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Post by Alice on Mar 3, 2005 18:32:44 GMT -5
Has anyone ever tumbled rocks in an unheated shed over the course of the winter?
Or would that be a dumb idea?
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Post by Cher on Mar 3, 2005 18:40:21 GMT -5
Nope, I keep mine in my basement. Can't hardly hear them upstairs, just a nice low rumble. Is it the noise you're worried about?
Cher
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Post by Alice on Mar 3, 2005 19:26:24 GMT -5
it's not the tumbling of rocks, or the motor sound, it's the vibrating sound.
Right now, instead of having it straight on a table (like I did with the kiddie tumbler) I have to set it on a heavy duty box filled with towels and bed sheets.
It still has some vibration echoing through the walls, but no where near as bad as it was on the table or directly on the wood floor.
I'm sure The downstairs tennants are going to complain about the noise (I live upstairs in a duplex).
I do have an area in the house which we use for storage, and its very much like the conditions of an outdoor shed that I can use, but it's not heated (it's actually an enclosed patio... some call it a 3 season sunroom). So whatever the temperature it is outside, it's the same in that room.
I tried seeing what the noise level would be (on a carpeted concrete floor... like that fake green grass some people put out on their patios), and there was absolutely no vibration what so ever, I could hardly even hear the motor running. Just the tumble of rocks (standing right next to it). In the house itself, it was silent.
So I'm wondering if it would be safe to put my tumbler in that room. or will the winter temperatures kill the motor? Will my barrel explode? Will the rocks split?
I don't think the water would freeze, as it's always moving (like current in a river).
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Post by Cher on Mar 3, 2005 19:56:44 GMT -5
Ok, can't help you with that one. Mine don't vibrate at all, but I have rotary tumblers, not the vibratory kind. Do a search, there's a thread on the forum somewhere that this was discussed. If I could remember who posted it, you can find posts that way but I have CRS ;D so can't remember that far back.
Cher
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Post by Alice on Mar 3, 2005 20:20:57 GMT -5
mine is a rotary tumbler too.
The base is metal, and when on wood it the entire unit vibrates (from the motor)...well, the wood vibrates.
If I am holding the unit up in the air there isn't a vibration sound. It's as if they forgot to put little rubber feet at the bottom of the base in the design.
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Post by Cher on Mar 3, 2005 20:35:49 GMT -5
Got any styrofoam insulation laying around. That would probably take care of it.
Cher
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Mar 4, 2005 3:02:43 GMT -5
I tried seeing what the noise level would be (on a carpeted concrete floor... like that fake green grass some people put out on their patios), and there was absolutely no vibration what so ever, I could hardly even hear the motor running. Just the tumble of rocks (standing right next to it). In the house itself, it was silent. So I'm wondering if it would be safe to put my tumbler in that room. or will the winter temperatures kill the motor? Will my barrel explode? Will the rocks split? I don't think the water would freeze, as it's always moving (like current in a river). Why not just buy an extra piece of the same material that works so well to dampen the vibration in your outdoor patio area, and use that same material to dampen the vibration indoors? Spring will be here soon, so probably not a huge issue going forward, but something to think about over the summer in preparation for next winter.
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Post by Alice on Mar 4, 2005 3:16:12 GMT -5
rollingstone The vibrating sound still comes through on the carpet when placed on the wood floor or furniture. It's the concrete that seems to the trick.
Right now I have it on a sturdy cardboard box stuffed with towels and bed sheets. It seems to do the trick. There's only minimal vibrating now. Guess it's ok to keep there until the weather starts to warm up, as long as there's no major leaks.
I'll have the opposite problem in the dead of summer. It gets so hot in there that you'd probably be able to cook a turkey. The tumbler will probably turn off for the entire summer if I put it in there (it's thermally protected). Alice
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Mar 4, 2005 10:13:28 GMT -5
Hi Alice,
I have a Gy-Roc and my tumbler is outside and has been all winter. I was tumbling when the temperatures were in the single digits. As long as there is movement and enough water to keep things rolling ... I have not had any problems at all.
I have found that when the stone/grit mix starts to get too thick that it will gum up in the severe low temperatures.
Hope this helps,
John
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Post by Tweetiepy on Mar 4, 2005 10:27:47 GMT -5
I have mine in the basement on the flimsy basement carpet with just a dishtowel folded in 4 under it - but I had my kiddy tumbler in the cold/freezing room and put it in an insulated bag - since it was too noisy. The kiddy one ran well, but then again it wasn't a big deal if it died (actually it is as I still use it for rough) but it didn't complain much
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Post by Alice on Mar 4, 2005 17:10:25 GMT -5
Thanks Bear and tweety.
I feel better now. I ended up putting the tumbler in the sun room this morning. Got a call from the landlord this morning. People downstairs were complaining that I left the vaccum on, in ONE spot for the ENTIRE night! LOL
Thought the box stuffed with towels would have done the trick. Oh Well. They had better not complain about the noise now. "I" can't even hear it.
Funny how there were no complaints with the kiddie tumbler. It was much louder then this model. But then again, it didn't send a high pitched hum (vibration) through out the entire building.
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RedwoodRocks
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 762
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Post by RedwoodRocks on Mar 5, 2005 2:38:46 GMT -5
I think Doc mentioned something about screwing the tumbler to a piece of wood or plywood to stop the vibrations.
Cal
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Post by Alice on Mar 5, 2005 11:03:23 GMT -5
I must have missed that.
It's been over 24 hours since the tumbler's been in the sun room. No leaks and it's running perfectly. I will take a peek a little later on to see what the stones are upto. Alice
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Post by MichiganRocks on Mar 5, 2005 15:09:37 GMT -5
Hey Alice, I don't think that you'd have a problem putting the tumbler outside. Not likely that it would freeze up, although I don't know why people keep saying that rivers don't freeze. I've walked across a lot of rivers and unless I can walk on water? A river won't freeze to the bottom normally, but then neither does a lake. The main issue with a tumbler is the fact that it's not just water. The rocks and the grit in the water are constantly rubbing and grinding against each other. This friction generates heat and with the mass of the rocks as a heat sink, freezing is unlikely. So go ahead, stick that baby in the shed if you want.
Ron
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Post by Alice on Mar 5, 2005 18:25:48 GMT -5
Ron, slow flowing rivers do freeze. But fast flowing rivers don't freeze. I'm not sure how fast a river's current has to be flowing in order for it not to freeze, but it really isn't all that fast.
I live 2 houses away from a river with a small island smack in the middle (Well not that small of an island... it has a few Condo's on it). The river freezes on my side so thick that cars can ride on it, but on the other side of the island, it never freezes. The side that doesn't freeze flows just a touch faster, but not whole lot faster. Maybe the depth if the river is more shallow on my side? But one thing is for certain is that both sides have boats going though during the summer.
so, in a tumbler, the water is constantly moving like a river with a current, and the rocks are continuously splashing it around a little 24 hours a day. That's why the water doesn't freeze.
That's my point of view anyway. Alice
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Post by MichiganRocks on Mar 6, 2005 10:33:17 GMT -5
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Post by stefan on Mar 6, 2005 12:42:34 GMT -5
Was that the mighty Niagra Falls?- Natures ultimate tumbler!
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