Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on May 16, 2016 11:12:39 GMT -5
Allow me to show my ignorance...most likely. I started a batch in the Lot-O last Thursday...220 stage. Being as the vibe is here at the shop and I'm not here on Saturdays it had to run over the weekend. I did drop in Sunday and was happy to see the rocks rolling along nicely. I spritzed it with just a little bit of water, figuring it wouldn't hurt things...and then left. This morning when I checked the rocks for a clean-out and recharge with 500 and the rocks were still rolling very nicely. BUT...then I looked closer and the rocks and ceramics were DRY with a rouge-like coating on them...a dry, silicone-like lubricant feel to it. I wetted them down and letting them roll some more with a drop or two of Dawn added. I just checked and the roll has slowed down now. I'm confused. I figured if the rocks/slurry dried out it would stop rolling, but it didn't. And now, after wetting it, it *has* slowed down...I didn't think I added that much water. Anyhow, apparently I created a situation where it didn't stop moving but dried to a pretty dry consistency. Just thought I'd post this. If anybody wants to throw a comment out I'm happy to here it, but really just posting it as one of those "who'd uv thunk it" kind of things.
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Post by manofglass on May 16, 2016 11:42:01 GMT -5
Keeping notes on each tumble may be a idea
Walt
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Post by broseph82 on May 16, 2016 14:01:45 GMT -5
Allow me to show my ignorance...most likely. I started a batch in the Lot-O last Thursday...220 stage. Being as the vibe is here at the shop and I'm not here on Saturdays it had to run over the weekend. I did drop in Sunday and was happy to see the rocks rolling along nicely. I spritzed it with just a little bit of water, figuring it wouldn't hurt things...and then left. This morning when I checked the rocks for a clean-out and recharge with 500 and the rocks were still rolling very nicely. BUT...then I looked closer and the rocks and ceramics were DRY with a rouge-like coating on them...a dry, silicone-like lubricant feel to it. I wetted them down and letting them roll some more with a drop or two of Dawn added. I just checked and the roll has slowed down now. I'm confused. I figured if the rocks/slurry dried out it would stop rolling, but it didn't. And now, after wetting it, it *has* slowed down...I didn't think I added that much water. Anyhow, apparently I created a situation where it didn't stop moving but dried to a pretty dry consistency. Just thought I'd post this. If anybody wants to throw a comment out I'm happy to here it, but really just posting it as one of those "who'd uv thunk it" kind of things. Depending on how you and what you load your bowl can dry out within the same day. If it's still moving don't worry about it. If it still looks kind of wet then it's still working. What grit did you have in there? What additives before the drying did it have in there, borax?
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on May 16, 2016 15:20:16 GMT -5
It was the 220 grit and had a tablespoon of Dreft in with it.
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 16, 2016 15:43:21 GMT -5
The 220 is the most likely to dry out. I used to add Dreft or borax to the 220 stage, but Chuck convinced me not to. It's not necessary and drys things out more. I've never had a load dry to the point of complete dryness where it starts rolling again. That's a new one to me.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on May 16, 2016 16:05:51 GMT -5
Ok, so the rocks were *not* rolling as good as I thought. After adding some water and letting them tumble a few hours I just did a clean-out. Things were not so good. Seems the slurry was *very* thick and sticky. After digging out the mess I saw that the small ceramic pieces and a few small rocks had formed cementous layers in spots on the wall of the barrel. A high-pressure hose and some soaking and I finally got the barrel cleaned out. There were several quartzite plates stuck together that I had to pry apart and I had to use high-pressure water on some of the rocks to get the stuck-on slurry off of them. It's all my fault. In the past I had made a point to only do 1000 or polish stages over the weekend, but for some reason I decided to let the 220 grit run over the weekend with only a quick glance Sunday afternoon. Anyhow, the rocks looked pretty good, but I decided to start back over with the 220 stage. When I started to add the grit something dawned on me...I can say "It's all my fault." again. When I added the 220 grit the first time I added TWO tablespoons instead of only one. Something tells me that contributed a good bit to the drying out due to enhanced slurry thickening.<groan> Any how, I've got it once again churning away in 220 grit, and Rob, I must be catching on to *something* because I opted to leave out the Dreft this time before I read your post! It was indeed tumbling *some* of the rocks but not the ones down below out of sight!<groan> Ok, so let's recap this...I let the 220 stage run over the weekend, basically from Thursday until Monday. Water was added Friday and Sunday. And all the time the rocks were rolling with double the correct amount of grit...the perfect storm.
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Post by orrum on May 16, 2016 16:11:35 GMT -5
I use 2 tbsp of 220 in the loto and next stages a half a tsp.
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 16, 2016 16:24:01 GMT -5
I use 2 tbsp of 220 in the loto and next stages a half a tsp. Me too.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on May 16, 2016 17:15:26 GMT -5
Ok, so I must of had a brain phart today and *thought* I'd messed up. So, I guess the first 220 grind simply dried out from lack of water being added and maybe the dreft. I guess I need to go add another tablespoon of 220 now. Sometimes I wonder about myself, but then I have caretakers like ya'll to keep me straight!
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 16, 2016 19:13:12 GMT -5
I would never leave a 220 batch unattended for a weekend. Actually, I never leave my Lot-O on if I'm gone for more than a day. I'll leave my rotaries going for a week if I'm away. In the 220 stage, I usually add water several times a day.
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Post by orrum on May 16, 2016 19:33:08 GMT -5
X2 Rob. 220 stage gets too thick very fast. Also lots of tiny smalls will accumulate in the bottom and not rotate. I tried aquarium gravel instead of ceramics and had a heck of a concrete mess in the bottom and the top was still rotating but very few small aquarium gravel. I now use mixed size ceramics exclusively.
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 16, 2016 20:12:15 GMT -5
That's good to know, Orrum. I though about trying aquarium gravel, but then I decided that ceramics work just fine, so why change something that's working.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on May 16, 2016 22:48:28 GMT -5
Yeah, those small ceramics were nicely glued to the sides of the barrel. I'll stick to my original game plan now...only do 220 the first of the week so a finer grit will be working over the weekend. Live and (sometimes) learn!!!
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on May 16, 2016 22:49:38 GMT -5
Btw, I decided to just leave it with one tablespoon in this go'round. Seems their was a good grey coating on the rocks when I checked and they had had some grinding done to them in the first botched attempt. We'll see how it goes.
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Post by captbob on May 16, 2016 23:12:58 GMT -5
Why not just bring the Lot-O home where you can check on it at least twice daily?
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on May 17, 2016 7:18:00 GMT -5
That's too easy...plus, nowhere to put it where it'll be "quiet". It has worked well over the weekends *if* I don't do a 220 stage during that time.
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Post by broseph82 on May 18, 2016 15:56:18 GMT -5
That's too easy...plus, nowhere to put it where it'll be "quiet". It has worked well over the weekends *if* I don't do a 220 stage during that time. You'll screw up somewhere else down the line as well and will learn a new lesson. Always tinkering always learning
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on May 18, 2016 18:45:40 GMT -5
Dang, Jimi broseph82 ...you got a camera on me or something? Well, this looks like the "Tumble of Mistakes". Just made another one a few minutes ago. Really!!! I know, it's hard to believe, but... I did a clean out and the rocks are looking ok, nothing special, but ok. So I got them all cleaned up, filled the barrel with water, dumped the water out...man, I got this!!!! Grabbed the container of grit, put in my spoonful of 1000 grit and added 1/2 tablespoon of Dreft. Got'er done!!!!!! Notice anything?
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Post by Garage Rocker on May 18, 2016 18:51:35 GMT -5
Did you skip 500 and go straight to 1000? Is that your normal routine?
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on May 18, 2016 19:43:54 GMT -5
Dog gone it!!! I didn't think anybody would notice!!!! Yep, dat's what I done. So, since this tumble load appears to be a comedy of errors, once I realized what I had done I went ahead and added a spoonful of 500...I figure I'll let the rocks and grit sort it out.<grin> captbob, you see the precision that I'm using, don't you?!!!
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