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Slurry
Mar 9, 2005 16:59:12 GMT -5
Post by Alice on Mar 9, 2005 16:59:12 GMT -5
Probably a dumb question but I'm going to ask anyway.
Is it worth it to save the coarse grit slurry for other coarse grit batches? and fine grit slurry for fine grit batches? etc...
I've read a lot of recipes (using cornmeal, stucko plaster, etc... along with their grit), but haven't heard of someone saving old slurry to reuse in other batches. Alice
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Slurry
Mar 9, 2005 17:10:01 GMT -5
Post by Cher on Mar 9, 2005 17:10:01 GMT -5
I always save some of the slurry and use it in the next load but always ... same grit. I don't put much in, just a little to kind of jump start the process. Hasn't hurt anything yet.
Cher
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Voodoo Rage
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2005
Posts: 127
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Slurry
Mar 9, 2005 17:15:23 GMT -5
Post by Voodoo Rage on Mar 9, 2005 17:15:23 GMT -5
I'm still a newbie but I like to reuse the slurry if I am recharging the same grit. It seems to work just fine and I did have one batch that I started with fresh water only that did not develop a slurry AT ALL after 1 week for some reason.
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Slurry
Mar 9, 2005 17:23:51 GMT -5
Post by Alice on Mar 9, 2005 17:23:51 GMT -5
Voodoo, I think Docone had an explanation for no slurry in a past thread. Something about the PH level of your water? He said something that no slurry is a rare case, but it does happen on occasion. Thanks for your replies Cher and Voodoo. I'm going to save my slurry now Sounds kind of silly (Saving mud). Alice
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Rose
Cave Dweller
Member since November 2004
Posts: 875
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 6:20:10 GMT -5
Post by Rose on Mar 10, 2005 6:20:10 GMT -5
Probably silly question here but; How thick does everyone's slurry get - mine is always very watery and no foam - but I've read lots of posts about thicker and foaming stuff If you can get thick slurry is it better?
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MichiganRocks
starting to spend too much on rocks
"I wasn't born to follow."
Member since April 2007
Posts: 154
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 7:21:21 GMT -5
Post by MichiganRocks on Mar 10, 2005 7:21:21 GMT -5
I don't save any "wet" slurry because I run mine until there is nothing worth saving. I do save my "dry" grit if and when I run dry loads. 60/90 grit will come out feeling like corn silk. I then use it as a prepolish on softer rocks.
Ron
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 7:51:07 GMT -5
Post by Alice on Mar 10, 2005 7:51:07 GMT -5
Rose, when we used to use our kiddie tumbler, there was a once when our power went out in the middle of the night. In the morning I looked in the barrel and the slurry was so thick it I had a hard time digging a spoon into it. I don't know if it was because the unit wasn't moving for a long time, but I would say that that slurry was TOO thick. I added a little water and swooshed it around the barrel. seemed to do the trick.
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 7:55:00 GMT -5
Post by Alice on Mar 10, 2005 7:55:00 GMT -5
Ron, what do you use for dry loads? I've only read stuff on wet loads. Do you notice a difference between the wet and the dry? Does one work faster then the other?
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 8:00:56 GMT -5
Post by americanbulldogsnj on Mar 10, 2005 8:00:56 GMT -5
Probably silly question here but; How thick does everyone's slurry get - mine is always very watery and no foam - but I've read lots of posts about thicker and foaming stuff If you can get thick slurry is it better? Rose, I'm a newbie, I live in an area that has very hard water with a high iron content. I'm just finishing my first batch of rocks and each time I opened it up the canister, there was foam and thin/medium slurry. I deliberately used bottled purified water for each stage because I knew that my tap water was too hard and would cause problems, kinda like using hard water in your coffee maker, it ruins it. My newbie guess is that the mineral and hardness of the water you use will effect the slurry. JMO Marian
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 9:34:26 GMT -5
Post by creativeminded on Mar 10, 2005 9:34:26 GMT -5
If I had a bigger set up and was really pushed for money I probably would try to recycle, but I just have one 2.5# barrel tumbler. If I am recharging the same grit I won't rinse my rocks, I will just dump a little slurry out add more grit and a little more water. Tami
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 11:05:31 GMT -5
Post by stefan on Mar 10, 2005 11:05:31 GMT -5
I save the slurry and reuse it as long as I see some grit left in the bottom of the barrel- But my last batch (some leftover slurry some new grit) was totally void of grit after only 5 days- so that just gets dumped outside! I save my polish and reuse it but as I've only polished 2 batches can't say much on the results!
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 12:32:28 GMT -5
Post by mrbrett on Mar 10, 2005 12:32:28 GMT -5
Hey american, I wouldn't think that hard water would matter. If the barrel is rubber I cant seeing it getting eaten up. I bet if you put in some salt in the water that could soften it up. Kind of like a water softner does.
I usually get foam when I'm tumbling pet. wood. It seems to give off a stinky gas.
I usually don't save my slurry. Maybe I should. When my week is up I dump all the water and slurry into a 5 gal. bucket and rinse them off. Then I check all the rocks and see how they are doing. My 5 gal. bucket is about half full with sludge and the water I usually pour off.
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 12:34:08 GMT -5
Post by mrbrett on Mar 10, 2005 12:34:08 GMT -5
did someone post a while back on other things you can use your slurry for? Other projects?
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WyckedWyre
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since April 2007
Posts: 1,391
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 12:59:52 GMT -5
Post by WyckedWyre on Mar 10, 2005 12:59:52 GMT -5
I bet you could mix it with straw and make adobe bricks - S
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Voodoo Rage
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2005
Posts: 127
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 13:06:49 GMT -5
Post by Voodoo Rage on Mar 10, 2005 13:06:49 GMT -5
I've heard if you pure it in your gas tank you will get an extra 5 mpg! ;D
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 13:18:19 GMT -5
Post by mrbrett on Mar 10, 2005 13:18:19 GMT -5
Yea. You try it first and tell us how far you got with it.
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chassroc
Cave Dweller
Rocks are abundant when you have rocktumblinghobby pals
Member since January 2005
Posts: 3,586
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 13:37:00 GMT -5
Post by chassroc on Mar 10, 2005 13:37:00 GMT -5
I'm a newbie, I live in an area that has very hard water with a high iron content. I'm just finishing my first batch of rocks and each time I opened it up the canister, there was foam
Marian, I have been getting foam recently; This seems to retard interplay between the rocks and I've had to recharge and restart one batch three times. I'll be checking it tomorrow. This is driving me crazy. I have high mineral content in my water but I doubt it has any effect since I have three barrels going simultaneously and only one has had the "foam" problem. I'll have to be very scientific the next time and identify the specific rocks I am using, etc.
csroc
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Banjocreek
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2003
Posts: 1,115
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 13:57:45 GMT -5
Post by Banjocreek on Mar 10, 2005 13:57:45 GMT -5
I never reuse the slurry. It all gets rinsed away. I usually run my 60/90 and 120/220 a week and a half, or until I can no longer feel any grit in the barrel. I would rather start out with clean water and sharp edged grit to do the cutting action, and not muck it up with any slurry that is worn out. Just me, you can do what ever floats your boat, cause I don't think it makes a measurable differance either way. But I've been wrong before. I think we all fall into a groove with this hobby and begin to just stick with patterns that have consistantly worked for us. Have a great Day! www3.ns.sympatico.ca/lyle_24/myhero.swf
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,095
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 14:02:59 GMT -5
Post by stefan on Mar 10, 2005 14:02:59 GMT -5
Do Not Add salt to your water to soften- A water softener uses salt to RECHARGE the softening media (am ionic exchange resin) All salt will do is make your water salty! (sorry but I get into this argument with fish keepers all the time) I have a water softener and can tell you first hand that the salt is used in the recharging process- No salt stays in the water! The only thing soft water will do is allow the cleaning stage to work more efficiently! As far as the grinding stages goes hard water does not matter as the action of grinding is a physical reaction not a chemical reaction. No a slightly acidic environment may incourage oxidation in some material but for most tumbling material ph matters little!
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Slurry
Mar 10, 2005 14:05:18 GMT -5
Post by hermatite on Mar 10, 2005 14:05:18 GMT -5
I get foam in every batch...every single time... it doesn't explode nor does it seem to affect the outcome one way or the other. I used to check for gas buildup because of it, but now I just let it roll and know there'll be foam. Become one with the foam! LET THERE BE FOAM!
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