fvpty
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since July 2017
Posts: 95 
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Post by fvpty on Aug 27, 2017 17:02:48 GMT -5
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Post by fernwood on Aug 27, 2017 17:09:49 GMT -5
A beauty. CAnnot help on suggestions, but am sure many here will. Am thinking size will come into play for cleaning. How large is it?
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Post by wigglinrocks on Aug 27, 2017 17:11:23 GMT -5
Soapy water and a toothbrush is what I would start with , might clean it up to your liking .
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fvpty
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since July 2017
Posts: 95
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Post by fvpty on Aug 27, 2017 17:12:53 GMT -5
First pic is a pen is pretty heavy flat large specimen !
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 27, 2017 17:17:05 GMT -5
I'm not sure if this will work, but I do it on druzy. I take a stiff brush and paste toothpaste for a scrub. I dry it with a can of compressed air. I'm not sure how you would polish it, though. BTW Welcome to RTH.  |
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Post by fernwood on Aug 27, 2017 18:06:27 GMT -5
I do a 1 hour soak in Biz powder laundry detergent for larger rocks like this. Then spray off with water. This gently takes off a lot of "gunk".
Sorry for missing the pen.
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Post by Peruano on Aug 27, 2017 18:48:59 GMT -5
I can't get scale from the first photo. Is it the size of a silver dollar or a gas cap from you car? It could be tumbled if size does not prohibit. I have tumbled (vibratory) this kind of material (see my avatar) with lots of small material (gravel from harvester ant mounds) with some success. Toothpaste will be a long process. You might try a bit of grit in Vaseline and a dremel.
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fvpty
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since July 2017
Posts: 95
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Post by fvpty on Aug 27, 2017 18:50:31 GMT -5
No Check the first pic at 9 o'clock is a pen ... these is a big rock !
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fvpty
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since July 2017
Posts: 95
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Post by fvpty on Aug 27, 2017 18:55:12 GMT -5
I can't get scale from the first photo. Is it the size of a silver dollar or a gas cap from you car? It could be tumbled if size does not prohibit. I have tumbled (vibratory) this kind of material (see my avatar) with lots of small material (gravel from harvester ant mounds) with some success. Toothpaste will be a long process. You might try a bit of grit in Vaseline and a dremel. Ok what do you think of using pollish media from 200 to 800 then polish media with a mecanic polish tool ? Mmm thinking about vaseline do you use these to keep the media on the pad of dremel ? Think these can work ! Maybe try it first on a small specimen ... good ideas are starting to arrive ! Thanks Peruano Fv |
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fvpty
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since July 2017
Posts: 95
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Post by fvpty on Aug 27, 2017 19:01:36 GMT -5
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2017 19:37:39 GMT -5
I'm thinking a drunk in muriatic acid will clean off the iron.
This, may be all you need to do.
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 27, 2017 20:22:41 GMT -5
That really is a nice piece of agate. I would scrub it hard with soap and a serious scrub brush if the material is as sound as it appears. Then rinse with high pressure and more scrubbing to remove soap and then if you didn't need to remove any material for defects you sure could try the dremmel polishing technique but I would probably start with 500 and work up to polish. DIp the pad that you have on the dremmel into the grit slurry every once in a while.
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fvpty
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since July 2017
Posts: 95
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Post by fvpty on Aug 27, 2017 20:44:13 GMT -5
That really is a nice piece of agate. I would scrub it hard with soap and a serious scrub brush if the material is as sound as it appears. Then rinse with high pressure and more scrubbing to remove soap and then if you didn't need to remove any material for defects you sure could try the dremmel polishing technique but I would probably start with 500 and work up to polish. DIp the pad that you have on the dremmel into the grit slurry every once in a while. Totaly agree! Dont want to lose the bubble edges so have to be carefull maybe is a good idea to start with 500 ... |
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 27, 2017 21:06:10 GMT -5
That really is a nice piece of agate. I would scrub it hard with soap and a serious scrub brush if the material is as sound as it appears. Then rinse with high pressure and more scrubbing to remove soap and then if you didn't need to remove any material for defects you sure could try the dremmel polishing technique but I would probably start with 500 and work up to polish. DIp the pad that you have on the dremmel into the grit slurry every once in a while. Totaly agree! Dont want to lose the bubble edges so have to be carefull maybe is a good idea to start with 500 ... What did you ever figure out that stick agate material you had was? |
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fvpty
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since July 2017
Posts: 95
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Post by fvpty on Aug 27, 2017 21:16:53 GMT -5
Totaly agree! Dont want to lose the bubble edges so have to be carefull maybe is a good idea to start with 500 ... What did you ever figure out that stick agate material you had was? Not yet ! Guess is a panama material maybe unique from our country ! Remember our geologie is really young comprare with other countries! There are so many things that can modify the final rock ! We were the last to emerge from sea and joint the americas ... guess the answer have to be around this ... all our rocks are look a like the ones of america but have been seen that always have an issue to ID because have something that is a mix or not quite like yours ... the only thing that I am really clear is that we love to collect rocks ! Lol ... |
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 27, 2017 21:27:29 GMT -5
I have had good luck cleaning agates with HCl, Muriatic acid, dilute maybe 1 per 10 parts water. Cleans more slowly at a lower concentration. Change acid solution every few hours to avoid he acid combining with a mineral cleaned off the specimen or could precipitate onto the specimen. Wash a few time afterwards in water and add baking soda to neutralize any remaining acid,. Wont dissolve chalcedony agate. Try it on a small area to make sure your specimen is what it appears to be and see if it works for you if you feel adventuresome. Probably be fine. 2nd opinions anyone??
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jamesp
Cave Dweller 
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,612
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2017 21:33:46 GMT -5
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Post by woodman on Sept 3, 2017 10:36:01 GMT -5
Might try a dental water pic, also I have had some luck with muriatic acid. take your time let it work. Polish? I would be happy with what it is, you may ruin it trying to polish it.
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fvpty
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since July 2017
Posts: 95
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Post by fvpty on Sept 3, 2017 10:39:05 GMT -5
Might try a dental water pic, also I have had some luck with muriatic acid. take your time let it work. Polish? I would be happy with what it is, you may ruin it trying to polish it. Have start the process but it's slow ... when its finish will post some photos... now cleanning ... Fv |
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Post by coloradocliff on Sept 3, 2017 10:48:55 GMT -5
I do a 1 hour soak in Biz powder laundry detergent for larger rocks like this. Then spray off with water. This gently takes off a lot of "gunk". Sorry for missing the pen. A lot of us missed the pen. Having such a nice specimen makes us put the scale object off to the side more. |
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