lloyd1wv
starting to shine!
Member since December 2010
Posts: 47
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Post by lloyd1wv on Dec 28, 2010 11:19:51 GMT -5
Hi folks! This is my first post. I've been doing vibrating tumbling for a couple months now and am having a lot of fun. However I have experienced a problem that I hope you might be able to help with. I just run a batch of pretty rough Lake Superior Agate. I can't get all of the polish (aluminum oxide polish) out of any tiny pits or cracks in the stones. I polished for 5 days, did not let the mixture dry out at any time, burnished with borax several times and washed (in the machine) several times. I even soaked the stones in detergent over night and washed again. There are still tiny white specks of the polish on the rocks in any depressions. It won't even come off with a tooth brush. It can "dig" it off with a sharp point, but that isn't a good thing to be doing. -I am now returning the batch to 120/220 grit again to get it off and re-polishing. Any ideas on why this may have happened? How to avoid it later?
Thanks!
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Post by deb193redux on Dec 28, 2010 14:31:13 GMT -5
Hopefully the pitts will grind out w/o more appearing. Still usually it will wash out or burnish out if if it has not dried. Possibly you can try a slightly thinner polish slurry.
I have also been able to clean just about anything with a hand-held power sprayer (drycleaners call them spot removers, but some have been sold at rock shows), but they run $60 to $100.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Post by Sabre52 on Dec 28, 2010 18:05:18 GMT -5
When I vibe polish cabs and have any polish remaining in pits I first make sure not to let the cabs dry that way and then I soak them extra for a bit in water and go over them with a vibe toothbrush and peroxide toothpaste. Seems to clean up the pits very well. Used to use a water pick but that died. It worked well too....Mel
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lloyd1wv
starting to shine!
Member since December 2010
Posts: 47
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Post by lloyd1wv on Dec 28, 2010 18:18:18 GMT -5
Thanks folks. I had thought about thinner slurry. At one point this time my slurry was rather thick. --Thanks also for the tooth paste idea. Hadn't thought of that one.
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