The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 6, 2012 10:14:00 GMT -5
I know it's usually referred to as matrix on most of the places I have been to but couldn't resist the play on words !! LOL Anyways, I have a bit of a dilemma and figured this is where all the smart people are and I should be able to get an answer... I was tumbling some of my rocks and had sapphires mixed in with everything else... well needless to say everything else is nice for my first attempt but the sapphire still has a black coating on it the although it is cracked & hasn't come off yet... should I through it back in with some 120/220 and let it go for a week or 2?? or should I try to grind it off, I have a diamond wheel for my dremel as I don't have any "real" equipment yet. I used the wife's camera to get the pics, sorry there not that good. Attachments:
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 6, 2012 10:15:33 GMT -5
haven't figured out how to post multiple pics yet!! sorry Attachments:
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 6, 2012 10:21:54 GMT -5
The ones in the front have no gloss to them but haven't figured out what they are yet either as I was told they are all the same, sapphires...garnets maybe?? ruby?? any ideas ... other than get a better camera!! lol Attachments:
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itsandbits
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 825
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Post by itsandbits on Sept 6, 2012 10:33:22 GMT -5
Hey; There is only one champion crappy picture taker and I worked long and hard for the title so it'll take more than one post to get it :<) I don't tumble so can't help solve that issue.
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fwfranklen (Mike)
spending too much on rocks
Rock-ON--Have you kissed your rock today?
Member since August 2012
Posts: 379
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Post by fwfranklen (Mike) on Sept 6, 2012 10:54:24 GMT -5
My guess is that Sapphires and SiC is the same hardness, so it is going to take a long time (compared to other stones) to remove the schist. ;D
Mike
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 6, 2012 19:31:29 GMT -5
"There is only one champion crappy picture taker and I worked long and hard for the title so it'll take more than one post to get it :<) I don't tumble so can't help solve that issue." I accept your challenge!!!!! muah-hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 6, 2012 19:33:14 GMT -5
ok, I guess I'll run them in medium for another week as I'm out of course and se what happens!!
Thanx Mike & Its&Bits
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Sept 6, 2012 20:01:24 GMT -5
It will take so long to polish sapphires that the grit and polish will cost more than the sapphires are worth. It would be faster if you used cubic boron nitride for grit, but that would make it even more expensive. Set them aside.
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 6, 2012 20:26:20 GMT -5
Daniel, I already threw them in with 3 tb of med grit and started the tumble, I'm in no rush to get them done so I'll let them tumble like that for a couple 3/4 days and check them then set them going again if needed... i'm not running a large batch not enough for a half container on my 3lb barrel... to which I added lots of ceramic to bring it up to 2/3... to me this is as much an experiment as anything else... I'm learning as I go along!!!!
and luvin every minute of it too !!!!
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Sept 6, 2012 22:17:58 GMT -5
Oh, now that I reread your post I think I get it. The smaller ones in front without any shine at all are the sapphires. You can almost tell by their shapes alone. They won't likely hurt anything else in your barrel at this point, but the next time you open the barrel, pull the sapphires out because they'll scratch the other stuff. When I say it would take a long time to tumble sapphire, I mean months. At least. So far it doesn't look like anything has happened to them at all, right?
The semi-shiny ones are something else. They don't quite look like the right shape for garnet, but the surface and color looks about right. If those are garnets that color goes all the way through - brownish red or purple, very dark. It's not just the surface. You can leave those in to see what they are.
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Sept 6, 2012 23:02:17 GMT -5
i have a batch of garnets going on 9 months. I would give up on them but I've come this far... and they are crap garnets at that!
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 7, 2012 19:53:28 GMT -5
The semi-shiny ones are something else. They don't quite look like the right shape for garnet, but the surface and color looks about right. If those are garnets that color goes all the way through - brownish red or purple, very dark. It's not just the surface. You can leave those in to see what they are. I was told, I believe, that the semi shiny ones are sapphires, maybe they are garnets... I was going by weight alone as these were heavier than any of the other rocks I collected.... the shiny coating is what I am trying to remove, it is cracked and bits of it are coming off... the actual stone is underneath and is a reddish to purple color, depending on which rock you look at., most are red color though. If the smaller ones are sapphires then thats something i'll add to the knowledge book to remember.... it would also mean I have a pink sappire too ... very kool!! thanks
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 7, 2012 19:55:28 GMT -5
i have a batch of garnets going on 9 months. I would give up on them but I've come this far... and they are crap garnets at that! My wife loves the garnets and is dying to see what they will look like when done, so I am kinda stuck seeing them through to the end too!! I guess it's the old misery loves company thing here again!! lol
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Sept 7, 2012 22:27:00 GMT -5
The sapphires can range anywhere from clear to black and anywhere in between. I found mostly blues and some off purple color in the stuff I grabbed.
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Sept 16, 2012 21:52:42 GMT -5
well, now that I have gotten in 5lbs. of 46/70 I plan to re-tumble them and see what happens... probably just let them go for a week or 2 non stop and see what happens to the outer covering... will keep you posted!!.
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