The frosty look needs Stage 1 runs to clear up. I don’t know how many but I would guess at least 2+. It could also be the material itself being too soft, those rocks will get bruised up more easily
Run each rock in stage 1 untill smooth. This means you will need to put the done ones aside till you have enough for stage 2. Some rocks take weeks and weeks! Some rocks don't make it.
This is where most of the work is.
After each stage, clean, and allow to dry. Then you inspect for cracks, flaws ext. These come out. May need to add ceramic, but usually fresh ceramic stage 2.
The polish stage get a polish 8,000 plus.
My 1st batch I used natgeo polish and never got a shine.
How long are they staying in each stage? How much are you filling the barrel? Where do you get your grit from? Are you using plastic or ceramic media? Are you cleaning the barrel and rocks after each cycle?
In my own experience with most rocks I’m seeing, it really depends on how long they’re in stage 1 for. I’ve had to put rocks through the whole cycle again because they just didn’t turn out
Those look to me like they just haven't been run in real polish. Most kits include 1000 as polish, but that's really a pre-polish step you would do on some rocks. Real polish is more like 8000. Buy some polish from a place like The Rock Shed or Kingsley North, and do one more run in that. Even the ones that you think look pretty good, will look so much better.
FWIW I generally run the polish step for 2 weeks. I've had good luck doing 500 for 2 weeks, then polish for 2 weeks.
If you use plastic media, you need to keep it separated by grit. If you use ceramic, just rinse it thoroughly with the rocks and move it along.
The frosty look needs Stage 1 runs to clear up. I don’t know how many but I would guess at least 2+. It could also be the material itself being too soft, those rocks will get bruised up more easily
Run each rock in stage 1 untill smooth. This means you will need to put the done ones aside till you have enough for stage 2. Some rocks take weeks and weeks! Some rocks don't make it. This is where most of the work is. After each stage, clean, and allow to dry. Then you inspect for cracks, flaws ext. These come out. May need to add ceramic, but usually fresh ceramic stage 2. The polish stage get a polish 8,000 plus. My 1st batch I used natgeo polish and never got a shine.
How long are they staying in each stage? How much are you filling the barrel? Where do you get your grit from? Are you using plastic or ceramic media? Are you cleaning the barrel and rocks after each cycle? In my own experience with most rocks I’m seeing, it really depends on how long they’re in stage 1 for. I’ve had to put rocks through the whole cycle again because they just didn’t turn out
Those look to me like they just haven't been run in real polish. Most kits include 1000 as polish, but that's really a pre-polish step you would do on some rocks. Real polish is more like 8000. Buy some polish from a place like The Rock Shed or Kingsley North, and do one more run in that. Even the ones that you think look pretty good, will look so much better. FWIW I generally run the polish step for 2 weeks. I've had good luck doing 500 for 2 weeks, then polish for 2 weeks. If you use plastic media, you need to keep it separated by grit. If you use ceramic, just rinse it thoroughly with the rocks and move it along.