Anyone Ever Tried Using Screened Black Sands To Tumble Rocks?

[John-Edmonton]

The black sands, especially the black magnetic particulate, screened down to 100+ mesh looks like it might be useful for tumbling/polishing stones. Anyone ever tried it or heard of anyone using it? Or at least to begin the first stages before the 600 grit polish?

 

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[arizau]

Check this article out. https://rocktumbler.com/blog/can-i-use-sand-in-a-rock-tumbler-instead-of-grit/. The hardness of magnetite, which is what black sand is largely comprised of, is 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale so seems not to be a good choice.

 

[arizau]

On the subject of black sand...and gold, here is a presentation by one of your fellow Canadians that may be of interest to you. https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0223469. Go to page 37 for pictures, methods, etc. There is also a lengthy thread on this forum if you want to see forum members discussions on the subject. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/panning-gold/456622-simple-solution-fine-gold-recovery.html.

 

[John-Edmonton]

Check this article out. https://rocktumbler.com/blog/can-i-use-sand-in-a-rock-tumbler-instead-of-grit/. The hardness of magnetite, which is what black sand is largely comprised of, is 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale so seems not to be a good choice.

Makes sense, although, there is a high percentage of garnets in some locations, with a nice pink color of some cons. Of course, garnets have a hardness of 1 -2 point better then the magnetite, again, making that concentrate mixture kind of useless.

Thanks for the response!

 

[John-Edmonton]

On the subject of black sand...and gold, here is a presentation by one of your fellow Canadians that may be of interest to you. https://open.library.ubc.ca/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0223469. Go to page 37 for pictures, methods, etc. There is also a lengthy thread on this forum if you want to see forum members discussions on the subject. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/panning-gold/456622-simple-solution-fine-gold-recovery.html.

That milling procedure is most interesting, yet quite successful. Thanks for that link. Articles like that can keep a grown man awake all night thinking!

 

[CGC Miner]

I just did a test using the magnetic fraction of my black sands hematite/magnetite to tumble polish gold nuggets.
I made a video about it. The results were not what I had expected but I guess they do make sense.

For rocks, could work as a pre polish/ not too aggressive to knock off sharp edges and such on softer rock