ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 27, 2017 11:44:09 GMT -5
Sometimes it just depends on the type of rough and the supplier. Some material offered by vendors is available in different sizes (lakers come to mind), where others just fracture a certain way when impacted.
That said, approximate size should always be stated by a seller, in my opinion. I recently purchased 2 lbs of what I thought would be rough appropriate for tumbling. I ended up getting two large chunks. As a tumbler, I generally prefer material that is golf ball or ping pong ball sized.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 21, 2017 19:25:10 GMT -5
It breaks down anyway . . . why not use the biggest grit ? Yep. SiC 36 eventually quickly becomes 60, 90, 120, 500, etc., and everything in between.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 21, 2017 19:21:50 GMT -5
Right now i'm using SiC 60. But 46/70 and 60/90 serve the same purpose.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 21, 2017 16:40:47 GMT -5
Model B user here. I've always measured by weight, not volume. I recharge grit 2x per week, using one of those red Solo party cups filled approximately 2/3 full (10-13 oz).
In my experience and opinion, the stage one grit measurement doesn't require a strict level of precision. Nowadays, I just eyeball it.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 21, 2017 15:16:59 GMT -5
Were they rough shapes to start or river rounded? Most vibes won't alter shapes so coarse does more harm to bowls than to the rocks. I've used coarse in mini sonics to remove matrix from fire agates etc. but never tried rounding rocks. Everything that goes into the vibe is either rounded in my rotary first, or rounded naturally. The river/ocean-weather rocks did not come out quite as flawlessly, presumably b/c I skipped coarse grind in the rotary. They were already rounded, but slightly more textured. They still took a nice shine, but there were a few more micro-pits on the surface. AO 80 is the largest grit i've ever tried in my Lot-O.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 21, 2017 12:04:55 GMT -5
Great job. I can not finish most rhyolite with my vibe., it frosts it. Mary Ellen on the edge of frosting, and it has hematite that finishes matte. Again, I like tumbling Mohs 7 rocks. Hard glassy agates. Makes everything easier except coarse grind takes longer than softer rocks. Those look like some large rocks. What percent media did you run w/them in the Lot-O ? Great experiment/comparison. I typically stick with 6.5-7, but wanted to see how other things would respond. I didn't snap any pics, but I also had some mahogany obsidian in the batch (which turned out surprisingly well). I went 50/50 with ceramics; Each batch had 2-3 larger stones, with the remainder 1" or smaller. I like this method a lot for the shortened duration and convenience. Just need to make some tweaks with my measurements & ratios. Everything that spent time in the rotary first turned out really nice.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 20, 2017 21:41:59 GMT -5
Coarse grind in rotary - SiC 60 for as long as needed. My standard Lot-O procedure:SiC 120/220 - 1 TBS; 18-24 hours SiC 120/220 - 1 TBS; 18-24 hours SiC 500 - 1/2 tsp; 36-48 hours AO 1000 - 1/2 tsp; 36-48 hours AO 14K - 1/2 tsp; 18-24 hours AO 80 Test: AO 80 - 2 tsp; ~3 days AO 14K - 1/2 tsp; 18 hours The Verdict after two test batches: It works. However, stones that require any additional grinding or material removal may benefit from a protocol that includes SiC 120/220 (no surprise). You may notice from the pics, some micro-pits in the glare. Those aren't normally present after I run my standard process. Additionally, my test batches included some river rock and other pre-rounded material that skipped coarse grind entirely. Those stones didn't come out nearly as flawlessly. To be fair, the issues may be due to my procedure, duration and grit amounts I used. I'll certainly do some more experimenting and tweaking to find optimal performance. Pros: Cost, simplicity, shorter duration Cons: AO 80 may not remove material as effectively as SiC 120/220. Potential accelerated wear on rubber barrel. Here are some pics. My lighting sucks and I haven't mastered iPhone photography yet. Apologies for the quality. 1. What dis? 2. Mary Ellen 3. Some sort of petwood. I believe i got this from Sabre52 . Palm? 4. Mushroom rhyolite and miscellaneous cobble from Peruano .
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 15, 2017 17:46:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the info. Are doubles & triples more or less desirable? I have a few thunder eggs that are lumped together in clusters.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 14, 2017 21:25:42 GMT -5
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 14, 2017 15:06:41 GMT -5
Hi there. I don't know much about thundereggs. What's the difference between the contents of the $85 boxes and the ones you sold a couple weeks ago for $60 and $45? Quality or rarity?
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 13, 2017 21:27:27 GMT -5
60, 80, 46/70, 60/90 SiC....All work fine for coarse grind. Purchase what you can get the best deal on.
You can get 40 lbs of graded 60 SiC on eBay for $77 shipped.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 7, 2017 19:41:45 GMT -5
OK...I only have rotary tumblers, so maybe I don't need to add Borax? I don't suggest it. It may foam and cause gas. Leading to higher pressure and make your lid blow or leak. That's just me. And I do not like foam in my rotary. In any form. I have slightly different viewpoints on borax usage. I don't use it anymore in a vibe or rotary. Not because it doesn't work, but because I prefer soap now. In a rotary, it made a noticeable difference as a post-polish burnishing agent, helping to remove residue. In a vibe, borax or soap make clean-outs easier, preventing some of the mud/slurry from adhering to the tumbles. And like Jim mentioned, it helps retard slurry viscosity which can slow or halt movement entirely.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 7, 2017 10:50:13 GMT -5
You must be new to tumbling. Keep practicing, learn from this forum and eventually, you'll start getting that mirror shine. #29 is my fav btw.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 4, 2017 8:34:05 GMT -5
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Mar 2, 2017 18:02:04 GMT -5
PSA. If you're not already doing this, you can save a few bucks making your own rubber gaskets for Thumler Model B. For the Model B, one component that requires regular replacing is the rubber lid gasket. I used to buy these from Shawn for $6 (cheapest i've found), but last I checked he was out of stock. Other websites have sell them for anywhere from $7 to $12.95. You can buy a 1/16" thick 12" x 36" sheet of rubber off eBay for $13.95 shipped. That's enough to make 4 gaskets. I used the old one as a template for tracing, cut it out and used a hole punch for the screw holes. Been using it for a week and so far, it's served its purpose. I have a tight, waterproof seal, and it's held up perfectly. The one below is actually 1/8" thick.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Feb 24, 2017 13:09:34 GMT -5
Is "milk shake" as thick as it gets by day 5? Do you add water periodically? I will be experimenting with AO 80. With standard protocol I either need to clean out daily or EOD, or spray to thin the mud. Especially with 120/220 SiC. That is about as thick as it gets(by day 5). Probably only a small amount of grinding is taking place to do anymore thickening after day 5. Never needed to water. Not enough mud production. Just started with water 1-2 inches below rocks as is normal. That would be 'melted milkshake', so not very thick slurry. Even with barrel 80% full and average size tumbles the AO 80 breaks down. The rotary tumbler breaks it down fairly easy. The vibe quickly. Oops. You were probably referring to rotary, while I was thinking of using AO 80 in a lot-o, after coarse grind.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Feb 24, 2017 13:05:16 GMT -5
I will be experimenting with AO 80. With standard protocol I either need to clean out daily or EOD, or spray to thin the mud. Especially with 120/220 SiC. You talking about when using a vibe? (I hope!) Yeah with a Lot-o. With my rotary, i just set it and forget it.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Feb 24, 2017 11:43:42 GMT -5
Is "milk shake" as thick as it gets by day 5? Do you add water periodically?
I will be experimenting with AO 80. With standard protocol I either need to clean out daily or EOD, or spray to thin the mud. Especially with 120/220 SiC.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Feb 22, 2017 18:50:48 GMT -5
Your tumbler is fine and more than adequate to get you and your son's feet wet in the hobby. If you choose to go further with the hobby, you can look into equipment recommendations and bulk purchase sources referenced. The forum members have a wealth of knowledge and have already provided some good pointers in this thread. A good alternative to plastic tumbling media is simply using smaller stones or pea gravel.
If you PM me your address, I can send you some rocks that will all be around Mohs 7 hardness scale for tumbling, and/or some mineral & fossil specimens if your son likes rocks in general.
|
|
ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
|
Post by ubermenehune on Feb 20, 2017 15:16:54 GMT -5
That is dope.
Wifey probably wouldn't sign off on an industrial oven in the man cave.
|
|