?
So what should do I do to fix this? I'll send them back, but how far? Right now I'm using a 60-90/120-220/500/polish rotation, which is all the grit I have on-hand. I decided to try going to 120-220 and on down top what happens.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 24, 2010 1:30:20 GMT -5
should only need to go back to 500. since the barrel get emptier each time you wash out mud, it is likely your polish run was not full enough to prevent falling rocks. (Unless you assembled a full barrel from multiple rough grinds.) Use the pellets.
It is also possibly the edge issues were there and only polish was fine enough to get in the cracks and white enough to show. Both adventuring and amethyst do not have the finest crystal structures.
You might also be able to burnish after polish to solve problem. Go back to 500 to get polish ground out of cracks. Then polish again. Then while still wet (do not allow polish to dry) tumble rocks in borax or soap solution for a day or 3.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Mar 24, 2010 8:57:10 GMT -5
I've experienced that problem several times with crystalline quartz or aventurine. As Daniel has stated, some of the problem can be prevented by more filler, pellets, fuller loads etc. to keep the stones from knocking together. You can also improve results by tumbling the rough longer in coarse grind to eliminate the sharper, more beveled edges. Real round edges won't frost like that. I'd take them back to fine grind myself as sometimes that frosting on edges runs pretty deep....Mel
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roxmonket
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2010
Posts: 6
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Post by roxmonket on Apr 8, 2010 1:09:47 GMT -5
Rhanks for the advice Mel and deb193redux.
Just to follow up, I sent them back for 5 days in 220, 5 days in 500, and 7 days in polish, followed by a quick burnish in Borax. I added some additional rocks that were ready for fine grind, and the tumbler was a little more than 3/4ths full including plastic beads. The rocks turned out great! They could probably shine up a little more with some additional polish days, but for my application they turned our just fine, looking almost wet.
I didn't take before pictures, but could probably post some after pics if anyone is interested in aventurine eye candy.
Thanks again.
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Post by deb193redux on Apr 9, 2010 10:10:46 GMT -5
folks should keep in mind that these pre-tumblings can add to the chips and fractures that have tobe dealt with later, although they will help things get rounded faster.
also, I think we need to acknowledge that not everybody desires to (or has equipment to) cut and shape stones before hand
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