afterburnt
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2021
Posts: 152 
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Post by afterburnt on Dec 16, 2021 21:21:14 GMT -5
I wasn't too thrilled with tumbling results with smaller pieces and have resorted to shaping and polishing my large stuff on a flat lap. Does anyone know how to cut rough to bring out the colors also any advice on grinding and polishing would be appreciated.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Dec 16, 2021 21:39:31 GMT -5
Check out the link to a Rock and Gem Magazine article I posted toward the bottom of this thread. Hope it helps! |
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Post by broseph82 on Dec 17, 2021 11:16:19 GMT -5
I wasn't too thrilled with tumbling results with smaller pieces and have resorted to shaping and polishing my large stuff on a flat lap. Does anyone know how to cut rough to bring out the colors also any advice on grinding and polishing would be appreciated. To bring out the best colors one must purchase good rough. Then, you must cut it correctly (orientation just like rainbow obsidian and other feldspars), and lastly don’t do a high dome as it can mess the directional flash up. Shaping and polishing is not hard. Just like you would with any other softer stone. Don’t use anything harsher than a 120 to shape the face. |
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afterburnt
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2021
Posts: 152
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Post by afterburnt on Dec 17, 2021 11:47:24 GMT -5
Check out the link to a Rock and Gem Magazine article I posted toward the bottom of this thread. Hope it helps! Thanks |
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catskillrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,270
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Post by catskillrocks on Dec 17, 2021 20:17:28 GMT -5
I don't know if this will help, but I found it from an old post/thread from March 13,2012 under "Advice on tumbling Labradorite"; this was how to orient the cut for the best flash: Hey Charlie, this is off topic but related to your comment on labradorite sawing orientation. I don't remember where I picked this up but when sawing chatoyant things like lab, spectrolite, tigers eye etc you can use a bowl of water (or thinned paint as it was presented to me). Hold the stone over the bowl and position yourself looking directly down at your stone between you and the water. When you get it oriented that you see with your eyes the best way to hold it for the best flash, lower the stone straight down into the liquid. It marks a straight level line on the stone that you can use to orient it in your vise. It's worked well for me... There's advantages and disadvantages to using paint vs water, but an aluminum stick to mark the waterline has been good enough for me. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 17, 2021 22:22:40 GMT -5
I don't know if this will help, but I found it from an old post/thread from March 13,2012 under "Advice on tumbling Labradorite"; this was how to orient the cut for the best flash: Hey Charlie, this is off topic but related to your comment on labradorite sawing orientation. I don't remember where I picked this up but when sawing chatoyant things like lab, spectrolite, tigers eye etc you can use a bowl of water (or thinned paint as it was presented to me). Hold the stone over the bowl and position yourself looking directly down at your stone between you and the water. When you get it oriented that you see with your eyes the best way to hold it for the best flash, lower the stone straight down into the liquid. It marks a straight level line on the stone that you can use to orient it in your vise. It's worked well for me... There's advantages and disadvantages to using paint vs water, but an aluminum stick to mark the waterline has been good enough for me. Don, this is genius! Thanks for finding this and reposting it. I just cut a bunch of Tiger Eye. I wish I would've known this then. However, it will work for the Labradorite I have left to cut!  |
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Post by Rockindad on Dec 19, 2021 7:31:35 GMT -5
I wasn't too thrilled with tumbling results with smaller pieces and have resorted to shaping and polishing my large stuff on a flat lap. Does anyone know how to cut rough to bring out the colors also any advice on grinding and polishing would be appreciated. Much of the advice here applies to tumbling Labradorite as well. Assuming you have good stuff you may still have to go looking for the color/flash to expose it and then tumble. Counting on tumbling to wear away the material just right is a complete crapshoot. It is likely that just tumbling a random bunch without any cutting/grinding that you will end up with a mass of bland greyish rocks. |
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