Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 27, 2015 17:26:10 GMT -5
I just finished the 2nd stage of grit on my tumbles...........They are coming out great,but am having some grit markings showing on the edges,of a few of the rocks.... This is happening on both barrels,one with agates,the other petwood..So I know it's my mistake on something... Ok,how do I correct it and move on?? Here is the batch of agate.. As said most are coming out great! Here is a sample of the outer edges on some,that are holding the grit.. Same goes with the petwood,most are doing great,some have the grit on the outer edges...
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riverrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2010
Posts: 1,395
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Post by riverrock on Jan 27, 2015 18:21:55 GMT -5
Looks the the shine has started already. As far as the marks just not smooth yet. So if you go to the next stage thouse marks will not go away . Might have to run a few in the 60/90 again if you want the smooth as can be. I am sure others might have a better idea .
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jan 27, 2015 18:30:52 GMT -5
I'd run those longer in 60/90. I find that really thin edges that taper off to nothing are hard to round off. I do better if I grind them off or cut them off on a saw. For the edges that aren't really thin, they might just need more time or they might be banging around too hard in your barrel and getting damaged. You should have your barrel 2/3 to 3/4 full. You should also have enough small rocks in there, maybe 30%. I have a bucket of really small beach gravel that I add to my loads when I don't have enough smalls of the material I'm tumbling. I don't move the small rocks on to the vibe because I use ceramics there for smalls.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Jan 27, 2015 18:40:48 GMT -5
Good start. And getting great advise. Have fun tumbling. Are you sure had your barrel 2/3-3/4 full ? Water just below the rocks. A half full barrel will really tear up your rocks, like chipping the edges. Creates a mini avalanche in the barrel. And a mix of sizes. Did you have any big rocks in with them ? The big rocks over 8 ounces can reap havoc by causing chipping under certain situations.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 27, 2015 18:43:19 GMT -5
Can I run petwood and agates in the same barrel? Or do as I'm doing now,use separate barrels..... So run the 60/90 longer,ok,can do................Thumbs up
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Jan 27, 2015 18:57:02 GMT -5
Can I run petwood and agates in the same barrel? Or do as I'm doing now,use separate barrels..... So run the 60/90 longer,ok,can do................Thumbs up Yep, agate and pet wood dance together fine.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 27, 2015 20:00:16 GMT -5
My mistake was just running 5/8th of a load and not enough small rocks with the load.......water level even with rocks...Ok,I have this figured out now-thank you all for the advice...
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Post by braders on Jan 27, 2015 22:38:15 GMT -5
Glad your tumbling again buddy and looks like it's gonna be a sweet batch ....cheers
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,159
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Post by jamesp on Jan 28, 2015 4:32:29 GMT -5
My mistake was just running 5/8th of a load and not enough small rocks with the load.......water level even with rocks...Ok,I have this figured out now-thank you all for the advice... The tumbler will mess up some rocks in a hurry Michael. As you run coarse grind the rocks get smaller, so add rocks to keep the barrel 2/3 to 3/4 full. It may seem fuller when you initially put the rocks in the barrel. Best to reopen the tumbler after a few minutes and make sure the tumbling action has not settled the rocks to a lower level. They usually do settle to a lower level and a few more rocks need to be added. Soft rocks get smaller much faster and have to be added to more often during 1rst stage.
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Post by nowyo on Jan 28, 2015 9:09:58 GMT -5
Some nice looking rocks in there, Mike. Like the others said, keep that sucker full and running. I've found that when I think the rocks are ready to move on they need another week or two in coarse grind. good luck with those.
Russ
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Post by gingerkid on Jan 28, 2015 10:37:50 GMT -5
Looking forward to seeing your agates and pet wood when you finish them. Now get er done, Fossilman!
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hornseeker
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2014
Posts: 268
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Post by hornseeker on Jan 29, 2015 11:16:04 GMT -5
Looking great. I am a newbie, but just thinking everyone has the right idea in going back to 60/90 and making sure the barrel is pretty dang full.
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