braat
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 350
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Post by braat on Jan 2, 2019 13:58:46 GMT -5
I'm pretty close to going to the vibe side ... found a local Thumler dealer where I can get the UV10 (industrial blue band one). Before I order I'm wondering if there are any "must haves" when going vibe? I'm currently all rotary (Thumler AR12, Thumler AR2 and Lortone 3A) and the plan would be to use my total rotary capacity of 21 lbs for rough tumbling and the UV10 for stages 2 to 4. I've been skipping stage 2 (220) for a year or so now as I couldn't see that it made a difference in the final shine but with the vibe I think I'd try the stage 2 again and see what happens. Anyways i'm mainly wondering if dedicated vibe bowls for each stage are essential or is the one bowl good enough? Also is there anything else I should be thinking about ordering? All comments welcome... thanks...
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Jan 2, 2019 14:41:57 GMT -5
I'm pretty close to going to the vibe side ... found a local Thumler dealer where I can get the UV10 (industrial blue band one). Before I order I'm wondering if there are any "must haves" when going vibe? I'm currently all rotary (Thumler AR12, Thumler AR2 and Lortone 3A) and the plan would be to use my total rotary capacity of 21 lbs for rough tumbling and the UV10 for stages 2 to 4. I've been skipping stage 2 (220) for a year or so now as I couldn't see that it made a difference in the final shine but with the vibe I think I'd try the stage 2 again and see what happens. Anyways i'm mainly wondering if dedicated vibe bowls for each stage are essential or is the one bowl good enough? Also is there anything else I should be thinking about ordering? All comments welcome... thanks... It's been my experience that starting out with 120/220 in the vibe after having either pre-formed or rotary tumbled rough, will give you the best results. Also, I swear by the use of ceramic media in all stages........I've tried damn near everything else and ceramics work the best, hands down in a bowl vibe.....!........There will be an initial cost investment, but they can be carried over through all grinding cycles, polishing stages will require their own.
Also suggest that you dedicate separate bowls for grinding and polishing........using one for all cycles 120/220 thru 800, then using one for all pre-polish and polish applications.........dedicate separate batches of ceramics for grinding 120/220 thru 600, and pre-polish/polish......I've found that using the same ceramics pre-polish and polish stages work well, but if you're nervous about the polish stage just use a separate batch for that stage.
Another aspect of bowl vibe application is monitoring.......the first few hours will take babysitting.....after you get a good slurry established, then checking for moisture and rotation every 4 to 5 hours will help......make sure your bowl is at near capacity with at least 1/3 filler (ceramics), a full bowl makes for a better rotating action......thus a quicker and more effective grinding/polishing environment.....and a more appealing final result.
Happy Vibing.......patience and practice will be the keys to success......!
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hnhstngs
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since September 2018
Posts: 93
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Post by hnhstngs on Jan 3, 2019 9:35:15 GMT -5
An alternative to ceramics is quartz aquarium pebbles. I use a mix of both them and ceramics (large size) and get good movement and results in my UV-3. I know jamesp has also espoused AO grits in vibes as opposed to SiC.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Jan 3, 2019 13:54:03 GMT -5
An alternative to ceramics is quartz aquarium pebbles. I use a mix of both them and ceramics (large size) and get good movement and results in my UV-3. I know jamesp has also espoused AO grits in vibes as opposed to SiC. It makes good sense to use silicon carbide in the rotary and aluminum oxide in the vibe. Not mandatory though. Rotary + SiC is best for shaping. Vibe + aluminum oxide is excellent for finish steps. The vibe is about useless for shaping but is excellent for finishing. AO is also useless for shaping but excellent for finishing. The rotary will finish but it just takes longer than a vibe. Most use AO for rotary finishing. Even coarse AO 22 or AO 80 will not do any noticeable shaping in a rotary or a vibe. Been there done that. That is a job for SiC. One may question the range of hardness that aluminum oxide will finish to polish ? I get fine polishes with glass ranging from soda glass at Mohs 4.5 to Pyrex glass at Mohs 6.0 using a vibe and steps of AO.(soft material) And almandine garnets at Mohs 7.5 and hard coral and Montana agate.(some of the hardest materials) That range of hardness is acceptable to my needs. By the way quartz pea gravel is Mohs 7 and most ceramic media is Mohs 8 to 8.5. They will both break down SiC and AO as media in the vibe. The pea gravel is softer and reaches polish for target stones in the vibe faster for me.
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braat
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 350
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Post by braat on Jan 6, 2019 14:03:06 GMT -5
Thanks for the responses ...I think I'll order an extra bowl as suggested by pizzano. As for media I'm going to continue with the quartz pea gravel I've been using...I'm happy with the rotary results so unless vibe results say otherwise I'll stick with the pea gravel.
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braat
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 350
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Post by braat on Jan 25, 2019 13:21:47 GMT -5
Finally ordered the UV10 with an extra barrel. Also ordered some Tiger Eye and Mookaite rocks to spice things up so we'll see how they turn out when I get to them. My first couple UV10 batches I plan to tumble local finds to compare results with previous rotary tumbles. I'm looking forward to the vibe experience and at the same trying to keep expectations down...
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victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,978
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Post by victor1941 on Jan 25, 2019 14:51:28 GMT -5
Braat, I use a UV-18 thumbler vibe for both jasper and agate preform cabs and small slabs with good results. My method includes one or two cycles of 120/220SiC-2 days, 500AO-2 days, 1000AO-2 days, add tripoli to 1000AO after 2 days for 1 more day and then polish for 3 days in a dedicated bowl. I also add borax to all stages. I check for remaining scratches on the 120/220SiC to see if I need to repeat step one before I continue with the other steps. Be careful with any material that is soft and/or undercuts and check carefully during the SiC cycle. Watch the mookite carefully if it is not of equal hardness.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jan 25, 2019 16:01:04 GMT -5
In support of vibe tumlers I would not say "useless for shaping" but rather "very useful for maintaining shapes". For final polish try a very fine aluminum oxide like the Rapid Polish (,3 micron) or similar. I ran 220 for 2 days, generally repeated with fresh grit. 2 days 600. .3 micron aluminum checking daily until satisfied. Washed between 600 and polish and after polish with a little Tide and enough water for washcycle. All other steps just enough water to dampen mix and keep everything rolling.
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gatorflash1
spending too much on rocks
Active in Delaware Mineralogical Society, Cabchon Grinding and Polishing, 2 Thumlers B's and a UV-18
Member since October 2018
Posts: 375
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Post by gatorflash1 on Jan 29, 2019 14:39:13 GMT -5
Braat, I use a UV-18 thumbler vibe for both jasper and agate preform cabs and small slabs with good results. My method includes one or two cycles of 120/220SiC-2 days, 500AO-2 days, 1000AO-2 days, add tripoli to 1000AO after 2 days for 1 more day and then polish for 3 days in a dedicated bowl. I also add borax to all stages. I check for remaining scratches on the 120/220SiC to see if I need to repeat step one before I continue with the other steps. Be careful with any material that is soft and/or undercuts and check carefully during the SiC cycle. Watch the mookite carefully if it is not of equal hardness. Thanks for the great info. Do you have any problem with bowl wear using the 120 SIC? How long have you had your UV-10? Is it impossible or very hard to clean out the bowl so that it can be used for polishing?
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victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,978
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Post by victor1941 on Jan 29, 2019 15:32:52 GMT -5
Gatorflash1, most of the wear comes during the initial abrasive use and does wear the bowl away in the bottom. I have purchased 3 bowls in the 4+ years I have used the vibe for polishing. My material is shaped on a coarse 60 grit flat lap and the top and bottom edges are shaped to remove chips. The bottom is smoothed, if necessary, to remove deep saw marks and then placed in the vibe. Some softer material needs one grit cycle to remove the scratches and harder agate takes two grinds. It is possible to clean the bowl between cycles but also clean the top, sealing washer, gear washer, nut, and threaded center rod. Make sure that all grit is removed from your material between cycles so you do not contaminate the next step.
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gatorflash1
spending too much on rocks
Active in Delaware Mineralogical Society, Cabchon Grinding and Polishing, 2 Thumlers B's and a UV-18
Member since October 2018
Posts: 375
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Post by gatorflash1 on Feb 1, 2019 10:00:40 GMT -5
Misunderstood - Thanks for the info.
I'm on the cusp of getting a UV-18. I'm very careful when cleaning things after a cycle. There is no sense ruining the next stage just because you didn't clean well and there is a bit of old courser grit left in the barrel or bowl or lid/top, etc.
Braat - Is it better to skip the 120 grit and go straight to the 220 SiC? I use 60 SiC in my rotary for forming and I am thinking that after a 10 day session in my TT Mod B it has probably broken down to about 120 or finer grit so repeating this 120 grit may not be necessary. I'm working with agates, etc. in the Mohs 7 range.
Thanks again to all for the good info.
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braat
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 350
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Post by braat on Feb 1, 2019 12:26:14 GMT -5
Braat - Is it better to skip the 120 grit and go straight to the 220 SiC? I use 60 SiC in my rotary for forming and I am thinking that after a 10 day session in my TT Mod B it has probably broken down to about 120 or finer grit so repeating this 120 grit may not be necessary. I'm working with agates, etc. in the Mohs 7 range. Thanks again to all for the good info. Makes sense to me, I'd say try it (skip the 120 grit) and see what happens...
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