frances
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2004
Posts: 7
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Post by frances on Dec 15, 2004 9:32:42 GMT -5
Hello,
I'm so glad I found this board! I've been reading through some of the posts (and looking at all the *gorgeous* photos in the Member Photographs forum) ... I'm interested in getting into the hobby and would like any advice/guidance any of you have to offer.
As a small child, I tumbled maybe two loads in one of those toy plastic tumblers. Something about the tumbler broke or we ran out of supplies and that was the end of that.
Some 20 years later, I've decided I'd like to make this a hobby. I've been researching tumblers. (And you can probably imagine what I'm getting ready to ask.) Should I go with a vibe or rotary?
I was reading the "Newbie Quustion" post from Bill, and I do like connrock's idea of getting two tumblers, to save on grit. I'll definitely keep that in mind, but, even though I know how much I love rocks, I still think it would be wise to take it one tumbler at the time.
So, which one? I'm thinking a 3# bowl would be good for me. After adding water, grit, etc about how many pounds of rock can you do in a 3# bowl? I like the fact that the vibes are faster and keep the natural shapes of the rocks. How much louder are they? And how loud are we talking, with either type?
And also, there's the question of brands. From reading the posts here, Lorotone seems to be *the* brand for rotary, and Raytech for vibes. I've run across Gy-roc vibrating tumblers, though, and like the idea that you can 'piggyback' barrels. Any thoughts on the Gy-roc brand? (It's about $180 compared to $100 for Raytech V5 - I haven't been searching for the lowest prices for any models yet).
And what about Mini-sonic? They say they are quiet - I'm currently in an apartment, so noise is a concern - and they claim there are no moving parts to wear out and that they outlast all other vibes. There's a mini-sonic that takes 2 4# or 1 10# hoppers - I assume that won't run with a single 4#. But if it did, that would really be nice. Maybe nice enough to justify the added expense, I don't know.
Anyway, I've probably asked more than enough questions for now ... Thanks in advance for any advice anyone has for me!
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Post by creativeminded on Dec 15, 2004 10:09:06 GMT -5
Welcome to the hobby. I don't know about vibes, I love my 3A Lortone tumbler. I too started with the toy tumbler, and will be giving that to my nephew this Christmas. You are going to get many different answers and suggestions, I suggest you go with the one you will feel most comfortable with.
I have only been tumbling for about 1 year now. Goodness it doesn't seem like it has been that short. Tami
P.S. Rock tumbling is addictive, and in some cases contagious. My mother, nieces and nephews are all the time finding rocks for me to tumble.
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phoenix1647
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2013
Posts: 186
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Post by phoenix1647 on Dec 15, 2004 10:22:58 GMT -5
I am using the CE rotary tumblers..I currently have 3 single barrel and one double barrel unit. Noise is not a problem for me...but if you live in an appartment...I would suggest getting some sort of rubber mat to sit you unit on...this will help absorb the vibrations from the unit and help cut down on any noise traveling thru the floors/walls I would think. These units do not put out that much noise....they are realy very quiet. I started out with one 3# rotary tumbler. That seems to be a good place to start then expand as needed from there. This will give you a good shot at checking for noise leves...etc... Welcome to the boards and to the wonderful world of rock tumbling..you are in great company here with all kinds of help shoud you have any questions or problems.
Pho
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Dec 15, 2004 10:57:58 GMT -5
Frances, welcome to the board. I started with a single barrel Chicago Electric tumbler and before it was even delivered, I had ordered at QT66 - thanks to finding this board and getting seriously addicted before I had even tumbled a stone! I now have three 33Bs, the QT66 and a Raytech vibe. Since it has gotten so cold here, they are all in house. Two of the 33Bs in my bedroom and running all the time,the QT66 on the living room floor and the vibe I move to the bedroom during the day, then the living room when I go to bed. It is loud but worth it to finish off my stones faster. I use the rotary tumblers for the 60/90 and 220 stages, then go to the vibe to finish them. As Tami says Rock tumbling is addictive, and in some cases contagious. . I might add highly addictive!llana
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HarryB41
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2004
Posts: 605
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Post by HarryB41 on Dec 15, 2004 11:19:27 GMT -5
I started with a 3lb Lortone, then a double 3lb Thumler, then a 12lb Lortone, and then a double 3lb Lortone.... now I want a double 6lb Lortone!
Welcome to the HIGHLY addictive hobby of rock tumbling!
Harry P.S. Yes.... all of them are turning as you read this. ;D
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69beeper
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2004
Posts: 377
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Post by 69beeper on Dec 15, 2004 13:14:07 GMT -5
Hi frances, Welcome aboard! Can't go wrong starting with a rotary tumbler. Consider one that turns two barrels at a time like the Lortone 33B. You won't regret it. Jimmy
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frances
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2004
Posts: 7
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Post by frances on Dec 15, 2004 13:52:50 GMT -5
Thank you all for the warm welcome and informative posts! I'm excited about getting started ... It will be a few months before I can afford to start buying stuff, which is fine because I need to research things and decide exactly what to buy.
And I can imagine it will be addictive - I have a hard enough time leaving those bags of plain 'ole river rocks, like in the craft section or pet fish section, at the store!
That does bring up a good question, though - so tumbling is addictive and it's the process that's the most fun part, right? Seeing the transformation, seeing how well the batches turn out, etc. I'd imagine, if you're lucky, there are a few spectacular rocks per batch, but after a while, you've got pounds and pounds of tumbled rocks. And pounds more of rough rock to tumble - so what do you *do* with all those tumbled rocks?
And as for double-barrel machines (I've been looking at Lorotone and Thumler's double 3# models, and also a double hopper vibe model) - can you run them with a single barrel or will they be unbalanced?
Thanks, everybody.
(And llanago, thanks for making me smile - I feel like I'm following in your footsteps, at least the part about finding this board and becoming addicted before I even get started! =)
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thewiz
has rocks in the head
"What good is money if you don't spend it"
Member since January 2004
Posts: 735
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Post by thewiz on Dec 15, 2004 14:20:32 GMT -5
don't forget ebay
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Post by connrock on Dec 15, 2004 17:00:08 GMT -5
Hi Frances and welcome to the board!! Well you've got the right info on the tumblers so I'll tell you about what I do with all those tumbled rocks. I've polished hundreds,if not well over a 1000 lbs of rocks and gave just about all of them away to friends and family.I also use them in traded along with some tumbling and cutting rough. I bought small bottles and put rocks in them.I have rocks in canning jars.I've made little "creatures" out of them where I just put 2 eyes on a rock and give them top kids. There's a lot of the people here who have "graduated" from just tumbling to making beautiful jewelry out of their tumbled and cut rocks. You can make your own beads with them.Belt buckles,windchimes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Just be yourself and do what "you'' want to do with them.That's how new ideas come along. Take John Sands for example.Not too very long ago he wasn't sure that his work was good enough to sell,,Ha Ha Ha ! Ask him about his work now!! KD,Llanago,RosebudMN and a lot more members have come a long way and you will too. Myself,,,,,,,,,I just love the look in someones eyes and on their face when I say "It's yours"!! Tom
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Post by cookie3rocks on Dec 15, 2004 19:04:12 GMT -5
Hi Frances, and Welcome! I started with a 3# vibe (Raytech) and the poor little thing officialy gave up the ghost today. Been working on it all afternoon, but it's gone. *playing taps* I loved the vibe and my next unit will be a vibe as well, probably a Mini Sonic, like the one you discribed. You can run one barrel at a time, or both. One for coarse (which starts at 220 grit in a vibe) and one for pre polish-polish. I'm getting o slab saw for Christmas (a little birdie told me) so, because I make jewlery, I can get more usable, pre formed pieces in half the time of a rotary. Something to think about!
cookie
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Post by puppie96 on Dec 16, 2004 1:55:20 GMT -5
I went thru the usual process, started a year ago with one Lortone 3lb, was already ordering the double 3lb. Lortone and the triple 1.5 lb Lortone before the first batch was done, then the Raytech vibe, then the bigger Lortone that takes a 12lb or two 6lb barrels. I've read the Minisonic material and basically all the sales information about vibes, but nobody here (to my knowledge) has posted any reviews about their experiences with other vibes than the Raytech. I've asked about it before and no luck. If I had it to do over I'd have started with the double 3lb. Lortone, it now seems obvious that the single one will be insufficient from the git-go. It's pretty cost effective, too, since the prices seem to have come down a lot in the last year. I definitely would not start with vibe only. They clearly are not a good choice for rough grinding irregular and/or jagged rock, which needs more rounding and shaping than the vibe will do easily. Plus, rock like this chews up the vibe bowls in a hurry and replacements add up -- they aren't cheap. Cookster, I'm so sorry about the demise of your vibe.
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frances
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2004
Posts: 7
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Post by frances on Dec 16, 2004 8:14:59 GMT -5
Hmm, regarding ebay ... I'm acutally a litte scared I'll buy more than I can afford if I start doing the ebay thing. Something about that little timer ticking down ... I've seen a few really nice jasper spheres there lately. I have a thing for spheres, too, and when they're made out of gemstones ... I can't remember my paypal password, which is probably a good thing. I plan to get my account straightened out soon.
As I've been reading more posts on the photo board, I am coming to realize long it takes to get really great looking batches. I can definitely see that I'd want to go for the perfection look! =) And was it llango who did the driveway rocks? They were absolutely gorgeous.
I also wasn't accounting for the fact that X pounds go into the tumbler, but quite a bit less than that comes out. So "what to do with the rocks" shouldn't be a problem. At least for a good long while.
Cookie, I'm sorry to hear your tumbler played out on you. I'd certainly be interested in hearing how you like the mini-sonic. Its hoppers are a bit on the pricey side. That was one thing I liked about the Gy-roc - its bowls were $10 and you could stack them (on the 3# model). It's a weird-looking thing, though.
It's good to know that if I get a double barrel model, I can run one barrel at the time. That definitely sounds like the way to go.
You're beginning to convince me, puppie96, about starting with a rotary model. That bit about rough rocks chewing up those so-darn-expensive bowls may've done it! LOL, maybe I'll wait until I get my first batch tumbling in a rotary and then order a vibe! =)
Oh yeah, I'd also be interested in any books you all would recommend. Everyone seems so knowledgable - if a batch of rocks can take months, that's a long time to figure out everything by trial and error. I'm assuming a rock tumbler will come with the basic insturctions. But I'd like to know about how those basics are altered for different types of rocks, what kinds of rocks to tumble together, what are the easiest to start with, etc.
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Post by Cher on Dec 16, 2004 9:24:21 GMT -5
Hi Frances, This forum is the best "book" you'll find for reading about dos and don'ts. Check out the vendor section, I listed the site where I got my 33B (jatayu), it was the best price I found for just the tumbler. The Rock Shed sells them too and when you buy one you get a 10% discount on grit if purchased at the same time. Another thing to remember is you'll go through lots more of the 60/90 coarse grit than you do with the others.
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thewiz
has rocks in the head
"What good is money if you don't spend it"
Member since January 2004
Posts: 735
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Post by thewiz on Dec 16, 2004 12:43:53 GMT -5
you can get rock tumblers off of ebay"not so much the rocks is what i meant" sorry for not being clear
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frances
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2004
Posts: 7
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Post by frances on Dec 16, 2004 13:03:21 GMT -5
It's just the rocks would be my weakness! =) Persumably I'd buy one tumbler, or two if I went on a spending spree, but once I started looking at the rocks ...
Seriously, though, I've manged to remain debt-free for this long, so I'll probably be okay. As we "speak" I'm trying to get a paypal accont and recover my ebay account info, but although both sites say they emailed info to me, I haven't gotten anything yet. :[ It's been a couple of hours ...
I've found a double 3# Thumlers for $87 (not ebay and I don't know about S/H) ... deciding to go the rotary route first will mean I should be able to start sooner than if I'm trying to buy a more expensive vibe.
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Post by sandsman1 on Dec 16, 2004 13:50:35 GMT -5
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Iowahound
having dreams about rocks
Member since December 2004
Posts: 72
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Post by Iowahound on Dec 16, 2004 19:33:40 GMT -5
I was very fortunate about ten years ago to pick up 2 Mini-sonic vibes ( a single hopper and a double hopper) and a lortone 18 inch slab saw at an auction for very little money. I didn't really know it at the time but I got one heck of a deal($200). I'm just know starting to use those bargains I got ten years ago. I've only done three batches but the Mini-sonic does a fine job, you won't get the nice rounded edges with rough rock unless you let them run a long time. But I've been very pleased with my results so far. I did order a 15# Thumblers which should be here next week, the waiting is the hardest part.
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Post by puppie96 on Dec 18, 2004 1:26:41 GMT -5
Finally somebody with a Mini-Sonic!!
Frances, it's true, this board really is your best source.
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WarrenA
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2003
Posts: 1,530
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Post by WarrenA on Dec 18, 2004 10:14:07 GMT -5
What to do with all the rocks, I like to give away rocks to children especially elementary school kids, doesn't have to be anything fancy or exotic just landscape rock will do. watch their eyes lite up and get the WOW COOL, is the most fun.
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frances
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2004
Posts: 7
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Post by frances on Dec 18, 2004 14:04:50 GMT -5
Children are always easier to "wow" than adults -I think that's why adults, sometimes, wish they were kids again, when everything was exciting!
Someone with a mini-sonic - that sounds like one heck of a deal you got, Iowahound!
You know, I've been so wrapped up with the posts/photos that I completly forgot this message board was just a *part* of the rocktumblinghobby site!
I think I've decided on the Thumler's AR2 model. If things go well with the first few batches, I can revist the vibe idea. After all the Christmas hustle and bustle, I'll begin getting my orders together and checking out the vendors board. In the meantime, I'll be checking out the non-board part of this site, and trying to decide what types of rocks to try first and getting better ideas about grits and whatnot.
Thanks, everybody, for all the input and seasoned advice!
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