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Post by rockjunquie on May 15, 2019 18:54:09 GMT -5
Which is the best one and where is the best place to buy? I know there is a ton of stuff to know- lucky for me, I belong to rock tumbling hobby! LOL! Seriously, I just want to know where to start looking. Haven't really made up my mind yet. I am considering it for tumbling smalls for jewelry.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 15, 2019 19:03:19 GMT -5
I have a mini sonic and a lot-o and prefer the lot-o of those two. Glad to hear you are going to give tumbling a whirl. I have never tried tumbling jewelry in a vibe. I always use a dedicated rotary barrel and stainless shot for that. Have you heard a vibe will be better for jewelry?
While I highly recommend a loto I will warn that the initial setup is more difficult. The loto needs to be mounted to a 40 pound cement block to keep the vibrations correct. There are several detailed posts on here about mounting methods,
Chuck
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Post by Pat on May 15, 2019 19:11:39 GMT -5
I have a small vibratory tumbler. I use it for tumbling jewelry; polishes the metal findings, doesn't hurt Swarovski crystal beads. I fill it with various shaped steel shot, and just enough water to be visible from the top, but not covering the top of the shot. Add one drop of Dawn liquid detergent, flip that switch, and let her roll!
Does an excellent job. I think it is the mini-sonic mentioned above. It has a white body and red cap. Bowl is thick black rubber. I'll look next time I am in the same room.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on May 15, 2019 19:47:56 GMT -5
I bought a vibrating tumbler used for reloading after I read a thread on Orchid years ago. It works just fine. They're a whole lot cheaper and they do the same job.
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Post by Pat on May 15, 2019 19:48:39 GMT -5
OOPS! Mine is a Micro-sonic KG-1. Does a good job.
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Post by grumpybill on May 15, 2019 19:50:03 GMT -5
There's a Lot-O advertised as "unused" on eBay with a current high bid of $100.
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Post by aDave on May 15, 2019 19:57:59 GMT -5
There's a Lot-O advertised as "unused" on eBay with a current high bid of $100. Tela rockjunquie, look for this. Maybe grumpybill can get you a link. I was an all-rotary tumbler until February of this year. Without knowing anything about other vibes, I'd still say get a Lot-O. I've seen nothing that would convince me that another vibe was "better," but the Lot-O seems to be a good unit and pretty brainless after you get through the learning curve. That's just me. Funny you ask, as I'm thinking about throwing out a question related to the polish stage. However, as a formerly rotary die-hard, I've got no regrets about the Lot-O.
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Post by rockjunquie on May 15, 2019 20:02:21 GMT -5
I have a mini sonic and a lot-o and prefer the lot-o of those two. Glad to hear you are going to give tumbling a whirl. I have never tried tumbling jewelry in a vibe. I always use a dedicated rotary barrel and stainless shot for that. Have you heard a vibe will be better for jewelry? While I highly recommend a loto I will warn that the initial setup is more difficult. The loto needs to be mounted to a 40 pound cement block to keep the vibrations correct. There are several detailed posts on here about mounting methods, Chuck Sorry, Chuck. I should have been more clear. I want to tumble small stones for pendants and earrings. I have a drill now. I was hoping to shape and tumble polish. BikerRandy did quickie jewelry with a vibrating tumbler and it was really impressive.
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Post by rockjunquie on May 15, 2019 20:09:35 GMT -5
There's a Lot-O advertised as "unused" on eBay with a current high bid of $100. Tela rockjunquie , look for this. Maybe grumpybill can get you a link. I was an all-rotary tumbler until February of this year. Without knowing anything about other vibes, I'd still say get a Lot-O. I've seen nothing that would convince me that another vibe was "better," but the Lot-O seems to be a good unit and pretty brainless after you get through the learning curve. That's just me. Funny you ask, as I'm thinking about throwing out a question related to the polish stage. However, as a formerly rotary die-hard, I've got no regrets about the Lot-O. I hope so because I can't find any auctions other than BIN. Man, I didn't know they were so expensive! It will have to wait a few months.
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Post by rockjunquie on May 15, 2019 20:20:54 GMT -5
OK looking around the web, I see them reasonably priced. Whew. Sticker shock at ebay.
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Post by rockjunquie on May 15, 2019 20:30:25 GMT -5
The Rock Shed looks good and good shipping rates, too.
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Post by aDave on May 15, 2019 22:10:38 GMT -5
The Rock Shed looks good and good shipping rates, too. a I agree. After grumpybill made mention about an Ebay auction, I looked. Couldn't find it, but I was amazed at the auctions I found with excessively overpriced auctions for the tumbler. Best price, all the way around will come from the Rock Shed. Period.
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Post by rockjunquie on May 15, 2019 22:32:23 GMT -5
The Rock Shed looks good and good shipping rates, too. a I agree. After grumpybill made mention about an Ebay auction, I looked. Couldn't find it, but I was amazed at the auctions I found with excessively overpriced auctions for the tumbler. Best price, all the way around will come from the Rock Shed. Period. Yeah, those ebay prices were giving me sticker shock!
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Post by oregon on May 15, 2019 23:26:44 GMT -5
Yeah, those ebay prices were giving me sticker shock! Lots of folks just flipping items with a markup on ebay these days, no longer a 'garage sale only' place. But the occasional deals do occasionally pop up
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Post by Garage Rocker on May 16, 2019 0:19:17 GMT -5
I have a whole Tupperware full of small (tiny) tumbles. It's my favorite collection, like a running history of all the material I've tumbled, in the miniature. The Lot-O has been my sole vibratory experience, so that's all I know, but I've always been tickled with the results.
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on May 16, 2019 1:43:44 GMT -5
I have a Lot-O & use it to finish cabs, and to burnish sterling jewelry. I love the Lot-O. It uses very little grit. The bowl looks like it will never wear through. It must be 1/4 - 1/2" thick. Lynn
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Post by Rockindad on May 16, 2019 6:00:46 GMT -5
We have a Thumler's UV-10 and love it. Chose it over the Lot-o mostly for capacity reasons. Thumler's also has a smaller version that is about the same capacity of the Lot-o and also some much larger ones as well. There have been some rumblings on here about possible slipping quality with the Lot-o but I do not know how prevalent that is. Tommy recently had an issue with his and they took care of him even though technically he was out of warranty. We have been thinking about adding another vibe but do not need another UV-10 so will probably get a Lot-o largely based on the positive reviews of their customer support I've seen on here. Probably cannot go wrong either way. Al
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Post by grumpybill on May 16, 2019 6:21:12 GMT -5
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Post by grumpybill on May 16, 2019 6:33:37 GMT -5
Yeah, those ebay prices were giving me sticker shock! Lots of folks just flipping items with a markup on ebay these days, no longer a 'garage sale only' place. But the occasional deals do occasionally pop up Agree completely that there are too many flippers trying to make quick bucks on eBay...especially with anything rock-related. Even worse are people who try to make money with outrageous shipping charges. Also agree that there are a few good deals to be had if you watch closely enough.
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Post by rockjunquie on May 16, 2019 7:14:39 GMT -5
That's crazy. A new one with an extra grit package at the Rock Shed comes in at about 250 with shipping.
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