Hi from eastern US-need advice for accident prone hobbyist
Mar 17, 2019 15:30:06 GMT -5
TheRock likes this
Post by mineralmisfit on Mar 17, 2019 15:30:06 GMT -5
Hello all,
I have a history of breaking tumblers (Thumler B) and vibratory polishers (Raytechs - 2 of them). The motors tend to burn out on the tumblers, I think I cooked 2 of them; and the Raytechs as well... although with the Raytechs, the first thing to go are the lids where I either overtighten the screw or undertighten and the media/moisture ends up on the outside. The hole where the shaft goes through ends up wearing even wider, ruining the lid, and shortly afterwards I wake up the next day and the motor is just humming and no longer vibrating. I've ruined probably $1,000 worth of equipment just trying to smooth some rocks I find around my property.
I'm looking for something an impatient newbie can use that doesn't require dust-free conditions to keep the motor clean, nor something that needs a lot of maintenance. I am disappointed that I am buying what appears to be the better quality tumbler or vibratory polishers, yet they seem to be fickle/delicate. The vibratory polisher (Raytech) that I spent $300 on lasted no longer than the under-$100 version I bought at Harbor Freight when I first started experimenting with something other than the tumblers.
I admit to not being very handy, but I have always been attracted to gemology/geology, even though I have very little experience with keeping a machine working long enough to get a batch of rocks from beginning to the very end (fully polished stage.) Perhaps I throw in a rock that is too large, or underfill with rocks, water etc.
Seeking advice on whether I should purchase a cabbing machine and just give up with less-expensive tumblers and vibratory polishers. I've always been interested in collecting rocks, so spending more on a more robust machine isn't a big deal if I can reasonably expect it to last longer than a year (looking at Amazon, I'm buying a new one almost every year.)
If it matters for what type of equipment folks would recommend: I'm probably not going to make any jewelry, since I don't have that type of attention-to-detail and plus it looks like I would need a lot of other equipment. I'm happy using a cheap tile saw to make some basic shapes and then polishing or smoothing edges. I have very hard minerals/rocks on my property, and diamond-crusted blades and drill bits even are having a hard time cutting some of the stones I've found. I think I have a lot of magnetite and rose quartz, along with granite-like (ooids?/concretions)... all of the polishing and tumbling time estimates I normally read about have to be doubled for my rocks.
So, would you all recommend I invest in a slant cabbing machine ($600) or a Cabking cabbing machine ($1,500), or something less expensive like a table grinder/polisher etc.? I don't plan on selling anything I make, this is just a hobby and I like to inspire my kids and others with interest in science, but I hate constantly buying new machines, so spending $1,500 on a less-temperamental machine is ok (I have collected rocks on-and-off for more than 30 years).
I know it would be cheaper for me to just buy finished stones, but I enjoy finding my own and I have the free-time, just not the skill or patience it seems to become meticulous with ensuring that I'm keeping these small motors dust-free and properly oiled.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
I have a history of breaking tumblers (Thumler B) and vibratory polishers (Raytechs - 2 of them). The motors tend to burn out on the tumblers, I think I cooked 2 of them; and the Raytechs as well... although with the Raytechs, the first thing to go are the lids where I either overtighten the screw or undertighten and the media/moisture ends up on the outside. The hole where the shaft goes through ends up wearing even wider, ruining the lid, and shortly afterwards I wake up the next day and the motor is just humming and no longer vibrating. I've ruined probably $1,000 worth of equipment just trying to smooth some rocks I find around my property.
I'm looking for something an impatient newbie can use that doesn't require dust-free conditions to keep the motor clean, nor something that needs a lot of maintenance. I am disappointed that I am buying what appears to be the better quality tumbler or vibratory polishers, yet they seem to be fickle/delicate. The vibratory polisher (Raytech) that I spent $300 on lasted no longer than the under-$100 version I bought at Harbor Freight when I first started experimenting with something other than the tumblers.
I admit to not being very handy, but I have always been attracted to gemology/geology, even though I have very little experience with keeping a machine working long enough to get a batch of rocks from beginning to the very end (fully polished stage.) Perhaps I throw in a rock that is too large, or underfill with rocks, water etc.
Seeking advice on whether I should purchase a cabbing machine and just give up with less-expensive tumblers and vibratory polishers. I've always been interested in collecting rocks, so spending more on a more robust machine isn't a big deal if I can reasonably expect it to last longer than a year (looking at Amazon, I'm buying a new one almost every year.)
If it matters for what type of equipment folks would recommend: I'm probably not going to make any jewelry, since I don't have that type of attention-to-detail and plus it looks like I would need a lot of other equipment. I'm happy using a cheap tile saw to make some basic shapes and then polishing or smoothing edges. I have very hard minerals/rocks on my property, and diamond-crusted blades and drill bits even are having a hard time cutting some of the stones I've found. I think I have a lot of magnetite and rose quartz, along with granite-like (ooids?/concretions)... all of the polishing and tumbling time estimates I normally read about have to be doubled for my rocks.
So, would you all recommend I invest in a slant cabbing machine ($600) or a Cabking cabbing machine ($1,500), or something less expensive like a table grinder/polisher etc.? I don't plan on selling anything I make, this is just a hobby and I like to inspire my kids and others with interest in science, but I hate constantly buying new machines, so spending $1,500 on a less-temperamental machine is ok (I have collected rocks on-and-off for more than 30 years).
I know it would be cheaper for me to just buy finished stones, but I enjoy finding my own and I have the free-time, just not the skill or patience it seems to become meticulous with ensuring that I'm keeping these small motors dust-free and properly oiled.
Thanks in advance for any advice.