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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 8, 2012 21:54:01 GMT -5
My son and I just did our weekly clean out of our 60/90 barrels. The batch was mostly agate of various types that we've been tumbling for a long time. The batch came out sort of textured. I'm not sure I'd call it undercutting, but they had little plateaus all over. It reminded me of our knock down textured ceiling. They felt rougher than usual too. The slurry was unusually foamy too. Last week I added some small slabs/saw scraps that I won in a contest from Don (Jakesrocks). I had trimmed a bunch of them and threw in a bunch of really small saw trimmings too. Do any of you have any idea if the really small saw scraps could have caused this? Or could there possibly be a type of rock I added?
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Dec 8, 2012 23:58:38 GMT -5
The smalls should do nothing but help to tumble faster. I can`t say as I`ve ever run across that problem before.
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Post by connrock on Dec 9, 2012 6:04:03 GMT -5
This is pretty tough without photos,,,,,, All I can do to help you is guess what's going on here. The only way I know of for plateaus to form on a single rock is if that rock is made up of different hardnesses.The softer parts erode away and the hard parts form plateaus. I think the reason that this happened now and not before is that when you added the small pieces of cut slabs,they created much more surface contact between all the rocks where before you didn't have this much surface contact. The foam may have been created by one or more of the cut slabs which may have created gas in the barrel.
The only reason I can think of for the rougher finish on the rocks is that the grit didn't fully break down.
Like I said,,,,I'm only guessing. connrock
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 9, 2012 8:06:42 GMT -5
Thanks guys. I was in a hurry yesterday, so I didn't take pictures. They're back in tumbling for another week, so if it happens again, I'll take pictures next week.
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lacami
starting to shine!
Member since April 2013
Posts: 28
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Post by lacami on Apr 30, 2013 13:26:43 GMT -5
Hello!
I think I currently have a similar problem with my 17-day-60/90-tumbled sodalite. Plateau-like here and there with a few sharp edges on otherwise smooth surfaces. So I guess tumbling for another week or two or three might solve the problem? How did it work out for you?
// C
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Post by Jugglerguy on Apr 30, 2013 14:06:08 GMT -5
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lacami
starting to shine!
Member since April 2013
Posts: 28
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Post by lacami on Apr 30, 2013 16:15:43 GMT -5
Ohh, those were some really nice agates...! Number 4 especially, as others have pointed out. Looks like a sunset seen from a grassy meadow. Wow. That's really a great one! I see the problem with the last one there... was that one of the ones that went all plateau-ish?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Apr 30, 2013 16:55:57 GMT -5
Yep. That was one of them. I like that word-ish word, "plateau-ish".
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,564
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Post by jamesp on Apr 30, 2013 20:24:44 GMT -5
Chuck mentioned metallic on last thread.I agree,hematite metallic.That looks just like hematite Rob. The grey is hematite Is it a possibility?
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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 Apr 30, 2013 21:50:36 GMT -5
Hematite is softer than agate and jasper, and where it occurs in those rocks, it often grinds down flat, with a dull shine kinda like pencil lead. Quartz in agates and jaspers often grinds down to flat areas too.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,564
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Post by jamesp on Apr 30, 2013 21:54:37 GMT -5
Would that be the plateaus Rob-flat areas that Daniel is describing
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lacami
starting to shine!
Member since April 2013
Posts: 28
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Post by lacami on May 1, 2013 2:45:55 GMT -5
Brilliant word, is it not? ;D
Seems like it turned smooth in the end, just the textures remained different.?
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