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Post by grumpybill on Dec 12, 2018 15:32:02 GMT -5
Geez, folks! My parenthetical comment was meant to educate, not any sort of "hate" or "tearing people down". Ill bow out of this thread now and keep my knowledge of masonry products out of all future threads.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 12, 2018 16:46:35 GMT -5
I don't have much to add, but I'll agree with some statements made already. I love my Lot-O. I've never had a problem with it. It's pretty quiet for me. All the winners of the Worldwide Tumbling Competition in recent times have used one. I'd get a single barrel because it's hard enough to keep one filled without having to wait to get two filled. I'd buy from The Rock Shed and would not consider saving a few bucks on eBay. I don't think I'd continue tumbling if someone took my Lot-O away from me.
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
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Post by Tommy on Dec 12, 2018 17:09:20 GMT -5
I don't think I'd continue tumbling if someone took my Lot-O away from me. Boom! Mic drop. Thanks Rob!
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,652
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Post by Tommy on Dec 12, 2018 17:12:54 GMT -5
Geez, folks! My parenthetical comment was meant to educate, not any sort of "hate" or "tearing people down". Ill bow out of this thread now and keep my knowledge of masonry products out of all future threads. I appreciate your input Bill. I also do and will probably forever call them cinder blocks just because that's what I grew up calling them so it's ingrained. The fact that they aren't actually called that is duly noted. I had no idea.
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Post by aDave on Dec 12, 2018 21:11:11 GMT -5
I don't think I'd continue tumbling if someone took my Lot-O away from me. I'm left speechless as it apparently relates to "if you aren't using a vibe, then don't waste your time." There are plenty of folks, myself included, that are totally fine with what comes out at the end of the rotary run. Quite frankly, to use your comment about the worldwide tumbling contest, I won't even think about entering due to the advantage the vibe folks will have. I won't waste my time in the process. You and I have had great conversations about tumbling overall, but I think your post seemingly separates the ones who vibe from those who don't. That's sad, IMHO.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 12, 2018 21:28:09 GMT -5
I don't think I'd continue tumbling if someone took my Lot-O away from me. I'm left speechless as it apparently relates to "if you aren't using a vibe, then don't waste your time." There are plenty of folks, myself included, that are totally fine with what comes out at the end of the rotary run. Quite frankly, to use your comment about the worldwide tumbling contest, I won't even think about entering due to the advantage the vibe folks will have. I won't waste my time in the process. You and I have had great conversations about tumbling overall, but I think your post seemingly separates the ones who vibe from those who don't. That's sad, IMHO. Your rotary rocks can certainly compete with the rocks that come out of a vibe tumbler. I never got to that level with a rotary so I give you a lot of credit for that. Comparing a vibe tumbler and rotary tumbler is like comparing hand tools and power tools though. Both get the job done but if possible I will use the power tool. After running vibe loads for 6 years I am not sure that I could go back to batches taking 4 times longer and using 8 times as much grit regardless of the results. Chuck
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Post by aDave on Dec 12, 2018 21:49:12 GMT -5
Your rotary rocks can certainly compete with the rocks that come out of a vibe tumbler. I never got to that level with a rotary so I give you a lot of credit for that. Comparing a vibe tumbler and rotary tumbler is like comparing hand tools and power tools though. Both get the job done but if possible I will use the power tool. After running vibe loads for 6 years I am not sure that I could go back to batches taking 4 times longer and using 8 times as much grit regardless of the results. Chuck Chuck,thanks for jumping in. Your post added clarity to what Rob Jugglerguy may have been referring to. I, erroneously, and seemingly prematurely thought that Rob (out of character) might have been comparing vibe vs rotary results and time spent to obtain such results. Unfortunately, that was the initial reaction. What I didn't realize was he might have simply been referring to not wanting to spend time with the rotary to get good results. I understand that now, and I sincerely apologize to Rob for chastising him for his post. My initial reaction may have been clearly wrong, and I acknowledge that. Rob, sorry about what I posted.
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Post by Rockoonz on Dec 12, 2018 21:51:21 GMT -5
We have rotary tumblers, a couple Thumler UV10 vibes, and a Lot-o. Rotary units are running almost constantly, the UV 10 units are only used for specialized loads. The Lot-o is still a mystery to us, can only get the loads to a pre-polish level of polish.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Dec 12, 2018 22:53:42 GMT -5
Your rotary rocks can certainly compete with the rocks that come out of a vibe tumbler. I never got to that level with a rotary so I give you a lot of credit for that. Comparing a vibe tumbler and rotary tumbler is like comparing hand tools and power tools though. Both get the job done but if possible I will use the power tool. After running vibe loads for 6 years I am not sure that I could go back to batches taking 4 times longer and using 8 times as much grit regardless of the results. Chuck Chuck,thanks for jumping in. Your post added clarity to what Rob Jugglerguy may have been referring to. I, erroneously, and seemingly prematurely thought that Rob (out of character) might have been comparing vibe vs rotary results and time spent to obtain such results. Unfortunately, that was the initial reaction. What I didn't realize was he might have simply been referring to not wanting to spend time with the rotary to get good results. I understand that now, and I sincerely apologize to Rob for chastising him for his post. My initial reaction may have been clearly wrong, and I acknowledge that. Rob, sorry about what I posted. Often things don’t come across in text the way they’re intended. I meant that I wouldn have the patience to tumble with just a rotary. In a separate thought, I was praising the results of the Lot-O. When I first started tumbling and found this site, I was impressed with rollingstone ‘s tumbles in this thread. I’m just as impressed today. I don’t think I have the skills to get those results with a rotary tumbler, but I can produce rocks like that with a Lot-O. Don’t worry about your comment, I’m not offended.
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Post by aDave on Dec 12, 2018 23:39:26 GMT -5
Often things don’t come across in text the way they’re intended. I meant that I wouldn have the patience to tumble with just a rotary. In a separate thought, I was praising the results of the Lot-O. When I first started tumbling and found this site, I was impressed with rollingstone ‘s tumbles in this thread. I’m just as impressed today. I don’t think I have the skills to get those results with a rotary tumbler, but I can produce rocks like that with a Lot-O. Don’t worry about your comment, I’m not offended. Rob, after Chuck posted, it was very clear what you were referring to. I focused initially with your post on results, but you were clearly referring to time spent AND results...and what you were willing to put into that effort. I'm sorry I attacked you for what was a wrong assumption on my part. Looking at the big picture now, I see what you were referring to. I sincerely apologize.
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Post by johnw on Dec 13, 2018 0:27:49 GMT -5
I don't have much to add, but I'll agree with some statements made already. I love my Lot-O. I've never had a problem with it. It's pretty quiet for me. All the winners of the Worldwide Tumbling Competition in recent times have used one. I'd get a single barrel because it's hard enough to keep one filled without having to wait to get two filled. I'd buy from The Rock Shed and would not consider saving a few bucks on eBay. I don't think I'd continue tumbling if someone took my Lot-O away from me. If anyone took or tried to take MY Lot-O away from me they would suffer the consequences of experiencing "Ching-Chick," which is the sound of a .45 Automatic being primed for firing. There are some things in life that nobody should ever mess with and that is our Rock Tumblers, no matter how humble they may be. Urahhh. Cheers, johnw
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MrCoffee
has rocks in the head
Member since December 2005
Posts: 634
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Post by MrCoffee on Dec 13, 2018 4:57:36 GMT -5
My Lot-O is attached to a 58lb concrete block, sitting on a concrete floor without any rubber mat. Unless I open the lid it runs quieter than my 45C rotary. Awesome, I wish I had the room. I have a bench set-up for my equipment but the vibration with the recommended block that I originally had transitioned through the bench to the wall, to my den and kitchen. The smaller set-up I developed still provides the needed vibration throw back to the tumbler but the vibration gets dissipated beyond the concrete block when it gets absorbed by the rubber spikes on the mat. Before I changed the set-up I could watch my coffee cup walk off my bench due to the vibration, but now it just stays put and there is decidedly less noise in the house, being muted to the extent is does not create an issue. I used the same technique for my Covington set-up. Just another way of doing things and that's what makes this forum awesome. IMHO. Cheers, johnw JohnW: I really like your Lot-O and Covington setup. I added a Thumlers Model B to the collection, and it does OK but runs a bit too slow to my liking. But that Lot-O can really take a beating. I think I ran over 300 pounds of rock through mine, since I purchased it over 10 years ago. It sits on a brick, and it's been that way since new. I am really surprised it hasn't died on me yet, but I'll probably end up having to get another one just as sure as I had to get a new car battery. Some folks may hate on me for this, but I finally dug in and bought a Lortone C-20, a version of the old Scott Murrey machines, which Lortone purchased the designs. I don't regret spending the money one bit. It is a nice, compact unit that can get the job done quickly, and with ease. It's the perfect size for me, and I can use my Covington for the third stage, with the first two being completed by the C-20. And finally, my Lot-O can be reserved for the 600 and polish stages. Someone here mentioned about the inability to achieve a high polish on the Lot-O. You have to run the 150/220 until the load develops a dull shine, and then the 600 until the stones looked like they are polished. And then, you can run Rapid Polish (it's Aluminum Oxide polish) to get them burnished. Unlike others here, I like to clean my agates with a powdered dishwasher detergent such as Cascade. Agate is an igneous rock, which is far harder than glass and just as dense. Cascade was designed specifically for ceramic, stainless steel, and glass cookware and tableware. As such, it will work on any non-porous stone material. Anything like Petoskey stones or other soft semi-porous material would require a totally different polishing method, which involves laborious hand rubbing on cloth and a polishing compound, and you certainly don't want to clean them with anything stronger than Dawn dish soap. This is the kind of stuff you wouldn't want to run through a tumbler anyway, because then you wouldn't have anything left! MrCoffee
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Post by johnw on Dec 13, 2018 11:52:56 GMT -5
JohnW: I really like your Lot-O and Covington setup. I added a Thumlers Model B to the collection, and it does OK but runs a bit too slow to my liking. But that Lot-O can really take a beating. I think I ran over 300 pounds of rock through mine, since I purchased it over 10 years ago. It sits on a brick, and it's been that way since new. I am really surprised it hasn't died on me yet, but I'll probably end up having to get another one just as sure as I had to get a new car battery. Some folks may hate on me for this, but I finally dug in and bought a Lortone C-20, a version of the old Scott Murrey machines, which Lortone purchased the designs. I don't regret spending the money one bit. It is a nice, compact unit that can get the job done quickly, and with ease. It's the perfect size for me, and I can use my Covington for the third stage, with the first two being completed by the C-20. And finally, my Lot-O can be reserved for the 600 and polish stages. Someone here mentioned about the inability to achieve a high polish on the Lot-O. You have to run the 150/220 until the load develops a dull shine, and then the 600 until the stones looked like they are polished. And then, you can run Rapid Polish (it's Aluminum Oxide polish) to get them burnished. Unlike others here, I like to clean my agates with a powdered dishwasher detergent such as Cascade. Agate is an igneous rock, which is far harder than glass and just as dense. Cascade was designed specifically for ceramic, stainless steel, and glass cookware and tableware. As such, it will work on any non-porous stone material. Anything like Petoskey stones or other soft semi-porous material would require a totally different polishing method, which involves laborious hand rubbing on cloth and a polishing compound, and you certainly don't want to clean them with anything stronger than Dawn dish soap. This is the kind of stuff you wouldn't want to run through a tumbler anyway, because then you wouldn't have anything left! MrCoffee Hi Mr. Coffee, good morning to you. Thank's for the compliment. It took some time to get where I am and most of what I learned I got from the RTH Forum, so it's all good stuff. I too had a Thumler model B rotary and UV-18, but traded them in when I decided to run Big Crazy's and got a Diamond Pacific 65T .There is a thread about the saga of me running large lace rocks, (AKA, Big Crazy's) under Big Rock Tumble Progress, it's amusing and informative if you ever decide to run 5-25 pounders. I started with the 65T barrel and have now switched to the smaller 40T barrel, but now must change out the bearing blocks due to a high clicking sound. Not sure if I overloaded the machine at 135 pounds since I was was told by DP I could go as high as 150 pounds of rock without any issues. Well, that did't work. I'll give everyone an update during the change over. I know, I know, too much information going on, but I am enjoying my first cup of coffee and like chatting with other RTH member.................. Let us all know how you do with the C-20. Anyway, that's about it. have a great day, Cheers, johnw
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MrCoffee
has rocks in the head
Member since December 2005
Posts: 634
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Post by MrCoffee on Dec 13, 2018 12:43:02 GMT -5
I have already ran one batch through the C-20. They were Lake Superior agates for a client. They were the smaller size, with plenty of pits. Enough to where they were reduced to half their original size by the time I was able to finish them. But the results were excellent for such a low grade of material, and the client was very happy with the results. I do have some images of the tumbler and barrel if anybody is interested in seeing them.
I am very much sold on these larger machines with the metal octagonal barrels, ball bearings, and heavy induction motors. One thing of note, is that the C-20 has a far higher rate of rotation than the standard Thumler's Model B. Lortone probably does this for better productivity and product turnover compared to their smaller hobbyist units. I don't make enough volume to require their 40 pound size, but I also don't want to do a batch that is less than 20 pounds. So the C-20 is the right size for me.
I forgot to mention: The more well-rounded and smaller stones made the Lot-O's job considerably easier.
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Post by johnw on Dec 13, 2018 18:44:11 GMT -5
I have already ran one batch through the C-20. They were Lake Superior agates for a client. They were the smaller size, with plenty of pits. Enough to where they were reduced to half their original size by the time I was able to finish them. But the results were excellent for such a low grade of material, and the client was very happy with the results. I do have some images of the tumbler and barrel if anybody is interested in seeing them. I am very much sold on these larger machines with the metal octagonal barrels, ball bearings, and heavy induction motors. One thing of note, is that the C-20 has a far higher rate of rotation than the standard Thumler's Model B. Lortone probably does this for better productivity and product turnover compared to their smaller hobbyist units. I don't make enough volume to require their 40 pound size, but I also don't want to do a batch that is less than 20 pounds. So the C-20 is the right size for me. I forgot to mention: The more well-rounded and smaller stones made the Lot-O's job considerably easier. Mr Coffee, if you ever get the urge you can always max out your production to he tune of 130 pounds like I did. ..Its kinda tuff on the back though. Had to build a ramp to maneuver the beast onto the roller but it does good work on Big Crazy's plus 120 pounds of Bahia's and other stuff. BTW, pictures of what you do are always helpful................................ Cheers, johnw
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Tommy
Administrator
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Posts: 12,652
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Post by Tommy on Dec 15, 2018 11:30:34 GMT -5
Just an update -
Thanks everyone who said go with the Rock Shed - I have purchased from them in the past and I like them on certain things. Sorry if this disappoints anyone but I went ahead and ordered it off Ebay at $195 and FREE shipping. I'm not really the type that relies heavily on followup customer service unless something arrives broken, and free shipping is free shipping so ordering off Ebay didn't worry me at all. I'm expecting it to arrive today and I'm thrilled.
As a side note, the Ebay auction for $195.77 with free shipping was changed immediately after my purchase!!! The price went up to $249.99
I think my purchase might have caught them off guard as being too low? Either that or they quickly looked at Amazon and saw that it is $249 there and quickly raised there's. Anyway, I'm happy as a clam on the half shell.
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MrCoffee
has rocks in the head
Member since December 2005
Posts: 634
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Post by MrCoffee on Dec 25, 2018 0:14:25 GMT -5
I have already ran one batch through the C-20. They were Lake Superior agates for a client. They were the smaller size, with plenty of pits. Enough to where they were reduced to half their original size by the time I was able to finish them. But the results were excellent for such a low grade of material, and the client was very happy with the results. I do have some images of the tumbler and barrel if anybody is interested in seeing them. I am very much sold on these larger machines with the metal octagonal barrels, ball bearings, and heavy induction motors. One thing of note, is that the C-20 has a far higher rate of rotation than the standard Thumler's Model B. Lortone probably does this for better productivity and product turnover compared to their smaller hobbyist units. I don't make enough volume to require their 40 pound size, but I also don't want to do a batch that is less than 20 pounds. So the C-20 is the right size for me. I forgot to mention: The more well-rounded and smaller stones made the Lot-O's job considerably easier. Mr Coffee, if you ever get the urge you can always max out your production to he tune of 130 pounds like I did. ..Its kinda tuff on the back though. Had to build a ramp to maneuver the beast onto the roller but it does good work on Big Crazy's plus 120 pounds of Bahia's and other stuff. BTW, pictures of what you do are always helpful................................ Cheers, johnw Maybe if I win the Power Ball Jackpot! LOL
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Post by johnw on Dec 25, 2018 2:08:03 GMT -5
Mr Coffee, if you ever get the urge you can always max out your production to he tune of 130 pounds like I did. ..Its kinda tuff on the back though. Had to build a ramp to maneuver the beast onto the roller but it does good work on Big Crazy's plus 120 pounds of Bahia's and other stuff. BTW, pictures of what you do are always helpful................................ Cheers, johnw Maybe if I win the Power Ball Jackpot! LOL Understood, but just for laughs do the math on how much the your operating cost's would be versus how many "polished Bahia's" you could sell and how long it would take to pay off the 40T. I believe you will be in for a nice surprise. Cheers, johnw
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MrCoffee
has rocks in the head
Member since December 2005
Posts: 634
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Post by MrCoffee on Jan 13, 2019 6:04:22 GMT -5
I'm on my third batch of Lake Superior agates with my C-20. And so far, it has been performing flawlessly. And, in my own opinion, I think I paid the cheapest price I ever did for a piece of lapidary equipment. It keeps going, and going, and going.... Oh, and the results! What comes out of it keeps selling, and selling and selling....
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