Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 16, 2015 14:23:17 GMT -5
timloco started a thread inquiring about using aquarium gravel as filler in a rough tumble stage... His thread is here... Aquarium Gravel as a Tumbling Medium?I read his posts and they sound like I could have written them as I, too, find that most of the time I don't have varied sizes of rocks to polish so I grab for the gravel I bought at Lowes. (I need to start remembering to collect smaller rocks while rockhounding!!!). "Filler rocks": If adding filler rocks what sizes should be in a tumble mix? A general mix from pinhead on up? What about using only small 1/8" gravel or garnets? It seems that I read somewhere on the forum where someone determined that smaller rocks presented more surface area for grinding action? If that is the case, then a smaller size "filler rock" would be preferred (such as the 1/8" rocks mentioned above)....correct? ...or, did I dream that? "Rough": What would be the largest size of rough rocks you would want to polish in a 3# barrel? A 6# barrel? A 12# barrel? Maybe "poundage" doesn't matter and barrel diameter is more important with bigger rocks... Larger rocks have to be able to "tumble down the hill", so for a 2" rock you would need at the minimum something like a 6" diameter barrel and probably load it closer to 50% full rather than 75% full to give it a semblance of decent surface feet per minute... ? Anyhoooo, just some thoughts but mostly questions...feel free chime in. Merry Christmas!!!!!!!
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timloco
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2012
Posts: 545
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Post by timloco on Dec 16, 2015 23:56:00 GMT -5
I try to have a mix of rocks, I've got a lortone qt-66 that I use with 1 barrel so 12 pounds and a Thumbler 15 pound barrel. I put some fist size and larger rocks in there. I once put one gigantic rock in the thumbler, it was bigger than a coconut, and then filled it up to 3/4 with ceramic media. It worked, but it tore through the rubber liner on the lid after a couple of weeks before I put a stop to that experiment. I need a bigger tumbler :-)
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Post by krazydiamond on Dec 17, 2015 16:43:30 GMT -5
Somewhere, perhaps it was a book by Lortone, I read that you should charge a 3 pound rotary barrel with 50% 1/4" - 1/2" rocks, and 25% 1"-max 1-1/2" rocks. Put in just enough water to cover the bottom of the top layer of rock. I've pretty much followed this recipe with mainly good results. I keep a few jars of do-overs to add at various stages to pump up the population.
KD
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Post by Noosh9057 on Dec 17, 2015 17:58:13 GMT -5
Somewhere, perhaps it was a book by Lortone, I read that you should charge a 3 pound rotary barrel with 50% 1/4" - 1/2" rocks, and 25% 1"-max 1-1/2" rocks. Put in just enough water to cover the bottom of the top layer of rock. I've pretty much followed this recipe with mainly good results. I keep a few jars of do-overs to add at various stages to pump up the population. KD Yes I believe you're right it was in the Lorton tumbling manual they send with tumblers. Roger
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 17, 2015 18:54:31 GMT -5
So, with what the Lortone manuals are recommending for their 4-1/2"/3# barrels is a max of 1-1/2"...then with a 6" barrel we could probably move the max up to the vicinity of 2"...
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Post by johnjsgems on Dec 17, 2015 20:16:04 GMT -5
Small filler is always good. Or a mixture of sized fillers. Many people use ceramic media but gravel works fine too. You never want to run 50% loads. The rocks need to roll not rise to top and drop. The dropping just causes rock damage. The most common question I get from beginners at shows is "why do my rocks look so good until later steps when they get chipped, dinged, etc." The beginners start with maybe 2/3 full step one and are down to 1/2 full by step 3 or 4. The maximum size would depend on barrel opening but you have to have room for rock to roll in the barrel. You could likely put one or two larger rocks with lots of fillers but I don't know if 1/2 barrel diameter would be too large. 1/3 would probably work well.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 18, 2015 7:48:39 GMT -5
Thanks for the feedback, John. I think I've ran into the shrinking rock volume problem myself, thanks for the reminder!
I (the newbie) think you're probably about right about 1/3 barrel diameter being about the max size of rocks you'd want to tumble. Most of what I find is in the 2" and below size....really closer to the 1" to 1-1/2" size so this should work well with my 6" barrels.
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Post by johnjsgems on Dec 18, 2015 12:07:19 GMT -5
A lot of people break up rocks to "tumbler size". Cover rock with old denim or canvas and wearing eye protection wield a large hammer to reduce sizes. Handy to break up fractured rocks before tumbling too.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,685
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Post by Fossilman on Dec 19, 2015 10:04:53 GMT -5
I go from pebble to 1/8 inch,to 1 inch to two inch rocks in my 3 pound tumbler-mix the sizes,never had a problem yet...
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Dec 19, 2015 10:15:21 GMT -5
Thanks John and Fossilman for the feedback. I'm hoping to start my first tumble in the Money Pit Tumbler next week if the holidays don't hinder me. Fossilman, I won't hesitate on adding a few larger rocks to my tumbles now. I won't overload on them and I'll get a good mix in there. I usually use a gallon milk jug as I work gravel bars on the creeks...I figure next venture to the hunting grounds that I will focus on getting at least one jug filled with less-than-1" rocks...will be mostly quartz/quartzite/pet wood. That'll give me some good sizes and interesting rocks, too! John, I think I will try busting some of my fractured rocks and see how that works out. Are they good at breaking along the factures most of the time? I've looked at a few rocks and thought how nice they'd be without the fracture(s) in them...might be smaller finished rocks but with fewer/no fractures they could a nicer finished product.
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