Hints and Tips
Denim: Did you know that denim iron-on patches make excellent polishing disks? They will adhere to surfaces when ordinary glues will not. Obtain the largest ones you can fit to your wheel disks and cut to fit. Source: Rock Writing, 5/2006, via Blue Agate News, 2/08
Same Size Cabs: Need two cabs of exactly the same size? Glue two slabs together with paper between them. Cut to size. Separate by soaking in water. Source: via Blue AgateNews, 2008
To polish silver: Its amazingly simple! I usually use a pyrex (glass) dish and line it with aluminum foil, because then I can either toss out or recycle the foil. An aluminum pan would work as well… or even better. I wouldn’t use it for cooking later, though. Fill the container with hot water and toss in about 1/4 cup of baking soda. Stir to dissolve and place your silver pieces in the bath, in contact with the aluminum. Leave it for awhile, then pull the pieces out and rinse. Ta-da! Seems overly simple, but it's reasonably effective and totally harmless to people and the environment. Source: The Rockorder, via Blue Agate News, 2/08
Working Turquoise: In shaping turquoise, it is advisable to use only the 220 wheel rather than the coarser ones. The 100 grit wheel will take desirable material from such a soft stone. Some of the more friable and chalky types of turquoise are difficult to polish with cerium or tin oxide; by a muslin buff with stick rouge. Since it is such a porous stone, oil may discolor it, so try sawing with a water coolant after soaking overnight in water. This helps prevent breaking. Blue Agate News 03108
Cabochon Storage: Keep polished cabochons in photo-slide protector pages. The pages fit in a 3-ring binder and each page has 20 individual pockets. The cabs are easily visible, but are protected. Coin collector sheets also work well. From Rock Chips via Strata Gems 02108
Fossil Preservation: After cleaning, paint the fossil with diluted Elmer’s glue (1/2 water). It dries fast and makes the fossil look sharp and clean. Because it is water soluble, it can also be washed off with water. Del Air Bulletin 03108
