LazerFlash
Cave Dweller
The more they over-think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the toilet.
Member since September 2021
Posts: 550
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Post by LazerFlash on Dec 17, 2021 13:31:51 GMT -5
Okay, here's the setup: I ordered some grit from a retailer. I ordered 500 sic, but he sent 500 AO. I will eventually let him know that his inventory will be off. But, before also asking him to send what I ordered, I wanted to get the opinions here about switching to 500 AO. I did find the thread below here, but it seems like the bulk of the discussion revolves around tumbling obsidian, which is not where I'm at. Yet, anyway. As a reminder, my tumbles for now are mainly river rocks, some quartz, and a mix of semi-precious stones.
So, my question is, is there a solid advantage to switching from 500 sic to 500 AO?forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/69121/silicon-carbide-aluminum-oxide
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Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,512
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Post by Brian on Dec 17, 2021 13:39:00 GMT -5
The thing I like about AlOx over SiC is that the AlOX breaks down in a way that it acts more like a pre-polish. It rounds down and theoretically you could just keep it running until everything was polished.
SiC will maintain sharp cutting edges and leave finer scratches that will need to be removed by the next stage.
I am currently using SiC in stage 1 and stage 2, but when I reorder grit, I am going to try using AlOx for my stage 2. I run the coarse stage in rotary and everything else in a Lot-O, so that would make my Lot-O AlOx only.
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Post by michigander2005 on Dec 17, 2021 20:40:27 GMT -5
I switched to AO after watching Michigan Rocks , I'm running 500 AO , 1000 AO and AO polish in Lot-0
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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 18, 2021 15:38:31 GMT -5
I also follow Michigan Rocks and like him after the 500 AO run my rocks are all but done with a good shine.
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LazerFlash
Cave Dweller
The more they over-think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the toilet.
Member since September 2021
Posts: 550
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Post by LazerFlash on Dec 18, 2021 19:31:23 GMT -5
I also follow Michigan Rocks and like him after the 500 AO run my rocks are all but done with a good shine. You don't run a so-called "polish" run after the 500 AO run?
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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 19, 2021 12:52:01 GMT -5
I also follow Michigan Rocks and like him after the 500 AO run my rocks are all but done with a good shine. You don't run a so-called "polish" run after the 500 AO run?Yes I do but the 500 stage is a more significant change than the final polish stage.
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 19, 2021 13:24:32 GMT -5
For coarse grinding in a rotary I like SiC, we often run it for a month in the larger barrels and bypass the 2nd stage. After that if we continus with the rotary and it's relatively easy to polish we continue with SiC, we have a lot of it from estates and bulk purchases to dispose of and it works. If I was buying I would probably get AO and for a vibe I always use AO, less wear on vibe tubs and easier clean outs.
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