mikethecabaddict
off to a rocking start
So many slabs to cab, so little time
Member since May 2015
Posts: 22
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Post by mikethecabaddict on Jun 6, 2015 13:53:27 GMT -5
i recently ran a batch of sonora sunrise/sunset cabochons through our new lot-o working through the grits starting at 220 for 12 hours then 400, and 600 for 24 hours followed with 48 hours of polish. we added a tablespoon of borax to each stage to try and slow the action enough to avoid damaging the cabs.
at the end of the process upon inspection we realized that the cabs had worn away a good deal more then the agates we had previously ran and had misformed where the softer sections of the cabs had more taken off from the grit then that harder sections of the cabs. in others the soft part was still rough, with an abraded texture, and completely unpolished
what should i have done differently to avoid the uneven wear and the lack of a polish on the softer sections?
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Post by orrum on Jun 6, 2015 16:12:22 GMT -5
I run a Loto a lot with cabs and I don't think you can do that with soft stuff like Sonora sunrise. I have polished turquoise in my loto but I only put it in for 12 hours of 1000 grit after the 1000 had been running half a day and the put it in polish for a day. About 75 precent came out shiny and slightly shape shifted. The others were a mess.
Maybe some else has a soft stone answer.
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minerken
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2013
Posts: 466
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Post by minerken on Jun 6, 2015 22:30:32 GMT -5
I think you may have just learned an expensive lesson. The only way I think you may be able to tumble polish stones like it is with a dry method. I know Diamon paific sells the media or maybe John jsgems.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jun 7, 2015 9:37:48 GMT -5
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mikethecabaddict
off to a rocking start
So many slabs to cab, so little time
Member since May 2015
Posts: 22
|
Post by mikethecabaddict on Jun 7, 2015 10:57:07 GMT -5
I run a Loto a lot with cabs and I don't think you can do that with soft stuff like Sonora sunrise. I have polished turquoise in my loto but I only put it in for 12 hours of 1000 grit after the 1000 had been running half a day and the put it in polish for a day. About 75 precent came out shiny and slightly shape shifted. The others were a mess. Maybe some else has a soft stone answer. i was thinking about something like that, just working the stones up on the wheels to a pre polish stage and only polishing them in the lot o and seeing if they get a better polish then what i can normally do. I think you may have just learned an expensive lesson. The only way I think you may be able to tumble polish stones like it is with a dry method. I know Diamon paific sells the media or maybe John jsgems. not expensive just time consuming, i was able to recut them on the cabking bringing the shape in to deal with the rounded edges and then i took the dome down a little and finish polished them and they turned out great only thing it cost me was time
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