bbrooker88
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2022
Posts: 15
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Post by bbrooker88 on Jan 6, 2022 13:20:43 GMT -5
I am certainly new to tumbling but bought a Lot-O tumbler a couple months ago. This has happened to me a couple times and just doesn't make sense to me. I got one of my best batch of shiny mixed rocks (some quartz, jasper, agate, & tiger eye) in 500 grit AO in the Lot-O, so much so I considered stopping there. But sure enough I went ahead with the 1200 grit--1/2 tsp with 1T of Borax and after 16 hours I can see by pulling out a random rock that they are getting dull. This has happened before--fairly consistently actually, and I'm confident the 1200 is not contaminated. Even if there was some 500grit contamination in the polish stage, how could that ruin anything when it was the 500 grit that seemed to polish up good to begin with?
Any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jan 6, 2022 15:14:22 GMT -5
You mention the 500 being A/O but you do not mention if the 1200 is A/O or silicon carbide. I have been using a lot-o for 12 years and over 500 batches and have never had agates or jaspers get worse after running them in 1000 A/O. My steps are 46/70 rotary, 120/220 SC loto, 500 A/O loto, 1000 A/O loto and then submicron (14,000) A/O polish. The only time rocks can tend to get worse in the finer grits is when there are mixed hardness rocks like conglomerates in the batch. Those undercut in the final stages and can look worse and worse as you go. Agates, jaspers, tiger eye etc.... should all keep getting better. These were all done with the stages I called out above and none of them went through any burnish steps. You did not mention where your 1200 came from. If it something like the National Geographic brand stuff then I suggest replacing it with high quality 1000 A/O and I suggest getting a high quality polish for yet another step. Chuck
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bbrooker88
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2022
Posts: 15
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Post by bbrooker88 on Jan 6, 2022 17:08:04 GMT -5
Thanks Chuck--your experience shows up in your work! I got the grit from MJR tumblers. The 1200 is Aluminum Oxide as well as the 500, and at least looks and feels like cornstarch. It looks like I follow approximately the same process as you except for the submicron polish step (eventually but got to get the basics right first). I'm guessing I'm probably not starting with the same quality rough as you as well, or rather I haven't figured out how to get the perfect rock out of my rotary no matter how many weeks it goes. There almost always seems to be some minor imperfection. Guess all I can do is re-run it in the 500 AO and either re-order new 1000 A/O or maybe try without the borax.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jan 6, 2022 17:25:51 GMT -5
Thanks Chuck--your experience shows up in your work! I got the grit from MJR tumblers. The 1200 is Aluminum Oxide as well as the 500, and at least looks and feels like cornstarch. It looks like I follow approximately the same process as you except for the submicron polish step (eventually but got to get the basics right first). I'm guessing I'm probably not starting with the same quality rough as you as well, or rather I haven't figured out how to get the perfect rock out of my rotary no matter how many weeks it goes. There almost always seems to be some minor imperfection. Guess all I can do is re-run it in the 500 AO and either re-order new 1000 A/O or maybe try without the borax. Just some added info. All of my grits and polishes come from www.rockshed.com and I do add one tablespoon of borax in my 500, 1000, and polish steps. These are my final three steps Chuck
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