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Post by RedWingTumbler on Jun 14, 2021 18:08:50 GMT -5
This is the first batch that went all the way through the polish stage in my National Geographic 3 lb. Pro tumbler (although some individual stones may have taken a ride in my Thumler's tumbler for one or two stages & were included to fill out the barrel for polish.) I used 60/90 Silicon Carbide for stage 1, 120/220 Silicon Carbide for stage 2, & 500 Aluminum Oxide for stage 3. Stage 1 was done on the highest speed, so it only takes about 4 days to get the same results as 7 days in my Thumler's. I checked the barrel every 4 days, graded the rocks & recharged the barrel. Most of the rocks went through at least 3 cycles in stage 1 (12 days), but some might have gone 5 (20 days). The other stages were done on the slowest speed (which is still faster than the Thumler's), for 7 days per cycle (1 or 2 weeks for stage 2, 1 week for stage 3). Finally, I used Aluminum Oxide polish for 7 days & Cerium Oxide for 4 days (with a 1 hr. wash between them), followed by burnishing with borax & a squirt of Dawn dish soap for 3 hrs. I'm really happy with the results.
First up, is a bunch of rocks I picked up on Paradise Beach, on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
The rest came from various sources (Rock Shed, Rocktumbler.com, & Gemsbymail.com.) Some jasper.
Woo those have a great shine on them! I especially like the quartzes. The Nat Geo did an excellent job. My buddy just started using one as well. I'll show him your post.
Unless it is just the pictures, and I do not think it is, you have made a considerable leap in your polish since the first batch you posted a week/two ago. Nice Job!
Woo those have a great shine on them! I especially like the quartzes. The Nat Geo did an excellent job. My buddy just started using one as well. I'll show him your post.
Thanks kyoti! I think it’s a great tumbler, especially for stage 1, and as long as you don’t use the Nat. Geo. grit & polish.
Unless it is just the pictures, and I do not think it is, you have made a considerable leap in your polish since the first batch you posted a week/two ago. Nice Job!
Thanks, Rockindad! I think the extra days in cerium oxide made a huge difference.
Post by hummingbirdstones on Jun 14, 2021 18:46:05 GMT -5
Wow, what a shine! Great job!
Robin
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
You've done a great job showing this tumbler IS capable of producing a great polish! (Of course, using better grit than that provided by NG seems to be the answer. )
Favorite Quotes: "It always seems impossible until it is done." - Nelson Mandela "Life becomes easier when you learn to accept the apology you never got." - Robert Brault "You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy." - Nightbirde (RIP 2/19/22)
Great job on those! And a great demonstration that the technique/polish is far more important than the tumbler. That is probably one of the best first batches I’ve seen from the Nat Geo tumblers.
I should note that I have the 3-lb. model, which has a larger barrel than the National Geographic "Professional" model. The base on mine is blue, while the Pro model has a black base (although I'm pretty sure that the only difference in the bases is the color.) 3 tablespoons for me might be 2 tablespoons for you, if you have the model with the black base.
I used 3 tablespoons of aluminum oxide polish for 7 days, checked the results & wasn't really happy. I did a short (1 hr) burnish/wash cycle with 4 tablespoons of borax & a squirt of Dawn dish soap, then rinsed everything & put it back in with 3 tablespoons of cerium oxide polish for 4 days. Finally, I burnished for 3 hrs. with 6 tablespoons of borax & a squirt of Dawn.
I was doing my best to follow the advice of Steve Hart, in "Modern Rock Tumbling," where he recommends trying a different polish if the first doesn't give the best results. I could have also continued for additional days with AO polish & might have gotten the same results.
Last Edit: Jul 9, 2021 11:18:06 GMT -5 by RedWingTumbler: Added clarification about different National Geographic models.
Thanks. Yeah I have the pro model. Some of my rocks were nicely polished in my first batch but others not so much. I used 2 spoons so that sounds right. Have ordered some of the cerium oxide to give that a try as well.
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Welcome to the Rock Tumbling Hobby Forum where we share a love of rocks and a sense of community as enduring as the stones we polish.
The RTH Forum of www.RockTumbling.com is an Amazon Associate site and we earn money from
qualifying purchases you make after clicking on our links such as this
Rock Tumbling Supplies on Amazon
link for instance, or any of our various product ads and banners. By clicking our links every time you begin your Amazon shopping
experience, you are generating a bit of revenue for the forum which helps us cover our expenses. Thank you for your support!