highlife8600
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2014
Posts: 4
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Post by highlife8600 on Jul 2, 2014 8:20:19 GMT -5
hey all. I am new to rock tumbling. I just got a rock tumbler and look foreword to starting my first batch. I live in the CO rocky mountains. my yard is filled with basically an unlimited supply of quartz and hematite. i could tumble bowling balls with some of the rocks (note to self: build 55 gallon rock tumbler in order to make quartz and hematite bowling balls). i have also collected a few handfuls of magnetite. most of the specimens are pebble size to the size of a spherical quarter. with a couple about the size of a golfball to twice that. and most of the rock in my yard is granite. i probably have more minerals out there but i am new to identifying rocks and am having a hard time finding resources that are helpful to my learning process. but to get to the point (i ramble), i have a small two drum tumbler. i am going to put quartz on one side and iron ore on the other. but i was wondering if it is ok to mix hematite and magnetite. from what i have read they have the same hardness. but i have also read spiritual/healer type things about the charges (recharging the energy, charging water with the energy, etc.). Now i'm not into the energy stuff but i dont want to do something like remove the magnetic properties of the magnetite. or perhaps someone has tumbled these two together before and they just dont work. i admit i know nothing and welcome any advice. thanks
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 2, 2014 8:40:36 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum highlife! I don't know the answer to your question, but I'll tell you that I tumbled some jaspelite (banded hematite and jasper) that didn't turn out very well. I was using a vibratory tumbler. I was told that I shouldn't have mixed two kinds that I got from different sources, so the same might be true for your rocks. One of these days I'll redo it. When I do, my plan is to separate it and do much shorter runs in each stage. I think I over tumbled it.
My first batch was granite. I don't like to do granite anymore because it undercuts (some minerals wear faster than others), but it does get nice and shiny. I also tumble quartz. Quartz tends to have lots of fractures, but polished up well.
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highlife8600
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2014
Posts: 4
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Post by highlife8600 on Jul 2, 2014 9:06:47 GMT -5
thanks for all the tips! i have lots of quartz that looks perfect but i was going to also try and tumble some that has fractures or unidentified impurities running through it. i have lots of mixed rocks too. like quartz with a little bit to a lot of magnetite or hematite. i wonder how a half quartz half magnetite rock would do. but it sounds like i should keep it simple for my first run. on the quartz side i was going to use mostly quarts that looks unfractured and uniform. but i also was going to try some pieces with unidentified impurities in it (and definite fractures). but if those rocks break will they damage the other rocks? im not so much worried about loss of material cause i literally have tons of quartz but im more concerned with losing weeks of tumbling on good rocks (im almost 40 and dont have tons of time)
what kind of rock in your profile pic? it looks great. and cool pic
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Jul 2, 2014 9:56:09 GMT -5
Welcome to RTH.
If one of the quartz pieces breaks during the tumble it won't harm the rest. Some say that if a break occurs during the polish phase it can ruin the polish. Personally I have had rocks break or chip during the polish and never had a ruined batch. Quartz is prone to frosting so it is a good idea to keep the barrel full. I have had good luck tumbling quartz with an 80 to 85% full barrel.
As to hematite and magnetite together ... they are of similar hardness so in theory could be okay together. I have no experience with either so it's only guess.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 2, 2014 10:16:43 GMT -5
I do mixed batches of beach stones all the time. Most of the rocks come out fine, but some don't. I look at it as a learning experience. I wouldn't worry about it too much and just try some stuff.
That's obsidian in my profile picture. Obsidian is supposedly difficult to tumble, but there's a great method by another member (TNTMom) using a vibratory tumbler. With her recipe, it's a piece of cake.
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Post by fantastic5 on Jul 2, 2014 11:19:33 GMT -5
Welcome highlife8600! I still very much a newbie with collecting, identifing and tumbling and I have found a great wealth of knowledge and helpful people on this site. One thing I will tell you is to go ahead and try mixing the two and see what happens. I have ALWAYS learned more from my failures than my successes. Sounds like you have plenty of material to work with so go for it. BTW - here is the link to TNTMOMs tutorial
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highlife8600
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2014
Posts: 4
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Post by highlife8600 on Jul 2, 2014 12:08:40 GMT -5
what a great community! thanks for all the tips. i thought it might take days to get replies. there's lots of tumblers out there!
i still have a couple days till my grit gets here but so far it looks like in one of my drums i will have assorted quartz filled 80-85% and in the other i will have mostly hematite with some magnetite thrown in (unless i am advised against this).
i still dont totally believe that these rocks in my backyard are going to turn into these shiney rocks i see in all these great pics. cant wait to see my first batch. is it august/september yet?
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junglejim
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 344
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Post by junglejim on Jul 2, 2014 13:06:45 GMT -5
Welcome to the site. Patience is the biggest key to tumbling. I started my first batch in January and it didn't turn out very well. Too many pits and cracks that held grit from other stages. Second batch I got shine and the third run was even better. Each batch is getting better as I'm getting pickier about what goes on to the next step. Warning !! Tumbling is addictive. I started with a two barrel 3lb. tumbler and since January I've gotten two more plus a vibe. I'm sure I'm not finished yet.
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