Post by Steve on May 18, 2014 17:34:09 GMT -5
First a small bit of background. I call myself a fair weather tumbler. I only change barrels on weekends, when the weather is nice, and I have time. I have one of those jobs where you bring a lot of work home with you so the third part is hard to achieve.
Friday I came home from work early, the sun was out, and I wasn't too far behind on my paperwork. Finally a chance to play with rocks. For the past year or two my job has consumed all -- thus the experiment.
According to my notes the first barrel (a 12 lb Lortone, running on a homemade) I cleaned out was filled with California beach agates.
Started on 4/27/13 with 60/90.
Then on 7/11/13 it was recharged with 60.
Put in soap 5/16/14.
Will move to polish today.
I kept a few out to dry out and see if they had taken any kind of polish.
They have a matt finish and I would grade their polish as a D minus on a A - F scale.
I will put them back in for a final polish, they have no use as is.
The next barrel also a 12 lb Lortone had petrified wood and local beach rocks that I call sugar agates - not agate, but harder than quartz.
Started on 12/12/13 with 60/90.
Put in soap on 5/16/14.
Will move to polish today
I pulled out a couple of the pet woods to dry out and evaluate.
One piece has a reasonable polish that I would grade at a C or even a C+ if I was feeling generous. The other piece would be a D minus, it may never take a good polish. Some wood is like that.
In all I cleaned out 6 twelve lb barrels and 2 6 lb barrels, all that had been running since 12/12/13 or earlier. I lost about half of mass and consolidated to 4 twelve lb barrels.
I have two homemade machines, each can hold 4 twelve lb barrels, also each has one station modified so it can take 2 six pounders back to back.
Friday I came home from work early, the sun was out, and I wasn't too far behind on my paperwork. Finally a chance to play with rocks. For the past year or two my job has consumed all -- thus the experiment.
According to my notes the first barrel (a 12 lb Lortone, running on a homemade) I cleaned out was filled with California beach agates.
Started on 4/27/13 with 60/90.
Then on 7/11/13 it was recharged with 60.
Put in soap 5/16/14.
Will move to polish today.
I kept a few out to dry out and see if they had taken any kind of polish.
They have a matt finish and I would grade their polish as a D minus on a A - F scale.
I will put them back in for a final polish, they have no use as is.
The next barrel also a 12 lb Lortone had petrified wood and local beach rocks that I call sugar agates - not agate, but harder than quartz.
Started on 12/12/13 with 60/90.
Put in soap on 5/16/14.
Will move to polish today
I pulled out a couple of the pet woods to dry out and evaluate.
One piece has a reasonable polish that I would grade at a C or even a C+ if I was feeling generous. The other piece would be a D minus, it may never take a good polish. Some wood is like that.
In all I cleaned out 6 twelve lb barrels and 2 6 lb barrels, all that had been running since 12/12/13 or earlier. I lost about half of mass and consolidated to 4 twelve lb barrels.
I have two homemade machines, each can hold 4 twelve lb barrels, also each has one station modified so it can take 2 six pounders back to back.