Walker
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Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 13, 2017 8:52:02 GMT -5
Walker if you do not have a gfi outlet near by the do sell power strips with built in circuit breakers,I would recommend one of them for your tumnler,just a precaution,goodday. No problem with the GFI. I got them all over the place. Thanks
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 13, 2017 8:50:48 GMT -5
I bought a used Lortone QT-66 for a hundred bucks a few months ago. It ran fine and I thought I was good to go. While I thought I checked it thoroughly, one thing I failed to check was how tight the set screw that held the bully to the shaft was. It wasn't tight enough, and at one point the pulley walked up the shaft, and caused the motor to bind and then start to smoke. Fortunately I was nearby in the house, and between the acrid odor, change in running machinery noise, and 22 years of sensitivity to those sorts of things from my time on submarines, I caught it before it rolled over into a fire. The motor did not shut down on its own. Secure power to the motor and allowed it to cool, and ordered a new motor. The follow on story is that after it cooled, and I diagnosed the problem and repaired it, as an experiment, I powered it back up with the original motor, and it ran like a champ. You may well understand that I was a bit nervous about letting it go 24/7, so I looked into ways to both monitor it remotely, and shut it down remotely. I won't burden you with the research effort involved in that, but I found solutions that worked for me. A simple web cam, a cheap temperature probe, and a remotely operable smart home outlet allows me to view the rig anytime on my smart phone, and shut it down from my smart phone at any time anywhere I am in the world. Note that I made a compromise here. While I can remotely monitor the rig, I did not engineer an alarm system that would alert me if there were a problem. Cost was a factor in that risk management decision. I also added a couple of spare muffin fans I had lying around to the rig. One is attached to the Covington via super/whamodyne velcro, and the other just sits on the bench between the Thumler and Lortone motors. My experience since then is that all of that effort, while helpful, is likely unnecessary. I have hooked the thermocouple up to all of my tumblers and measured their running temperatures; the Thumler AR-2 runs the coolest, at about 77 degrees. The Lortone QT-66 (still with the original motor) averages 87 degrees, and the Covington Deluxe (6.5 lb. slant barrel) normally runs at 115 degrees. This is with both fans running. All of this is on a wooden bench with old wooden kitchen cabinets above and below, so with the fans running, if a motor does have a catastrophic fail that I don't catch, the house should up quick, and I can then use the insurance money to build a proper rock-shed! All kidding aside, each person finds their own way to peace of mind. I hope my experience is able to inform your approach with data that is cogent to your concerns. Here's some photos: Above, the whole rig. Next photo is Cocington cooling. Below, is the fan between the Thumler and Lortone motors. If you look closely, you can see the thermocouple attached to the Lortone motor with some stainless lock-wire. Sorry I couldn't figure out how to rotate the shot. And here's the cheesy $15 thermo I bought on Ebay. Zeke, thanks for sharing your photos and anecdotes. It is quite helpful. First it validates my concerns and the photos are great to see how other people set up. I probably will go the old fashioned way ... not run it when I am away. And, let's be honest, I'd never be able to lend that level of sophistication to my outfit.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 13, 2017 8:44:14 GMT -5
there is this one www.flatheadguide.com/rockchucks/ in Kalispell and there is a pretty big one or two in Missoula. I don't belong to either to far to go especially in the winter. Thanks! I hear you on the too far in winter. 17 years living in the Rockies and I can tell you, I would rather run into a griz than drive on winter roads.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 12, 2017 19:04:04 GMT -5
I dunno. Burn it out. Clog it up. Cause the tumbler not to operate properly. Mostly ruin your rocks but can ruin the barrel of a vibe if you try to vibe process rough and sharp stone without rounding the corners and sharp edges off in a rotary. Rubber rotary barrels would wear out faster if they tumbled more rough and never ran through the smoother steps. Many people use a vibe to finish their rocks after rounding them to shape in a vibe. Thus a rotary used only for rough would wear out more qwuickly than if used for the smoother steps. A vibe should never be used for the sharp and rough rock of the coarse grinding step or the rubber barrels will hate you and will tell you NO ! I quit!! grin OK, now you have my head spinning. Is nothing ever simple?
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 12, 2017 13:26:37 GMT -5
In a vibe, material that is real soft will thicken the slurry quickly and need more frequent maintenance and more water added. When things get too thick, the whole mix will solidify, or puddingize with no movement and no progress. Close attention and frequent checks should allow you to tumble anything. Particularly soft stuff can be tumbled dry with media like corn cobs and pistachio shells with grit, but only you can determine what is right by experimenting. BTW river stones are not usually soft, because if they were they would not last long. If at first you don't succeed, try. . . . etc. Thanks Peruano very helpful observations and suggestions. I love to experiment and try stuff for myself. By the same token I don't want to wreck my equipment.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 12, 2017 13:22:13 GMT -5
I dunno. Burn it out. Clog it up. Cause the tumbler not to operate properly. Ok, that helps. Your stones are tumbling in a sealed barrel and won't affect the mechanism of the tumbler at all. As mentioned above, you may not get the shiniest rocks if they are soft, but no harm to the machine. Even if the rocks turn to mud in the barrel, you'll just have a mess to clean up when you open it. Thanks that's exactly what I needed to know.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 12, 2017 8:49:46 GMT -5
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 12, 2017 8:48:43 GMT -5
PVC tumbler cans this ceramic messed up a new can in a week could not use it for stones made the plastic to thin walt LOL! Thanks for the tip Walt. It looks like dog food. I think I'll stick with stone stones.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 12, 2017 8:46:13 GMT -5
Walker , I agree with the above, but I'm going to take a bit different approach. What is your concern about soft stones that has led you to believe it might ruin a tumbler? The other answers are perfect. I'm just trying to get into your thought process that caused you to ask that. Maybe you got some bad information...just looking to correct a (potentially) faulty assumption about tumblers. Dave Dave: I'm just curious. I don't know anything about tumblers. Won't buy one until until closer to winter when I will be in one place long enough to use it. I collect river rocks that I just love the look of but think they may be too soft to tumble. So, if it won't hurt anything I will try them in the tumbler when I get it. For now I am just in the hunting and collecting phase. I have a tendency to plan ahead.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 12, 2017 8:40:22 GMT -5
Please elaborate. I have ruined stones that are "too soft". But the tumbler would only be ruined by ignoring maintenance, overloading or over tightening the belt on the pulleys as far as I know. I want to experiment on some stones I think are too soft but I don't want to do it if it wrecks the tumbler. I don't care if it wrecks the rocks. I haven't bot a tumbler yet as I won't have time to use it until winter. But, I am a planner so I want to learn as much as possible before hand. I shall rely on the good auspices of the folks here to help me make the right choice when I do. Meanwhile, I just hunt for rocks.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 12, 2017 8:35:51 GMT -5
No. What do you mean 'ruin a tumbler'? I dunno. Burn it out. Clog it up. Cause the tumbler not to operate properly.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 11, 2017 18:21:03 GMT -5
Can you ruin a tumbler by trying to tumble rocks that are too soft?
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 11, 2017 17:40:55 GMT -5
Properly maintained and with a thermally protected motor all should be well. Thanks for the input!
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 11, 2017 17:40:21 GMT -5
Cool video! Thanks for sharing.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 11, 2017 17:36:44 GMT -5
from Tennessee! Sorry to hear about the fires. Normally our summers are very humid with afternoon showers so everything says damp, but last summer was record heat and drought and we had a bad time with fires. I can relate to the fear of something so massive that you have no control over. As far as tumblers go, I'm careful of what is around my tumblers, but yes, they run 24/7 and between work and school, the house is empty most days. If we are going out of town for more than a day or two, I will turn them off. I've traveled out west a few times, but have not gotten all the way to Montana. But it is on my list of someplace to hound someday. Please show us some pictures of your finds. We love pictures here! Thanks for the reply. If you ever make it out this way be sure and let me know. I just recently got the bright idea to hunt rocks so I'm not much of a resource for good spots but maybe by the time you make it I'll be better clued in.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 11, 2017 17:32:29 GMT -5
Walker know the feeling neighbor from the east shore of Flathead helicopter bucket brigades are continually passing over my property smoke is so thick I only go out if necessary. One suggestion i would make is to have your tumbler on cement and on a CFGI outlet. Do you no of any rockhounding clubs in the Flathead?
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 10, 2017 16:56:38 GMT -5
I live in the Kootenai Forest Montana. Mother Nature is already doing a fine job of burning the half the state up this summer. Around here we bless everyday our homes are still standing and keep a bag packed at the back door. I'd prefer not to beat Nature to the punch. Are tumblers safe to leave to run for long periods of time when no one is around?
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 10, 2017 16:33:43 GMT -5
WOW! Some really neat stones. I really like that second to last one. It looks like a picture.
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 10, 2017 16:30:08 GMT -5
Really nice!
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Walker
starting to shine!
Member since July 2017
Posts: 31
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Post by Walker on Aug 10, 2017 16:27:57 GMT -5
They look great!
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