Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,423
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Post by Wooferhound on Aug 5, 2018 16:39:21 GMT -5
Going to try using 30 SiC Grit in the Rotary Tumbler for awhile. I have been using Bulk SiC that jamesp sold me last December. It had some rather large pebbles in it so I screened it through 1/8 inch hardware cloth to get the bigger pieces out. So the grit was from 1/8 inch and less. I have totally loved this time release grit and always had grit to recover after every week at cleanout in my QT66 Barrels. The bigger 1/8 inch pieces were really tough and would last over 3 weeks before becoming powdered enough to get past my recovery system.
But I only have about 3 more weeks of the bulk grit left and so I decided to get the biggest grit that Kingsey North has to offer. I have seen them selling 16 grit before but don't see it available now. So I got 10 pounds of 30 SiC Grit this time. Looking at it in my fingertips it seems really small compared to the bulk grit, and not much larger than the 46/70 that I had been using most of last year. When I started out I was using lots of 80 SiC grit. Would still like to get access again to the 16 grit that I'd seen before.
So, we will see what Staying Power the 30 grit has and how much I recover after a week in the QT66 ... News at 11:00 . . .
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NRG
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,630
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Post by NRG on Aug 5, 2018 16:45:08 GMT -5
I found 30 grit to cause the most material removal.
I haven't yet tried the bulk goods. But in my homemade tumbler with 6" barrels, the 30 grit lasted only 3 days, but completely shaped many stone's in just a week or three.
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nchillbilly
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2018
Posts: 212
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Post by nchillbilly on Aug 5, 2018 17:13:34 GMT -5
I've been using 36 grit sic in a thumbler model b with rhyolite and a lortone qt6 with noreena jasper. The grit breaks down to powder in 5-6 days, but it seems the shaping is taking longer than it should. 36 grit is the most coarse grit that I have tried.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,423
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Post by Wooferhound on Aug 5, 2018 18:14:15 GMT -5
In my mind, I want some SiC that is large like Sand, not sure how big that is ?
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quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
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Post by quartz on Aug 5, 2018 22:08:11 GMT -5
I've found 16 grit doesn't break down as well or cut rock as fast in my 8" octagonal roughing barrel as it works in the 12" barrel. 80 works in the 8", and I want to try 36. Don't know, but I'd suspect it has to do with the weight of things rolling around in there, more mass in the larger barrel makes the grit work better.
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Aug 6, 2018 9:44:12 GMT -5
I have been using 30 grit for about 2 years now in my rotaries. I do believe it is the most aggressive grit I've tried. I have had some trouble getting the 30 to completely break down in my QT12/66. I do tend to overfill my barrels slightly which may be the cause. To offset this I keep the slurry from week to week adjusting volume and thickness. Seems to help.
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