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I have to keep my small rotary tumbler running in the coarse stages, so I got a small Raytech TV-5 vibratory tumbler to work on some already pebble-shaped stones. I started with 2 teaspoons of 120/220 grit and add a little bit water to make everything in the bowl wet. I took a short video that is 5 minutes after I started the machine, does the movement look right?
I will keep an eye on it from time to time to make sure the stones are still wet. Is there any other tips I should keep in mind?
The noise is really nerve-wrecking. I put it in the garage which doesn't bother me if I am not in the garage, or if I wear the earplugs when I am in the garage, but I am afraid my neighbor that share the same wall at my garage side will still hear it. Is there any way to reduce the noise?
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Last Edit: Sept 5, 2022 14:12:20 GMT -5 by pebblesky
Do you have your rod screwed all the way in? If it's all the way in, it keep things from moving properly.
It's recommended to screw it all the way in, then back it out 1-2 turns and tighten the lock nut.
Thanks Brybry! I did some adjustments to the rod per your suggestion. Although I did not notice significant motion change, hopefully it would make the rocks move more efficiently!
It will be noisy until you develop some slurry to cushion and slow movement. I'd add a big squirt of dawn dish liquid soap and within 30 minutes you will see it quiet and move much more tolerably. The soap helps carry the grit up with the rock movements as well. It is also much quieter with the lid installed.
Tom Combining bicycles, trailbikes, hiking, and rockhounding as a justification for enjoying the fresh air of New Mexico.
I started with 2 teaspoons of 120/220 grit and add a little bit water to make everything in the bowl wet. I took a short video that is 5 minutes after I started the machine, does the movement look right?
I have no experience with that vibe, but I would not add water after starting it. Put everything in, add water to get the contents wet, and then pour the water out using your hands to block anything but the water from coming out. Then start it, then add your grit. In a vibe, you do not want any standing water at all. As the grit starts grinding the rock and create a slurry, it will absorb some of the water and you'll probably need to add a little more. Do so using a spray bottle and add very small amounts at a time.
It looks to me like in your video, all the grit is probably at the bottom of the bowl. Likely sitting in a small pool of water. If the rocks are damp and there is no sitting water, the grit should stick to and coat the rocks. I see no sign of grit in your video, so this is clearly not happening.
Last Edit: Sept 6, 2022 8:40:58 GMT -5 by waterboysh
It will be noisy until you develop some slurry to cushion and slow movement. I'd add a big squirt of dawn dish liquid soap and within 30 minutes you will see it quiet and move much more tolerably. The soap helps carry the grit up with the rock movements as well. It is also much quieter with the lid installed.
I started with 2 teaspoons of 120/220 grit and add a little bit water to make everything in the bowl wet. I took a short video that is 5 minutes after I started the machine, does the movement look right?
I have no experience with that vibe, but I would not add water after starting it. Put everything in, add water to get the contents wet, and then pour the water out using your hands to block anything but the water from coming out. Then start it, then add your grit. In a vibe, you do not want any standing water at all. As the grit starts grinding the rock and create a slurry, it will absorb some of the water and you'll probably need to add a little more. Do so using a spray bottle and add very small amounts at a time.
It looks to me like in your video, all the grit is probably at the bottom of the bowl. Likely sitting in a small pool of water. If the rocks are damp and there is no sitting water, the grit should stick to and coat the rocks. I see no sign of grit in your video, so this is clearly not happening.
Thanks waterboysh! I did check from time to time that a muddy layer had eventually been developed on the rocks, but not as thick as I would like it to be, and the noise didn't reduce noticably. I will check tonight to see if there is still some unused grit at the bottom of the bowl.
The temperature of my area hit 109f yesterday. When I got home after work, the mud in the tv-5 was so thick and a bit too dry that the rock moved much slower. Getting the warning of potential power outage in my area, I decided to turn it off and wash my rocks after a 30-hour run.
The night before, I did add some excessive water, hoping to sustain for the next working day, but it seemed I should have added more. It is not ideal if I have to keep a close eye on the tumbler and be ready to add water once or twice during the day. Is there any tips I could use to maintain the adequate moisture in the tumbler?
The silver lining is, with all the ACs on, the noise from tv-5 is much more tolerable 😂
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Welcome to the Rock Tumbling Hobby Forum where we share a love of rocks and a sense of community as enduring as the stones we polish.
The RTH Forum of www.RockTumbling.com is an Amazon Associate site and we earn money from
qualifying purchases you make after clicking on our links such as this
Rock Tumbling Supplies on Amazon
link for instance, or any of our various product ads and banners. By clicking our links every time you begin your Amazon shopping
experience, you are generating a bit of revenue for the forum which helps us cover our expenses. Thank you for your support!