boucaneer
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2020
Posts: 16
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Post by boucaneer on Jul 3, 2020 17:22:56 GMT -5
Hi, I have a question please.
Would using a three stage rock tumbling process be suitable for obtaining a reasonably good finish upon pebbles please?
I mean to use 80 Grit in a 5lb Rotary Tumbler, then 400 Grit in a Vibratory Tumbler and then finally a Polish in the Vibratory Tumbler.
Would this produce acceptable polished pebbles please?
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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 3, 2020 17:41:45 GMT -5
I use 46/70 silicon carbide in the rotary, then Aluminum Oxide (AO) 500 and AO polish in the vibe and get more than acceptable results. So yes, it works
Edit: Oops, skipped my fist vibe step, silicon carbide 220
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Post by knave on Jul 3, 2020 17:41:57 GMT -5
Is your 400 grit aluminum oxide or silicon carbide?
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Post by pauls on Jul 3, 2020 20:01:08 GMT -5
Some people tumble with just 46 grit, that's it, for months. The grit breaks down and goes through all the steps automagically. I think they use Oxide for polish. You would want flaw free rocks though, holes, cracks and voids leaking 46 grit into the later stages of the process would mess this up badly.
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,334
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Post by quartz on Jul 3, 2020 22:07:03 GMT -5
We have used 3-step for several years, 16 or 80 grit for rough depending on rock roughness at start, then 220 SiC, then tripoli polish, and a week or so burnish with cheap laundry soap mixed to pancake batter thickness and padded with leather chunks. we have gotten many compliments on our finish, some from people with 50+ years of experience on us. It's all rotary tumbler done. Our method does take a couple months in 5 gallon barrels.
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boucaneer
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2020
Posts: 16
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Post by boucaneer on Jul 4, 2020 6:42:17 GMT -5
Is your 400 grit aluminum oxide or silicon carbide? The 400 grit may have to be Silicon Carbide as Aluminium Oxide is unavailable here in the United Kingdom, Iām not sure why that is.
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boucaneer
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2020
Posts: 16
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Post by boucaneer on Jul 4, 2020 6:43:38 GMT -5
I use 46/70 silicon carbide in the rotary, then Aluminum Oxide (AO) 500 and AO polish in the vibe and get more than acceptable results. So yes, it works
Edit: Oops, skipped my fist vibe step, silicon carbide 220
Thank you EricD. š
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boucaneer
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2020
Posts: 16
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Post by boucaneer on Jul 4, 2020 6:47:03 GMT -5
Some people tumble with just 46 grit, that's it, for months. The grit breaks down and goes through all the steps automagically. I think they use Oxide for polish. You would want flaw free rocks though, holes, cracks and voids leaking 46 grit into the later stages of the process would mess this up badly. Thank you. Yes, I have heard about some people Tumbling in 80 Grit for two months. I was unaware that it was Oxide Grit being used. Perhaps Silicone Carbide is unsuitable for that method?
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boucaneer
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2020
Posts: 16
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Post by boucaneer on Jul 4, 2020 6:51:48 GMT -5
We have used 3-step for several years, 16 or 80 grit for rough depending on rock roughness at start, then 220 SiC, then tripoli polish, and a week or so burnish with cheap laundry soap mixed to pancake batter thickness and padded with leather chunks. w have gotten many compliments on our finish, some from people with 50+ years of experience on us. It's all rotary tumbler done. Our method does take a couple months in 5 gallon barrels. Wow. Interesting to hear about this type of progress. Thank you.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Jul 6, 2020 6:23:09 GMT -5
3 steps work if you let the last recharge of coarse SiC run for a long enough time to break down thoroughly to 500 grit or smaller. Then transition to finer abrasives. In other words avoid skipping grit steps by allowing abrasive to break down. It may not save time if the rotary tumbler uses a small barrel and can not effectively break down SiC 30-46-60-80(coarse grit) fairly quickly. Barrels 6 inches and bigger are in most cases more effective at breaking down coarse grit. Welcome to the forum boucaneer.
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Post by pauls on Jul 6, 2020 17:08:17 GMT -5
Some people tumble with just 46 grit, that's it, for months. The grit breaks down and goes through all the steps automagically. I think they use Oxide for polish. You would want flaw free rocks though, holes, cracks and voids leaking 46 grit into the later stages of the process would mess this up badly. Thank you. Yes, I have heard about some people Tumbling in 80 Grit for two months. I was unaware that it was Oxide Grit being used. Perhaps Silicone Carbide is unsuitable for that method? Sorry that's not what I meant. 46 grit Silicon Carbide for ages, followed by Cerium Oxide or Tin Oxide for the final polish. I didn't put Aluminium Oxide polish because it's almost impossible to get here in Australia and is somehow different to the US stuff. I bought a 40 Kg bag of 500 grit Al Ox, it was super expensive and is strange stuff, it is very abrasive, chews the heck out of plastic vibe barrels, does not break down to polish like the US stuff, even in a big barrel it keeps grinding for weeks, that grit SiC would be smashed down to powder and doing a nice prepolish in that time.
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