jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 12, 2014 7:44:32 GMT -5
This piece of unheated rhyolite ran with agate in the vibe and got a fine polish. Found in Texas, different from this batch. Rob's unakite took a decent shine too  |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 12, 2014 8:36:03 GMT -5
If the rhyolite rounded off that fast it has to be very soft and I think your headache with obsidian will be pains of joy compared to what your headed for with the rhyolite! LOL connrock Tom, I am rerunning that obsidian in the rotary, 18 pounds of those same biggish ones. You had mentioned the thick sugar slurry keeping the grit from breaking down. I think you are right. So I am avoiding the sugar for that very reason. It appears the 6 days in AO 46 and 6 days in AO 220 both broke the AO down well. Mind you, this time with 45% glass filler, 7/8 full barrel, 12 RPM speed. No edge frosting YET !! They APPEAR to be behaving, with fine 220 matte finish at this point, even on the sharper edges. Moving to AO 500 today, same heavy filler %/slow speed/high fill/no sugar. Then AO 1000 and then AO 14,000 since I never found good AO 5000. Not expecting a wet shine, but a decent polish, with out bruises. |
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Post by captbob on Dec 12, 2014 9:07:11 GMT -5
Why are you not expecting a wet shine?
You're going to use glass as the filler all the way through polish?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 12, 2014 9:55:13 GMT -5
Why are you not expecting a wet shine? You're going to use glass as the filler all the way through polish? The first run way back came out w/a decent polish. Made some errors along the way on that run, namely too little glass filler. So rerunning that same process. Omitting the sugar, in an attempt to get the grit to break down, especially the 1000 grit. Since I have no true 5000 grit, just 14,000. I do not like the fact that I have to run the obsidian so long in the vibe. 2-3 days in 500, 1000, 14,000 each. That is not my idea of an easy tumble. Yes, I will try the glass filler all the way thru polish. But I did buy plastic pellets in case I change my mind.... |
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Dec 12, 2014 10:40:21 GMT -5
Interesting thread! I can't hardly think of any stone that has more differences in hardness than the so-called wonderstone type rhyoltes. Vary in hardness, crystal size and porosity. The New Mexico " candy rock" type seems to be the best for tumbling or cabs. Mexican and Texas type hickroyite seem to be pretty good. Some of the Utah, Nevada and Hayden Hill type stuff from California vary from OK to horrible to tumble. To me, these last three areas provide stuff that is always a crap shoot. Sometimes you get pretty fair results and sometimes only a very poor satin finish. I seem to do best with the softer types starting with fine grind in the vibe and running an extra 500 grit run between fine grind and pre polish. Got to admit though, that I seldom tumble this stuff anymore as mainly it ain't worth the time and trouble....Mel
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Post by phil on Dec 12, 2014 13:00:10 GMT -5
If the other deposits are like the ones here in NM you gotta be selective in which rocks and boulders you select. Where I get mine there is crappy, soft and porous stuff too, but there's also alot of it that is hard and takes a brilliant polish. I always select (or try) by whether or not it's conchoidal. That stuff always takes a good shine!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 12, 2014 13:06:37 GMT -5
Interesting thread! I can't hardly think of any stone that has more differences in hardness than the so-called wonderstone type rhyoltes. Vary in hardness, crystal size and porosity. The New Mexico " candy rock" type seems to be the best for tumbling or cabs. Mexican and Texas type hickroyite seem to be pretty good. Some of the Utah, Nevada and Hayden Hill type stuff from California vary from OK to horrible to tumble. To me, these last three areas provide stuff that is always a crap shoot. Sometimes you get pretty fair results and sometimes only a very poor satin finish. I seem to do best with the softer types starting with fine grind in the vibe and running an extra 500 grit run between fine grind and pre polish. Got to admit though, that I seldom tumble this stuff anymore as mainly it ain't worth the time and trouble....Mel This one is Montana rhyolite Mel. It absorbs less water after it was heat treated. and less grainy on the fracture faces. It seemed hard and flint like when breaking it, but sure tumbled fast, so curious to see if it will be too soft for easy polish. Some rhyolites have great patterns and colors. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 12, 2014 13:13:53 GMT -5
If the other deposits are like the ones here in NM you gotta be selective in which rocks and boulders you select. Where I get mine there is crappy, soft and porous stuff too, but there's also alot of it that is hard and takes a brilliant polish. I always select (or try) by whether or not it's conchoidal. That stuff always takes a good shine! Conchoidal fracture sounds like a good sign. Quick and easy test too. Really looking forward to the rhyolite Phil. No rhyolite out east here, so it is an unusual rock with odd texture. Not a lot of stone that behaves like it. |
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Mark K
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Post by Mark K on Dec 12, 2014 16:46:09 GMT -5
I have a bunch of the MT stuff and I have never tried to tumble it, but I did polish a slab on the Richardson one time. It took a half-assed decent polish but not like agate.
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Post by connrock on Dec 13, 2014 8:32:39 GMT -5
I know you're looking for fast and easy but sometimes that's not possible if you want good results.
When I worked all we heard about was building quality machines and making shipping dates.When I told the VP of manufacturing that quality goes out the door when we hurry to make shipping dates!
I still think your rushing all your grit stages and not letting the grit break down fully.
connrock
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 13, 2014 9:12:07 GMT -5
I know you're looking for fast and easy but sometimes that's not possible if you want good results. When I worked all we heard about was building quality machines and making shipping dates.When I told the VP of manufacturing that quality goes out the door when we hurry to make shipping dates! I still think your rushing all your grit stages and not letting the grit break down fully. connrock Perhaps. No problem with unakite. Getting ready to find out real soon on the rhyolite. Obsidian is a problem. Don't like obsidian. I still think it is one of the most difficult to tumble. It and glass, same thing. The unakite and rhyolite are similar in texture, grainy. Had good luck with grainy materials in the past. Have tumbled granite and local material with some marble areas with success. Obsidian and glass hypersensitive to frost/fracturing. treacherous. Similar to Rose quartz but much worse about frosting. Have vibed one test rhyolite and several unakite with agate and gotten a great polish. Vibed obsidian samples in same batches and gotten bad results. got another batch of obsidian running, will see. |
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Post by connrock on Dec 14, 2014 7:18:58 GMT -5
Well,,,,you've had great success with all that hard "sissy" stuff and now it's time to belly up to the bar with obsidian and get-er-done fella! LOL I just HAD to say that!  connrock |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 14, 2014 7:49:39 GMT -5
Well,,,,you've had great success with all that hard "sissy" stuff and now it's time to belly up to the bar with obsidian and get-er-done fella! LOL I just HAD to say that! connrock May end up taking the chicken way out if the obsidian wants to be too fussy and try other materials. It would be a shame, I bought/traded to get fine obsidian. Nice stock pile. Studying the glass. It has a bad property. One of the few materials that can fracture so fast and long with one little blow. Looking at the effects of a glass cutter on glass. It sends all kinds/sizes of fractures.Very destructive. Puts obsidian in a class of it's own. May have to stick to the sissy stuff LOL. As long as pretty tumbles are coming along all is well. Mission accomplished. Anyone that can put a shine on it is an accomplished tumbler. Will continue to roll obsidian. Maybe in time it will work out. |
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Post by NM Stone Supply on Dec 14, 2014 14:25:10 GMT -5
This is from my last tumble batch. Candy rock rhyolite from my mine in New Mexico. I mixed it with a little of everything in my 40 pound tumbler. I actually ran ever step for 2 weeks.   |
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Mark K
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Post by Mark K on Dec 14, 2014 16:14:16 GMT -5
You have to keep in mind that if you mess rock up, it is not like it is going to go bad on you. You can set it aside for years until you attain the level of experience you need. Or your great grand children can pull it out of the weeds and give it a try and it will still be worth trying to play with.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 14, 2014 16:31:24 GMT -5
This is from my last tumble batch. Candy rock rhyolite from my mine in New Mexico. I mixed it with a little of everything in my 40 pound tumbler. I actually ran ever step for 2 weeks. And did that in a 40 pound barrel. It must be solid hard material if it ran long and did not shrink. You have fine rhyolite, exceptional. Have heard that NM has fine rhyolite. From what I am finding it is a easy stone to tumble. Of course the polish may be difficult. Had a piece in another load with agate and it ended up with a fine polish. Good to see how pretty it can be. |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 14, 2014 16:36:44 GMT -5
You have to keep in mind that if you mess rock up, it is not like it is going to go bad on you. You can set it aside for years until you attain the level of experience you need. Or your great grand children can pull it out of the weeds and give it a try and it will still be worth trying to play with. Yep, just run it again. Or the next generation can. Hopefully I won't have to wait that long. |
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Post by connrock on Dec 15, 2014 8:25:24 GMT -5
NM S S,,,That came out great!
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Post by connrock on Dec 15, 2014 8:26:55 GMT -5
James I'm sure you'll get a great shine on obsidian but it's sometimes good to walk away from something that's frustrating and do something you know will come out great!
connrock
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Post by orrum on Dec 15, 2014 10:10:15 GMT -5
NM Stone Supply rocks! What a wonderful hard rock candy CHRISTMAS that would make! You could put it in a bowl with Xmas greenery around it and people would try 6o eat it!
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