tippy1
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2008
Posts: 15
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Post by tippy1 on Oct 2, 2008 18:16:11 GMT -5
Does anyone know where i can get bulk silicon carbide media for cheaper, even if i have to become a dealer. I need to feed my 600 lb tumbler to do basketball size jasper
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ejs
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 478
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Post by ejs on Oct 2, 2008 18:38:48 GMT -5
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Saskrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2007
Posts: 1,852
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Post by Saskrock on Oct 2, 2008 18:57:22 GMT -5
Don't know about the carbide, but you definantly need to post pics of the 600lb tumbler.
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darrad
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2006
Posts: 1,636
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Post by darrad on Oct 2, 2008 19:15:30 GMT -5
Welcome and with a 600 pounder! What did you do convert a cement mixer? Pleeeeeeze show us!
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tippy1
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2008
Posts: 15
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Post by tippy1 on Oct 2, 2008 19:48:32 GMT -5
Im crappy at computers @ need to learn about putting on pictures as i just bought a camera! The tumbler is a 5 foot diameter earthmover tire x 24 wide & im powering it with only a 1/2 HP motor at about 6 RPM from a 11-1 gyrotor reducer. I machined 2 rollers out of 6" pipe with 1 7/16" shafts & flange block bearings. Im from the Iron Range Mn, @ just got the rock bug in me @ I cant stop Thinking about all the tools I am going to make. Right now, Im tumbling hematite mixes & dont have a clue what im doing, But my 1st grit is taconite pellets i shovel off all the railroad grades around here. Ive been doing soft ball size pcs that hav come from mine blasts @ are squareish or jagged shaped @ after 2 days they look like they were worn in a river for 50 years. I think these pellets roll between the rocks @ between that @ the weight of the rocks,the pellets do an excellent job of 1st stage tumbling, But i am sick of showing people the rocks after I have to water them to shine. U people need to teach me
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tippy1
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2008
Posts: 15
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Post by tippy1 on Oct 2, 2008 22:49:25 GMT -5
Some other tools Ive made so far this summer, a 50 ton miniature rock splitter, a hand operated rock dredge/screen that works very well in rivers @ lakeshores, It has a pnuematic tire on it so you can wheel it without having to lift it, then it has a steering wheel to quick flip it inthe water @ has a excavator type dumping mech to dump the desanded rocks in another bucket so you can keep dredging @ your wife can look thru the screened rocks while your getting more, I think people on lake superior would love this. also made a15 lb tumbler,that was 1st one made. Am presently building a20 rock saw with power feed, 2 vibrating lappers @3 3 lb tumblers for in the house this winter to learn how to tumble. also started getting parts for a inbetween tire tumbler @ am looking at buying a old mining ball mill that is 5' dia x 14 ' long 3 has a 5'drive ring gear all the way around it. this would need a 10 HP @ would cost 1500.00 amonth to run
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Post by connrock on Oct 3, 2008 4:42:21 GMT -5
Miles Supply is a good choice for the grit.
I have to stick my nose in here a bit.
I don't know how much you know about tumbling rocks so bear with me.
Basketball size rocks won't do very well on they're own in any tumbler.You MUST have smaller rocks down to pea gravel to have enough surface contact between the rocks and grit or the load will take forever to grind down.
Another thing to think about is what RPM will this tumbler run?
I know there's a calculation out there somewhere but I don't know just where.
connrock
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tippy1
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2008
Posts: 15
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Post by tippy1 on Oct 3, 2008 8:59:56 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice, Conrock about the smaller media. As far as the formula, I found it somewhere else @ hav it written in my messy machine shop somewhere @ it calculated out to about 12 to15 RPM & that was to fast as the rocks were climbing in the tire & dropping on each, so I brought it down to 6 RPM and it seems to grind good. I have clear plexiglass center covers so you can see until they mud up. Thanks again & please feed me more info on tumbling
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lynskyn1970
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since August 2008
Posts: 93
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Post by lynskyn1970 on Oct 3, 2008 9:16:49 GMT -5
wow!!!! really sounds like you have the bug bad!!!! welcome to the addiction. yes when you can please, please post some pics for us. well sounds like your having a great time!!!
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tippy1
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2008
Posts: 15
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Post by tippy1 on Oct 3, 2008 17:38:33 GMT -5
Oh! I forgot to tell u guys, I put a hopper between large tire & 1 roller on big tumbler & it crushes pop & beer cans as flat as they can be flattened! My brother was drinking a beer @ watching it tumble @ howalla he threw his empty in between tire & roller. Now i picked up a miniature conveyor & am going to mount underneath so cans will land in container
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Post by bobby1 on Oct 3, 2008 20:03:25 GMT -5
I got 100 lbs of 60 grit for $165.62 (shipping included) from Jesco Products last December. The included shipping costs were from Oklahoma to California. www.jescoproducts.comBob |
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tippy1
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2008
Posts: 15
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Post by tippy1 on Oct 3, 2008 21:59:47 GMT -5
Thanks for Info Bob, Greatly appreciated
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rockwizz
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since May 2007
Posts: 971
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Post by rockwizz on Oct 3, 2008 22:10:08 GMT -5
Best place for 60/90 is miles supply...I bough 50 lbs for 95 bucks...shipping included.
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Post by connrock on Oct 4, 2008 5:00:40 GMT -5
tippy,
Yes 12-15 rpm's sounds way too fast for that size "barrel". Having the Plexiglas sides should let you see whats going on in there long enough to adjust the speed to exactly what you need.
Something to take into consideration is what the finished polished boulders will actually look like when they're finished and that you may have a lot of them break somewhere during the process.
To find basketball size tumbling material that's not pitted,cracked or otherwise flawed will be very difficult.If these flaws are not ground away in the rough stage they will only cause big problems down the road.They WILL carry grit into the polish stage and even one piece of grit can raise havoc and can ruin the whole load.
I find it difficult to find a piece of good tumbling material the size of a softball and then to tumble it without having some sort of problem is another story.
If you look at the larger maybe 6" spheres that are made you will almost always see flaws in them.
Another point is "prepping" the rocks before tumbling.In a normal size load prepping the rough cuts down on the roughing stage tremendously so I would imagine if you prepped your rocks properly it would do the same for you.
This is a subject that's not mentioned much on this forum but it is a very important factor that will speed up the entire process.
If you leave any concave areas in the rough rocks it takes the tumbling process a long time to wear down the entire surrounding surface before the concave area(s) are gone.
If you have "pointed" areas they too take a long time to round off.
You may have to rough a "bad" rock 5-6 times or even more to get rid of these problem areas where as if you prepped the rock it may be fine in only 2-3.
Using the amount of grit in the rough stage that you are,saving roughing time would also save you a lot of time and mostly money.
connrock
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garrett
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2008
Posts: 62
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Post by garrett on Oct 5, 2008 2:49:40 GMT -5
Wow! I can’t tell you how right connrock is! He hit on almost all the problems I’ve had trying to tumble larger than normal material.
I don’t know what it is about us that makes us want to tumble large rocks (at least at first) but whatever it is I know it does exist (in some people).
I’ve only been into the lapidary hobby for a little over a year and I guess I’m not completely cured yet, but close.
I’ve never tried anything anywhere near basketball sized but what I have found with large material is that if they don’t break, chances are when you grind through one flaw you will find another.
I have in this past year finished out one the size of a large potato and two more almost as big but, having said all that, it’s hard to think about basketball sized material in a tumbler. Think about this, tumbled you only see the outside. Maybe if you have good material of that size you should build a large saw so we can all see what’s on the inside of those beautiful rocks.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Oct 5, 2008 10:56:16 GMT -5
Tippy, look into the Cuyuna Rock & Mineral Club in your neck of the woods. They're an active group and would have some members who can probably help you out. webdom.org/RockClub/index.htmHope that helps, Chuck |
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ejs
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 478
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Post by ejs on Oct 5, 2008 21:05:18 GMT -5
Conrock: I've not read much about prepping the rough before the coarse tumble. Can you talk a bit more about that? Do you use a saw to take off the points and concave sides? Anything else in the prep?
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Post by connrock on Oct 6, 2008 12:26:50 GMT -5
ejs,
I use a chipping hammer to do 99% of it but also use a few different size cold chisels.
The whole idea is to chip away the bad spots like fractures,pits,concave areas and sort of chip off the sharp edges.
Some of the members saw and or grind to prep but I think that takes away from the roundness and makes the rocks look to "geometrically" figured.
I've tried grinding a 15 pound load of Montana Agate on diamond wheels and it takes a LOT of work ,time and wear on the wheels to do it.
There is also a point where you have to accept the rock as is or end up chipping the whole thing away due to the way it breaks up.This type of rock will just have to tumble longer.
A couple notes on safety are ,,,,gloves are a MUST as well as safety glasses for you and ANYONE around you.
I've seen photo's on here where the person breaking the rocks is wearing safety glasses and the kids watching are not!
Some of the pieces will fly 30'- who knows how far like a bullet.
I got real smart one day and decided to not go back i the house to get my gloves.The second swing of the hammer chipped off a VERY tiny piece of obsidian which embedded itself in my left hand.It went in so far and so fast it was under the surface of my skin and I had to actually dig it out with a needle and tweezers.
Never again!!
connrock
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