nchillbilly
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2018
Posts: 212
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Post by nchillbilly on Mar 18, 2018 20:32:36 GMT -5
Just wondering if anyone has any experience with running stones in a dry, corn cob media as a final polish. If so, did you add anything to the media, or run as-is? I'm finishing a load of serpentinite in a vibe, and they are currently running in tin-oxide, mainly because that is currently the finest polish I have. I removed them from 3 days in 14000 a/o today, and although they had a slight shine (probably wouldn't show up in pics), I felt they could be better. I checked one a short while ago, and the shine really came out after briskly rubbing on a cotton cloth for 20 seconds, so I'm thinking a couple of hours in corn cob media might help.
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Mar 18, 2018 20:53:04 GMT -5
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Post by gmitch067 on Mar 18, 2018 21:33:46 GMT -5
Didn't another member use something like compressed wood pellets or stove pellets for something... polish???
Serpentine is one of my big failures for polishing... I guess I will try rubbing them...
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nchillbilly
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2018
Posts: 212
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Post by nchillbilly on Mar 18, 2018 21:46:57 GMT -5
Didn't another member use something like compressed wood pellets or stove pellets for something... polish??? Serpentine is one of my big failures for polishing... I guess I will try rubbing them... I was very surprised at how much the shine improved from rubbing on cloth (my shirt) for only 20 seconds. I just figured that as well as crushed corn cob media works on brass, couldn't it possibly have the same effect on the stone. I'm going to let it run in the tin/oxide till tomorrow evening, and if they don't look like I think they should, I'm going to give 'em a run in the dry media. Good, bad, or indifferent, I'll post pics. This material is definitely nerve-wracking.
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SirRoxalot
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 790
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Post by SirRoxalot on Mar 19, 2018 9:47:52 GMT -5
Polishing soft stones in a tumbler isn't much fun. Some claim success, but I have my doubts, and have wasted lots of time trying.
No water in the barrel. Much more corn cob than rock, the rocks can't touch. You'll have to experiment but you may only be able to polish a few at a time.
Try aluminum oxide, it's the only polish I use; does an ok job on serpentine on my cabbing machine.
Good luck, and let us know the results!
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nchillbilly
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2018
Posts: 212
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Post by nchillbilly on Mar 19, 2018 20:15:56 GMT -5
I took them out of the tin/oxide this evening, and was quite pleased. They still needed that little "extra", but I'm optimistic. The shine still improved by just rubbing them between my fingers, so I ran them in clean, dry corn cob media for about an hour. There may have been a slight improvement in the shine, but it left them feeling waxy. I removed them from the dry corn cob media and am currently running them in a traditional burnish stage. Pics to follow.
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nchillbilly
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2018
Posts: 212
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Post by nchillbilly on Mar 19, 2018 20:28:57 GMT -5
I forgot to mention, I am running these in a vibe. I'm not masochistic enough to even attempt shining serp in a rotary.
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nchillbilly
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2018
Posts: 212
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Post by nchillbilly on Mar 19, 2018 22:12:17 GMT -5
Ok. I think I'm done with the serpentine. I can't think of anything else that will make this stuff any better. Although you won't mistake this stuff for agate, I'm posting the pic as promised. I'm still fighting with my pic size. Sorry it's on the small size.
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Mar 19, 2018 22:44:41 GMT -5
Maybe an AO polishing compound might have made a difference......they do have a nice "sheen" to them. All is not lost, rocks don't go bad or stale, they can always be worked over a little more.....!
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nchillbilly
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2018
Posts: 212
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Post by nchillbilly on Mar 19, 2018 22:58:37 GMT -5
Maybe an AO polishing compound might have made a difference......they do have a nice "sheen" to them. All is not lost, rocks don't go bad or stale, they can always be worked over a little more.....! I ran them in 14000 AO for three days. Then switched to Tin oxide, which helped. This stuff is just so soft it's like polishing a ball of baby powder!
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SirRoxalot
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 790
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Post by SirRoxalot on Mar 21, 2018 13:13:30 GMT -5
Very cool material, well worth the effort. I bet it'd cab beautifully.
Did you start these in a rotary? How long, what grit? Maybe I'll try mine.
Thanks for sharing!
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nchillbilly
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2018
Posts: 212
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Post by nchillbilly on Mar 21, 2018 21:43:04 GMT -5
Very cool material, well worth the effort. I bet it'd cab beautifully. Did you start these in a rotary? How long, what grit? Maybe I'll try mine. Thanks for sharing! Yes, I started them in a rotary. I mistakenly added 46/70 sic to start instead of 60/90, but decided to let them run. After 5 days, removed from the rotary. Ran them for 3 days in a vibe with 120/220 sic. Then ran in the vibe for 2 days in 500 a/o, 2 days in vibe with 1000 a/o, 2 days in vibe with 14000 a/o. At this point, the shine started to develop, but just couldn't get "there". I decided to try them in tin oxide for 2 days. They were a little better. Burnished for a couple of hours and decided that they were about as good as I could get them. Even after burnishing, I could rub them between my fingers and improve the shine,so I really can't say what,If anything, would have made them better. This stuff is soft, probably around mohs 4. I told another person on here it felt like I was polishing a ball of baby powder. Good luck if you try some. Post some pics. BTW, I had these things swimming in ceramics, mainly 4mm spheres and well worn cylinders.
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