--Obsidian--
-1. Don't mix Apache tears or obsidian with other stones. You won't get a bright smooth polish and the edges of the stones may be slightly rough.
-2. Watch the rough grinds 60/90 and 120/220.These stones may shape up sooner than you think. You don't want to beat them to death.
-3. If possible reduce the tumbling speed in the polish stage. Use plenty of tin oxide and pellets.
The polish should be a little thicker than normal to cushion the stones a bit and of course pellets to 3/4 full total.
4. In the final rinse after thay have run 5 days to one week in polish, rinse them for one hour in a mixture of 1/2 tablespoon Cascade, 1 tablespoon of Borax, and a bit more water than you had during polish, but add a few more pellets to the ones already in the barrel.
5. I always use Tin Oxide as a polish, but have gotten great results with Titanium Oxide as well.
6. It is not that tough, and there is no mystery, it's glass from a volcano, and it is brittle.
It seems a lot of people get upset when dealing with the little plastic pellets we use for cushioning. (My grandaughter calls them "crash pellets" after I told her they were in there to prevent the rocks from crashing into each other.)
"They get into everything."
"They stick all over my hands."
"They get in the lid seal, and the barrel leaks."
and so on.
Master the pellets, don't let them master you.
A couple of things consistent with these will help to deal with them.
First- They float: Use this to your advantage. This means you must have some water. Hopefully enough to seperate the pellets from the rocks. This is the point, is it not?
Second- Get a classifier: Get these where they sell gold pans. It's like a large piepan with a screen in the bottom. It needs to be big to deal with these little rascals.
Third- Get a small tup or dish pan if you can't just use a hose outside. I know some of you are up north were the weather keeps you indoors at times.
With the above supplies it's easy to place the barrel in the classifier, since it is much larger even than my 12# barrel. Put the classifier in the dish pan. Fill the barrel with water. The pellets float. Stick your hand in the barrel and stir the stones with your hand loosening all the sludge, rocks and pellets in the bottom.
keeping silver clean
A paste of water and baking soda and a soft toothbrush does a good cleaning job & getting in all the crevices.
My Mom says - "I know it works 'cause I tried it on a necklace you sent me. Just a suggestion LOVE
God bless you all"
BanjoCreek
Eventually and with out gallons of water all of the pellets rise to the surface. Skim them off with a tea stainer or, as I do, just run the water fast enough to rinse them all over the edge.
When I am done I'll bet there may be 2 pellets in the finished rocks that still reside in the bottom of the barrel.
If its the rinse after polish. I gently spread the polished rocks all out on a towel and blow dry them. With the cascade in the final rinse and the blow dryer, there are no water spots and the stones shine like glass.
