buroak
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2019
Posts: 9
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Post by buroak on Dec 25, 2022 20:05:21 GMT -5
Sorry for the newbie question, but I finally set up a Lortone C200-12 I purchased several years ago. It is the newer model with the 1/6 hp motor and not the 1/3 hp. But it is much louder than expected. About equivalent to the washer and dryer running at the same time. About 85 decibels according to an app my wife tried. Same noise with barrels on or off. -This is a commercial unit so would expect more noise than from the hobby models. -Noise was the same when setting on foam board. -One think I noticed is that manually turning the rollers makes seven loud clicks per rotation when rotating as in use, no sound when going the opposite direction. -Can't tell if the sound is from the motor, the primary belt, the secondary belt, or any of the bearings on the motor side of the unit. -12# barrels rotate at just over 50 RPM. -The vibration from the base would give you a good back massage, but I assume that is normal. -The noise doesn't bother us because of the location, but we don't want to ignore warning signs of some needed maintenance. Thanks for any insights.
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markb
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2022
Posts: 472
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Post by markb on Dec 25, 2022 21:40:36 GMT -5
Maybe post a video with sound from 2-3 feet away. This way we can at least compare it to our tumblers, although, they may not be the same model.
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Post by jasoninsd on Dec 26, 2022 0:30:24 GMT -5
Did you remember to put water in the barrels?
Granted I don't have any experience with this particular machine...but I just can't imagine 85 decibels coming from this rotary under normal circumstances. (I'm not saying I don't believe you!) - I have a Model B...and there's barely any sound coming from it.
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buroak
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2019
Posts: 9
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Post by buroak on Dec 26, 2022 0:53:23 GMT -5
Did you remember to put water in the barrels? Granted I don't have any experience with this particular machine...but I just can't imagine 85 decibels coming from this rotary under normal circumstances. (I'm not saying I don't believe you!) - I have a Model B...and there's barely any sound coming from it. Yes, plus it makes the same sound either with or without the barrels.
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buroak
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2019
Posts: 9
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Post by buroak on Dec 26, 2022 1:22:20 GMT -5
Maybe post a video with sound from 2-3 feet away. This way we can at least compare it to our tumblers, although, they may not be the same model. Hope this works:
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Post by aDave on Dec 26, 2022 1:49:51 GMT -5
Sorry for the newbie question, but I finally set up a Lortone C200-12 I purchased several years ago. It is the newer model with the 1/6 hp motor and not the 1/3 hp. But it is much louder than expected. About equivalent to the washer and dryer running at the same time. About 85 decibels according to an app my wife tried. Same noise with barrels on or off. -This is a commercial unit so would expect more noise than from the hobby models. -Noise was the same when setting on foam board. -One think I noticed is that manually turning the rollers makes seven loud clicks per rotation when rotating as in use, no sound when going the opposite direction. -Can't tell if the sound is from the motor, the primary belt, the secondary belt, or any of the bearings on the motor side of the unit. -12# barrels rotate at just over 50 RPM. -The vibration from the base would give you a good back massage, but I assume that is normal. -The noise doesn't bother us because of the location, but we don't want to ignore warning signs of some needed maintenance. Thanks for any insights. First, I'll give the disclaimer that I don't know anything in particular about your specific tumbler. But, I am a Lortone owner with multiple 45C's and a QT66. While I'm only spitballing, I think your noise is excessive, especially if it makes the same noise with the tumbler running with no barrels on it. All of my tumblers are exceedingly quiet when there are no barrels on it. Full barrels only produce barrel noise from the rocks tumbling inside the barrels. Not that it necessarily makes a difference, my QT66 barrels turn at about 32 RPMs. Since a QT66 can run one 12 pound barrel, I'm assuming the barrels on your machine are the same diameter as my two six pound barrels. Yours runs faster, but this is seemingly not part of your issue as you get noise with or without barrels. There is no vibration whatsoever from my machines. This would be a red flag for me. To me, vibration would tell me something is off, and I'd be looking to eliminate that. On my machines, if something was vibrating the way you describe, something has or is wearing to the point of causing something to be out of whack. With that, I'm wondering why you are hearing clicking when you turn a shaft. On my machines, everything is silent. Based upon your description, if it were me, I'd be looking at the condition of the bearings and the rods themselves. Way back when, before I understood tumbler maintenance, I had a nylon bushing wear through which caused the shaft to keyhole the frame, and the rod ended up being heavily scored. A change out of the (nylon) bearings and shafts, along with periodic oiling took care of everything for me. I say this because it sounds like you can turn the shafts by hand and reproduce the sounds. That tends to tell me the motor is not part of this problem. If you want to be sure, disconnect belts to help you isolate different areas. If all of your belts are disconnected from the motor, and you can still reproduce the sound when turning individual shafts, that should point you to the shafts/bearings. At the end of the day, what you are describing (clicking and vibration) does not seem normal to me. Granted, I could be totally wrong, but I'd be looking at doing everything at the shaft/bushing level to eliminate the problem. I'm sure a phone call to Lortone would confirm my concerns, even if they can't troubleshoot the issue for you. Best of luck. ETA: I just saw your vid, and I don't have a good answer for you. Maybe Lortone can help.
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buroak
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2019
Posts: 9
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Post by buroak on Dec 26, 2022 14:38:18 GMT -5
Thanks for all the help. The dealer got back to me after listening to the video and said that everything sounded tight and not out of the ordinary. I think the increased noise is to be expected with the larger motor and heftier build. For instance, both drive belts have the cross section of automobile fan belts, unlike the O-ring appearing ones used on smaller models.
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Post by aDave on Dec 26, 2022 15:18:59 GMT -5
Thanks for all the help. The dealer got back to me after listening to the video and said that everything sounded tight and not out of the ordinary. I think the increased noise is to be expected with the larger motor and heftier build. For instance, both drive belts have the cross section of automobile fan belts, unlike the O-ring appearing ones used on smaller models. Well, I learned something new. Thanks for the update.
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jimmie
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2021
Posts: 233
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Post by jimmie on Dec 26, 2022 15:43:18 GMT -5
One suggestion after looking at the video, the metal base might be acting like a drum. It’s a pretty big flat surface, if it was insulated with foam or something, it might cut down on some of the noise.it’s a large flat surface that vibrates.
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dshanpnw
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2020
Posts: 1,071
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Post by dshanpnw on Dec 26, 2022 17:16:43 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from Washington state. Our state gemstone is petrified wood. I second what jimmie says about the big metal base being the amplifier of the sound. I would find some foam rubber, maybe 1/4" thick, take off the motor, cut holes in the foam rubber for the mounting screws and and put it between the base and motor. See if the lessens the noise. Nice tumbler by the way.
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Dec 27, 2022 7:58:37 GMT -5
Sounds about normal. I have all my machines on a wire rack and used to have them just sitting on foam flats. We could hear them upstairs and it drove my wife a bit crazy. I added some carpet scraps we had laying around and it really took away the noise. THe large flat metal bases act like an amplifier and echo any and all vibrations. I think that is what you are hearing with this tumbler. Nice machine BTW!
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markb
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2022
Posts: 472
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Post by markb on Dec 27, 2022 13:58:35 GMT -5
Sounds about normal. I have all my machines on a wire rack and used to have them just sitting on foam flats. We could hear them upstairs and it drove my wife a bit crazy. I added some carpet scraps we had laying around and it really took away the noise. THe large flat metal bases act like an amplifier and echo any and all vibrations. I think that is what you are hearing with this tumbler. Nice machine BTW! Well... no wonder there are power outages in the east!!
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Dec 27, 2022 18:54:04 GMT -5
Yea I over do it. I got to update that picture once the new one gets here. The single barrel model T died last year (16 years of service) and nobody has the replacement motors in stock so it is being replaced with another AR-2, I mean everyone needs an extra barrel or 2 right?
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