Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 23, 2021 10:04:55 GMT -5
But the barrel didn't sound right and as I watched it, there was definitely some issue with the load distribution. So off it came and I opened her up to take a look. Well, in the time I'd done my little maintenance, a 1" pile of cement had formed in the bottom of the barrel and had glued a good portion of the rocks to it! Lucky I found it as I wasn't looking for it. So I sorted that out, put it all back together and left it running without a problem for a week. No problems, no shifting, same sound of tumbling rocks.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 23, 2021 9:08:45 GMT -5
Tumblers seem to be referenced by weight 3 lb, 6 lb, etc. What is the reference media for the weight on them? The recommendations are to fill to 3/4 volume, not by weight.
I don't know why barrels are not rated by volume, but instead by weight ?
Fill your barrel properly, do Not worry about the weight.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 23, 2021 8:46:32 GMT -5
You can get a really good camera (better than an iPhone) for less than $200.oo
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 22, 2021 12:13:58 GMT -5
I think we are going to get all of their rocks ?
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 22, 2021 7:16:41 GMT -5
I've got a calibrated mic (UMIK-1) feeding into RoomEQ Wizard. I position the mic just by the guide on the idler shaft of my A-R1. Here's my current run with 500 Al 2O 3.
Now you got my attention. I provide Sound Systems all over the North Alabama area. Interesting concept but not very useful in my opinion. Might work to some extent in stage 1 but almost useless in later stages. When I tumble I like for the Slurry to get very thick at the end of a run and can even completely stick together leaving only motor noise. This assures that as much grinding is being done as possible in the week that it runs. Would be interesting to get frequency analysis too and see how the High and low frequencies change.
I have never written anything down in my few years of tumbling with 3 barrels rolling. I only got confused about the contents once but everything came out fine. For a while I thought that a Post-It note for each barrel would be fine but I never actually did it.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 20, 2021 11:45:32 GMT -5
Got my rocks yesterday. Cleaned them for 12 hours in plain water. Now they are rolling for their first 6 days in course.
Dry
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 20, 2021 11:40:15 GMT -5
I guess I'll keep using this old belt until it breaks. May need to modify the machine to get more belt tension as it's kinda loose now. Since I’m not familiar with the Lortone family, what does modify the machine entail? More than just sliding the motor using whatever play is available when you loosen the mounting screws? There are slots that the motor tightens into. I extend the slots with a drill. Here is my Modified 3A . . .
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 20, 2021 8:09:52 GMT -5
Has worked great until last week, need to refurbish it again and replace the belt with a spare I have.
So since I was having trouble with the Belt anyway, decided to go ahead and rebuild that machine for the second time. Took a good look at the old belt and thought it would last a few more months so, for now, will keep using this belt.
The roller rod Bearings were really gooped up with oil and rock dust from a coupla years of use. The rod ends that are in the bearings were starting to wear down having grit and rock dust in there. picture not focused but you can see it ...
Cleaned the whole machine before putting it back together. Biggest mess was the oil from the rods and bearings.
Reoiled the Motor and bearings. I guess I'll keep using this old belt until it breaks. May need to modify the machine to get more belt tension as it's kinda loose now.
Got my worldwide contest rocks yesterday and now I have a rebuilt QT66 to create the winning entry.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 20, 2021 7:06:16 GMT -5
It looks pretty big. I wonder what it is?
My guess is Cement/Concrete
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 19, 2021 7:50:35 GMT -5
I've had a QT66 and 3A running for 4 years now. After 2 years I took the 66 apart to clean and refurbish it. Has worked great until last week, need to refurbish it again and replace the belt with a spare I have. Motors are working great on the 2 Lortone tumblers, I oil them once a year.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 16, 2021 12:27:54 GMT -5
I went to Yuma Arizona over Christmas and picked up a hand-full of rocks along the Colorado river while I was there. They are rolling and should be out of polish in a month.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 15, 2021 21:21:09 GMT -5
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 15, 2021 21:18:21 GMT -5
----------------- When using filler, I think the concave portions will start to get smoothed earlier on potentially yielding smooth concave portions of the stone with the edges more intact. -----------------
Yes , adding Smalls to your Stage 1 will improve all your Tumbles by helping to smooth out the recessed areas.
----------------- Is there any intrinsic difference between using Pea Gravel vs. ceramic media? We got a load of pea gravel for drainage stuff. The batch we got had stuff mostly smaller than a pea, a good portion is one step off coarse sand, but it is all rounded, not sharp. I screened some out some of the bigger stuff to try. I also collect small stuff from the yard and driveway gravel, and have some of the mixed pebbles from the Dollar store. -----------------
Any kind of small sized stone, the harder the better, will help to improve to overall shape of your rocks. In Stage 1 you don't need to worry about anything you add Round or sharp just needs to be very hard material. I use all kinds of rocks to be Smalls including Reject Rocks, Glass, Marbles, leftover chips from breaking up larger rocks. I have a small river nearby that has the greatest little pebble banks that I fill a bucket with. I even add recovered dried slurry to my stage 1 tumbles.
----------------- Is there a standard ratio of sizes we should aim for? 1/3 tiny 1/3 small 1/3 fashion rocks? -----------------
All the sizes you can add that are smaller than your Target Stones. I'm normally adding about 1/4 Smalls and 3/4 Target Stones.
----------------- Do you use the same combo of sizes in both rotary and vibratory? -----------------
I only have a Rotary so I can't answer this.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 15, 2021 15:04:43 GMT -5
I prefer to use lots of little rocks, called "Smalls" to fill out a Stage 1 tumble. More different sizes and usually free.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 15, 2021 7:38:13 GMT -5
You don't even need to use grit. Just throw your material in the barrel with water and let it roll. And you don't even need water if you want it to roll a little rougher. Different grit has different effect: Silicon Carbide, Aluminum Oxide, Volcanic Pumice, Sand, Corn Cob, Etc. A smaller barrel (3 lbs) is more gentle than a big barrel (6 lbs) so you can use the barrel that is most appropriate. Plus tumble Time give you almost complete control.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 14, 2021 9:23:23 GMT -5
Those rocks look a lot like the rocks on the mountain here in Huntsville, so I would already have experience with it
I Hope
Cause I just Entered the Contest
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 13, 2021 19:45:33 GMT -5
All of the glass came from old theatrical lighting lenses that I busted up and put in the tumbler.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 13, 2021 17:57:46 GMT -5
I did sort out the 5 bags of glass today. Only one of the bags was polished enough for me to keep. Another bag was just glass Smalls for use in future glass tumbles.
The other 3 bags were close to Clear, but I decided to rework them through the polish stages again to get something usable out of it. So those bags with the smalls are back out to the tumbler for some more rolling. Also decided to redo the polish on the Black colored rocks too, as they really don't have a Sexy Shine on them yet.
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 13, 2021 11:14:36 GMT -5
The rocks got sorted into 10 different colors This will work great with my Stepping stone plan
White - probably manmade synthetic
Eggshell - mostly Quartz Tan Brown Dark Brown - mostly Chert Grey Brown
Dark Grey Black - mostly Chert Speckled - Granite mostly White Colors
Plan to sort through the Glass today, that should be cool in stepping stones too Plus a bag of Reject rocks, kicked out mainly cause they're too small And some rock failures that have color but would not take a shine
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,426
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 13, 2021 9:45:51 GMT -5
Yes, the second picture has a coupla pieces of Turrintella in it. They came out of the Traveling Rock Box that went around a couple of years ago. Too bad you missed that event. Have been thinking about making a display cabinet for the wall featuring transparent/translucent rocks with backlight using individual LEDs behind each stone. Also want to use the Very Best rocks in some kind of frontlit display, maybe a coffee table with a glass top and the rocks underneath.
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