lthornton
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2019
Posts: 19
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Post by lthornton on Sept 17, 2019 10:46:56 GMT -5
I am about 19 hours in on Step 1 (SC 120/220 - 1T borax and 2T grit). Can you look at this video and tell me if the slurry and amount in the barrel look okay? Been running this tumbler for about 5 weeks and I am just astounded by the amount of 'barrel' I get in every load. I just now rinsed the ceramic media that was stuck to the top (am I too full?). The picture below shows how much of the barrel was just in that little bit. I can see a lot more stuck to everything in the barrel. It just seems excessive. Am I doing something wrong?
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lthornton
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2019
Posts: 19
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Post by lthornton on Sept 17, 2019 10:49:32 GMT -5
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braat
spending too much on rocks
Member since December 2016
Posts: 350
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Post by braat on Sept 17, 2019 11:24:56 GMT -5
I'm no expert as I've only got 8 months experience with the UV10 but the action looks good to me...it's about the same as what I get in mine. I also get the same black bowl filings as you and I'm only doing pre polish and polish stages in it. Hard to tell in the short video but to me it looks like some of the rocks aren't coated with slurry? if that's the case I'd be adding another spoon of borax and a little more water to maintain the same action. Again not an expert but that's what I'm thinking...
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lthornton
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2019
Posts: 19
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Post by lthornton on Sept 17, 2019 12:35:26 GMT -5
I'm no expert as I've only got 8 months experience with the UV10 but the action looks good to me...it's about the same as what I get in mine. I also get the same black bowl filings as you and I'm only doing pre polish and polish stages in it. Hard to tell in the short video but to me it looks like some of the rocks aren't coated with slurry? if that's the case I'd be adding another spoon of borax and a little more water to maintain the same action. Again not an expert but that's what I'm thinking... All of the rocks are coated; however I will have to remember the tip about adding borax and water to keep things moving. In the past, I've only sprayed water on it to get things moving, which has always resulted in too much water without much increase in action. Next time, I will add a little more borax first - great tip.
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Post by aDave on Sept 17, 2019 13:07:39 GMT -5
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Post by As I in does tries! on Sept 17, 2019 13:35:50 GMT -5
Greetings [lthornton] the black plastic specks are normal with a UV-10, it is your plastic bowl breaking down!
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Post by Lapidaryrough / Jack Cole on Sept 17, 2019 15:48:31 GMT -5
to much water and grit in with the stone. less then a OZ. of water in 10 lb. size barrel or larger.
I use a VSV-45 vibra tumbler. i load the barrel spray the rocks while barrel is running. wet rocks a light coating.
Add about 2 table spoons of grit. ( i only use 220 grit or finer in the vibra tumbler. Rotary tumbles i use for the coarse of rough cut run. ( I add broken silica grinding whee3l chucks in the load, for the filler and longer life of fast cutting. the tumbler i use, i run 50 - 70 lbs. in a rotary running 16 RPM.
The heat add fiction of the dryer paste cuts the rock faster. after a hour or so. spray a coat of water on rocks.
Ears know when to add water.
Use less ceramics in load.
Space for rocks of all sizes.
consider using a rotary for the roughing down the stones.
sort out the load in rotary, For the vibra tumbler.
I run fire agates in a rotary, then sort the load for carving or on too the vibe-tumber for polish run.
As for the barrels mine are $220.00 apiece for vsv-45.
Smile they wont get cheaper. Rotary's cut down on ware, on the vibra tumblers.
Jack in Oregon.
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Post by As I in does tries! on Sept 17, 2019 16:36:33 GMT -5
Greetings Jack, don't you mean the Diamond Pacific VSV-50 Vibra-Sonic with the 50lb hopper!? I have a pair of the original Viking Vibra-Sonic's with a pair of 6lb hoppers and now a pair of 14lb hoppers! Not exactly a Thumlers Ultra Vibe 10 Industrial! Yes I agree for vibratory machines everyone should use at least 220 fixed grit or higher (finer)!
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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 Sept 18, 2019 18:21:47 GMT -5
Hi lthornton -
The slurry in your UV10 looks okay to me. It will thicken as the stage processes.
Jack - How exactly does the comment "heat shortens the process" work"? My first thought is that It would just dry out the grit and limit it's ability to spread over all the stones and their parts. I would worry about heat causing cracks, chips, etc. and marring up the finish.
I probably go a little thinner with my slurry than I have to but I don't worry if I haven't checked the slurry mix on time and run an hour or two over. At night before I go to bed, I make sure the slurry is a little on the thin side, knowing that by morning it will have thickened and everything will be fine.
I'm running a UV15 with ceramic pellets as filler and load to about an inch below the center post. I super wash between every stage. I start with 120-220 for stage one. It appears that I could get away with less grit and polish but I'm very happy with my results now. My rotaries do the heavy lifting, shaping, etc.
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