stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
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Post by stretch316 on Dec 7, 2018 6:48:44 GMT -5
I understand that some polishing can be done by hand.
What materials do people use and what kind of polishing medium on the material?
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Post by vegasjames on Dec 7, 2018 8:12:22 GMT -5
Sanding sponges from Harbor Freight work great for a lot of rocks and as they wear down they start to polish. Then you can finish with wet-dry superfine sandpaper.
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Post by fernwood on Dec 7, 2018 8:13:38 GMT -5
I use various bits on a Dremel first for shaping. For really soft stones, use files, diamond files and a whetstone with two surfaces of abrasiveness. Then, either use denim or microfiber cloth.
For pre and polish stages use AO 1200, then 14,000 polish mixed with a little water to make a paste. Will also put some cabs in rotary tumbler for final polish. Ratio of cabs to media (plastic pellets or polished ceramics) is about 60% media to 40% cabs. These are in a 1 lb. barrel.
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stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
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Post by stretch316 on Dec 7, 2018 11:56:15 GMT -5
I use various bits on a Dremel first for shaping. For really soft stones, use files, diamond files and a whetstone with two surfaces of abrasiveness. Then, either use denim or microfiber cloth. For pre and polish stages use AO 1200, then 14,000 polish mixed with a little water to make a paste. Will also put some cabs in rotary tumbler for final polish. Ratio of cabs to media (plastic pellets or polished ceramics) is about 60% media to 40% cabs. These are in a 1 lb. barrel. thank you. |
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stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
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Post by stretch316 on Dec 7, 2018 14:25:38 GMT -5
 has anyone ever tried Sanding Sponges? link
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Post by johnjsgems on Dec 7, 2018 14:49:58 GMT -5
Auto parts or automotive paint stores will have wet/dry sand paper to pretty fine (like 2000 or finer). Sanding sponges don't say what grit but since they are for drywall I would guess something like 60-100 and 220. The sander strips for drywall are 60 I think. Whatever you use, use it WET. You don't want to breath rock dust. I have not seen your rocks but would bet they are not worth your life.
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stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
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Post by stretch316 on Dec 7, 2018 16:10:00 GMT -5
Auto parts or automotive paint stores will have wet/dry sand paper to pretty fine (like 2000 or finer). Sanding sponges don't say what grit but since they are for drywall I would guess something like 60-100 and 220. The sander strips for drywall are 60 I think. Whatever you use, use it WET. You don't want to breath rock dust. I have not seen your rocks but would bet they are not worth your life. I'm still experimenting. I'll check the auto parts store. Hardware don't seem to have what I'm looking for. I hear you on using wet. Ex military here, I do have some mouth covers. I came across this product Micro cloths |
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RWA3006
Cave Dweller 
Member since March 2009
Posts: 4,625 
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Post by RWA3006 on Dec 7, 2018 21:31:38 GMT -5
I have a pal who buys wet/dry paper from Ace Hardware and hand polishes all the time. He dops the stones and holds a piece of paper in the palm of his hand and goes to work. He produces nice stones and has gifted many to me. He machine grinds them down to about 325 grit and does the final phases by hand.
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Post by gmitch067 on Dec 8, 2018 2:39:35 GMT -5
stretch316 I have had good results polishing by hand using silicon carbide wet/dry sandpaper from 80 grit to 3000 grit and then shifting to a dremel with buff pad to apply polish. rockjunquie had a thread a while ago that I contributed to which might be of interest: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/80300/hand-cabbing-info-requestWhen I get a large request, I use the tile saw to cut pendant preforms from slabs and then grind them to size/shape, and then finish them in a vibe (Thumler UV-18 or Lot-O). I have NOT had good results working softer stones (like malachite or chrysacolla) when I ran them through the UV-18 though... chews them up. For those types I have better luck doing all by hand. I hope this helps you. Glenn
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stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
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Post by stretch316 on Dec 8, 2018 5:24:36 GMT -5
I have a pal who buys wet/dry paper from Ace Hardware and hand polishes all the time. He dops the stones and holds a piece of paper in the palm of his hand and goes to work. He produces nice stones and has gifted many to me. He machine grinds them down to about 325 grit and does the final phases by hand. Thanks rwa3006 ; Closest Ace hardware is 2 hours away. |
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stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
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Post by stretch316 on Dec 8, 2018 5:30:19 GMT -5
stretch316 I have had good results polishing by hand using silicon carbide wet/dry sandpaper from 80 grit to 3000 grit and then shifting to a dremel with buff pad to apply polish. rockjunquie had a thread a while ago that I contributed to which might be of interest: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/80300/hand-cabbing-info-requestWhen I get a large request, I use the tile saw to cut pendant preforms from slabs and then grind them to size/shape, and then finish them in a vibe (Thumler UV-18 or Lot-O). I have NOT had good results working softer stones (like malachite or chrysacolla) when I ran them through the UV-18 though... chews them up. For those types I have better luck doing all by hand. I hope this helps you. Glenn Thanks Glenn, notes taken.
what kind of polish do you use?
I have a dremel tool, will be buying more parts for it before X-mas.
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hnhstngs
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since September 2018
Posts: 93
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Post by hnhstngs on Dec 8, 2018 6:15:10 GMT -5
Closest Ace hardware is 2 hours away. Any hardware or auto parts store should have it in stock. Quick look at Google maps showed at least a couple places in Berwick. |
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stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
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Post by stretch316 on Dec 8, 2018 10:28:43 GMT -5
Closest Ace hardware is 2 hours away. Any hardware or auto parts store should have it in stock. Quick look at Google maps showed at least a couple places in Berwick. believe it or not, Walmart has what I'm looking for. |
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Post by gmitch067 on Dec 8, 2018 12:00:04 GMT -5
Thanks Glenn, notes taken.
what kind of polish do you use?
I have a dremel tool, will be buying more parts for it before X-mas.
I use various polishes... depending on the type of stone. There are a few good lists of polishes (for various stones) that can be found on the net. I find the Covington list to be very useful: www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/product.php?id=100109&catID=1164rockjunquie introduced me to one called ZAM which I found useful when polishing Malachite and Chrysacolla... And I really like Cerium Oxide when hand cabbing Obsidian. Tin Oxide and Aluminum Oxide are good for general use on agates and jaspers. The dremel polishing can get a bit messy... wear goggles and face mask! It slings the polish (mud) all over the place. Lol! I wet a 6x12 inch strip of cowhide and use it as a table to polish on... sprinkle a tablespoon or so of dry polish and add a few drops of water to create a slurry to coat the stone. As I use the dremel with buff pad to polish, I cup my hand over the muddy cab creating a small cave to keep the slurry fallout down (also useful when adjusting the dremel speed as you start out). Watch out when using Chrome Oxide! It is marvelously bright green and seems to stain everything it touches... VERY+++ messy!! I have it but rarely use it because of the mess and stains. I have a few nepherite jade pieces that seem to resist all my attempts to polish (either by hand with dremel or utilizing my Lot-O... very frustrating). I am getting up the nerve to attack them with a dremel and Chromium Oxide... not looking forward to that! |
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Dec 8, 2018 14:20:21 GMT -5
I've had a Dremel for a long time......used it mainly for cleaning up smaller stones blemishes and patch work around edges ect..........When I got into tumble polishing realized that slurries being developed at the various stages of grind and polishing actually worked pretty good for hand applications.
Then I started reading some of the threads folks here had posted related to Dremel polishing.........got me interested and started applying the process to flats that I cut as possible "cab's"..........It's time consuming but very satisfying when the results turn out as planned. Now I mix up a "paste" of the very same grits and polish media I use to tumble, and work the flats that I've shaped and refined with the bench grinder diamond faceting disc's........the stages of Dremel refinement are cycled just like my tumbles, 120/220 - 400 to 600 - 800 - 1000 to a pre-polish - then a polish.
I don't secure the Dremel in a stationary attachment, rather free-form with the flex shaft which keeps the residual mess and moisture confined to the shaft (a safer and cleaner way to protect the Dremel). I've found If speeds on the Dremel are kept between the 10k and 15k rpms, and the proper "buffing/polishing" pads are used, and the media being applied is not soupy or to dry, it will adhere to the pad/stone without to much over-spray or mud slinging.........it takes practice and a steady hand compensating for applied pressure........but it works well with patience.
I mix the "muds" in tiny bowls and dipping the stones........found applying the mix directly to the pads not effective and way to messy...!....then occasionally dipping/cleaning off the stone in a separate bowl of water only used for that media cycle.....pads will wear/reduce in size over time and are set-a-side for media specific applications (suggest never mixing media, just like the principals applied to tumbling cycles).
It's fascinating to me that so many of the basic grinding/polishing applications used to refine stone quality, are carried over throughout the various methods to polishing stones.......from hand work, tumbling, disc shaping, cab machines, flat laps....ect....ect....ect. Certainly are so many ways to stay engaged in this hobby and develop skills one otherwise thought unattainable......!
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stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
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Post by stretch316 on Dec 8, 2018 14:46:28 GMT -5
Thanks Glenn, notes taken.
what kind of polish do you use?
I have a dremel tool, will be buying more parts for it before X-mas.
I use various polishes... depending on the type of stone. There are a few good lists of polishes (for various stones) that can be found on the net. I find the Covington list to be very useful: www.kingsleynorth.com/skshop/product.php?id=100109&catID=1164rockjunquie introduced me to one called ZAM which I found useful when polishing Malachite and Chrysacolla... And I really like Cerium Oxide when hand cabbing Obsidian. Tin Oxide and Aluminum Oxide are good for general use on agates and jaspers. The dremel polishing can get a bit messy... wear goggles and face mask! It slings the polish (mud) all over the place. Lol! I wet a 6x12 inch strip of cowhide and use it as a table to polish on... sprinkle a tablespoon or so of dry polish and add a few drops of water to create a slurry to coat the stone. As I use the dremel with buff pad to polish, I cup my hand over the muddy cab creating a small cave to keep the slurry fallout down (also useful when adjusting the dremel speed as you start out). Watch out when using Chrome Oxide! It is marvelously bright green and seems to stain everything it touches... VERY+++ messy!! I have it but rarely use it because of the mess and stains. I have a few nepherite jade pieces that seem to resist all my attempts to polish (either by hand with dremel or utilizing my Lot-O... very frustrating). I am getting up the nerve to attack them with a dremel and Chromium Oxide... not looking forward to that! thank you |
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stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
|
Post by stretch316 on Dec 8, 2018 14:50:56 GMT -5
I've had a Dremel for a long time......used it mainly for cleaning up smaller stones blemishes and patch work around edges ect..........When I got into tumble polishing realized that slurries being developed at the various stages of grind and polishing actually worked pretty good for hand applications.
Then I started reading some of the threads folks here had posted related to Dremel polishing.........got me interested and started applying the process to flats that I cut as possible "cab's"..........It's time consuming but very satisfying when the results turn out as planned. Now I mix up a "paste" of the very same grits and polish media I use to tumble, and work the flats that I've shaped and refined with the bench grinder diamond faceting disc's........the stages of Dremel refinement are cycled just like my tumbles, 120/220 - 400 to 600 - 800 - 1000 to a pre-polish - then a polish.
I don't secure the Dremel in a stationary attachment, rather free-form with the flex shaft which keeps the residual mess and moisture confined to the shaft (a safer and cleaner way to protect the Dremel). I've found If speeds on the Dremel are kept between the 10k and 15k rpms, and the proper "buffing/polishing" pads are used, and the media being applied is not soupy or to dry, it will adhere to the pad/stone without to much over-spray or mud slinging.........it takes practice and a steady hand compensating for applied pressure........but it works well with patience.
I mix the "muds" in tiny bowls and dipping the stones........found applying the mix directly to the pads not effective and way to messy...!....then occasionally dipping/cleaning off the stone in a separate bowl of water only used for that media cycle.....pads will wear/reduce in size over time and are set-a-side for media specific applications (suggest never mixing media, just like the principals applied to tumbling cycles).
It's fascinating to me that so many of the basic grinding/polishing applications used to refine stone quality, are carried over throughout the various methods to polishing stones.......from hand work, tumbling, disc shaping, cab machines, flat laps....ect....ect....ect. Certainly are so many ways to stay engaged in this hobby and develop skills one otherwise thought unattainable......!
Thank you, now making notes on using Dremel |
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Dec 8, 2018 15:42:44 GMT -5
stretch......I might add that I don't apply this application to very many stones......only those that I know won't survive tumbling cycles (vibe or rotary) due to matrix's and underlying fractures/pits that will surface during various stages of tumbling........and to those that I have a specific end result in mind that are just to good to throw into jar.......It is very time consuming......I've found that if I've applied a "good eye" and ample amount of work on the saw cutting and diamond disc applications, vibe tumbling through the various cycles will provide very good results to most anything mohs hardness of 6 or higher, and if during my vibe cycle inspections I find stones that are not meeting my expectations, I remove them for later handwork applications...........It's just the way I approach the endeavor, other's have just as good or better results with various methods..........it's an art.......like personalities, no two individuals are identical........!
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stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
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Post by stretch316 on Dec 8, 2018 15:58:39 GMT -5
stretch......I might add that I don't apply this application to very many stones......only those that I know won't survive tumbling cycles (vibe or rotary) due to matrix's and underlying fractures/pits that will surface during various stages of tumbling........and to those that I have a specific end result in mind that are just to good to throw into jar.......It is very time consuming......I've found that if I've applied a "good eye" and ample amount of work on the saw cutting and diamond disc applications, vibe tumbling through the various cycles will provide very good results to most anything mohs hardness of 6 or higher, and if during my vibe cycle inspections I find stones that are not meeting my expectations, I remove them for later handwork applications...........It's just the way I approach the endeavor, other's have just as good or better results with various methods..........it's an art.......like personalities, no two individuals are identical........! I'm retired and I'm patient. Time is not a problem. I'm sure some stones will talk to me and I'll end up doing the "LONG" way. Your describing how I work with wood. |
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stretch316
noticing nice landscape pebbles
The only dumb question, is the one NOT asked ; I don't use credit cards
Member since December 2018
Posts: 77
|
Post by stretch316 on Dec 8, 2018 17:52:41 GMT -5
The dremel polishing can get a bit messy... wear goggles and face mask! It slings the polish (mud) all over the place. Lol! I wet a 6x12 inch strip of cowhide and use it as a table to polish on... sprinkle a tablespoon or so of dry polish and add a few drops of water to create a slurry to coat the stone. As I use the dremel with buff pad to polish, I cup my hand over the muddy cab creating a small cave to keep the slurry fallout down (also useful when adjusting the dremel speed as you start out). I was thinking about this. Do you use any kind of container, that lets you put your gem in and cover it with the polish, then let you cover with your hand while you use the Dremel? |
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