rockhappy
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2010
Posts: 12
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Post by rockhappy on Oct 3, 2010 9:26:07 GMT -5
Hi All- Oooh, this is exciting. About to open up my first batch after first stage but was wondering about the best way to get the barrels "clinically clean" as I've read here before. I'm nervous about not getting it clean enough and having that affect the second stage. What do you recommend for washing in between stages? I've already got my ivory soap bars ready... Thanks everyone. This is such a great community. --Hol
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Post by johnjsgems on Oct 3, 2010 10:29:45 GMT -5
Hate to start a controversy, but if the 60/90 is completely broken down I would rinse the barrel with water and the rocks in a $1 Store strainer. If all cracks, crevices, etc. have been removed you are ready to move on. You really need to worry about clean before polish. Burnish cycle will take care of rocks and drum after rinsing.
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Post by tkrueger3 on Oct 3, 2010 11:54:00 GMT -5
After you examine the batch and are sure you're ready to move it to the next grit stage, first reload the batch into the barrel with nothing but water and Borax (the 20-Mule Team type sold at most grocery stores), the same as you would load with grit. However, use more water than you would with grit. Run the barrel with this load for several hours (overnight works for me), then clean it out again. You will find that it is sparkling clean inside, as will be the rocks. This is what I do with every load now, and I've had good success with it.
Tom
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Post by tanyafrench on Oct 3, 2010 12:50:12 GMT -5
I am so glad you are this excited. Sounds like another rock addiction on the way. There is nothing better than the thrill of opening a barrel. I agree that I don't think you have to burnish after the course or medium. I do rinse out the barrels well but I burnish before the pre-polish and then again before the polish. Last being the most important. Then burnish again after the polish. to really clean the stones. It is a treat to watch the wet stones stay the same as they dry. That is the ultimate goal. Just please don't move them to the next step until they are all ready. It can take 4 to 6 weeks in course sometimes. You have to be patient. Enjoy, Tanya
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revco
starting to spend too much on rocks
Another Victim Of The Rockcycle
Member since February 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by revco on Oct 3, 2010 16:12:43 GMT -5
The borax burnish method works really well, but like Tanya said, "clinically clean" isn't as critical until pre-polish and polish. It's important to get it clean, but not clinically so. I definitely recommend the use of a separate barrel for polish because it's so easy to get contamination, even if you're very careful. Burnish is critical before and after polish.
I used to use a fine toothed brush before I purchased barrels for each stage. With different barrels, just a really good rinse is necessary and I like how this saves me time personally.
Glad to have a new addict here! I feel you!
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nickinmass
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2010
Posts: 18
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Post by nickinmass on Oct 4, 2010 8:24:00 GMT -5
OK, so n=1 here, but I found a toothbrush (dedicated for each stage, got them on sale) and a little water is good after the coarse and medium grit stages. We (my 7 yr. old daughter) and I did a burnish with Ivory Snow after prepolish and polish, and that made the clean up of the barrel really easy (pretty much a rinse, and not too concerned about polish contaminating the coarse grind). As soon as I get around to taking some pictures, I'll post on our first run, but we did get a nice polish of a pretty varied group of rocks.
It seems to me that it is more important to grind away all the pits, as they can really retain grit, and to scrub any nooks and crannies that you didn't grind down to (the other use for the toothbrushes).
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