richardh
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 391
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Post by richardh on Jul 20, 2016 19:07:30 GMT -5
After my first experience with a HF vibratory tumbler I have decided to spend more money and get a Lot-O. When I look it appears that the double Lot-O costs just a little more than the single Lot-O plus an extra bowl for polish.
Here are my questions:
Can the double Lot-O be run with only one bowl in it?
Is the Lot-O recommended for softer rocks (apatite, amazonite…)?
What is the bowl made of?
Thanks in advance
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jul 20, 2016 19:20:35 GMT -5
Bowls are thick rubber. Mine ran 4 years non stop 24-7 and never a single issue. Loto is aggressive and gentle if that makes any sense. There is plenty of motion in the bowl to work fast yet with the right amount of ceramic filler and proper amount of water it is a gentle yet fast tumbler.
As for apatite and amazonite I cant help with those two but I do not think any other vibe tumbler would be any better suited.
Not only do both bowls need to be installed but both bowls need to be loaded to the proper level or everything will run off balance. I have three separate lotos to avoid this issue plus it gave me a bowl for each stage so no more cleaning bowls at all.
Chuck
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richardh
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2016
Posts: 391
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Post by richardh on Jul 20, 2016 20:16:13 GMT -5
Chuck,
Thanks very much. I think I will be saving up for the single Lot-O and an extra bowl. I don't know that I will have enough rocks to fill two bowls at once any time soon. My rotary tumbler only has a 3lb capacity so it takes me a long time to get through the rough stage and only a few rocks at a time.
Do you have any suggestions about how much ceramic media should be used?
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jul 20, 2016 20:50:46 GMT -5
If you get a double loto and only have enough rocks for one side then the other side can just be filled with pea gravel to make up the weight requirement. Always have enough ceramic on hand to fill the bowl half way. One pound of large and 2 pounds of small is a good start but it wears down over time so I order in larger quantities. Also remember to get ceramic that is intended for tumbling and still break it in by running it in 120/220 before using it for a load. www.therockshed.com/grit2.htmlChuck
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Jul 20, 2016 21:13:33 GMT -5
I struggle to keep my lot-o running all the time, and I'm rolling about 40 lbs of rough all the time. I do have those ceramic pills, but over the years I've finished enough smalls of agate, pet wood, and jasper that I use that for filler. I save ceramic pills for softer stuff.
The Lot-o is a good choice, but I have no experience with any other vibe. When I bought it, The Rock Shed was running a discount on rough material, and I bought about 20 lbs of large mix rock. I'm still working through that stuff now that I tumble mostly what I find or that I aquire through friends and such.
Is The Shed still running the discount?
Keep on rollin and vibing
Colin
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Jul 20, 2016 21:31:47 GMT -5
I've had good luck with amazonite, but apatite has been a failure for me. I can get it smooth with some shine, but there always a ton of cracks. Similar to my experiments with labradorite. Then again, I'm relatively new to tumbling.
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Jul 20, 2016 21:40:41 GMT -5
I've had good luck with amazonite, but apatite has been a failure for me. I can get it smooth with some shine, but there always a ton of cracks. Similar to my experiments with labradorite. Then again, I'm relatively new to tumbling. I dry tumble softer stuff per jugglerguy's recomendatios. The result is not a glossy wet shine, but there is a shine.
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