rockfrog
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2021
Posts: 114
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Post by rockfrog on Apr 19, 2022 21:09:44 GMT -5
I use a rotary tumbler. When I did my first tumble ever I noticed white stuff in some of the rocks when they were finished, and I was informed it was polish, and since it had dried by the time I took pictures and posted them it was pretty impossible to get out. Since then I have always ran the finished rocks in an ivory soap cleaning run. This has fixed the polish problem. However, with my latest tumble it has left me with a new problem: soap getting stuck in crevices I'm pretty sure all the white residue is soap, since even dried I can pick it out with a needle and if I clean it in water is has a soapy/oily look to it. I don't really have the time to pick out all the soap with a needle, and I don't have any other tools that would clean it well, so my main question is how can I get this out effectively, and is there a way to prevent it? Is it possible I used to much ivory soap? or ran it too long? I let it run with the soap overnight, so probably about 12 hours. I shave a bar of ivory soap and I put 2 tablespoons in a 3lb barrel. A bit of a side question, has anyone tried using one of those jewelry cleaning machines for this or something similar? Would it work for getting soap out? Or even a step ahead, getting polish out? I've seen recommendations for water pik's for cleaning rocks but you would still have to clean each rock individually with a water pik, so if a jewelry cleaner works I would rather do several rocks at once. Thank you for any input !!
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dshanpnw
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 892
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Post by dshanpnw on Apr 19, 2022 21:34:39 GMT -5
Hello rockfrog, I have an ultrasonic cleaner (jewelry cleaner) and I think it does work at getting the soap out. I'm not sure about the polish as I never tried right after the polish stage. I rinse with hot water after the soap stage. I use Ivory too. Thanks for asking the question.
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rockfrog
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2021
Posts: 114
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Post by rockfrog on Apr 19, 2022 21:58:42 GMT -5
Hello rockfrog, I have an ultrasonic cleaner (jewelry cleaner) and I think it does work at getting the soap out. I'm not sure about the polish as I never tried right after the polish stage. I rinse with hot water after the soap stage. I use Ivory too. Thanks for asking the question. Cool, I might try it then. What brand ultrasonic cleaner do you use?
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,423
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Post by Wooferhound on Apr 20, 2022 3:48:04 GMT -5
You are using Too Much Soap
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nursetumbler
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2022
Posts: 928
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Post by nursetumbler on Apr 20, 2022 6:42:52 GMT -5
Hello rockfrog, I have an ultrasonic cleaner (jewelry cleaner) and I think it does work at getting the soap out. I'm not sure about the polish as I never tried right after the polish stage. I rinse with hot water after the soap stage. I use Ivory too. Thanks for asking the question. Cool, I might try it then. What brand ultrasonic cleaner do you use? I am not the original poster but I have the one from harbor freight, works good. Ive never been able to get the polish out under the flakes with it though. In my 3# I just grate a few into the barrel and run it about an hour but that's just me.
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rockfrog
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2021
Posts: 114
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Post by rockfrog on Apr 20, 2022 11:17:14 GMT -5
You are using Too Much Soap Ok, how much should I use?
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Post by greig on Apr 20, 2022 11:41:05 GMT -5
I never thought there was too much soap, other than it being a waste. However, here is the wrong type of soap, but Ivory is fine. You want to avoid soap that has additives. I have had success using warm clean water and running a tumble for a half hour or more to clean things that I thought were clean. I suspect putting the rocks into the dishwasher cutlery tray would work too.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,423
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Post by Wooferhound on Apr 20, 2022 18:32:28 GMT -5
You are using Too Much Soap Ok, how much should I use? Once the water is Saturated with soap , then more soap will just deposit on the rocks.
I'm normally washing with 6 pound barrels filled to the Top with water. Barrel is more than 3/4 full of polished rocks. No Beads.
Using a Fine cheese grater I scrape some Ivory Bar soap onto the top of the water. Almost covering the top of the water like a light snowfall.
Not a whole lot, just enough to break the surface tension of the water. Then rolling rocks about an hour works for me.
I am wanting to say . . . Using soap on my Brown Fractured Quartz rocks I collected from Yuma, I think it reduces the color that naturally appears in the fractures. When they are are tumbled this time, I don't plan to use soap as the Final stage of polishing , only plain filtered water.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 20, 2022 20:00:57 GMT -5
I wonder if using a little acid in the barrel such as vinegar would help remove the soap since soap is so alkaline and alkalinity can cause deposition?
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,423
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Post by Wooferhound on Apr 21, 2022 6:52:22 GMT -5
- Another Note - Using Cerium Oxide for Polish has this exact same effect as the white spots in your pictures
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Apr 25, 2022 6:10:31 GMT -5
- Another Note - Using Cerium Oxide for Polish has this exact same effect as the white spots in your pictures Agreed. In my experience it is white or light colored polishes jammed in pits in the rock that are the culprit. Especially if the polish run became to dry. And dark rocks will sure nuff show any wedged polish particles. The soap run afterward is likely cleaning the stained polish that is jammed in pits in the rocks. Polish is not water soluble, soap is. Now Borax is not very water soluble but Ivory is totally water soluble. Soap should dissolve away by simply soaking and washing with hot water.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,423
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Post by Wooferhound on Apr 25, 2022 6:40:49 GMT -5
You might be able to Boil it out
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