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Post by velodromed on Mar 24, 2024 10:26:39 GMT -5
That’s a bummer that there’s so many scams out there and you’ve been hit by them. I’ve had good luck with Facebook marketplace, but only because I deal with local sellers. Like the loretone and lot-o I recently bought, I thought it was a pretty good deal. I haven’t done a ton of deals, maybe about a dozen. I’ve also sold some things with good luck. It’s not my ‘go to place’ though for buying things. I agree with you that it’s pretty sketchy. Even with local you need to be careful. About a month ago or so I was looking for something and found a local listing. Contacted the seller who said it was still available. When I contacted him about meeting locally to pick it up he did not respond. About an hour later he had deleted his account. Clearly he was a scammer counting on people wanting the item shipped.
I have also heard various stories about people going to meet supposed sellers and getting robbed. These are most often with car ads so the person will be carrying large amounts of cash. If meeting someone in person, best to meet somewhere with a lot of people and preferably lots of security cameras or at a police station parking lot. Legitimate sellers should not have any problem with either of these.
Yup, I know to be careful and run well heeled. And you’re right about choosing a good meeting spot. |
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Post by vegasjames on Mar 24, 2024 10:38:22 GMT -5
That's all common sense IMO. Scammers been scamming since long before FB. It's the internet, you can't trust 9/10 what you see. There are legitimate sales happening too, though. I've only had good experiences on marketplace. Yes, I have had a few good experiences as well, but also some bad ones.
Such as some Kentucky geodes I ordered. The ad was very misleading as most the geodes were dime to quarter size. And they sucked. Many were solid nodules, not geodes and no real color, just a bland yellow inside.
Then I ordered a flat lap, which was supposed to include 3 laps and 3 polishing pads. The flat lap and the 3 metal laps came with no problem, but the 3 polishing pads, which are what I really needed were not in the box. I messaged the seller and I am holing he sends me the polishing pads that were supposed to be included as well. |
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Post by pebblesky on Mar 24, 2024 22:17:20 GMT -5
I'm loving my Rebel 17, might get another one. For someone like me who finishes in a vibratory tumbler, this size is perfect for coarse tumbling. I think the 3lb barrels are annoyingly small unless you're finishing in rotary and want to be as careful as possible. The only downside is checking every rock's imperfections takes about 30 min per cleanout. I think 30 minutes is already super efficient 😂 |
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Post by pebblesky on Mar 24, 2024 22:21:23 GMT -5
Now even the Rebel 17 tumblers are out of stock (low speed). Did see this nifty tool on their site though.  nut wrench. $25 seems too expensive tho, looks like a 50c 3d printed tool Wow with two $25 I could almost get another Ultra Vibe Mini Bowl... |
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zebra61
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2024
Posts: 161
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Post by zebra61 on Mar 25, 2024 11:19:11 GMT -5
 Arrived home to a silent R17 the other day and noted a broken belt. (and no spares on hand) So I made an online order for a new inner cover, one of those wrenches and 8 spare belts so there are no more silent tumblers. You're absolutely right about the wrench, it's grossly overpriced but it's quite well-made and makes nut removal a breeze. I'm not planning to use it to tighten the nuts tho, it's just to make removal easy and less painful for my hands. (such a wimp) $23 is exorbitant for the tool, but I paid it. Now who's the fool? I'm quite happy with the R17's and sometimes wonder why I bought 33B's at all. For a few extra bucks I could've put another R17 to work. But it's nice to have a few smaller drums around to feed the vibes and the hushed sound of rolling rocks provides a little white noise to improve my sleep these days. |
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Post by velodromed on Mar 25, 2024 14:26:28 GMT -5
Just be careful to not over tighten the nuts, please. If the screw posts are damaged doing so, the barrel is toast. Unless it can be re-threaded etc. The best way I’ve found to tighten the lid without leaks is to first, clean the top and under the rubber lining very well. The next hint was mentioned by someone earlier in this thread…’lightly spray the lip with water before laying down the rubber lid liner’. Then I tighten the screws as I normally would, in a criss cross pattern. Since I added ‘wetting the liner lip’ to each clean out I haven’t had any leak issues. Which is really cool.
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zebra61
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2024
Posts: 161
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Post by zebra61 on Mar 26, 2024 12:52:11 GMT -5
Just be careful to not over tighten the nuts, please. If the screw posts are damaged doing so, the barrel is toast. Unless it can be re-threaded etc. The best way I’ve found to tighten the lid without leaks is to first, clean the top and under the rubber lining very well. The next hint was mentioned by someone earlier in this thread…’lightly spray the lip with water before laying down the rubber lid liner’. Then I tighten the screws as I normally would, in a criss cross pattern. Since I added ‘wetting the liner lip’ to each clean out I haven’t had any leak issues. Which is really cool. Yeah, like I said in my post, 'I'm not planning to use it to tighten the nuts tho'. I've been using it to remove the nuts and it's sweet for that. I haven't experienced a single leak from either of my barrels. BUT!!! I opened a barrel and had significant slurry between the cover and the cover liner, so much that I junked the original cover liner. The tumbler was running a big batch of crushed stones so I'm wondering if a couple sharp stones got jammed up against the lid and punctured it. Hasn't happened since. But you're right, making a wet seal is always better that a dry one. There's a reason that mechanics use a drop of oil on the oil filter seal right? I'm looking forward to opening both of my R17's tonight after work. #1 has been running a batch of mixed 7's for 8 weeks now so I'm hoping that half or more will be ready to move forward. #2 has been running the graduates from #1 each week so there should be a good bunch for heading for pre-polish. Exciting times for a rock tumbler guy! Mark |
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Post by Son Of Beach on Oct 4, 2024 20:48:50 GMT -5
Just wanted to update you fellow AR17 Rebel 17 users. I've been pretty locked into this formula lately.... I still stick with the 75-85% full with a good mix of material sizes, but I've been using 12Tbsp=3/4cup coarse grit. (I did try 46 I think with no issue), and a solid 2 cups of water. Followed someone else's pointers, I forget who though, and can easily swap out after 4 days. Hell, I think I did 3 days once, and the grit was broken down. Anyway, a few efficiency tips for those who care. I though I mentioned it, but you can use a size 342 SILICONE O-ring in place of the belt, I'm pretty convinced that's what the belts are anyway....
Looking forward to more tips and tricks y'all have learned... velodromed still haven't done a full tear down, though I did disconnect the bearings from the stand at one point. |
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Post by velodromed on Oct 7, 2024 4:22:19 GMT -5
Just wanted to update you fellow AR17 Rebel 17 users. I've been pretty locked into this formula lately.... I still stick with the 75-85% full with a good mix of material sizes, but I've been using 12Tbsp=3/4cup coarse grit. (I did try 46 I think with no issue), and a solid 2 cups of water. Followed someone else's pointers, I forget who though, and can easily swap out after 4 days. Hell, I think I did 3 days once, and the grit was broken down. Anyway, a few efficiency tips for those who care. I though I mentioned it, but you can use a size 342 SILICONE O-ring in place of the belt, I'm pretty convinced that's what the belts are anyway....
Looking forward to more tips and tricks y'all have learned... velodromed still haven't done a full tear down, though I did disconnect the bearings from the stand at one point. Nice that you have a system that works. My rebel is still running strong. I haven’t put the new, slower motor in that I got from warranty. The old one continues to work, still with a loud hum, and I like the faster motor since I’m using it primarily break down rock that we find. I have never bothered with a full breakdown either. The bearings continue to be smooth and I’m even on the same belt still. I’m running 36 grit SiC and tend to let it go for 2-3 weeks at a time. I’ve found that the grit continues to work long after it feels smooth to the touch. The only thing I need is a new top liner. The old one finally wore a hole through it. |
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ronnsrockroundup
starting to spend too much on rocks
Hurry up and wait.
Member since October 2023
Posts: 154
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Post by ronnsrockroundup on Oct 7, 2024 19:34:13 GMT -5
The only thing I need is a new top liner. The old one finally wore a hole through it.
I discovered a 12" x 12" rubber mat 1/8" thick on Amazon works fantastic and should last considerably longer. Use your lid as a stencil. I think it's about $9. Works great for me. Good luck.
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Post by velodromed on Oct 8, 2024 12:04:39 GMT -5
The only thing I need is a new top liner. The old one finally wore a hole through it. I discovered a 12" x 12" rubber mat 1/8" thick on Amazon works fantastic and should last considerably longer. Use your lid as a stencil. I think it's about $9. Works great for me. Good luck. I was thinking of cutting my own also but don’t want to deal with cutting the holes lol. I know, lazy. |
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ronnsrockroundup
starting to spend too much on rocks
Hurry up and wait.
Member since October 2023
Posts: 154
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Post by ronnsrockroundup on Oct 8, 2024 13:19:08 GMT -5
The only thing I need is a new top liner. The old one finally wore a hole through it. I discovered a 12" x 12" rubber mat 1/8" thick on Amazon works fantastic and should last considerably longer. Use your lid as a stencil. I think it's about $9. Works great for me. Good luck. I was thinking of cutting my own also but don’t want to deal with cutting the holes lol. I know, lazy. I placed the mat on a scrap piece of wood, found a drill bit slightly smaller than the holes in the lid, laid the lid on it drilled holes then marked outside of lid with sharpie then scissor cut. |
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rocknuv
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2024
Posts: 8
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Post by rocknuv on Oct 11, 2024 9:35:11 GMT -5
The only thing I need is a new top liner. The old one finally wore a hole through it. I discovered a 12" x 12" rubber mat 1/8" thick on Amazon works fantastic and should last considerably longer. Use your lid as a stencil. I think it's about $9. Works great for me. Good luck. I was thinking of cutting my own also but don’t want to deal with cutting the holes lol. I know, lazy. I did the same when replacing the lid gasket. The original lid gasket is thin and, for me it only lasted about 6 months before it got stretched out. So, I bought a 1/8" thick Solid Neoprene Rubber Sheet, traced out the outer dimension and screw holes and cut it to size. I've been using it for 6 months now and it's holding up well. |
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Post by velodromed on Oct 11, 2024 17:17:03 GMT -5
I was thinking of cutting my own also but don’t want to deal with cutting the holes lol. I know, lazy. I did the same when replacing the lid gasket. The original lid gasket is thin and, for me it only lasted about 6 months before it got stretched out. So, I bought a 1/8" thick Solid Neoprene Rubber Sheet, traced out the outer dimension and screw holes and cut it to size. I've been using it for 6 months now and it's holding up well. That’s what I ended up doing. You’re right about the old one stretching out quick. The inner liner seems solid so far at least. |
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Post by velodromed on Nov 14, 2024 16:50:53 GMT -5
I am very happy with my new gasket. Ten bucks for the sheet of rubber on Amazon and it seals/works far better than the original. I still spray the top of the barrel with water before I lay the gasket down. You know, I’ve really been happy with this rock tumbler. Aside from the motor starting to make noise after the first year, (They sent me a new motor as part of the warranty, which I’m saving for when the current one finally dies), the thing has had no other issues. The sealed bearings are still crunch free And the barrel sleeve itself, which is made of thicker rubber than the original lid gasket, is still in very good condition. I would definitely get another one of these if looking for another large Tumblr. They’re only $270, which is a great price compared to others out there. The thing has a run constant since I bought it with no brakes, except for the half hour or so it takes me to empty and refill the barrel.    |
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