mgroothuis
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2022
Posts: 158
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Post by mgroothuis on May 30, 2023 8:06:42 GMT -5
Hi mgroothuis ! It looks like you have already received some good advice, but I thought I would toss in some other ideas. Have you tried running the stones you are trying to polish without any polish or other additives? In other words, just run some damp rocks. The reason I ask is that it seems very odd to me that you would be getting enough stuff in the polish stage to actually clump together. That suggests to me that you are either getting too much polish clumping, something you are adding is grabbing onto whatever small particles are present and sticking together, or you still have some rock dust that is forming big blobs with the polish/soap/borax/etc. Based on what I have read, I would trust the cement mixer motor more than the current Fasco motors they are using for the machines, so using damp rocks as a baseline, slowly add back ingredients with polish being the first thing you add. Start with smaller amounts and let it run to see if you have the same clumping. Tossing everything into the pot makes it difficult to figure out what may be the culprit. It could even be some combination of things like hard water mixing with the minerals in the rocks you are polishing with just enough borax to cement it all together. Who knows? I ran into similar problems with my lot-o. I followed all of the common recipes, but after 24 hours the action would come to a complete stop. I cut back on everything I was adding and it just started working better. More good advice. I'm pretty convinced it has to do with the Borax. Running without it, I get good motion, but the slurry doesn't stick to the rocks. I never considered hard/soft water. I'm using soft water, so the addition of Borax is likely amplified by the soft water. I'll try less than a tablespoon next time and see.
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waterboysh
spending too much on rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 369
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Post by waterboysh on May 30, 2023 11:16:19 GMT -5
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,091
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Post by chris1956 on Jun 6, 2023 16:32:51 GMT -5
I believe the instructions say to mount the unit that's on the board directly to the hard surface. For what it's worth, I stacked three concrete blocks. glued together with construction adhesive, and then painted all of the stack with white outdoor spray paint (rattle can). There is no movement of the stack or the vibe. It vibes the rocks beautifully with the dowel very close to where it was when I got the unit. Maybe the padding or sound deadener is impairing the action of the vibe. You might want to check and be sure the fans are in alignment with each other, and that all the screws that hold the unit and the springs together are good and tight. Hope this helps you. Jim It's mounted directly to a solid concrete block, easily 40+ lbs. I planned on trying to get it up off the floor with multiple blocks, so that's the next step. I originally had a folded pad under the unit that DID impair the motion. Since removing it, the rocks are much faster, but I still get problems in the polish stage. Regarding the fans, my original motor failed after 7 months. I have retrofitted the concrete motor like others have done too. The action with this motor is better that the original Fasco motor. Any progress or update? Did you try it with polish only or rocks only for the last step? Thanks.
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dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,507
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Post by dillonf on Jun 6, 2023 19:11:02 GMT -5
It's mounted directly to a solid concrete block, easily 40+ lbs. I planned on trying to get it up off the floor with multiple blocks, so that's the next step. I originally had a folded pad under the unit that DID impair the motion. Since removing it, the rocks are much faster, but I still get problems in the polish stage. Regarding the fans, my original motor failed after 7 months. I have retrofitted the concrete motor like others have done too. The action with this motor is better that the original Fasco motor. Any progress or update? Did you try it with polish only or rocks only for the last step? Thanks. I always had an issue with my lot-o stopping during the polish stage somewhere between 36-48 hours. On my last batch I forgot to add the borax and it ran strong for over 48 hours. I have a water softener - thinking that plus borax may not be the best combo? ? That said I won't be using borax on future polishes. I still use it in rotaries though - hmm - maybe I should stop??
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mgroothuis
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2022
Posts: 158
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Post by mgroothuis on Jun 7, 2023 16:48:03 GMT -5
I just finished the polish stage of the next batch last night. I only used 1/2 tbsp Borax this time instead of a full tbsp. I let it run for 3.5 days instead of 2 and it never bound up. I call that a win. The slurry seemed to be just fine and I got a great shine.
If the next batch does the same, I'll likely switch permantley to less Borax.
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dirtsifter
Cave Dweller
Co to za kamyczek?
Member since September 2022
Posts: 402
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Post by dirtsifter on Jun 8, 2023 5:42:38 GMT -5
I had a Eureka moment last night. I too have been having problems with the slowing of action over time, a ball of slurry forming, etc. I started using a hardwood stick to stir the contents, which at first helped a little then I noticed how low in the cradle the barrel was sitting. I pinched the sides of the cradle together with a large c-clamp. That helped a lot. But again over time, the barrel sank down into the cradle again. I held up the barrel higher in the cradle with my hand and the action was great. I cut a piece of toilet paper tube about 3 inches tall and reset the barrel into the cradle and let in run. This morning it's still running great. I use a piece of styrofoam under the cement block for sound proofing.
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