Blue Tigereye
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2005
Posts: 118
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Post by Blue Tigereye on Jan 19, 2005 19:18:55 GMT -5
Obviously one barrel would be the first thing to pop in your head, but what I want to know is how many are you using.
I'd love to be able to afford a barrel for each grit and each polish etc., but I don't see that happening anytime soon so how many do you get by with?
A barrel for the course grit, one for the rest of the cycles, and one for polish, or one for grit one for polish, or are you using multiple barrels?
Thanks
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Post by krazydiamond on Jan 19, 2005 20:13:00 GMT -5
currently i am running 5- 3 pound barrels continuosly.
2 with batches of 60/90 (one CE and one Lortone) 1 with 220 (Lortone) 1 with 600 (Lortone, i clean this one for SISA if i need to) 1 with polish (Lortone)
i have other barrels dedicated for polish only, but they are CE barrels. if i can rebuild some of the CE units, i will put them to use at the 60/90 end of the work. right now i am running long cycles of two and three weeks in 60/90, and letting every cycle run longer in each grit. doesn't seem to hurt in the slightest.
hope that helps, KD
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Stevek
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2004
Posts: 21
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Post by Stevek on Jan 19, 2005 20:28:55 GMT -5
I'm pretty new at this. I started with dual 3 lb barrels on a used tumbler. Very quickly I was annoyed with the slow rate of progress and picked up another one (total, 4 3lb barrels). I like my rocks pretty round so I find I am often running 2-3 barrels on rough and 1-2 for the other stages. I find this OK but would not mind a couple more.
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Post by docone31 on Jan 19, 2005 20:38:20 GMT -5
One grit, one bbl. I used PVC pipe for my bbls. I got the size I needed. My loretone used 6" very nicely. It was a little larger than stock but it worked. One end I glued an endcap, the other I glued a threaded cap. Bingo! I have found with a no cross contamination load it tumbles great. I also made a large bbl for my Loretone 33B. I doubled the bbl length and made one for coarse. I do not reccomend this. I tried it, and I did not like it. I stayed with smaller dual bbls.
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Blue Tigereye
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2005
Posts: 118
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Post by Blue Tigereye on Jan 19, 2005 21:06:01 GMT -5
Never even thought of being able to make my own barrels. Glad I asked. Don't happen to have a picture do you?
Don't suppose it would work for a Lortone 45C the one with the 4 lb barrel.
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Post by docone31 on Jan 19, 2005 21:10:33 GMT -5
A four inch bbl would be four inch PVC. Home depot would probably sell enough for the bbls, and they have the end caps, and threaded end cap. You will need PVC glue also.
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jan 19, 2005 22:03:20 GMT -5
With my vibe, I used 2 bowls, one for 120/220 (coarse in a vibe) one for 600, Tripoli and polish. I would pressure wash the polish bowl between uses, got little or no cross contaminaton. But the vibe died. So now I am learning all over again how to do this. I have a Thumblers model B 15# for coarse, and a home made (and exceptionally fine) tumbler that carries two 3# barrels for pre polish/polish. I just got "Big Red rolling tonight, so we will see what happens. Good Luck!
cookie
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Blue Tigereye
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2005
Posts: 118
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Post by Blue Tigereye on Jan 19, 2005 22:37:55 GMT -5
Thanks! Any idea what the PVC barrel cost you to make?
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Post by docone31 on Jan 19, 2005 22:39:30 GMT -5
Maybe five bucks each. The priciest piece would be the threaded end cap. About 2.5 $.
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Blue Tigereye
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2005
Posts: 118
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Post by Blue Tigereye on Jan 19, 2005 22:53:56 GMT -5
Wow!! I gotta ask then why would I want to pay $30 for an extra barrel from Lortone?
Is there that much difference in the quality of the tumbled stones?
For the price of one Lortone I can make 6!!
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Post by docone31 on Jan 19, 2005 23:26:41 GMT -5
Yup. Most folks don't think they can, or do not want to do it. You can.
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Skipper
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2003
Posts: 258
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Post by Skipper on Jan 19, 2005 23:53:45 GMT -5
As you can see, not many only run barrel after a while. Sure, we start there, but then we can't help but buy more and MORE!
I have a Lorton QT66 (two 6lb barrels) Two 3As One 33B
A 4.5C just arrived in the mail.
MORE MORE!!!
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Post by stoner on Jan 20, 2005 0:37:46 GMT -5
Hey Blue. here are some pics of my homemade barrels. Y can make them any size you want. Line the inside with 1/8" rubber, glue the white cap on the bottom and use the wing nut in the cap to seal the barrel. You can get everything at Home Depot. Use ABS pipe, as the caps are made for it. Ed
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Post by Tweetiepy on Jan 20, 2005 9:19:54 GMT -5
One grit, one bbl. I used PVC pipe for my bbls. I got the size I needed. My loretone used 6" very nicely. It was a little larger than stock but it worked. One end I glued an endcap, the other I glued a threaded cap. Bingo! I have found with a no cross contamination load it tumbles great. I also made a large bbl for my Loretone 33B. I doubled the bbl length and made one for coarse. I do not reccomend this. I tried it, and I did not like it. I stayed with smaller dual bbls. What are "bbl"s? Ed, Do you add "ribs" to your barrels? or something in them that makes them tumble more?
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Post by creativeminded on Jan 20, 2005 10:47:47 GMT -5
I have 4 barrels I use the first one for my 60/90 and 120/220, second one for 500 and tripoli, third for 1000 and the fourth for polish. I wash the rocks and barrels out after each grit by tumbling them in borax for 1 to 2 hours. If you don't do 6 steps you could probably get by with 3 barrels. Tami
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Blue Tigereye
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2005
Posts: 118
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Post by Blue Tigereye on Jan 20, 2005 14:06:56 GMT -5
Stoner what exactly are those made out of? Can I get like a shopping list? Actually I'd like a shopping list from any of you that have made your own barrels. Maybe a new listing called something like Barrels - Make your own, like the wire wrapping tutorial with a materials needed list and a how to guide? Those of you making your own could help the rest of us out who have more needs than money
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Post by Tweetiepy on Jan 20, 2005 14:47:09 GMT -5
I'd like a shopping list too for the barrel!!! Gonna build one if I can, this way I can save my money for rocks!!!
My dad is saying that a rubber lined barrel will wear away more grit than a metal or titanium one - is this true? is there a reason to line the barrel with rubber? Do you add ribs or flat spots under the rubber?
I'm getting so excited now! ;D ;D
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Post by hermatite on Jan 20, 2005 15:21:53 GMT -5
I, too, run four barrels. Though now that I know I can make my own (oh yeah right... like that's going to happen. I should say "now that my husband can make them for me...once I ask him nicely and make cookies) I'm literally sitting in a corner, chuckling maniacally, tinfoil hat balanced precariously on my head, muttering "barrellllsssssss my precioussssss" .
(yeah you go it...I have a thing for gollum).
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Jan 20, 2005 15:34:16 GMT -5
How many BARRELLLLSSSS ?
Well , the story goes that I started with just the one barrel........borrowed a double one shortly after slightly bigger size .......bought 2 home made ones yet bigger again , made of heavy steel and I lined them with rubber to prevent cracking all the rocks and dampen the sound....felt the need for yet more barrels so have now also 2x 12 pound lortone barrels and have just this week purchased the rollers and motors to go with it so I can tumble them. Got the first one of the 12 pound barrles rolling last night. What a sweet sound it is . Because we had a wedding on saturday 15 I closed down my barrels except for one 16 pound one. Had set that going on january 7 in 60/90 grit . With a load of rocks that cracked due to the increased speed at 48 revs. have brought it back down to 42 revs and that seems to be fine . By midnight last night I had 4 barrels rolling again Yehaaa
Jack
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Post by hermatite on Jan 20, 2005 15:41:12 GMT -5
Wouldn't a metal barrel knock the bejabbers out of the rocks? I can't even imagine what a titanium barrel would cost. Grit is expendable anyway...I wouldn't worry about it. It's going to get used up...that's the point. You need to surround your rocks in cushiony sweetness and talk nicely to them every day. Okay...well maybe that's overstating but I run rubber thumlers barrels with nary a complaint.
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