Digforcrystals
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 351
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Post by Digforcrystals on Oct 11, 2012 9:19:34 GMT -5
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Oct 11, 2012 9:50:39 GMT -5
I am confused, was this rough that you were tumbling?
Most folks start their rough for 7-10 days in 60/90 SiC, then repeat that several times until everything is smooth.
If you use a vibe you then take the smooth stones straight to the vibe with 120/220 SiC for several days, then AO 500 or 1000 for several days, then polish for several more.
When i do preforms or slabs, i clean them up on a grinder, then do exactly what i described above, just skipping the rotary and 60/90. I do still do several rounds of 120/220 SiC with slabs and preforms in the vibe.
If you are satisfied with the results of the 600, and perhaps you only have one vibe barrel so you want to use tgat for dedicated polishing, you could go straight to polish. I would assume another week in 600 in the rotary would be a good idea first but i can't see what you are dealing with.
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Digforcrystals
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 351
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Post by Digforcrystals on Oct 11, 2012 9:54:34 GMT -5
this went thru 60 grit, 120, 400,800 and is now in tripoli. I have a vibe dedicated to polishing only. My question is: what is the minimum time that i can run it in the tripoli stage before going to the vibe polisher. these were ready to go in the polisher to start with but I wanted to run a prepolish. The amethyst is facet grade material from brandberg and i spent $960 on the slices , so it is important to get a good polish on them so that I can sell them...........
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Oct 11, 2012 9:54:59 GMT -5
Saw your face book pages, i guess you have a very different approach than i have seen. How did you smooth everything before 600?
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Post by johnjsgems on Oct 11, 2012 10:49:33 GMT -5
Since none of those needed a pre polish you could run them 2-3 days. That should speed up the final polish too. What polish do you use?
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Post by gr on Oct 11, 2012 17:59:25 GMT -5
Hey Rodney, thought you fell off the edge of the earth I haven't see you for so long. Hope all is going well! I rotory tumble and I use tripoli to pre polish. I just run them for 5 - 7 days and it does the trick for me. It kinda sounds like you're in a hurry?
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Oct 11, 2012 18:13:56 GMT -5
I'm interested to see the results. I've not seen expensive material like that tumbled. Do you sell it so it can be faceted, or are the slabs a finished product?
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Digforcrystals
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 351
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Post by Digforcrystals on Oct 11, 2012 19:12:33 GMT -5
Hey Gary, When the economy fell in i had to quit goofing off tumbling rocks, so i prolly havent been on the board in maybe 2 years, although i have recommended it to a lot of people. I really dont have time to goof off now, but got some nice amethyst slices and need them polished. I am in a hurry since I invested a chunk of money in the slices and need to start selling them. They will sell really slow as it will be an expensive but very nice specialty item. If i had of started selling them yesterday they would still have to bury me with a few when keel over! :-) i bought 160 slices.
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Digforcrystals
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 351
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Post by Digforcrystals on Oct 11, 2012 19:15:38 GMT -5
John, I'll post pictures for sure. Brandberg amethyst is some of the best and I ended up with crystals slices of gemmy amethyst, most of which is facet grade and has unusual phantom patterning. Some have red hematite and some of the thick slices have enhydro bubbles. I am going to sell the slices as unique specimens since you see the crystal shape and the color patterning. Some will also probably be bought for wire wrapping or other pendant type jewelry use. Anyways, hopefully a week from now I will have some pictures of the polished slices.
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Digforcrystals
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 351
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Post by Digforcrystals on Oct 11, 2012 19:16:41 GMT -5
Since none of those needed a pre polish you could run them 2-3 days. That should speed up the final polish too. What polish do you use? John, i use micro alumina oxide, the higher quality stuff. back when i polished agates and pet wood it gave them a high shine.
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Digforcrystals
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 351
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Post by Digforcrystals on Oct 11, 2012 20:53:56 GMT -5
some of the culls that had grit catching cavities
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Oct 11, 2012 22:37:44 GMT -5
I have never used Tripoli but I do use an aluminum prepolish in my vibe befor the polish. I polish for 4-5 days usually. I also use a teaspoon of Borax mixed with them both followed by a good Borax burnishing. Can you tell I like using Borax in my loads? ;D
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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 Oct 11, 2012 23:16:26 GMT -5
I use tripoli between the 500 grit SiC and the Rock Shed's polish, but I use it in the vibe. Three or 4 days seems about right. I've done it in the rotary, but more like 5 or 6 days.
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Digforcrystals
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 351
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Post by Digforcrystals on Oct 15, 2012 18:12:31 GMT -5
after 4 days in a lortone qt12 rotary tumbler with tripoli, i tok the slices out and put in an ultra vibe 10 vibratory tumbler with micro alumina. Here is a slice with a nice polish in just 24 hours in the vibe. Its interesting to note that the pet wood had a decent polish just with the 4 days in tripoli. Not a great polish but a decent one. I am leaveing the slices in the vibe for another 24 hours. see the full photo album of this one slice here : www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151059421390493.424662.720700492&type=1&l=db20251074
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Digforcrystals
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 351
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Post by Digforcrystals on Oct 16, 2012 19:52:12 GMT -5
just a follow up on this with some pictures of the finished stones. most of the batch spent 2 months in a tumbler to the point i just shut it off and left it for a year or two. this was the agates and pet wood. The amethyst slices motivated me to get things rolling again so i put the slices into 800 fine grit for a week with the agates and pet wood. Then i used tripoli in the tumbler for 4 days followed by 2 days in an ultravibe 10 with micro alumina. Not sure what had been done to the slices but they were nowhere near polished , although an attempt had been made at a mining camp powered by generators a couple of hours a day. Luckily the week in 800 got the slices smooth enough to take a great shine. These all have an extremely good polish. see other slices and agate here www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151060781665493.424836.720700492&type=1&l=0f095f88e7
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