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Post by mohs on Dec 22, 2015 18:51:40 GMT -5
Its a Christmas Miracle ! by next year you'll have shine! roll on!
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 22, 2015 18:54:53 GMT -5
Does anybody think I need more water?
While I'm at it, here's a wider shot video of the tumbler...
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 22, 2015 18:58:47 GMT -5
Its a Christmas Miracle ! by next year you'll have shine! roll on! LOL!!!!!! I hadn't thought about that!!!!! <grin>
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Post by captbob on Dec 22, 2015 19:30:38 GMT -5
Nice to see it up and running. Good job!
What is the RPM?
Who did you get the 10 dollar bill from?
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 22, 2015 20:38:41 GMT -5
Nice to see it up and running. Good job! What is the RPM? Who did you get the 10 dollar bill from? Thanks, Bob. It's turning at 46rpm. I got the 10 dollar bill from the guy that pushes a cool looking grocery cart around town...I had to give it back after I took the picture....
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2015 7:45:27 GMT -5
Santa has arrived early, or perhaps his Elfs snuck down to S Alabama...
Sounds just like mine Ed when I used to start with water. Loud !
I can make that barrel run much quieter. As you know I have been adding a cup or two of red clay to mine to circulate the heavy 30 grit.
I run SiC 30 grit and can open the barrel and lift a few rocks after 24-48 hours and see the grit on the rocks. Looks like coarse salt particles sticking up thru the slurry on the rocks. 30 grit is visible !
After 3 days those particles have about broken down to 80 grit and are no longer easy to see. It is obvious that the SiC is breaking down. Totally satisfied that the the thick slurry is not slowing down the grit from breaking down. By day 5 the slurry is smooth and creamy, no abrasives can be precipitated out of the slurry, nor felt between finger and thumb. A 100% guarantee that the grit is breaking down.
The side effect from the thicker slurry is the way reduced noise. And I do not like to hear quartz/quartzite banging that much anyway. I hope that you will try the clay in your next clean out. I quite using filler, as the the thick clay slurry is plenty gentle.
Of course, you can get the slurry too thick and must dilute it with water....or it will get too thick as the rocks grind and must dilute. But you will be surprised at how much quieter the barrel is. My last 50 pounds of coarse grit was SiC 80, and I ran it with clay and had great results. Anyway, it is a cheap test if you want to try it for your next clean out.
I will say, I got 2 batches of red clay. The first 5 gallon bucket came from location A, the next one closer to the house at location B. The batch closer to the house had a higher sand content, and location A was much pastier. Had to add a bit more of the sandier clay. Just saying, collect the same clay for consistency.
I collect the clay with a shovel and fill the bucket, take it to the barn/greenhouse and let it dry out. Then pulverize it a bit so a measuring cup will scoop it.
For your size(19") barrel I add water to one inch below the rocks, put a cup and a 1/4 of grit, 1-2 cups clay-depending on the sand content(location) of the clay. It starts up loud, within 5 minutes the barrel gets quieter. Longer if you do not pulverize the clay a bit. In 15 minutes all is mixed well. At that point you should open the barrel and check the slurry. To see how 'your' clay is slurried up. You have to experiment a bit till you dial in the exact amount of your type clay to add. Once dialed in then amount of clay is set.
Slurry thickness about like a medium to thicker milk shake.
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 23, 2015 8:25:44 GMT -5
Thanks for all the info, James. Yeah, it's loud. It's in a shop on main street in the center of town...folks are gonna wonder about the noise coming out of the shop when they walk by. I had considered clay or some other thickener, but figured I'd start with the basics. It could definitely use a muzzle on it. Looks like I'll be using #80 for quiet a while as I bought one of the big boxes from Kingsley. It'll just have to do. I will be thinking on clays around here. You said the pastier (I visualize that as "oily") clays are as good as the sandier ones, eh? So a little grit/sand in the clay. Looks like it will be a week or two at the least before I'll be able to really gather any clay. I've ot a few ditches/gullies across the road from the house but we've been getting some heavier, long duration rains the last few days. Got 1.67 inches yesterday and .72 since midnight (local time now 7:09am)...and it's still coming. Forecast shows high chance of rain through Thursday night then 20-percent through the weekend only to go back up Monday and Tuesday. So, I could dig some mud with no problem...shovelable clay is doubtful. Maybe it would be a good time to get some and mix it with water to stratify/grade it...that's an interesting thought. What about some of the pink/blue/white clays?...too fine? I guess I could grab a couple of cups of floor-dry and throw in the barrel. I'm going to try Saturday to sneak away for some rock hunting, but a little concerned of creeks being out of the banks and some muddy roads...why spit into the wind, eh? Maybe I need to tinker with the Loto or set up the HF tile saw instead... Touching on the water. Do you think I need to add more water to the barrel? I know it wasn't close to being an inch below the rock level. I think I will open it up today and see what it looks like, it hasn't even been 24 hours, though.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2015 10:12:16 GMT -5
As far as water I would make sure it is not any higher than the rocks for sure. Better 1-2 inches below rocks. Just be aware, if the water is clean you ain't grinding. The faster the slurry gets thicker the faster you are grinding your rocks. Clay color means little, we have other colors like white kaolin and browns. Clay = slurry, they are really one in the same. One made by nature, the other by tumbling. We had rocky mountains, now we have rounded boobs. Lowland clay deposits are simply the worn mountains. Interesting point. You can take two rocks covered in clay slurry and pick up one rock with another due to the suction of the other. Saying that the clay has an attractive force. Pretty sure that both speeds up the grind and pads the rocks. Don't like that clacking sound Ed, especially with quartzite. Concerned about frosting. Agate and coral can take it, but quartz can sure frost. 21 days, before and after, clay slurry and 30 grit:
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2015 10:18:52 GMT -5
I have some more quartzite that is still running when the above load was started but in another barrel. It is rolling with Rio's. It may be round balls by now.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2015 10:24:21 GMT -5
I must advise you not to plan a rock hunt this weekend. Nearby Upahee Creek is roaring well over flood level. 5000 cu.ft.min./min vs 100 cu.ft./min. Lest you have a submarine. I head to Alabama when Upahee is 100 cu.ft./min.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2015 10:46:56 GMT -5
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Post by mohs on Dec 23, 2015 12:06:58 GMT -5
I just earned a master in Slurry Science not really... just well read on the subject its a hands on empirical science that dr. james as PHD in excellent!!
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 23, 2015 13:13:57 GMT -5
Like I said, I got no clay. Maybe during Christmas I can get a chance to scoop some mud up. For well less than 24 hours the tumble had begun to make a thin, but nice looking slurry. I figured the floor-dry wouldn't hurt anything and might give a little cushioning...wasn't much, though...added a cup or so of the floor-dry and a cup or so of water. Here's a shot of the slurry prior to addition... IMG_5425 (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr Btw, an 8" golf cart wheel makes a handy stand for the 6" pvc barrels... IMG_5431 (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr
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Post by mohs on Dec 23, 2015 16:53:43 GMT -5
It is a miracle!! they are already shining! by next year they'll be blistering
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 23, 2015 19:22:12 GMT -5
Yep, that's it Ed. Got the healthy grind going on. Glad you built this unit. Bet you will get many years of trouble free out of it. Remember the old deposit bottles with the round bottom. About useless except for returning for deposit. The wheel fit the bill for a stand. mohs
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 24, 2015 10:36:05 GMT -5
Two 20 pound barrels and start comparing price to a factory 40 pound tumbler...
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 24, 2015 11:53:35 GMT -5
Uphaphee creek at 10,500 cu.ft./sec. , instead of 100 cu.ft./sec. Will be lots of new rocks exposed, good news when the floods recede.
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 24, 2015 12:48:02 GMT -5
The creeks and rivers down here are way out of their banks. Our local big creek/river is higher than I've seen it in *several* years. Lots of low lying areas are underwater. South of us toward the panhandle flood warnings are out for all the suspect rivers.
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 24, 2015 12:48:31 GMT -5
Btw, James, where are you getting your flow readings from?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Dec 24, 2015 18:36:57 GMT -5
Btw, James, where are you getting your flow readings from? it is a USGS site. nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/al/nwis/rtUphapee over 20,000 cu.ft./sec., highest since 2008 (since records)
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