Tommy
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Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,646
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Post by Tommy on Mar 5, 2019 16:56:25 GMT -5
I bought this a while back and I'm just getting into position to use it. I've got a load of flat pieces that I shaped then ran through 200 grit in my old Gemstone tumbler before it broke and now I want to move them on to the Lot-O at 400 grit stage and I don't want to screw this up because there are some nice pieces that will make a really great batch of gifts.
My main question is - do you guys add cushioning material, ceramic etc. to the Lot-O or is there not a need for that now?
Fill it right up to the top, right? half a teaspoon of grit and good to go?
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Post by Garage Rocker on Mar 5, 2019 18:02:07 GMT -5
I bought this a while back and I'm just getting into position to use it. I've got a load of flat pieces that I shaped then ran through 200 grit in my old Gemstone tumbler before it broke and now I want to move them on to the Lot-O at 400 grit stage and I don't want to screw this up because there are some nice pieces that will make a really great batch of gifts. My main question is - do you guys add cushioning material, ceramic etc. to the Lot-O or is there not a need for that now? Fill it right up to the top, right? half a teaspoon of grit and good to go? Tommy, you'll definitely want ceramic filler in the barrel. With the flat pre-forms, you'll want at least 1/3 ceramic. That's the best way to get those flat surfaces shined up. Some folks have luck with small pea gravel as a filler, but it would be best if already run through a few cycles to round it off. Your measurements look good though, fill it up and 1/2 teaspoon.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Mar 5, 2019 18:04:32 GMT -5
If you are tumbling mostly flats or preforms I would suggest a minimum of 50% volume be ceramic filler. If you do not add enough the flats will stick together while tumbling. There will also not be enough contact area for the grit and polish to work without it.
I have never used 400 grit in a tumbler but yes I use 1/2 teaspoon of 500 S/C and add 1 tablespoon of borax.
Fill to the point where the radius of the bowl meets the vertical neck.
Add rocks, ceramic filler and some water then turn the barrel upside down with your hand under it and let all the water drain out. That is the proper starting amount of water. After that add the grit and borax.
The lids are notorious for falling off and if it does the load will dry up in a hurry. A bungee or rubber bands can be used to hold it on. The nub on the bottom of the barrel can be used for the rubber band to loop around then go over the barrel and attach to that nub again.
EDIT: Randy beat me to it. 1/3 filler may be enough if there are some normal rocks in the mix but if all cabs or all flats I go at least 50%. I have used ceramics since day one so I have zero experience with pea gravel.
Chuck
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Post by orrum on Mar 5, 2019 18:55:22 GMT -5
Tommy there will be a liss ratio. Not all preforms will come out good. I put all hardnesses in and get some out that are matte or satin or undercut. But hey some of those are pretty nice and sell good. Some get recur by hand but some end up in the tumble bowl for sale as tumbles you stuff the little bag for a dollar.
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Post by orrum on Mar 5, 2019 18:56:05 GMT -5
Not liss but loss.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Mar 5, 2019 19:22:37 GMT -5
Congrats on the Lot-O, Tommy. I think Chuck and Randy have you covered on advice.
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,646
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Post by Tommy on Mar 5, 2019 19:25:50 GMT -5
Thank you Chuck and Randy for the excellent information. I'm up and going now so I'll try to let you know how it turns out. orrum this is actually a major upgrade for me from the old Gemstone vibe unit I've been struggling with for a few years so hopefully I will see diminished losses and a few more rocks that look like I actually knew what I was doing I give all of these away as gifts in my Etsy shop unless there is a piece exceptional enough to be drilled and sold as a pendant.
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Post by aDave on Mar 5, 2019 20:41:03 GMT -5
Tommy, don't mean to hijack, but Chuck's reply has prompted a question. Drummond Island Rocks, I noticed you mentioned using 500 SiC. I seem to recall the "standard" Lot-O recipe mentioning the use of 500 AO. Have you used both? Any significant difference between the two? Thanks.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Mar 5, 2019 20:50:11 GMT -5
Good catch aDave. Yes I do use 500 A/O now for the second loto stage. Back when I started rotary tumbling I used the S/C but when I got the loto Shawn at the rockshed switched me over to A/O. I had originally typed that post above thinking the O.P. Was starting at the normal stage of 220 so I had S/C there and forgot to correct it. Chuck
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Post by aDave on Mar 5, 2019 21:08:38 GMT -5
Good catch aDave . Yes I do use 500 A/O now for the second loto stage. Back when I started rotary tumbling I used the S/C but when I got the loto Shawn at the rockshed switched me over to A/O. I had originally typed that post above thinking the O.P. Was starting at the normal stage of 220 so I had S/C there and forgot to correct it. Chuck Thanks Chuck. That certainly wasn't meant to be a "gotcha" of any sort. I was wondering if you had changed things up at all for different results.
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Post by grumpybill on Mar 6, 2019 7:50:28 GMT -5
To add a bit of recent experience to the off topic discussion: When the local rock shop was closing out its polishing supplies, I bought all of the remaining stock, which included several bags of graded 600 Silicon Carbide.
It has been sitting here unopened for over a year, so I tried it in my last Lot-O run. It seemed to "cut" more than 500 Aluminum Oxide. The slurry needed more attention/spritzing and there was a slight, but noticeable, volume loss. I let it run a little longer than I would have with 500 AO, then went straight to polish. (I only do a 1000 cycle with glass/obsidian.) There was no noticeable difference on the finished stones.
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,646
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Post by Tommy on Mar 6, 2019 12:32:40 GMT -5
I have never used 400 grit in a tumbler but yes I use 1/2 teaspoon of 500 S/C and add 1 tablespoon of borax. Thanks again Chuck. The 400 was just a habit that I developed with my old vibe tumbler - and this batch was started in that tumbler so... The other thing is I've never had any 500 AO here. My usual recipe was always to go with SiC 120/200, 400, and 600, then AO polish to finish. Could be why I always got 'just OK' results - I have never really achieved an eye popping shine since my early attempts in a rotary tumbler. When I get through this batch(s) and actually start a new one from scratch I'll research it and try to follow one of your tried and true recipes and see if things improve for me.
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Post by orrum on Mar 7, 2019 6:28:37 GMT -5
I use 220 sc, 500 sc, 1000 ao, rockshed polish, no burnish. Liquid wet shine.
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