w4mwk
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2009
Posts: 56
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Post by w4mwk on Jun 17, 2010 21:17:48 GMT -5
Hi, This is my first tumble, I just broke it up and threw it in the tumbler with some amethyest I had! It still has a good bit of polish in the crack's, Anyone have any tip's on how to get it all off? It was in Aluminum Oxide for 3 week's! I washed it 3 times with Ivory Sope, 1 1/2 hour's each time, (I used a 6-lb tumbler) Thank's Mike    |
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Post by rockrookie on Jun 17, 2010 23:09:45 GMT -5
nice combination of colors !!
good looking batch !
--paul
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Post by susand24224 on Jun 17, 2010 23:55:49 GMT -5
Those are interesting agates--thanks for sharing them.
Did you let the rocks dry out before the soap tumble? If so, it is harder to get the polish out of cracks. You might want to go back to 500 or 1000, then run your polish and put in soap while they are still wet from polish.
Other suggestions I've seen were things like toothpaste and denture cleaning fizzy stuff. I've never tried these, but it might be worth giving it a go.
Susan
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Jun 18, 2010 1:08:44 GMT -5
Hi Mike
I have used Muric Acid ( Builders brick cleaner) with some Agate Geode slices with some sucess,
Otherwise do a wash Burnishing stage(Ivory soap and Borax) after polishing for up to 48 hours this also puts a good polish on
Try a different polish I think TO has a tendency to show up in the crack
Others with more experiance will chip in and add their experiance views but it is a difficult problem ,
The perfect solution is to have rocks with NO cracks in them , I would have run yours another few weeks in stage one ,
Its a problem we all have to contend with but as I said muric Acid is helpfull
BUT use OUTSIDE and be carefull of the fumes
Hope this is of some help
Jack
Yorkshire uk
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Post by frane on Jun 18, 2010 7:35:09 GMT -5
Hi Mike, Welcome to the board!
This is my advise; I personally would take it all the way back to rough for another week or two to get rid of some of the pitting. It will not be possible on some but it will help the others. I say a week or two with one charge because you want that grit to break down all the way in a 6 lb tumbler and sometimes that is hard to do!
It looks to me like you may have had some late impact fractures and that can capture the grit and make it really difficult to get it ready to move on. Go through each additional stage for 5-7 days and really wash well and burnish prior to the polish. Any stone that looks like it is holding grit, keep it out of the polish phase. Add some ceramic pellets, tile spacers, plastic pellets, what ever you have for filler to make up for lost rock mass. That will slow down the impact fractures when you are getting to those results you really want to see.
For a first tumble, you did a great job! Now, the great thing about rocks is that they can always go back into a cycle when needed or some that you want to see improve even more, can be used as filler in later batches. You have some beautiful material and I suspect that if you take it back, you are going to be amazed at the difference in your polish and the beauty of those stones that right now shows but not to its full potential.
The great thing about this board is that you can get advise and suggestions but that is what it is. It is you who decides to try different things and see what works for you to get the results that you want.
Welcome again!
Fran
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tsayles
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2009
Posts: 3
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Post by tsayles on Jun 18, 2010 8:49:00 GMT -5
I wonder if one of those ultra sonic cleaners would work? I bought a small one at HF and put in a small piece of carnelian with polish in the holes and it seemed to work this one time. Anybody use these?
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NorthShore-Rocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,004
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Post by NorthShore-Rocks on Jun 18, 2010 9:43:47 GMT -5
Congratulations on your first batch! I like the material and others have given you some great advice. Welcome to the board!
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Saskrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2007
Posts: 1,852
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Post by Saskrock on Jun 18, 2010 14:48:26 GMT -5
Good looking batch. I don't do a lot of tumbling but a freind from our club is always telling people to use Cerium Oxide because it washes out way easier than Aluminum oxide. Fractures are a real problem up here from the cold winters and glaciers in the past.
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w4mwk
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2009
Posts: 56
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Post by w4mwk on Jun 24, 2010 20:14:40 GMT -5
Hey Guy's,
Thanks for all the replies, You've given me some great advice, Most of the Pitting and Cracks are actually Crystal Vogues, I don't want to loose them all! I think it make;s them more interesting. I could try a different polish, Any suggestions on which type polish? I could also try the Ivory Soap and Borax combo.
If I can't get the polish out of the cracks, Maybe I could go back to the pre polish step! Any thoughts on doing that?
Thanks Again,
Mike
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slabcabber
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2010
Posts: 590
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Post by slabcabber on Jun 24, 2010 22:22:16 GMT -5
I always tumble mine for 24 hours in just Borax ( in a 6lb tumbler just about 1 good tablespoon, heaping ) that has worked good for me so for. But if you want to keep the crystal pockets and the borax don't work I would run them in the pre-polish for a couple days and try that. Good luck.
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Post by Toad on Jun 24, 2010 22:36:12 GMT -5
I'm with Fran on taking them back to rough - of course you will lose the crystal vugs, but tumbling and vugs aren't really compatible so you'll have to walk a fine line...
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w4mwk
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2009
Posts: 56
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Post by w4mwk on Jun 25, 2010 10:58:03 GMT -5
OK Guys,
I think I'll try the Borax first! If that doesn't work, Then I may go back to the Pre-Polish for a few days, I'd rather not go all the way back to the 1st step, although this would eliminate most of the unwanted cracks! If I watched it close "Maybe pick out one stone to watch" I could also keep most of the Crystal pocket's.
I'll give it a try and re-post at a later Date!
Thanks again for all the great tips.
Mike
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