waterboysh
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 369
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Post by waterboysh on Jul 30, 2022 13:59:52 GMT -5
I've been tumbling for about a year now. I started with a 33b and now I have a 33a and QT6 as well. Something that I've noticed is that rocks in the smaller barrels tend to be more beat up. With some harder rocks, like most agates, I won't see a difference. But I'm my current batch of jaspers, I have some (I think) desert Jasper that seems to fracture the same way as the quartz I've tumbled before and leaves little indentations in the rock.
I had moved all the jaspers I'm currently running to the 3lb barrels so I could fill the 6lb up with some bigger rocks. I'm filling them to the right level witha mixture of sizes, and somehow they are coming out worse.
I'm thinking the faster rotation speed of the 3 lb barrel might need to blame. The 6lb barrel grinds away faster and seems less likely to break what's inside.
Curious if others have experienced this.
EDIT: This is entirely just for running coarse btw.
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Post by pauls on Jul 30, 2022 18:22:33 GMT -5
The speed would be a big factor in your chipping problems, the rocks need to slide rather than get to the top and fall. Slurry too sticky can do it as well. The best way to cure the falling is to put more rocks in.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,423
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Post by Wooferhound on Jul 31, 2022 6:22:23 GMT -5
EDIT: This is entirely just for running coarse btw.
Hmmmmm
I have the opposite experience with my Lortone 3A and QT66 The 3A seems to be more gentle and I use it for Soft Stones and Shells, or even just when I run small loads. The QT66 will chew through rocks and if it is not full enough, it will Chip, Break, Pit, Bruise everything in the barrel.
It is all about Loading the Barrel. When the barrel is 50% full, it will have the most aggressive damaging effects. When I am trying to be Gentle, I will fill the barrel to 80% full and never worry about it. You won't even need Plastic or Ceramic Beads, just fill it with rocks or glass.
It will even be fairly gentle just filling the barrel to 25% full.
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Post by Starguy on Jul 31, 2022 10:43:34 GMT -5
I agree with pauls. More smalls will help. The mix of sizes in the barrel is very important. If the rocks are all the same size, they beat each other up pretty bad.
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