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Post by MyNewHobby on Apr 4, 2012 13:26:06 GMT -5
Okay now that I am done pouting about this last batch, I want to ask some questions.
I do know that I have seen theses various questions and answers in these threads, but I cannot locate them.
First off, when tumbling in the vibe, can the filler be glass pieces (Dollar Tree)? Plastic? Ceramic? Combination?
Second, since 60/90 is out of the question for the vibe, can pieces (slightly broken or trimmed up cabs) and/or rough be thrown into the vibe for 120/220 without any rotary work?
Third, how can I tumble to the point of not having those nasty polish pockets? Even after a good burnish, I still have problems with that.
As Always
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meta99
has rocks in the head
Ohio Flint Ridge flint
Member since October 2010
Posts: 540
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Post by meta99 on Apr 4, 2012 15:22:12 GMT -5
As for filler, glass works but wears down. Snuffy has a picture somewhere of tiny marbles he has after using as filler. Plastic is 'said' to be a no no in vibes, so I tried it anyway (yeah, I don't play well with others and color outside the lines!) and all it did was float! So I orfered a bunch of ceramic from Shawn just in time for my old Beacon Star to croak so then I had to order a new vibe From my (limited) experience with my vibe, I find the pieces have to be smooth (no pockets) before sending on to the vibe. I did one batch of Flint Ridge in rough (60/90) in my old vibe (I know it's another no-no but it was an old machine so I didn't care if I wore it out! and it died of old age anyway!). I ran it until the pieces had no pockets and then moved on. My pics are in the 4th post down: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=tottumb&thread=44303&page=1The shine was amazing, but I never took better pictures, so you'll just have to trust me. The problem with the vibe is it WON'T change the shape. So if you are looking for smooth river rock shapes you have to rotary tumble or preform first. That's why I broke down and bought a rotary. But let me tell you, I am still tumbling some chevron amethyst kap gave me for three months! Of course I was never going to tumble anyway! But I had all this scrap from slabbing and cabbing and I couldn't throw it out and then I saw all the amazing rocks on the board and then I had this old vibe and so I had to buy another bucket for polish and then I needed the rotary and then I needed ceramic and then the vibe died and then I needed a new one....you get the idea! Just my $0.02 worth.... Sue
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Post by NatureNut on Apr 4, 2012 16:17:07 GMT -5
I've used plastic before in my UV-10 and they travel up the sides and fall into the rocks and run through the rocks and then travel up the sides again. They worked fine.
You might try some rubber tile spacers. The kind that are like little Xs and are used between tiles when setting them. I've also heard of cutting leather up into little pieces, do you know anyone who has any? ;D I've tried that and they get a little gooky but I guess they worked.
If your vibe seems to be too rough, there is an adjustment on the bottom that Don told me about. You can move the counterweight in or out to adjust how hard the action. Out is harder, in is more gentle.
Go ahead and run the broken one in 220. Keep it in more 220 loads until it is as smooth as you'd like it to be.
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Post by talkingstones on Apr 4, 2012 17:55:45 GMT -5
I'm a "go buy a bag of small and medium river rocks and throw in alot of ceramic filler too" kind of gal myself. Actually, if it's something even moderately good, I use only mixed ceramic fill. I use small and large mixed. Something about the ceramic, my Lot-O seems to be really sensitive about the weight of the load. Because of that, I really like the ceramic because it's significantly lighter than rock. On the batch I have in the vibe now, they have too many pockets and roughness for the 500 level so I'm going to run a load of coarse on the rough grind level in my first time ever use of the Lortone dual 6#. Never thought I'd use it, but I'm doing just some rough rocks to practice wrapping with...nothing earth shaking, so I thought I'd give it a try. Hope this helps!
Cathy
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Apr 4, 2012 18:03:15 GMT -5
The shortest cheapest route to smooth stones according to me:
Buy a tile saw. The kind with a six or seven inch blade you can get at the big box hardware stores. Buy it used on Craigslist. I have seen what looked like very clean Workforce (a brand) saws for $30. They usually say it was only used to remodel the kitchen or bathroom. I believe it. Buy a second blade for it. Saw your rocks into pieces cutting right through the pits and cracks. Then put on the other blade and use the edge of it to grind the remaining bad spots out. Using the edge of the blade like this will warp it, so you won't be able to use it to cut, that's why you need a separate blade.
You need a rotary tumbler with a large diameter barrel, not a 3lb barrel. I bought a used Lortone QT66 on eBay. People will complain about the motors, but mine has run for a couple years now without a problem, and for $50, I'll still have two perfectly good barrels when the motor does crap out. That was a good price for just used barrels. You have to look for a while and wait for someone to put one up for 3 days only, or "Buy Now" with a low price, but I bought both my Lortones that way. The other one has been running for 5 years without a problem.
Now dump the rock you cleaned up with the saw into the rotary with 60/90 and don't move it to the vibe until you are sure that the 120/220 will remove all the last traces of those pesky pits and cracks. The whole process still takes a while, but it's the fastest way I know how to do it. Maybe someone else has another strategy.
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Post by connrock on Apr 5, 2012 9:03:26 GMT -5
I don't remember which brand vibe you have but can answer about a L-O-T. Plastic pellets don't work well because thy don't have the same specific gravity of rocks and kind of separate themselves for the rest of the much heavier rocks. Glass will work but will be worn down pretty fast. I try my best to use tiny rocks as filler to avoid problems.
You can throw in any broken cabs,trimmed slabs and even tiny pieces of rough into just about any load. The cabs,broken slabs will come out with slightly rounded edges but the rough will still be pretty much,rough but CAN be used as a filler in any other load.
The ONLY way to avoid pockets with polish in them is to not have them! This is accomplished with a LOT of patience in roughing in the rotary.
In trying to help others I find that one of the first things they want to do is speed things up. This is natural and I've been there myself but it just isn't going to happen,,,,,I should say that it isn't going to happen and yet have beautiful,flaw free polished rocks.
If you were restoring an antique or 'classic' car that was all dented up ad had rust all over it and just gave it a coat of paint it would only take a short while to accomplish. But,,,,,,,all you'd have was a dented up car with all holes in it that shined. If you restored this same ca by completely taking it apart down to the frame and worked on it for years to get it PERFECT before painting it,,,,you'd have one heck of a restored car that is "flawless' and shined like glass.
In either case,restoring a car or tumbling dirty cracked rocks with pits in them,there one thing they both have in common,,,,Patience,care and a lot of work.
connrock
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Ray O.
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2011
Posts: 11
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Post by Ray O. on Apr 5, 2012 13:31:47 GMT -5
Connrock, thank you for this advice. Being brand new to the hobby I need to print out your reply and hang it over my tumbler! We live in an "instant society" so patience, for me, needs to be learned. I am loving the hobby so far. Thanks to all the others who contribute to the forum. I read it daily. Ray
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 5, 2012 17:23:44 GMT -5
Short sweet and backwards *L* You'll have the pockets that catch polish until they are all worn away. if they are throughout the rough, you'll not solve that problem. 60/90 still does not change and round shapes much in a vibe and it settles to the bottom more and wears our your tubs faster. I use plastic pellets in pre polish and polish in my UV-10 with every load. They work just fine.....Mel
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herchenx
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2012
Posts: 3,360
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Post by herchenx on Apr 6, 2012 15:44:36 GMT -5
yeah i have adjusted my expectations wildly. I have rock going on 4 months now in some of my rotary tumblers. The stuff I like better I cut and grind to save some features
There are some times that I do like pits and druzy pockets and the vibe will leave these alone enough, i just have to clean them really well between grit changes so the finer grits and polish don't get contaminated by previous grits.
An adjustable spray bottle is your best friend for this, but takes more time. Most often the best plan I have found is make sure everything looks like i want it to before i start it in the vibe.
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Post by MyNewHobby on Apr 6, 2012 21:12:53 GMT -5
Meta .... you crack me up ... I play well with others, but I never color inside the lines Jo ... thank you for the input. As for the leather ... not anymore (I wish). Maybe I will try this vibe batch of rough in (extended) 120/220 runs. The biggest problem I have with plastic in the vibe, is that the pellets will actually embed themselves into some pieces where there are crevices or pockets. This is NO fun at all trying to dig those suckers out. Cathy ... I think I might ( ) have some river rocks around here somewhere. I will add some round and only use the ceramic that I have instead of the glass this time. Daniel ... thank you ... lots of good information you have. Con ... Thank you for putting it so eloquently ... Makes perfect sense when you compare it to a classic or antique car. Mel .... good point and one that I need to pay attention to about the pockets. There my impatience is showing again. Ray ... you think you are loving this now ... just you wait. You will find that your love for these rocks becomes even greater. WOOOOOOOOF! Back to the grind and let's the rockin begin again. As Always
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Post by MyNewHobby on Apr 6, 2012 21:16:25 GMT -5
ps .... I now have more Gryphon work than I know what to do with and I think I will give my friend a call and go over to her shop and do (LOTS MORE) cutting and trimming with my Hot Dog.
As Always!
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