Leroy
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2012
Posts: 10
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Post by Leroy on Jun 18, 2012 16:20:55 GMT -5
I just took my first batch out today and I am quite happy with the polish. But I have a couple of questions. First, thanks to all in this forum for their knowledge and willingness to share. What ever success there was with this first batch is directly related to the advice gleaned from this forum. Here is the batch: First question. Some of the rocks are slabs and slivers. Is that an indication the batch wasn't tumbling properly? I was under the impression all of the rocks would come out more rounded. Second question. In the photo below there is a notch in the rock. Is it possible this notch was caused by another rock in the batch and is it another indication the batch wasn't tumbling properly? Thank you again, Leroy
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Jun 18, 2012 17:41:00 GMT -5
Hi Leroy,
Nice looking batch!
It isn't a bad idea to get "before" Pictures so you can see what is happening.
As far as rounding, if you are using a vibe, they won't round, they will just keep their overall shape and get shiny, except in pits or crevices.
If you are tumbling them in the rotary, then leaving them in longer will round them out, but will also shrink them (takes more material away)
The notch in the last rock was probably there to begin with but without "before" pics it is impossible to say.
Rocks can get vugs or chips while tumbling, so it is possible this was a piece that was knocked loose.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jun 18, 2012 17:57:37 GMT -5
nice looking first batch Leroy If that is a piece that broke it looks like it would have happened in the early stages because that area looks well rounded now. Were you inspecting these thoroughly during each stage? I do have some break sometimes but any broken pieces are taken out if they happen after 60/90 so they don't ruin any other rocks during the 120, 500 or polish stage.
Chuck
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Post by NatureNut on Jun 18, 2012 18:18:36 GMT -5
I would call that batch superb, Leroy. I'm thinking that rock with the notch was somewhat like that when you started because, like Chuck said, it's nicely rounded. If they started out elongated or flat, the edges should round off and outside surfaces should smooth out, but the rock should still have somewhat the same shape, to answer your first question. Jo
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cardiobill
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 880
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Post by cardiobill on Jun 18, 2012 19:38:05 GMT -5
Great first batch (or any batch for that matter). I think they look great. Bill
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Post by Pat on Jun 18, 2012 20:17:45 GMT -5
Great shiny batch! Looks like you got lots of good advice.
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carloscinco
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,639
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Post by carloscinco on Jun 18, 2012 20:17:46 GMT -5
Rocks tend to have some fractures that are both obvious and sometimes hard to make out. After all they have tumbled down rivers in flood, slid down mountains, suffered geological upheavals etc. Then we beat them up some more with hammers or crush them to get them down to tumble size. All these create or aggravate fractures. Fractures often show up in my tumbles at the most inopportune time, usually after I've invested time and grit on them. I doubt if you have done anything wrong, your tumbles look swell. It's just tough being a rock. Keep up the good work.
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Leroy
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2012
Posts: 10
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Post by Leroy on Jun 18, 2012 20:24:45 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for the kind comments. Very encouraging. I'll have to start a new batch soon and take a 'before' picture this time.
John, it's a rotary tumbler.
Chuck, I did not inspect them thoroughly between each stage. I'll take closer looks next time.
Jo, thanks that answers the first question perfectly. I was thinking the shape would change dramatically for anything that wasn't round to begin with.
Thanks Bill, Pat and Carloscinco!
Thanks everyone for the tips.
Leroy
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Post by talkingstones on Jun 18, 2012 20:37:56 GMT -5
Hi Leroy and that is a wonderful batch! I agree with all that was said above but especially Carloscinco! Often internal fractures will crack up a stone during tumbling. Unfortunately, the ones inside a stone are often impossible to see until...you see them at the end of a tumble. If that is the only real piece that you had this happen with, you did incredibly well! Enjoy the hobby as you are off to a great start!
Cathy
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Post by paulshiroma on Jun 18, 2012 23:56:26 GMT -5
Frankly, Leroy, your first batch looks a lot (a LOT) better than my initial ones and many of my current ones, LOL! Seriously awesome job. If you inspect the batch throughout the cycles you can pull the rocks that start showing fractures or imperfections and replace them with fresh rocks. I toss the "rejects" in a pile and once I have enough for a batch will do a "reject run". Some come out okay, some never really make it. I let the kids from our Bible study fish through the tumbles, both good and bad (and sometimes the parents get into the act as well ). Since I'm constantly removing rejects and adding fresh rocks, I usually end up with different barrels running in various stages. Anyway, great set of tumbles! Paul BTW - In that second photo - what's the dark background?
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Leroy
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2012
Posts: 10
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Post by Leroy on Jun 19, 2012 10:23:58 GMT -5
Thank you Cathy and Paul. Paul, in all of the photos the rocks are on a sheet of tempered glass. The white background is white muslin under the glass. The black background is black foamboard under the glass.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 21, 2012 8:42:56 GMT -5
Leroy, whatever else, you nailed the polish. As Paul said it is best to run the coarse until you have a full load of rocks to move on. That means no fractures, pits, or flaws. This takes a lot of patience but as you have learned advancing flawed rocks gives you shiny rocks with flaws. Check the first step rocks every week to 10 days and pull anything done. Keep adding new rocks to keep 2/3-3/4 full. If you have anything you can grind (or even a tile saw) grind out the big flaws first. Deep fractures can be broken to begin with first (carefully with a hammer/chisel. Make sure as you advance the loads you maintain the 2/3-3/4 full.
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Post by roy on Jun 21, 2012 9:19:02 GMT -5
looks like your off to a great start!
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Leroy
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2012
Posts: 10
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Post by Leroy on Jun 21, 2012 10:21:18 GMT -5
That means no fractures, pits, or flaws. Is this "no fractures, pits or flaws" more or less a universal opinion among tumblers? Or are there two or three camps? I thought the flaws added character. But I'm new to this game. My primary hobby is photography. A universal opinion in photography is to not blow the highlights of an image (there are a few exceptions). Generally, a blown highlight does not "add character." Thanks for the advice John. Thank you Roy. Leroy
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cardiobill
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 880
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Post by cardiobill on Jun 21, 2012 10:46:19 GMT -5
I don't like heavily flawed rocks. I don't think they add character to the batch. The hard thing for me is what constitutes a flaw. Sometimes I think I go too far in weeding out rocks with small pits etc. I was always worried that they would ruin the end product of the "non flawed rocks" but as I do more they seem to polish fine even if there are some small pits etc.
Watch for obvious fractures/ broken rocks at each stage and remove them. These can absolutely mess up a batch
Just my 2 cents worth.
By the way your photos are great. Love the glass over dark foam board. Your photos are way better than anything I have taken. Hope you don't mind if I steal you idea. Those rocks really pop in the photo.
Great job Bill
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Leroy
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2012
Posts: 10
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Post by Leroy on Jun 21, 2012 11:07:12 GMT -5
Thanks Bill. The second batch is in now - Apache Tears. I'll use the pass/fail method with them.
For reference, how does "obvious fractures/ broken rocks" mess up a batch? Are you speaking of more towards the polish stage where anything rough might scratch?
Re: the glass/black foamboard, steal away! And thanks.
Leroy
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cardiobill
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 880
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Post by cardiobill on Jun 21, 2012 11:17:55 GMT -5
Exactly. As you get closer to the polish stage ragged edges will scratch the rocks you are trying to smooth. Not a problem in the rough grind. When I get a broken rock that looks salvageable I just put it back in the rough grind on my next batch. More of a problem as you get finer and finer. Also grit from the previous stage can get carried into the next stage through pits / cracks in the rocks no matter how hard you scrub or rinse.
Again just my 2 cents worth. Your rocks really look great. Bill
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jun 21, 2012 12:21:02 GMT -5
What to do about the defects can be tricky becuase sometimes you will have a small but fairly deep problem area on an otherwise beautiful rock and if you leave it in 60/90 long enough to remove that one spot you will have taken away a cool feature somewhere else on the rock. So some imperfections get a free pass to move along as long as it wont hurt further in the process.
Chuck
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 21, 2012 14:19:28 GMT -5
If you could sit down with 20 different people who tumble successfully you will hear at least 20 different variations on what is right and what works. As far as removing defects that is totally up to you. I remember finding a jar of tumbled stones my dad had polished. I recognized the jasp agates from the location where I happened to have spread his ashes when he died. I recognized the location but thought "too bad he didn't do the first step right". Pretty rocks, blinding polish, cracks, fissures, and other "flaws" (at least in my opinion) throughout.
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Leroy
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2012
Posts: 10
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Post by Leroy on Jun 21, 2012 17:08:51 GMT -5
It's sounding more and more like "blown highlights." Thanks for the input Bill, Chuck and John. It's becoming more clear why so many of you run several tumblers. This will take quite a while to do it right with one little 3# tumbler. Leroy
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