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Post by MsAli on Nov 14, 2017 13:47:25 GMT -5
Well, the theory is that rapidly building the thicker slurry helps carry the course grit and speed up the grind time. I've noticed that when I start with water and grit only, the grit takes longer to break down and there is often some grit left in the bottom of the tumbler when cleaned out at 5-7 days. This was based on jamesp 's experiments with clay additive. I'm a believer, but not everyone subscribes to this process. Interesting.......Do you do it with all your batches or just certain ones?
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Botswana
Nov 14, 2017 13:49:47 GMT -5
via mobile
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Post by Garage Rocker on Nov 14, 2017 13:49:47 GMT -5
Well, the theory is that rapidly building the thicker slurry helps carry the course grit and speed up the grind time. I've noticed that when I start with water and grit only, the grit takes longer to break down and there is often some grit left in the bottom of the tumbler when cleaned out at 5-7 days. This was based on jamesp 's experiments with clay additive. I'm a believer, but not everyone subscribes to this process. Interesting.......Do you do it with all your batches or just certain ones? All my course grind batches. Lot O for next stages.
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Post by MsAli on Nov 14, 2017 13:56:24 GMT -5
Interesting.......Do you do it with all your batches or just certain ones? All my course grind batches. Lot O for next stages. Thank you---My next batch I am going to try it-see if it makes a difference to me. I just have a 3lb, so if it speeds up that process it would help me a lot.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Nov 14, 2017 14:05:30 GMT -5
All my course grind batches. Lot O for next stages. Thank you---My next batch I am going to try it-see if it makes a difference to me. I just have a 3lb, so if it speeds up that process it would help me a lot. My 3 lb. barrels get treated differently than the larger ones. Even with the addition of clay kitty litter, I let them roll 10 days or more without checking them. Then, I pick them up and shake them to see if they slosh around or if the motion in there feels more sluggish. That's how I tell, unscientifically, if the grit has likely broken down. The fact is, those barrels don't have the grinding power of the larger diameter barrels. When adding litter to those barrels, I only put in about a small palmful. Just enough to jumpstart a slurry. Too much and you'll get a super thick slurry that will stick the rocks to the side of the barrel and result in a bad outcome. Experiment to find out what works best for you.
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Post by aDave on Nov 14, 2017 14:06:31 GMT -5
While you've made a decision, my stance on Bots is to grind tumble off any skin that hides what is underneath. At first, I was in the same spot as you...how long to roll this stuff? I got to the point of eliminating the "skin" and then some. I'm not claiming to roll to "perfection," but I usually tumble Bots quite a while. The "skin" is removed, and I'm looking for glossy stones while wet. Bands should be fairly visible. That's my take. Hope this helps some. Dave Dave you have given me something to think about. I have more that I have yet to tumble so maybe I'll try grinding the skins 1st the next batch. Ali, I fixed my post you quoted. The use of the word "grind" made it appear I was doing prep in advance of the coarse stage. That's not true. I should have just said "tumble." Sorry for any confusion. Dave
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Post by MsAli on Nov 14, 2017 14:22:41 GMT -5
Dave you have given me something to think about. I have more that I have yet to tumble so maybe I'll try grinding the skins 1st the next batch. Ali, I fixed my post you quoted. The use of the word "grind" made it appear I was doing prep in advance of the coarse stage. That's not true. I should have just said "tumble." Sorry for any confusion. Dave Dave, I'm blonde so it doesn't take much to confuse me.....So all tumbling and no grinding... ...Thank you
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Post by aDave on Nov 14, 2017 17:37:43 GMT -5
Ali, I fixed my post you quoted. The use of the word "grind" made it appear I was doing prep in advance of the coarse stage. That's not true. I should have just said "tumble." Sorry for any confusion. Dave Dave, I'm blonde so it doesn't take much to confuse me.....So all tumbling and no grinding... ...Thank you LOL. That's not to say I wouldn't pre-grind Bots like some of the others, but I was able to get my hands on some nice rough that was already rounded quite a bit. Unfortunately, that stuff is sold out. Dave
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Post by MsAli on Nov 14, 2017 18:14:38 GMT -5
Dave, I'm blonde so it doesn't take much to confuse me.....So all tumbling and no grinding... ...Thank you LOL. That's not to say I wouldn't pre-grind Bots like some of the others, but I was able to get my hands on some nice rough that was already rounded quite a bit. Unfortunately, that stuff is sold out. Dave Making me think(smart)
Where did you get yours from? I bought mine from the Rock Shed, but am wondering if there is some other suppliers to try??
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Post by gmitch067 on Nov 14, 2017 18:16:58 GMT -5
Well, the theory is that rapidly building the thicker slurry helps carry the course grit and speed up the grind time. I've noticed that when I start with water and grit only, the grit takes longer to break down and there is often some grit left in the bottom of the tumbler when cleaned out at 5-7 days. This was based on jamesp 's experiments with clay additive. I'm a believer, but not everyone subscribes to this process. In a 3 lb tumbler barrel, use only 2-3 TBS of non clumping clay kitty litter (I use Original Johnny Cat litter). In a 6 lb tumbler barrel, use about 4-6 TBS. ONLY during the 80-grit stage. I messed-up a few times and over used the kitty litter in an attempt to create a nice slurry... It was NOT so nice when I added a large tuna-fish can full of kitty litter to my QT-66 6 lb barrel, and after 7 days found all of the rocks literally plastered to the sidewalls - passed out from perpetual dizziness. It is usually a good idea to crack open the tumbler barrel after 3 days to see if it is too thick (add a little water to thin).
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Post by aDave on Nov 14, 2017 20:23:42 GMT -5
LOL. That's not to say I wouldn't pre-grind Bots like some of the others, but I was able to get my hands on some nice rough that was already rounded quite a bit. Unfortunately, that stuff is sold out. Dave Making me think(smart)
Where did you get yours from? I bought mine from the Rock Shed, but am wondering if there is some other suppliers to try??
I got mine at rocktumbler.com. That was probably in February or so, but the Bots have been "temporarily out of stock" for months. Don't know if they'll be getting more or not. As far as other sources for Bots, I couldn't tell you, as I haven't looked. Dave
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Botswana
Nov 14, 2017 20:37:02 GMT -5
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Post by Garage Rocker on Nov 14, 2017 20:37:02 GMT -5
LOL. That's not to say I wouldn't pre-grind Bots like some of the others, but I was able to get my hands on some nice rough that was already rounded quite a bit. Unfortunately, that stuff is sold out. Dave Making me think(smart)
Where did you get yours from? I bought mine from the Rock Shed, but am wondering if there is some other suppliers to try??
I have bought Bots from both suppliers. Although the rocktumbler.com material was cheaper and 'river rounded', I liked the final results better with the Rock Shed material. Again, personal opinion.
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Post by MsAli on Nov 14, 2017 21:25:41 GMT -5
Making me think(smart)
Where did you get yours from? I bought mine from the Rock Shed, but am wondering if there is some other suppliers to try??
I have bought Bots from both suppliers. Although the rocktumbler.com material was cheaper and 'river rounded', I liked the final results better with the Rock Shed material. Again, personal opinion. I am liking thier material alot, also the gem shop has some some nice stuff as well.
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zekester55
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2017
Posts: 111
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Post by zekester55 on Nov 15, 2017 5:52:10 GMT -5
WRT cat litter, I started adding it instead of Grit Miser as it is cheaper. I use 4-6 tablespoons in a QT-66 barrel. The other goal here is to thicken the slurry so you don't get bruising. It has been working well for me.
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Post by MsAli on Dec 14, 2017 20:19:16 GMT -5
Ok I cheated and checked my batch, but only pulled one or 2 out to see if they were ready...It's not, but now this appears to be getting fracture lines? The skin is almost getting there though, so that's a plus. Any tips?
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nancyb
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2017
Posts: 13
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Post by nancyb on Dec 15, 2017 13:51:28 GMT -5
Garage Rocker, thank you for that amazing set of pictures. As a new person here it helps to see exactly what others are doing and talking about. I feel like I just took a master class reading your post!
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Post by MsAli on Dec 15, 2017 14:00:38 GMT -5
Garage Rocker, thank you for that amazing set of pictures. As a new person here it helps to see exactly what others are doing and talking about. I feel like I just took a master class reading your post! That is exactly my thoughts-so many generous and kind people here to learn from. I find myself reading the threads every day and taking notes.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Dec 15, 2017 14:44:24 GMT -5
Garage Rocker, thank you for that amazing set of pictures. As a new person here it helps to see exactly what others are doing and talking about. I feel like I just took a master class reading your post! My pleasure, nancyb. This place is meant to be a source of information sharing, it's the only place I found that had experienced artisans willing to freely give out their knowledge. Not only tumbling, but anything to do with rocks and the way they're presented. Within a year, the information on here had me achieving the results I wanted. A lot of interesting personalities, too. Look forward to seeing your work.
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Post by aDave on Dec 16, 2017 23:28:56 GMT -5
Garage Rocker, thank you for that amazing set of pictures. As a new person here it helps to see exactly what others are doing and talking about. I feel like I just took a master class reading your post! My pleasure, nancyb . This place is meant to be a source of information sharing, it's the only place I found that had experienced artisans willing to freely give out their knowledge. Not only tumbling, but anything to do with rocks and the way they're presented. Within a year, the information on here had me achieving the results I wanted. A lot of interesting personalities, too. Look forward to seeing your work. Hmmm...what is going on here? Replying is weird, unless I just missed taking my meds. That said, and FWIW, rocktumbler.com just got a new batch of Bots. I got an email a couple of weeks ago, and it looks as if the rough can still be ordered. It's not cheap, but I was happy with what they sent me in the past. Just passing this along as a heads up.
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