Category: rocks

Tumbling Stones 💎

rough Mambamba Jasper (crockadile stone)

Leopardite after stage 2

Finished Apache Tears (still need some enhancements)

Apache Tear lets light shine through
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Tumbling Stones 💎

Leopardite Jasper from Peru 🇵🇪

Leopardite Jasper Rough Stones
Leopardite Jasper after Stage #1 of 5
Leopardite after stage #1 without flash flash
Leopardite stage 1 using flash
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𝕋𝕦𝕞𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 💎

I am still at it after 2 warrentee replacement tumblers from National Geographic since March plus a freebie Pro model.  

I crushed tumbler size stones from rough Turritella Agates

From SE Wyoming

rough turritella

After 6 weeks and 5 stages of grit (60, 220, 500, & 950 course silicon dioxide then 1200 aluminum oxide polish then ‘Gem Foam’® for burnishing)

𝔾𝕠𝕤𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕪 𝕤𝕦𝕣𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕪 😉

I have never seen a cat smile before today 😸

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ℝ𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤 𝔾𝕒𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕟𝕠 𝕄𝕠𝕤𝕤

After an almost 60 year hiatus I am tumbling rocks again ❗️💎

Starting in March 2021 with a National Geographic ‘hobby’ machine the motor blew out after three months so they sent me another one. 😉

Then in August that motor blew out so they sent me a third one and also (for free) a National Geographic ‘Professional’ model.   

I got ticked off so purchased a ‘Tumble Bee’ tumbler for a back up ❗️

So for the time being I am running 3 machines and am having fun ❗️

Tumble Bee

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😼 leave my rocks alone 💎

👿 a fifteen + pound critter pounced on one of my rock boxes (  https://washekoda.blog/2021/10/08/display-box-%f0%9f%9b%a0/)          at 2AM (ℂ𝕣𝕒𝕤𝕙)

)()(

I got that mess sorted 😉

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕟 at 2PM during my nap I awaken to what I thought was was ‘rolling thunder’ ⚡️

It was a Polished agate, missed during the ‘pick up’, being used as a hockey puck  by Emmy Lou  😸

Third stage of (pre polish) silicon carbide, waiting for fourth stage of (polish) aluminum oxide … Lapis Lazuli

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Apache Tear Rock Tumbling Polish Trick ⚗💎

Mohs (scale of harness) 5  They are to soft to tumble in stage #1 Course grit (60/90 Silicon Dioxide) The stones would have 30% of their size ground away  ❗️

Soo…I start them on stage #2 Medium grit (170/220 Silicon Dioxide for 4 to 5 days instead of 7-8 days )

Then stage #3 Pre-Polish grit (500+ Silicon Dioxide for 4-5 days)

Stage #4 Polish grit (1200+ Aluminum Oxide for one week (Al O¹ breaks down after 7 days of tumbling)) So clean and add fresh polish and run another 7 days if needed.

𝕀𝕥 𝕀𝕤 𝕆𝕂 𝕥𝕠 𝕡𝕖𝕖𝕜 𝕒𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕣𝕠𝕔𝕜𝕤 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕪 𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕡𝕝𝕖-𝕗𝕖𝕨 𝕕𝕒𝕪𝕤 to √ Progress in each stage

Now Stage #5 Gem-Foam ( Magic little ‘sponge cubes’ ⚗❓) for 2 or 3 days and your rocks will come out shinier then ‘oleo’ on a glass door knob whilst not slippery to the touch 😉

Apache Tears ready for Polish Aluminum Oxide ⚗
Ceramic chips used to smooth rocks bouncing in the grit slurry and quiets the machine 😉
Big Hammer for making tumbler size stones out of large rocks ❗️ Tumbler size stones cost $30 a pound. Precious rock comes in bulk chunks (up to 6LB for only 4 dollars 💎
Stay Tuned for more translucent polished Apache Tears stones from New Mexico polished right here in N.E. Tennessee 🤠 (7 days AL O¹ + ‘Gem Foam’ 3 days = 10 days max) 😉
I will rinse them if I deem necessary , If they are dun tumbling 😉



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