algotodd
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2012
Posts: 16
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Post by algotodd on Oct 4, 2012 11:50:29 GMT -5
I have hundreds of pounds of rocks that id like to start tumbling. I do 3 rock collecting trips a year up to lake superior. I dont want a kiddy tumbler, I want to make these stones super polished. they are amazing when wet. Any advise on a good set up? Ive been leaning towards a duel vib. and using one chamber stricktly for polish. Am i on the right track? I'm about to spend a bunch of money and wanna do this right. So any advice will be helpful.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Oct 4, 2012 12:00:11 GMT -5
Welcome to the board You mention lake superior stones, do you mean agates or beach stones?. If they are agates you will need a rotary tumbler for the first rough grind and if you want those smooth and pit free you should plan on at least 6 weeks just for that first stage. If they are just well rounded beach stones you may be able skip the rotary and go straight to the vibe but most people even run those through a rotary for at least a week before going in the vibe. these lake superior agates were in the first stage for 8 weeks with new 60/90 grit each week Post some pictures of what you have and you will get some very accurate advice here. Chuck
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snuffy
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Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Oct 4, 2012 12:10:06 GMT -5
Knowing by experience,I would recommend a larger rotary for shaping and grinding,the lakers are known to be hard. Then after they are ready,vibe 'em.I like at least a 12 lb rotary.The lakers I tumbled in the past ran for 4-6 weeks in the rotary,some take longer,months.With the supply you have,smaller tumblers would probably become exasperating.
snuffy
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herchenx
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Member since January 2012
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Post by herchenx on Oct 4, 2012 12:37:16 GMT -5
I did a load of ~100# of lakers earlier this year in the large commercial rotary and they take a long time, but you don't want to be too aggressive because they do like to crack if they get too beat up.
If I had to do it again I think I would buy 3 or 4 12# lortone rotary tumblers and run them at 60/90 nonstop, recharging every 10 days and pulling out any rocks that are completely smooth - pit-free and crack free - and put them in 10# batches into Thumler's UV10 vibratory.
I do have 2 bowls for the vibe - one for the intermediate coarsnesses after 60/90 and one dedicated for polish.
I suppose if you are OK with their shape and don't mind keeping the pits and cracks you could go straight into the vibe, but they won't round off like Chuck's that you see above, they would just shine on the smooth surfaces and stay unshined in the pits and cracks. You would also need to spend a lot of time meticulously cleaning because the pits and cracks will carry grit from one stage to the other, making it impossible to get them shiny unless you completely get every last speck of grit out of the hiding places.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Oct 4, 2012 14:46:27 GMT -5
Glad John made the point I was going to: run full loads because they're apt to chip and crack. I would practice with another rock to get the process down before starting on the Lakers.
I agree with others: rotary for shaping (be patient) and a vibe for sanding and polishing. I use a Thumler UV18.
Chuck (also)
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algotodd
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2012
Posts: 16
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Post by algotodd on Oct 5, 2012 7:30:19 GMT -5
thanks for all the quick responses. i will get both the rotary and the vibe. i know i have some agates but most are just rocks i thought looked really nice. i'd like to i.d. them but right now i want to make them prettier! i have alot of questions, and i know where to get to answers!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 5, 2012 19:46:56 GMT -5
I have a couple books on Lake Superior Rocks and a lot less experience than you. I think it would be fun to see some of what you have and try to identify them. Where do you collect them? I've gotten most of mine in Michigan's U.P. between Marquette and Grand Marais.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Oct 5, 2012 20:06:09 GMT -5
Glad you posted that picture rob, I was thinking you had run some great batches of superior beach rocks.
Chuck
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 5, 2012 20:15:02 GMT -5
They are our favorites to do because they get done so fast, the variety is nice, and we find them ourselves!
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algotodd
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2012
Posts: 16
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Post by algotodd on Oct 5, 2012 20:50:54 GMT -5
most of what i find is in the munising area. we kayak along the shore and find small beaches of rocks and make a day of picking. i will post some photos this weekend of what i intend on tumbling first. any help with identification would be great. how should i choose what to tumble together? should i try and keep the sizes the same?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 5, 2012 21:04:47 GMT -5
It's best to tumble the same kind of rocks together, but the picture above is a mixture and turned out fine.
Do not tumble the same size rocks together. You need to have different sizes, especially small ones. The small ones get in all the nooks and crannies of the bigger ones.
Some of the rocks I pick up in that area are unakite, granite, quartz, gneiss, chert, and jasper. There are agates, but I haven't found one yet. My son found a small one in Grand Marais.
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algotodd
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2012
Posts: 16
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Post by algotodd on Oct 6, 2012 12:21:42 GMT -5
thanks juggler. i honestly dont know if i've got an agate yet. i'm trying to upload photos but they're too big so i have to re-shoot at a lower quality. stay tuned.
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algotodd
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2012
Posts: 16
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Post by algotodd on Oct 6, 2012 12:23:51 GMT -5
another big thanks to all who have responded and helped so far.
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