jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2018 4:04:35 GMT -5
Coconut oil, sweet smelling toy tumbler, purty little blonde, first time tumble and you scored a home run polish and in a rotary tumbler no less. Big big atta girl. The coconut oil #$%@^& had me worried. You went right down the line and skipped no steps. One short cut and you get no polish ! Not a forgiving process. Laughing my butt off, why does this movie come to mind ?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2018 4:12:42 GMT -5
I'll step you up a bit bigger and send you a larger pre-shaped big rock if you want. Or about the same size, no matter. You can run it with those Botswana's again if you want to round them off more. Or did they polish out nice too ? How long did it take for George to start getting shiny ? Obviously the polish you used is fine. I see no bruises on your Botswana's. Excellent. You had to have your barrel filled to the correct level and adequate smalls.
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Post by MsAli on Jan 31, 2018 8:25:42 GMT -5
The way I figured, coconut oil is very lightweight and would last until I got to Lowe's to pick up some 3 in 1. Blonde or a genius? 😂 Sometimes, ya got to think outside the box
I've been running since Saturday and just check him last night. Rinsed it, dryed and squealed with delight. Tossed him back in to run till Saturday. Didn't even check the Bots yet. I'm game for another challenge.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2018 11:19:07 GMT -5
The way I figured, coconut oil is very lightweight and would last until I got to Lowe's to pick up some 3 in 1. Blonde or a genius? 😂 Sometimes, ya got to think outside the box I've been running since Saturday and just check him last night. Rinsed it, dryed and squealed with delight. Tossed him back in to run till Saturday. Didn't even check the Bots yet. I'm game for another challenge. Fiesty little cuss
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Post by MsAli on Jan 31, 2018 11:25:17 GMT -5
The way I figured, coconut oil is very lightweight and would last until I got to Lowe's to pick up some 3 in 1. Blonde or a genius? 😂 Sometimes, ya got to think outside the box I've been running since Saturday and just check him last night. Rinsed it, dryed and squealed with delight. Tossed him back in to run till Saturday. Didn't even check the Bots yet. I'm game for another challenge. Fiesta little cuss
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2018 16:12:34 GMT -5
The way I figured, coconut oil is very lightweight and would last until I got to Lowe's to pick up some 3 in 1. Blonde or a genius? 😂 Sometimes, ya got to think outside the box I've been running since Saturday and just check him last night. Rinsed it, dryed and squealed with delight. Tossed him back in to run till Saturday. Didn't even check the Bots yet. I'm game for another challenge. If you ran 7 days in 600 and had a polish after 4 days Sun Mon Tues Wed you did superb. That is a fast polish for a rotary. I used to run the 16 pound rotaries 10 days 500 and 10 days polish. If I did 7 days 500 the polish needed about 10 days. If 10 days in 500 then a polish in 7 days. But that was with regular sized tumbles. That big rock likely sped up things. Some of those small tumblers roll fast which may have sped things up.
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Post by MsAli on Jan 31, 2018 16:28:31 GMT -5
The way I figured, coconut oil is very lightweight and would last until I got to Lowe's to pick up some 3 in 1. Blonde or a genius? 😂 Sometimes, ya got to think outside the box I've been running since Saturday and just check him last night. Rinsed it, dryed and squealed with delight. Tossed him back in to run till Saturday. Didn't even check the Bots yet. I'm game for another challenge. If you ran 7 days in 600 and had a polish after 4 days Sun Mon Tues Wed you did superb. That is a fast polish for a rotary. I used to run the 16 pound rotaries 10 days 500 and 10 days polish. If I did 7 days 500 the polish needed about 10 days. If 10 days in 500 then a polish in 7 days. But that was with regular sized tumbles. That big rock likely sped up things. Some of those small tumblers roll fast which may have sped things up. The polish surprised me. I thought there was no way they were going to be that shiny this soon. I almost didn't put him back in.
I think my real test will come down to the bots-gonna yank one out when I get home to check.
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Post by MsAli on Jan 31, 2018 19:45:18 GMT -5
A few of the Bots. Good polish, but some are going to go back in course to try to get rid of those fractures Still keeping it rolling till Saturday Do they reach a point where they won't take a polish anymore than they already have?
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Post by aDave on Jan 31, 2018 20:02:26 GMT -5
A few of the Bots. Good polish, but some are going to go back in course to try to get rid of those fractures Still keeping it rolling till Saturday Do they reach a point where they won't take a polish anymore than they already have? I think giving them another shot in coarse will help you remove some of the flaws...if that's what you are after. If you recall, did they look that fractured after you coarse-tumbled them, or did they tend to develop through the subsequent steps? If the fractures appeared to get worse over time, you might want to consider the use of plastic pellets to add extra cushioning. I am a HUGE fan of them, and I use them in all stages after coarse. Bruising and fractures are significantly cut down with their use. If you are in the coarse stage, there's no need to use pellets. However, you can stop some of the bruising/fractures by over filling with stones or water to somewhat restrict movement in the barrel. Of course, it's a balance, and you may have to play a bit to see what you need to do. If your rough was that bad to begin with, then there is nothing you can do to prevent that stuff. I have had good luck with bots from rocktumbler.com. They were out of them for a while, but they just got some material back in stock. I've emailed them to see if it is the same quality stuff as before, but I never got a reply. Perhaps I should try a bit harder to see how they feel about their current lot. I really liked what they had before. As far as polish, the longer it goes, the finish can only get better. Your eye might have a hard time with the difference in time, but the polish is always working. I was polishing for two weeks, but now I am up to three, as I've noticed a difference with those time periods. I imagine a four week polish would be even better, but I'm not sure I want to go that route just yet. Hope that helps a bit. Dave
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Post by MsAli on Jan 31, 2018 20:16:47 GMT -5
A few of the Bots. Good polish, but some are going to go back in course to try to get rid of those fractures Still keeping it rolling till Saturday Do they reach a point where they won't take a polish anymore than they already have? I think giving them another shot in coarse will help you remove some of the flaws...if that's what you are after. If you recall, did they look that fractured after you coarse-tumbled them, or did they tend to develop through the subsequent steps? If the fractures appeared to get worse over time, you might want to consider the use of plastic pellets to add extra cushioning. I am a HUGE fan of them, and I use them in all stages after coarse. Bruising and fractures are significantly cut down with their use. If you are in the coarse stage, there's no need to use pellets. However, you can stop some of the bruising/fractures by over filling with stones or water to somewhat restrict movement in the barrel. Of course, it's a balance, and you may have to play a bit to see what you need to do. If your rough was that bad to begin with, then there is nothing you can do to prevent that stuff. I have had good luck with bots from rocktumbler.com. They were out of them for a while, but they just got some material back in stock. I've emailed them to see if it is the same quality stuff as before, but I never got a reply. Perhaps I should try a bit harder to see how they feel about their current lot. I really liked what they had before. As far as polish, the longer it goes, the finish can only get better. Your eye might have a hard time with the difference in time, but the polish is always working. I was polishing for two weeks, but now I am up to three, as I've noticed a difference with those time periods. I imagine a four week polish would be even better, but I'm not sure I want to go that route just yet. Hope that helps a bit. Dave Thank you Dave that helps a ton! These came from the rockshed and I noticed fractures in them after course, and some have worsened. Some have come out better than I thought. I don't see any apparant bruising, atleast on these 3. I do need plastic pellets and will be ordering some. I'll let them run till Sunday as now on Saturday I'm taking a day trip to Area 54🤗 Do you run them thru a burnishing stage after?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2018 20:22:45 GMT -5
If you ran 7 days in 600 and had a polish after 4 days Sun Mon Tues Wed you did superb. That is a fast polish for a rotary. I used to run the 16 pound rotaries 10 days 500 and 10 days polish. If I did 7 days 500 the polish needed about 10 days. If 10 days in 500 then a polish in 7 days. But that was with regular sized tumbles. That big rock likely sped up things. Some of those small tumblers roll fast which may have sped things up. The polish surprised me. I thought there was no way they were going to be that shiny this soon. I almost didn't put him back in.
I think my real test will come down to the bots-gonna yank one out when I get home to check.
They are polished, betcha. Bots take a brilliant shine quick and a great rock to tumble. Should be in close harmony with the Rio. I never have used a ceramic in a rotary, just small rocks for cushioning. Curious if they polished. You might be hooked. Lot of people have difficulty with tumbling, especially in early attempts. Looks like a cloud on the western horizon shaped like a new Lortone tumbler. way to go alikat
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Jan 31, 2018 20:29:02 GMT -5
Ah, you just posted them. Polish achieved. Look them over and try to remember and photograph the polish and roll them till Saturday and compare. You can damage the polish if you run the barrel less full so be sure to not change anything or add fresh polish. Fresh polish will set you back, it gets smaller day after day.
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Post by aDave on Jan 31, 2018 20:49:15 GMT -5
Thank you Dave that helps a ton! These came from the rockshed and I noticed fractures in them after course, and some have worsened. Some have come out better than I thought. I don't see any apparant bruising, atleast on these 3. I do need plastic pellets and will be ordering some. I'll let them run till Sunday as now on Saturday I'm taking a day trip to Area 54🤗 Do you run them thru a burnishing stage after? I have not run any bots from the Rockshed, so I can't comment on the rough. I was extremely happy with what I got from rocktumbler.com, and that is why I'm trying to find out what they think about their current stock. Not saying that Shawn's stuff is sub-par, I've just had good luck from the other source. As far as burnishing, I actually do it before and after my polish stage. Whether or not it's overkill, I burnish with Borax before polish to help to try to clean any remaining grit from any imperfections before the polish stage. Keep in mind that I have plastic pellets in the batch to help to try to clean stuff. Granted, I usually look to tumble stuff that has no imperfections, and a cleaning before polish might not be needed, but there are some rocks that I move through that are not absolutely "perfect." Sometimes, the rough is not the best, and I have to cut my losses with some material. I am like you in that I work with a rotary through all stages. So, in that sense, I'll help where I can. If you have questions that you want to address off the board, please don't hesitate to send me a PM. If the board works for you to get overall input, that's great too. Best regards. Dave
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Post by MsAli on Jan 31, 2018 21:00:32 GMT -5
Thank you Dave that helps a ton! These came from the rockshed and I noticed fractures in them after course, and some have worsened. Some have come out better than I thought. I don't see any apparant bruising, atleast on these 3. I do need plastic pellets and will be ordering some. I'll let them run till Sunday as now on Saturday I'm taking a day trip to Area 54🤗 Do you run them thru a burnishing stage after? I have not run any bots from the Rockshed, so I can't comment on the rough. I was extremely happy with what I got from rocktumbler.com, and that is why I'm trying to find out what they think about their current stock. Not saying that Shawn's stuff is sub-par, I've just had good luck from the other source. As far as burnishing, I actually do it before and after my polish stage. Whether or not it's overkill, I burnish with Borax before polish to help to try to clean any remaining grit from any imperfections before the polish stage. Keep in mind that I have plastic pellets in the batch to help to try to clean stuff. Granted, I usually look to tumble stuff that has no imperfections, and a cleaning before polish might not be needed, but there are some rocks that I move through that are not absolutely "perfect." Sometimes, the rough is not the best, and I have to cut my losses with some material. I am like you in that I work with a rotary through all stages. So, in that sense, I'll help where I can. If you have questions that you want to address off the board, please don't hesitate to send me a PM. If the board works for you to get overall input, that's great too. Best regards. Dave I don't know enough about Botswana's to know what is sub-par or not-I really like the rockshed, but will try some from rocktumbler if you get the information. It would be nice to compare. Do you have the pellets separate for each stage? Sorry if I ask a lot - You have a great way of explaining things
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Post by aDave on Jan 31, 2018 21:25:20 GMT -5
I don't know enough about Botswana's to know what is sub-par or not-I really like the rockshed, but will try some from rocktumbler if you get the information. It would be nice to compare. Do you have the pellets separate for each stage? Sorry if I ask a lot -You have a great way of explaining things I have had good luck with the bots from rocktumbler. That's just me. Not looking to criticize Shawn in any way. As far as plastic pellets, they are devoted to a particular stage, as grit can be (reportedly) embedded in them when they are used. I don't move pellets on in subsequent stages, and they are devoted to a particular stage. So, I have a set of pellets for "medium," "fine," "pre-polish burnish (with Borax)," "polish," and "burnish after polish (with Borax)." This works well for me, and it is not the "end all" to rotary tumbling. Hope that makes sense. In all seriousness, it sounds like you might be getting ready to move up from your Nat Geo tumbler for your work. If it's not a Nat Geo tumbler, I apologize. But, from what I recall, you're working with a pretty small tumbler, and if you can do it financially, I'd highly recommend moving up if you can. I started with a Lortone 45C some time ago to tumble with my son. I'm still on the small scale, but I've done some growing from there. If you have any other questions, please ask. Best regards. Dave
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Post by MsAli on Jan 31, 2018 22:19:41 GMT -5
I have a 3lb Harbor Freight I will be buying a Lortone Rock Tumbler Model 33B-I know it is still just 3lb barrels, but it will give me 3 total to run. And wont take up much more room inside my apartment. Makes total sense about the pellets and burnishing ; )
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Post by aDave on Jan 31, 2018 23:27:06 GMT -5
I have a 3lb Harbor Freight I will be buying a Lortone Rock Tumbler Model 33B-I know it is still just 3lb barrels, but it will give me 3 total to run. And wont take up much more room inside my apartment. Makes total sense about the pellets and burnishing ; ) Can I convince you to go another route? The 33B, IMHO, doesn't offer you much more. At a minimum, if you are only looking at one barrel, get a 45C. That's what I started with and quickly outgrew...sort of. I ended up getting a second 45C but then got a QT66. The smaller Lortones, while they might be a great tumbler, still struggle at the coarse stage. If you are looking at a one barrel tumbler, at least get the 45C. And, then, get specific barrels for stages. The larger rotary tumblers do well at the coarse stage. As mentioned, I started with a 45c. When I went to a QT66, I noticed my coarse grinds were much more efficient and grit was completely broken down. It's a size and weight thing. From my QT66, my rock moves to my 45c tumblers to do the finish work. Granted, all of this is contingent on budget, and I was in a good place to expand the way that I did. In my view, a 45c should be the minimum. That's just me. Good luck with whatever you do. Dave
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Post by MsAli on Feb 1, 2018 1:36:16 GMT -5
Now you got me thinking. The 45c would be a better route.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Feb 1, 2018 7:43:36 GMT -5
More tumbling capacity(in small letters)
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Post by MsAli on Feb 1, 2018 8:50:06 GMT -5
😊
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