joanna
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2004
Posts: 385
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Post by joanna on Sept 27, 2005 15:48:42 GMT -5
I figured it's about time I try and get a picture of the Lake Superior Agates out of polish. Everytime I've tried in the past the pictures turned out so crummy that it was a waste of time to bother posting them(still on slow dial up connection). Now I wish I remember what I did so different that they turned out (the pictures, the agates are easy just very time consuming)  My other"To sort pile"  Recipe: 60/90 - guessing 5weeks and more for some 120/220- 2 weeks tripoli - vibe 1 1/2 days TO polish - vibe 2 days Some have such subtle patterns that I notice they don't show up in the photo. But hey, the shine kind of shows in the pictures. |
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Post by Alice on Sept 27, 2005 16:15:59 GMT -5
Those are great Joanna!
Great shine too!
what are you tumbling now?
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Post by Toad on Sept 27, 2005 16:32:02 GMT -5
Very nice shine, good work.
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SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
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Post by SteveHolmes on Sept 27, 2005 17:04:51 GMT -5
Joanna,
Those look terrific! I need to get me some of those Lakers to Tumble! Thanks for sharing the pics. Keep up the great work!
Steve
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Post by krazydiamond on Sept 27, 2005 18:52:51 GMT -5
 ;D NAILED THAT SHINE!that is a super batch o' stone you got there, joanna! would love to see some close ups! KD
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JC
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since September 2004
Posts: 107
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Post by JC on Sept 27, 2005 22:00:21 GMT -5
Simply Awesome!! Great shine.
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Post by joe on Sept 27, 2005 22:56:12 GMT -5
Those look great! Congrats on your SHINY stones.
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Post by LCARS on Sept 28, 2005 0:23:07 GMT -5
I wish I could get a whole batch of rocks looking like that all in one run... Helps when you're doing all the same rock though!  I usually have a mixed bunch but now i'm leaning toward doing exclusive runs. When I did my first batch of all beach glass they came out great. When I did my first batch of all white quartz they came out great. When I do a batch of mixed beach rocks (even after "preselecting") I always end up with rocks in different piles needeing more of each stage... |
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Sept 28, 2005 1:41:01 GMT -5
Joanna,
Those look great -- you obviously know how to put a first-class shine on those lakers! I'm with KD in wishing for a few close-ups of the best of the batch, if possible.
I see you live in laker country... were those self-collected stones, or bought?
Ace job!
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Sept 28, 2005 3:59:36 GMT -5
Joanna , I agree with all the above.
Super shine
Jack
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joanna
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2004
Posts: 385
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Post by joanna on Sept 28, 2005 7:27:56 GMT -5
The Lakers seems to take a shine even easier than Quartz. I noticed they seem to be a bit harder, (especially noticed this when drilling and cutting them) So basically they pretty worry free about getting a shine on them it's just that they take a long time in the 60/90.
This spring a store owner I sell through gave me around 8 coffee cans of Lakers (among other things). Her brother in law, who passed away was into lapidary work, and had all sorts of fun things in the back shed. So I seem to always have some Lakers rolling.
After working with so many of them I've finally figured out how to ID them in the rough. Unless they were broken I couldn't tell that they were agates. Heck, I probably tossed aside a bunch last year thinking they were too pitted to tumble. Now I'm actually finding a fair amount of them compared to last year (even in my driveway gravel). Mostly little ones, but every now and then something to put in the cutting bin.
What do I have tumbling? My 2 15 lber's are roughing out some more Lakers, some Ohio flint, Montana moss agate and some Moonstone, most miserable stuff I've worked with, likes to fracture and chip out (The Apache Tears were a breeze compare to the moonstone).
Sometime I'll have to get it another whirl and get some even closer pictures. To date, this is the most details I've been able to get with pictures of the agates. Hey, I've learned at least to quite trying to take pictures of the rocks after a pot of coffee.
Thanks for the compliments.
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Post by creativeminded on Sept 28, 2005 8:51:55 GMT -5
Those look great.
Tami
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Sept 28, 2005 12:32:54 GMT -5
Sweet looking lakers- They came out great-
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Post by Cher on Sept 30, 2005 8:48:24 GMT -5
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I could look at lakers all day and those are dandies! Shine looks great, I'm amazed that you can completely skip the 500-600 range of grit and get a shine like that.
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joanna
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2004
Posts: 385
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Post by joanna on Sept 30, 2005 14:01:27 GMT -5
I've been skipping the 500 grit stage for quite a while now. I just do double the usual time in the previous stage. (It was mentioned in the tips category, somewhere in the topic on advance techniques by James .... something like that, I believe.)
After 1 week the grit breaks down to pretty much the equivalent of the next stage grit. Like doing it that way because in the long run less grit used and even better yet when using that 15 pound tumbler it's a pain opening it with all the wing nuts.
I always want to peek in the first step and the polish step, but the 120 - 1000 (tripoli) is pretty predictable so I don't have the urge to open the tumblers then.
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Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
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Post by Banjocreek on Sept 30, 2005 15:36:39 GMT -5
Very nice Joanna!
I got a hold of a vibe tumbler, I have yet to use.
A piggy back sort of thing that I am unfamiliar with.
I agree with your recipe though, as I have been using that for some time in my two 15#ers. I'll let them run for 1 or 2 weeks with a recharge each week, then just let them go for 3 weeks straight and no recharge and they are ready for prepolish. I don't even use 120/220 grit anymore.
I think that would be great to take a few dozen and cut them in half and make earring sets.
Thanks for the photos!
-Banjo
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RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
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Post by RedwoodRocks on Oct 1, 2005 0:55:03 GMT -5
Hey Banjo, when you decide to let the coarse run for a few weeks, do you add pellets? Or, is the slurry thick enough to cushion the rocks without pellets?
Thanks,
Cal
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