Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
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Post by Intheswamp on Jan 31, 2016 23:04:58 GMT -5
We're getting a wee bit closer to getting our used Lot-O "online". I *finally* opened the very snuggly wrapped Lot-O up this evening. I didn't think to take a picture of it before I opened it, but it was snuggly wrapped. I've still got the second barrel wrapped so I'll take a picture of it later so you can see how snug the wrapping was. The snugness created a problem, though, but maybe nothing to be worried about. It seems that the snug wrapping pushed the weights inward on the motor shafts and they're kind of "warped" now. I had to move them back out away from the motor mount screws...basically slid them along the motor shaft. We'll see how they work out. Interestingly, the seller included two more weights (I think they're new, but they are wrapped and I haven't unwrapped them so they may be warped, too). I figure if nothing else I can put the wheels/weights between a couple of pieces of wood with a heavy weight on top and heat them up a it with a heat-gun...they should go back "round" when they cool back down....maybe. Also, if you look at the picture of the wood dowel it appears there is a pencil mark on the dowel and a mark on the baseboard...they don't match up...should they? Some photos... Letting the glue dry... IMG_9724a (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr Photo showing the squeezed-in weights. The clear bluish-green plastic is what everything was wrapped in... IMG_9719a (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr Close-up of the squeezed-in weights... IMG_9716a (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr Pencil marks... IMG_9727a (Custom) by Intheswamp, on Flickr I'm curious about the warped weights and the mis-matched pencil marks, but whatever the case....it's a start!!! Jugglerguy broseph82 jamesp Drummond Island Rocks
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Post by broseph82 on Jan 31, 2016 23:32:30 GMT -5
I believe you can unglue the dowel and move it towards the middle to make the lot-o perform slower. I remember reading about that in a thread here, but it didn't go into great detail. I bet they had it factory set and marked. I wouldn't worry too much about that. And yes those weights are warped like crazy. If you can get em fixed easily then do so!
Can't wait to hear your stories.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 1, 2016 6:28:30 GMT -5
There are no pencil marks on mine, and the fans do look warped on yours. I'd fill it up, turn it on and see if you have good motion inside.
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Post by orrum on Feb 1, 2016 8:10:38 GMT -5
Make sure the weights are aligned to the same place in rotation of the fans. Warped fans won't affect it. Look at a pic of the Lotos on Shawn/The rock shed website and put your dowel in the same place. 9rder a set of springs now because they will break, it's like death n tax3s. That way when you are in the middle of a grit stage and a spring breaks you can replace it and never slow down. Happy Lotoing!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 1, 2016 16:40:09 GMT -5
I believe you can unglue the dowel and move it towards the middle to make the lot-o perform slower. I remember reading about that in a thread here, but it didn't go into great detail. I bet they had it factory set and marked. I wouldn't worry too much about that. And yes those weights are warped like crazy. If you can get em fixed easily then do so! Can't wait to hear your stories. Yes, the stories Ed. And perhaps going into more detail.
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Feb 2, 2016 8:38:24 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies, guys. Nothing new to report this morning...was doing "doctor appointments" yesterday in Monkeytown so didn't get to the shop. Yeah, the wheels are warped pretty good. Like Bill said, though, I don't think it'll matter much. Being in the tire business I know that you can balance a warped wheel and it'll run smooth on the balancer....when it hits the ground is when the wobble starts. Probably the same in this situation, but the wheel will never hit the ground. I'm going to try and straighten the weights/wheel out, anyhow...just the pickiness in my. I'll just heat them a little and press'em. If they straighten up then "good"...if not, well, it'll still be good. Hopefully it won't be much of an issue and if it is maybe the "spares" won't be warped from being wrapped tightly. Jimi broseph82 , from what I understand, moving the dowel is used to adjust the vigor/strength of the vibration...less vibration for softer rocks and more vibration for harder rocks. I'm not sure which direction does what, though. Does the dowel look like it's where ya'll's are positioned? I found a couple of images online that show the dowel and it appears that the dowel is in roughly the same location as those. It does look like some glue was possibly removed from the end of the dowels/baseboard but the dowel is positioned in that spot. Maybe the previous owner moved the stick and then placed it back in the original position. Bill orrum , the two new weights/wheels also came with a couple of sets of new springs...this adds to my curiosity to the pencil marks, glue marks, and extra parts. Like Rob Jugglerguy said, I need to fill it up and look at the action (and make sure it doesn't sling parts everywhere!). James jamesp , stories,...stories??? Well... Once upon a time there was this engineer. He lived in a place called Wonderland and spent his time cracking open rocks in case somebody was trapped inside of one of them. Then one day...
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Feb 2, 2016 9:49:18 GMT -5
Hey ,good luck and enjoy!
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Feb 2, 2016 10:38:47 GMT -5
Thanks Fossilman. We'll see where this adventure takes us!!!!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 2, 2016 10:41:32 GMT -5
get ur done Ed
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Feb 3, 2016 11:49:49 GMT -5
I've got three tumblers rolling as I type...all in coarse stage. I figure in another week or so I'll have some I'll introduce to the Lot-O, but...what to do now? I've got some ceramic media that came with the Lot-O that looks like it has been used and smoothed out. I've also got some new ceramic media that hasn't been used. Could I put a load of the new ceramic in with #220 grit and be knocking the edges/points off? Good idea? Instructions?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 3, 2016 11:52:16 GMT -5
Yep, I'd run the new stuff in some 220.
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Feb 3, 2016 13:30:17 GMT -5
Okie dokie, here we go....
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Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 3, 2016 13:36:36 GMT -5
The action looks good to me.
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Feb 3, 2016 13:40:28 GMT -5
The Lot-O is louder than I figured it would be, but it's sitting right beside a door that is nailed shut and a finished wall on the other side of it...hollow area might be causing some added acoustics. I basically mixed up the large and small ceramics (Rock Shed) and filled the barrel up to where the picture below shows. Filled it then with water and shook it to get air bubbles moving out. Held a strainer over the mouth and emptied the water and shook it a bit. Put the barrel on the Lot-O and turned it on. As the media moved past I gradually added to tbsp of #220 grit. I took the video and put the cap on. The Lot-O came with two barrels. One was wrapped with the tumbler and had no markings on it. I was hoping the other one was marked for "polish only" and when I unwrapped it it was indeed marked for polish!!!...so, I wrapped it back up for the time being. A couple of questions: How long should I let the ceramic media stay in the #220? A couple of days? Do I need to worry about the ceramic media creating a thick slurry and drying out? broseph82 jamesp Jugglerguy Drummond Island Rocks
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Post by broseph82 on Feb 3, 2016 13:58:07 GMT -5
If you have borax in there it will indeed get a little dry. Just check on it from time to time. If it's moving and getting more gray every 12hrs then it's working. If you add too much water you'll see it move in a different way or won't move at all and everything will kind of just vibrate. Seems like everyone squirts too much water at some point.
Cliffs: if it looks wet and is moving rapidly don't mess with it.
I think it takes 4 days to completely break down the grit if I remember correctly. I've been doing 1 day at 220 lately with things and it's been doing good.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 3, 2016 14:05:08 GMT -5
Good advice from m Jimi. A day or two should do it. Just check once in a while to see when it's done.
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Feb 3, 2016 14:10:57 GMT -5
I don't have any borax but I do have some Dreft, but I haven't added any of it...should I? It's already looking gray, but in spots...like there are some slick spots that the grit/slurry isn't sticking to yet. I don't even know if that's slurry being as it's only been tumbling but about an hour...looks like it, though. I wonder if I need to add a touch of soap/detergent for a surfactant as quartz alluded to in another thread? "if it looks wet and is moving rapidly don't mess with it." ....got it. I think I'll let it go for a couple of days...I don't want to wear down the ceramic too much, though. Would two days wear the ceramics down more than needed?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 3, 2016 14:20:56 GMT -5
I don't think borax is necessary for 220.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Feb 3, 2016 14:21:30 GMT -5
Can't add much Ed. Drip dry rocks at the start, do not let the Borax dry or it will wedge into cracks in the rocks.
I will say that the moisture content is often misunderstood and difficult to describe. Took me a while to figure the correct moisture content with Borax. Kinda reminds me of the consistency of that stuff the hygienist use on your teeth. A wet paste. Best to follow a Lot-O schedule verbatim. It is a different animal than my Viking.
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
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Post by Intheswamp on Feb 3, 2016 14:25:58 GMT -5
Something else that I noticed is that the red caps both have pin holes in them...good, bad, doesn't matter, I'm too nit-picky,...?? Since I'll be moving into pre-polish and polish before long I need to get a grip on storage containers and in handling the different grits and polishes to keep from cross-contaminating anything. Right now everything is in bags...some heat-sealed, some zip-locks. Do most of you simply pick up some plastic containers at the dollar store? With grit and polish that came with the Lot-O and what I'd bought from The Rock Shed and Kingsleys I'm good to go on that for a while. 120/220(RockShed), 220(previous owner), 500AO, 1000AO, and AO polish...the last three are dupes between what came from the Lot-O and what I bought from The Rock Shed. I figure I'll use the materials the previous Lot-O owner included with the deal first and then move on to the stuff from The Rock Shed (Kingsley was a big box of #80 which I'm using in the rotaries).
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