the2ems
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
Posts: 7
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Post by the2ems on Apr 10, 2016 5:57:22 GMT -5
Hi, I am new to rock tumbling, having been given a small tumbler a few weeks ago. After reading various websites I am getting a little confused. Most of the info says to fill the tumbling barrel 1/2 to 3/4, but the instructions with my machine say to use 8ozs. This only fills about 1/4 of the barrel. Is it because mine is just a cheap job, and the motor wouldn't cope. Also, I have accumulated a small amount of sharp grit from repeatedly washing the mud off the bottoms of our walking shoes. Could I add this to the first tumbling process as filling, or would it be detrimental? Thanks
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 10, 2016 8:43:49 GMT -5
Hi, I am new to rock tumbling, having been given a small tumbler a few weeks ago. After reading various websites I am getting a little confused. Most of the info says to fill the tumbling barrel 1/2 to 3/4, but the instructions with my machine say to use 8ozs. This only fills about 1/4 of the barrel. Is it because mine is just a cheap job, and the motor wouldn't cope. Also, I have accumulated a small amount of sharp grit from repeatedly washing the mud off the bottoms of our walking shoes. Could I add this to the first tumbling process as filling, or would it be detrimental? Thanks Welcome to the hobby and the forum!! Hmm, not looking at your tumbler or the instructions I really don't know what to tell you. I'm thinking it's a rotary...rolls...? If so it's the actual avalanche action inside of the barrel that creates the tumbling/polishing action. You need it to be filled around 3/4 full to achieve this action. 1/4 full is going to be too little and probably cause the rocks to simply sit in the bottom of the barrel sliding against the wall and flat-spotting. Filling it too full results in the rocks simply riding around and around without the avalanche action. Usually prescribed is the 50 to 75 percent amounts. Also, it's often included in the instructions to fill with water until you see the water at the bottom side of the rocks that are on top. This tends to be a little too much water. I would say tilt the barrel over at maybe a 35-45 degree angle and fill until you first see water...this will be less than the prescribed amount but should be in the ballpark of what works good. Many instruction sheets that come with tumblers give some questionable instructions. I don't think I would use the grit from my walking shoes. I suppose you could, but for what reason? It sounds as if you have a smallish tumbler...maybe two pounds? I would fill it to the ~75% full mark with desirable rocks including some "smalls". "Smalls" would be in the 1/8" to 1/4" range in size and would help grit grind/polish into the nooks and crannies of the desirable rocks. They can be basically any hard rock...quartz is often used or small rocks of what you're tumbling. Use the prescribed grits. Also, for the coarse grind don't pay any attention if it says to tumble for a week... Most of the the coarse grind (stage 1) usually will take multiple weeks moving into moves. It depends on what you are tumbling. If you're tumbling river or ocean smoothed stones then the coarse grind will go quicky as nature has already helped you out with these. If you are tumbling rough, broken, sharp-cornered/edged rocks then it will take *much* longer. Patience...and also a supply of coarse grit. You will want to either do a clean-out weekly and add new coarse grit or don't do a clean out and simply add new coarse grit to the existing slurry. If you do the latter then make sure the slurry (mud) doesn't get to thick...you might have to add a little water. Having said all of that, there is an instance of using something to quickly get a "slurry" going...red clay, metamucil (Psyllium), sugar, etc.,...your "sharp grit" might qualify for this. Be aware that using organic matter inside of a rotary (closed and sealed container) can create gas which can cost the barrel to build up pressure and leak or even worse...explode in a mess. People talk of having to "burp" the rotaries sometimes....sometimes even when no organics are used. I recommend that you wait on experimenting until you've got a couple of good tumbles under your belt. 75% full of rocks with some 1/8"-1/4" smalls included (a handful should do...unless you have the proper sized Hardees cup to measure with... captbob), add water to a tilted barrel, use the right grit....and use lots of patience. Most of all....have fun!!!
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Post by Garage Rocker on Apr 10, 2016 10:22:48 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum. Good luck with that first batch, be patient!
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Apr 10, 2016 15:06:02 GMT -5
Hi - welcome along. Where abouts are you? I'm in sunny Yorkshire; at least today its sunny!
Nothing much to add to the above; leave the grit from your shoes out unless you've been walking somewhere really interesting!
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 10, 2016 21:48:24 GMT -5
Hello,welcome to the forum..............Looks like good advice from above,I agree with him....
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the2ems
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
Posts: 7
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Post by the2ems on Apr 11, 2016 5:30:16 GMT -5
Hi - welcome along. Where abouts are you? I'm in sunny Yorkshire; at least today its sunny! Nothing much to add to the above; leave the grit from your shoes out unless you've been walking somewhere really interesting! I'm in Barry, South Wales. Not so sunny here today. I'm glad there are other UK members. Perhaps you could point me in the right direction for grinding powder supplies. malcolm
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
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Post by metalsmith on Apr 11, 2016 16:10:34 GMT -5
Hi - welcome along. Where abouts are you? I'm in sunny Yorkshire; at least today its sunny! Nothing much to add to the above; leave the grit from your shoes out unless you've been walking somewhere really interesting! I'm in Barry, South Wales. Not so sunny here today. I'm glad there are other UK members. Perhaps you could point me in the right direction for grinding powder supplies. malcolm Hi Malcolm ebay is pretty good ; I'm steadily on with working my way through lots of second-hand grits and polishes. UKGE.com Manchester Minerals ThePolishingShop.co.uk Fine Diamond dust from ebay Hope this helps
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the2ems
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
Posts: 7
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Post by the2ems on Apr 11, 2016 16:27:02 GMT -5
Thanks. I'll take a look at those sites.
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Post by rockjunquie on Apr 11, 2016 20:07:26 GMT -5
Welcome!
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,676
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Post by Tommy on Apr 12, 2016 22:31:58 GMT -5
Welcome from California!
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Post by johnjsgems on Apr 13, 2016 17:55:17 GMT -5
WElcome to the forum. If your tumbler won't handle 3/4 full loads you can use light weight fillers like ceramic media or plastic pellets. Plastic pellets can be found in hobby shops for doll filler so perhaps more readily available. You would need dedicated plastic as it picks up grit.
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Post by johnjsgems on Apr 13, 2016 17:56:42 GMT -5
And, if by grit from your shoes you mean gravel, it would be a good filler if your tumbler can handle the weight.
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 13, 2016 20:47:44 GMT -5
WElcome to the forum. If your tumbler won't handle 3/4 full loads you can use light weight fillers like ceramic media or plastic pellets. Plastic pellets can be found in hobby shops for doll filler so perhaps more readily available. You would need dedicated plastic as it picks up grit. By dedicated I think John means to not move the plastic from one stage/grit to the next one....set aside separate plastic for each stage/grit. Am I making any sense? Can you post a link to the tumbler that you have? That might help us understand the limiting statement in the instructions.
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the2ems
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
Posts: 7
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Post by the2ems on Apr 14, 2016 1:59:09 GMT -5
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 14, 2016 7:29:53 GMT -5
Coming from freecycle you are ok. I haven't been able to find much information on it but it appears to be a small light unit so the 8oz load might be all it can handle. Adding some plastic beads as just mentioned would get the volume up without adding lots of weight. The best thing I guess is to give it a whirl and see what happens. I mentioned it earlier that it takes much longer than most tumbler instruction state to get finished rocks...I see in the advertisement for this tumbler that it says 2-3 weeks....no way. I sense that it didn't come with any packs of tumbling grit?
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the2ems
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
Posts: 7
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Post by the2ems on Apr 14, 2016 7:47:01 GMT -5
Thank for the advice. It did come with some grit. 2 packs each marked 1st 2nd and 3rd stage. Plus 2 packs of white polishing powder. The previous owner used one pack of each, leaving me just one of each. The instructions don't say how much to use, weight wise, just pour it in. I did weigh one bag. It was 19 grams, including the bag.
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Intheswamp
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Member since September 2015
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 14, 2016 8:16:10 GMT -5
That doesn't seem like much grit, but there again 8 ounces isn't a lot of rock, either. I can't visualize how much 19 grams is volume-wise (someone else maybe will). It makes me think that they've pre-packaged the grit to be a one-shot type of amount...in other words they intend for the user to use one pack of each grit per load of rocks.
Only having that much grit I think I would leave the rocks tumbling for 2-3 weeks per grit, especially the first stage...get all the good you can out of it. Coarse grind can/will take weeks or months.
Or, you can order more grit...you will use more coarse grit than the other grits.
How much water do they say to use....err on the side of too little water...better to be low on water than to be too full...you can always add more but you can't take it out (without losing grit).
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the2ems
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
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Post by the2ems on Apr 14, 2016 8:40:30 GMT -5
Water amount says almost cover the stones.
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Intheswamp
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 14, 2016 9:35:08 GMT -5
Don't almost cover the stones. Tilt the barrel over at something like a 45-degree angle and fill till you first see water...this should be less than what the instructions say use. You can always add more water later. You want the rocks wet enough so that the grit will stick to the rocks but not so wet that the grit simply washes off and stays in the bottom of the barrel. It will take a few days for a "slurry" to get started...basically mud. The slurry will then help the grit stick to the rocks better. Sometimes the slurry will get so thick that you need to add a little water, but it will start out thin.
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Post by johnjsgems on Apr 14, 2016 10:36:20 GMT -5
If you add water until top layer is sticking up out of water a little you will be fine. Old guides usually said to cover rocks with water but a littl.e less seems to form slurry faster. Make sure you have a good mixture of sizes (or filler mentioned earlier)
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