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Post by shivan on Jan 4, 2012 14:25:57 GMT 10
G'day guys, i just got a late chrissy present and it was the nat geo rock tumbler i had been looking at ;D I have it set up with the stage 1 course grit but insted of putting the rocks that came with it in i put a few of the bits i have collected in. I know i should use the same type of rock in it but in my excited state i have put a bit of a mix in jasper and what i believe is quartz. Was that a mistake? Also there was not much direction about how long to tumble differnt types of stone it just says check after 24hrs and to tumble longer rather than shorter but there are like 5 stages of grit, how do i tell when to go from stage 1 to stage 2 etc ? The book that came with it didnt tell me alot and i will do a bit of looking online to see if i can find a bit of a how to for tumbling. There is probably something here i have missed will back track first If any of this works ill post some pics
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Post by donnybrook on Jan 4, 2012 15:11:07 GMT 10
Shivan, Interested in seeing that going. I used to use an old Pope washing machine to polish stones. Just don't go to hard at first as it depends upon what sort of stones and their hardness. You know the story about cooking the riverstone and the cockatoo. The riverstone will cook before the cocky. Heard from backcreek and he did something interesting. I made a suggestion so the three of us might go back to that area. Have to find that letter I mentioned. Hope the family are well.
Regards, donnybrook
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2012 15:48:15 GMT 10
I haven't used a little tumbler before mate. But quartz and jasper have roughly the same hardness so that should be ok. From my limited knowledge it will take at lest 2-3 days before you see much of a result, most tumblers take about 2-3 weeks to finish. Don't know what type yours is but vibratory tumblers make it quicker.
Diggerdude
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Post by shivan on Jan 4, 2012 18:20:18 GMT 10
Thanks guys, ill get a few pics of it in action. I had hoped because they were close it wouldnt hurt too much. Iam not expecting to see much as it says the whole process can take from 2-4 weeks + but just trying to figure out how i know when each stage is done.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2012 18:30:50 GMT 10
Have you tried contacting the local lapidary club , they should be able to assist . Ron
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Post by shivan on Jan 5, 2012 18:51:11 GMT 10
Well been a bit busy today but have gone back through instructions. It says step 1 is to smooth out sharp points and edges all my rocks were allready rounded so iam not sure how much affect this will have. Says the cycle will take from 2-4 days so i will keep checking every day but run it for the 4 days before i got to the next step. sigron i have no close lapidary club the nearest two are about 1 1/2 hr - 2 hr drives. There is alot of info online i just have to process it more.(probably help if i read the instructions properly the first time as well )
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Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2012 19:32:39 GMT 10
Read the instructions . always the last resort ;D ;D ;D
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Post by jeffu on Jan 6, 2012 20:01:30 GMT 10
Ian I have a Lortone tumbler, it's not a vibratory one like yours but the basic principles are much the same. I'll make a copy of the instruction book and either send it to you or bring it with me to Oallen when I get it done.
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Post by shivan on Jan 6, 2012 20:08:14 GMT 10
Thanks for that Jeffu This one is not vibratory tho its like a washing machine ;D spins round and round but it sounds like our old dryer lucky i set it up in the laundry not in my computer room like i was going to
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Post by shivan on Jan 7, 2012 15:22:52 GMT 10
Started stage two today, wich is ment to continue to smooth the stones. I can see a difference in them but as they were allready waterworn smooth there is not a great deal of difference. I ment to take a photo when i was washing the stones but forgot pics soon i promise.
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Post by jeffu on Jan 7, 2012 15:28:45 GMT 10
;D ;D sounds like you are picking up my bad habits, forgetting the camera. I am waiting for some more grit to turn up from Aussie Saphires and I will get mine going again. Should be able to pick up some nice coloured rocks at Oallen.
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Post by shivan on Jan 7, 2012 15:36:23 GMT 10
Yes your right Jeff, but my cameras batterys are in the microscope at the moment and keep forgetting to put thm back All the rocks in the tumbler are from Oallen most are jasper but there are a couple of bits of quartz and that rock i wasnt sure about. The jasper seems to be coming along very nicely but the unknown rock has just shrank i think as it was allready very round. I was allmost going to take it out till polishing stages but am hopeing it may actally take the flaw out of it if it takes a few more layers down but i could be wrong so ill just keep checking them daily.
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Post by shivan on Jan 16, 2012 14:58:58 GMT 10
Well, unsure about how things are going some rocks have come up well, one or two seem to need a bit more and there have been 2 casualties 1 jasper 1 ironstone. Both had bits of quartz running through them but the quartz has broken of spoiling them I think i should have started with the rocks that came with it to get used to it but never mind. Here is how they look. Ill keep them going and see what hapens. Wondering if anyone can recomend an online supplier for the tumbleing grit? I have looked at a few, Aussie saphire seem to have what iam after anyone know if they are reasonable?
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Post by jeffu on Jan 16, 2012 17:59:04 GMT 10
Hi Ian. Aussie Saphire have been great. I get all my tumbling supplies from them. Their prices are good and their delivery is excellent.
As a matter of interest, how long did you leave your rocks in the first stage? Mine has been in for 5 days, 2 to go.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2012 18:11:52 GMT 10
Looks to have worked well mate ;D Common practice is to put rocks of the same type/hardness , this usually done by breaking or cutting your large rock into pieces of similar size and shape. Eg. With jasper it looks nice to get a heap the same on necklaces etc. Just a tip nice work mate Diggerdude
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