Lmshoemaker Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 I should be getting an air abrasive in the mail sometime this week, I have no viable abrasive powder except for some arm and hammer, but I want to try dolomite first. Up my street there is a ditch with dolomite from the new providence shale Fm. I am thinking of simply grabbing some of this and dremeling this into a fine dust, does this seem viable? I have the tools to make the powder and I think I could use leggings as a sifter of sorts, but I don't know about the purity of the dolomite, as the fossils in this rock are preserved in iron rust.. Does this seem like a viable option, maybe I could take a magnet to the powder to get rid of any powderized iron? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 It seems like a terrific amount of work, even ignoring the critical purity and size-consistency issues. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmshoemaker Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 It seems like a terrific amount of work, even ignoring the critical purity and size-consistency issues. The work doesn't bother me, the other two point really do worry me though. But I'm stuck to stores, and I don't know if home depot or Walmart have anything usable, and that's pretty much all there is nearby, so I'm trying to explore all feasable options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Don't think it is practicle, you would also have to sieve to at least a 120 mesh. Also it could have some pretty nasty inclusions. Make sure you always wear a mask even if you have a blast cabinet. Baking soda is a good media to start out with as it is slightly more forgiving than dolomite and is much safer from a breathing it in stand point. Call around where you live to see if a sand blasting company will sell you a bag of dolomite , you should be able to get a 40 pound bag for about $20 to $25 if they are willing to sell you one. You can also check feed supply outlets they use dolomite as an additive to livestock feed. Also pottery stores use dolomite, calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate in glazes so they will sell in 1 to 5 pound sizes. If you find a potttery store they tend to be very fine powders because of their use in glazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmshoemaker Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 Thanks Malcomt, I'll see about those... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nandomas Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 I was wandering what's the Italian word for dolomite Erosion... will be my epitaph! http://www.paleonature.org/ https://fossilnews.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Dolomite is a mixture of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate with vey little natural impurities. The actual composition varies based on where it is quarried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmshoemaker Posted January 1, 2013 Author Share Posted January 1, 2013 So, not regularly subject to impurities, that's nice to hear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nandomas Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Dolomite is a mixture of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate with very little natural impurities. The actual composition varies based on where it is quarried. Thanks. Tomorrow I will do some phone call around to ask for that mixture Erosion... will be my epitaph! http://www.paleonature.org/ https://fossilnews.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 nando- isn't there a section of the italian alps called "The Dolomites"? I have seen it in rock climbing magazines. crypto- this does sound like a heckuva lot of work. Dolomite powder is not too expensive, although the shipping could be a bit more. As has been mentioned, check the local pottery supply places. I use a product called Dolowhite and it is great for certain air abrasive projects. If you have a hard time finding it PM me and I'll tell you where I get it in Denver ( I just bought five 50 pound bags for 70 bucks). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmshoemaker Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 nando- isn't there a section of the italian alps called "The Dolomites"? I have seen it in rock climbing magazines. crypto- this does sound like a heckuva lot of work. Dolomite powder is not too expensive, although the shipping could be a bit more. As has been mentioned, check the local pottery supply places. I use a product called Dolowhite and it is great for certain air abrasive projects. If you have a hard time finding it PM me and I'll tell you where I get it in Denver ( I just bought five 50 pound bags for 70 bucks). My current state of affairs does not allow me much leeway in where I go to get the dolomite, if it is not local, it isn't an option for now. All the places I know have it aren't within my immediate area sadly. I'll probably stick with baking soda until I get my drivers license, as really that is the only confining factor here. Thanks for all of the ideas for the future however, whenever I can drive I know I will have plenty of options, most of them here would become open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nandomas Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 (edited) nando- isn't there a section of the italian alps called "The Dolomites"? I have seen it in rock climbing magazines. Yes, and it's because of those mountains that I had a big confusion in my head (but I am not alone in this... also the Italian Google search motor suffers from this misunderstanding). So I did a little search around, finding that both words dolomite for the calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate and Dolomite or Dolomiti (Dolomites in English) for the Alps, come after the French scientist Déodat Dieudonné Sylvain Guy Tancrède Gratet de Dolomieu , who was the first to identify the mineral. And I also learned that the Italian word for dolomite mineral is dolomia Thanks everyone Edited January 2, 2013 by Nandomas Erosion... will be my epitaph! http://www.paleonature.org/ https://fossilnews.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelhead9 Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Try looking online for abrasive powders. You will need more than you think. Grinding dolomite with a dremel would take forever. Also you will need a 50 or 100 micron screen, which still isn't ideal as it will let any size up to the mesh size through. Particle uniformity is very important to good functioning of your blaster. You will have nothing but headaches if you try to skimp too much on abrasives. Comco.com sells excellent abrasives, although they are quite expensive. I know many preppers use crushed limestone with good success (you will still need to screen it). Baking soda is good, but not particularly aggressive. I prefer aluminum oxide for most applications. Also remember a good air drier between your compressor and blasting unit is very important. Good luck! Still Life Fossils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted January 2, 2013 Share Posted January 2, 2013 Caution, aluminum oxide is extremely nasty if you breathe it in and it is very unforgiving for use prepping fossils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmshoemaker Posted January 2, 2013 Author Share Posted January 2, 2013 I can't go online and buy because that requires my mother, so that doesn't work right now. I'll simply use baking soda for now, not really any big deal, I work with really soft shales anyways, so I'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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