sunfighter
starting to shine!
Member since January 2009
Posts: 47
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Post by sunfighter on Jan 15, 2009 20:59:15 GMT -5
Well members I have justed finished stage 1 of my first tumble(coarse grit) and I am vey happy so far. Cleaned the tumbler; cleaned the roacks and now I have this used coarse grit from stage 1 and don't know what to do with it. Can it be reused? Should I just throw it in the trash? I am not sure what can or can''t do with it now so help! LOL
Cid
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ejs
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 478
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Post by ejs on Jan 15, 2009 22:40:29 GMT -5
For people living in the country, pouring it on the ground is the easiest option. For city dwellers, it's a big tougher, so I'll let them speak up!
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Post by llana2go on Jan 16, 2009 0:26:56 GMT -5
Whatever you do, DON'T pour it down the drain!
I have sometimes had left over grit and I just tossed in more rocks, added some new grit & water and got it tumbling again.
llana
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reelman
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 114
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Post by reelman on Jan 16, 2009 0:35:47 GMT -5
I live in the city and don't want to dump it in my yard. I cut the top off 1/2 gal. milk cartons. I use a screen and dump my barrels into it. Later I pour off excess water and let it dry out. Some then put a chunk in the rough grit & use again. Once in awhile I do this but usually throw the carton in the garbage.
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pebblepup
has rocks in the head
Succor Creek Thunder Egg
Member since July 2008
Posts: 515
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Post by pebblepup on Jan 16, 2009 0:46:01 GMT -5
I pour mine out on the lawn. This seams to be ok with the grit but I have damaged the lawn with the borax I use for burnishing. If you do pour it on the lawn be sure to flush it well with water; I did the once late at night without flushing it and stepped in it the next morning. I never got the slurry of that pair of shoes.
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Saskrock
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2007
Posts: 1,852
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Post by Saskrock on Jan 16, 2009 0:51:51 GMT -5
If you want to save grit you can build an elutriator to sort out the grit. I did this though and its a lot of effort for what you get in my opinion. If you want to look for "Make Your Own Elutriator to Recover Tumbling Grit" about 2/3 rds down this page. tomaszewski.net/Kreigh/Minerals/Homemade.shtmlI have been thinking the sharp grit leftovers might be a good way to get rid of slugs in flowerbeds though. |
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sunfighter
starting to shine!
Member since January 2009
Posts: 47
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Post by sunfighter on Jan 16, 2009 1:32:33 GMT -5
Humm.....well thanks all for your reply about what to do with the used grit. I would prefer NOT to through it in the lawn so I think I will hold on to it and maybe eventually use it with some new coarse grit for a future tumble.
Cid
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Post by frane on Jan 16, 2009 8:58:19 GMT -5
What I do is use a funnel and put it in a plastic milk jug. When the jug is full (once the grit settles, you can pour off the excess clean water into the lawn if you want to) recap it and throw it away. City living is a little harder on us tumblers but there are ways.
Fran
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rockerfellerz
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2008
Posts: 120
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Post by rockerfellerz on Jan 16, 2009 10:00:23 GMT -5
I take my rocks to a manual car wash and pressure wash them through a plastic collander on the rinse setting. Bye bye grit! It also cleans out the barrel nicely. The only thing is it gets a little expensive cause it's like 5-6 dollars every time I change grits. It's worth it to me though, I don't have a backyard to dump it in and trying to wash them at home is a huge mess waiting to happen. when I get them home I give them a final rinse in a big bowl of water while I sort them out.
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navi
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2008
Posts: 229
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Post by navi on Jan 16, 2009 10:24:00 GMT -5
i pour out back behind a bush, or in a gravel flower bed. rockerfellerz, interesting idea. could be an excuse for me to actually go and wash my car sometime! sunfighter, why reuse the grit? it's spent and won't do anything except change the color of the water.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jan 16, 2009 10:31:04 GMT -5
As Navi says usually the grit is ground down and in small drums not worth bothering with. If you had a large drum and could see unground grit it might be worth reusing. Without borax the grit/slurry is beneficial to the flower beds as it contains minerals.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 16, 2009 12:41:41 GMT -5
I absolutely would not dump Borax on the lawn. Your soil will absorb it and eventually nothing will grow there.
I pour my wash water and used up slurry onto my compost pile.
In the winter I screen my rocks and wash them into a 5 gal. bucket indoors, then carry the water and slurry outside. It's not all that messy, but then I have a laundry tub and hose that I use.
Chuck
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Rogue Trader
freely admits to licking rocks
"Don't cry because you are leaving, smile because you were there."
Member since December 2008
Posts: 839
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Post by Rogue Trader on Jan 16, 2009 13:48:19 GMT -5
:2cents: :2cents:
An easy way for you town folk to dispose of used grit/slurry is to make a simple filter/syphon system.
Using a large plastic milk carton / fizzy drink bottle and a length of cotton rope. It's basic science and uses capillary action.
1. Pour your grit slurry into the milk carton / fizzy drink bottle.
2. Using enough cotton rope to reach the inside bottom of the milk carton / bottle and down the outside with about 2" more. Tie a knot in one end of your cotton rope and soak it completely in fresh water.
3. Dangle the rope into the carton / bottle so that the knot reaches the bottom, and the other end hangs on the outside and below the bottom of the carton/bottle.
4. Capillary action will drain the water from the slurry, while the cotton rope will filter out all the grit/mud leaving it in the carton/bottle.
5. Once the water is drained away all you have to do is leave the rope in the carton/bottle until you need to use it again. Until the carton/bottle is full of grit/mud.
6. Cap carton/bottle and dispose in usual garbage.
Using this method means you can actually drain away the water into the kitchen sink/drains without the worry of blocking them with grit/mud.
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earthdog
Cave Dweller 
Don't eat yellow snow
Member since June 2006
Posts: 2,731
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Post by earthdog on Jan 17, 2009 12:02:11 GMT -5
I have been pouring my slurry down the basement floor drain for years now. All of it from 46/70 on up to 1000 grit. I have never had a problem. I also run alot of water down the drain with it to thin it out but never had a problem.
As long as it makes it out to the street, then let the city worry about it.
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