reeniebeany
starting to spend too much on rocks
Rotary Only
Member since January 2020
Posts: 125
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Post by reeniebeany on Jul 2, 2020 15:08:45 GMT -5
N00b question here. How important is it to fully clean rocks before coarse grind? I have a bunch that I thought had really caked clay/mud. I think now they might be from a breccia layer. Stuff is like concrete and hard to scrape off, but I think it is softer than the rocks. So, will it just grind off with the coarse grit, or will I risk getting some kind of weird patchy effect? Is it important to really clean normal dirt and mud? Am I wasting time with my diligent cleaning efforts?
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kyoti
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2020
Posts: 542
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Post by kyoti on Jul 2, 2020 15:51:34 GMT -5
Hi Reenie. I always try to clean my rocks as best as I can so I don't end up with mud/clay or unknown grit mixed witb my batch. I suppose in the rougb grind it probably wouldn't hurt to leave dirt on them. I don't usually carve off other material from rocks unless it's harder than the rock I'm tumbling. (ie concrete or limestone on calcite.)
Hopefully some of the wiser and more experienced folks will respond with additional guidance.
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Post by knave on Jul 2, 2020 16:05:30 GMT -5
Clean for the sake of grading your material. To find all preexisting fractures etc. After that you can add clay (dirt) to make slurry to carry the grit, and to improve grinding.
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Post by pauls on Jul 2, 2020 17:37:01 GMT -5
The best way to clean rocks for tumbling is a week in coarse grit, It quickly removes any trace of soft dirt, stains or crusty bits. take them out after a week if you want to inspect, save the grit slurry for reuse, wash and inspect, do what you need to do to them, break or saw along bad fractures, grind out deep pits, throw out useless rubbish and put them back in. That first inspection will lift the quality of your tumbles immensely.
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EricD
Cave Dweller
High in the Mountains
Member since November 2019
Posts: 1,142
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Post by EricD on Jul 2, 2020 17:52:13 GMT -5
The best way to clean rocks for tumbling is a week in coarse grit, It quickly removes any trace of soft dirt, stains or crusty bits. take them out after a week if you want to inspect, save the grit slurry for reuse, wash and inspect, do what you need to do to them, break or saw along bad fractures, grind out deep pits, throw out useless rubbish and put them back in. That first inspection will lift the quality of your tumbles immensely. This. Toss 'em in dirt, and dust included for good measure
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Jul 2, 2020 19:40:01 GMT -5
Clean for the sake of grading your material. To find all preexisting fractures etc. After that you can add clay (dirt) to make slurry to carry the grit, and to improve grinding. Especially applicable after one has spent a period of time not realizing "garbage in - garbage out"........inspection before, after and during tumbling stages is important.
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EricD
Cave Dweller
High in the Mountains
Member since November 2019
Posts: 1,142
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Post by EricD on Jul 2, 2020 19:55:03 GMT -5
Clean for the sake of grading your material. To find all preexisting fractures etc. After that you can add clay (dirt) to make slurry to carry the grit, and to improve grinding. Especially applicable after one has spent a period of time not realizing "garbage in - garbage out"........inspection before, after and during tumbling stages is important. Depends on what is coating it at least
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Jul 3, 2020 3:18:50 GMT -5
I go for elegant simplicity, also known as being lazy: I'd probably just toss it all in and see what comes out.
Like the time I had a big haul of really pretty, blue, agates from Washington State where I used to live (no, not Ellensburg stuff), but most of them were completely trapped in a really hard-baked matrix of clay and rotten rock - sounds like the "concrete" you're dealing with. I started trying to pry, grind, and chip them free, but it was really hopeless. No wonder someone just gave them to me.
So I threw the whole batch into a big rotary barrel with plenty of water but NO grit, and let the chunks of rough do all the work of removing their own matrix by just rolling around in the barrel together. No grit wasted and no more endless hours spent fighting with a relentless matrix. Poured out the resulting mud a few days later and found the newly freed gems within, ready for sorting, grading, and polishing
Not a subtle way of dealing with it, but it was very effective in my case. So, especially if the alternative is to give up on the stones, as was the case for me, then that's how I'd approach it.
Good luck and best wishes.
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