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Post by spiceman on Jul 1, 2016 23:16:40 GMT -5
I am and will always be in the learning mode for rock tumbling. Someone posted once about using kitty litter to help make a good slurry. And yes it does. I learned that and I'm sure many others learned too. And the list goes on... For different things that are not documented in the tumbling procedure. So, I'm asking for what are your tricks (normally not listed) to improve tumbles.
A learning thread for tumblers new and experienced.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Jul 2, 2016 5:20:33 GMT -5
You tell us, spiceman. How did the dog chow work as a litter replacement?
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Post by spiceman on Jul 2, 2016 21:05:12 GMT -5
Well, you guessed it. It stunk real bad when I opened it up. It did nothing at all. I mean nothing. My dogs got mad because I took there food. I didn't post anything because it didn't work. If nothing is posted I always take that as a... Don't try that. If it did work, you bet I would tell everybody.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Jul 2, 2016 22:20:41 GMT -5
Well, I can't say that I'm totally surprised by that, but I dig your spirit of innovation. jamesp should be proud to have inspired you in the quest for a better slurry.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2016 22:36:26 GMT -5
Failures should be bravely reported. That to help the rest of us avoid then.
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Post by spiceman on Jul 2, 2016 22:48:22 GMT -5
And that is very true about failures but.... I knew it was going to fail, just like everyone else. But... It made people laugh, so I won. But in the end... Don't use dog food. LOL
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Jul 3, 2016 12:09:19 GMT -5
Organisms stuff is tricky. Newspaper is kina inert, so is sugar. Anything can happen with rocks. They have a million different chemicals and compounds. That rock is green because of this chemical,that one is red because of v that chemical. Rocks a smorgasbord. Agate silica darned inert though. Watch where you dump the dog food slurry spice. Dogs might be getting into it and getting some intestine vitamins. Clay not a bad medium. It has been beat down by the elements of nature. Still has chemical components.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Jul 3, 2016 12:10:19 GMT -5
Organic stuff is tricky. Newspaper is kina inert, so is sugar. Anything can happen with rocks. They have a million different chemicals and compounds. That rock is green because of this chemical,that one is red because of that chemical. Rocks a smorgasbord. Agate silica darned inert though. Watch where you dump the dog food slurry spice. Dogs might be getting into it and getting some intestine vitamins. Clay not a bad medium. It has been beat down by the elements of nature. Still has chemical components.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 3, 2016 12:38:49 GMT -5
My number one trick is to leave the rocks in the first stage until they're done. That's a tough trick to master.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2016 13:38:44 GMT -5
My number one trick is to leave the rocks in the first stage until they're done. That's a tough trick to master. Truer words have never been written! Master this and the rest is easy!
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Post by spiceman on Jul 3, 2016 22:33:14 GMT -5
About the dog food slurry and all slurry, I use it to fill the crack channels in my driveway but only until the bottom of the crack or separation line.
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Post by spiceman on Jul 3, 2016 23:25:06 GMT -5
My number one trick is to leave the rocks in the first stage until they're done. That's a tough trick to master. Good to know because I have always thought the rocks (shape) would get to be good after all the other stages are done. That could be why, at the end of my tumble I have so much scrap.
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Post by orrum on Jul 4, 2016 6:04:01 GMT -5
My best tumbling advice is.... darn the cost put ceramic pellets in everything!!!
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Jul 4, 2016 6:34:32 GMT -5
I feel like it's time we'll spent to preform rocks that need it on a saw or grinder.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,158
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Post by jamesp on Jul 4, 2016 8:01:23 GMT -5
I feel like it's time we'll spent to preform rocks that need it on a saw or grinder. Makes rocks ready quicker. But makes quality tumbles. May have a rock with 5 sides, 4 out of 5 sides need little tumbling except the 5th side. Best to touch that side up on agrinder/saw. I have ground 16 pounds of 1 to 2 inch rocks on the cup grinder. It takes about 3 hours, usually do an hour here and an hour there. In two weeks with 3 coarse grit changes in the rotary they are ready for the vibe. The 3 hours spent makes way superior tumbles than throwing random rocks in and not pre-shaping them and tumbling them 12 weeks with a dozen+ grit adds/ changes. I spend more than 3 hours doing a dozen grit adds/changes 12 times. Saves 10 weeks electricity and wear/tear. No problem running 1 to 2 inch pre-ground rocks with out smalls. They seem to grind fast when pre-shaped roundish. Pre-ground a money and time saver. But best stick to 1 to 2 inch rocks for safety sake on high speed cup grinder.
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Post by Toad on Jul 4, 2016 9:29:31 GMT -5
2 easy ones: - include borax in every stage, slurry washes off no problem - uses hot water out of tap when filling barrels, I've never had a problem with leaks or gassing since doing this
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bcgal
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2016
Posts: 94
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Post by bcgal on Jul 4, 2016 13:17:47 GMT -5
if you want holes, drill them BEFORE you tumble. i have found that one to be useful
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Post by spiceman on Jul 4, 2016 21:08:01 GMT -5
Good to know that about borax. I have a box here just waiting to be used. It killed the creeping Charlie in my yard and know it will be used for rock tumbling. Nice to know.
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huskeric
spending too much on rocks
Member since May 2016
Posts: 353
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Post by huskeric on Jul 15, 2016 11:37:22 GMT -5
My number one trick is to leave the rocks in the first stage until they're done. That's a tough trick to master. Truer words have never been written! Master this and the rest is easy! I am learning that, little by little, but that should be the first lesson in rock tumbling. The instructions for the tumblers that we noobs buy should read, "if you remove your rocks, or even so much as look at the barrel before 10 days have elapsed, it will explode with the force of a 20-megaton nuclear bomb." I have been like Cookie Monster in that Apple commercial that came out over the holidays. I work from home, and my office is right next to my shop in the basement, so the sound of rocks tumbling against one another is like a siren call....drawing me closer....must look at the rocks....sooooo preeeeetty....pretty rocks.... My best solution was to buy a QT12 so that it will run at least a bit faster and I can do a LOT more at one time.
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