MalibuSky
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2004
Posts: 17
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Post by MalibuSky on Feb 28, 2004 20:51:48 GMT -5
; OK, I have had the 1st phase going for 7 days now...I am getting ready to open them up to see if they are ready; HOWEVER, I have no clue what I am looking for!! What should the rocks look like after this first phase? Thanks from a true novice ;D
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Post by rockyraccoon on Feb 28, 2004 21:16:13 GMT -5
i'm a novice too but from what i can tell they should basically look & feel like what you want them to look & feel like finished. the next 2 steps will only make them feel smoother and smoother - like fine tuning them - and when they are very very smooth you polish them. step 1 is the most important step from what i can tell and the longest.
kim
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Post by docone31 on Feb 28, 2004 21:33:38 GMT -5
Practice will dictate when they are done. This sounds calous however Tumbling is like that. Keep records of each cycle. In short time you will know from the sound and the look when you check the bbl. I go 7 days for the first cycle, then either go to the second cycle, or if I am lazy I let it tumble for another few days. The grit wears down, and I have never gone too far. Polish is another game. I use cerium oxide and I have had to go two polish cycles. If you lose a stone tumbling, it should not have been tumbled that way in the first place. I started with throw away stones and got dramatic results the first time. I did cross contaminate a batch and had to start over and they came out great. It comes with practice. I too wanted the magic formula and in jest I made a machine that went bing. Folks would ask me when they are ready and I told them I had a machine that went bing. If you are impatient at times, make a machine that goes bing. It satisfies.
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