carloscinco
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,639
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Post by carloscinco on Jan 19, 2009 20:00:10 GMT -5
I have two Lortone 33Bs. I've used them for them for several months without them pressuring up. All four barrels started pressuring up about a month ago and it has gotten to the point that I have to burp one or all of them every day. I'm still charging the same type of jasper, chalcedony and agate I pick up on the tracks around here so I ruled that out. Last night as I lay in bed I realized that the only change I've made is I started to use glass marbles to help the tumble.
All four barrels were puffy and one was leaking this afternoon. I took two barrels and replaced the marbles with pea gravel which I had been using for filler at the start. I'll post the results. Anybody else had this problem?
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darrad
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2006
Posts: 1,636
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Post by darrad on Jan 19, 2009 20:14:36 GMT -5
Looks like you solved your problem. Glass produces a lot of gas in my experience.
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carloscinco
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,639
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Post by carloscinco on Jan 19, 2009 20:44:23 GMT -5
I hope you're right. Up to now, it was what I had in my glass that gassed me up.
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Post by frane on Jan 19, 2009 20:54:58 GMT -5
I have only had that happen at the beginning of the first stage when organic matter is coming off the stones or with Apatite or lapis all the way through. For some reason, these soft stones builds up gasses and you have to burp them every other day or scoop foam off or it is a mess. Lapis has a high sulfur content so that is why the lapis does it so it must be the marbles in your load. I have heard some folks say they work great in a vibe. Maybe it is not a problem there because you open at least 3 times a day to add water. I am anxious to hear if the gravel will help. Just remember that if there is natureal matter in the gravel, it can also give you problems the first couple of days.
Fran
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carloscinco
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,639
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Post by carloscinco on Jan 19, 2009 21:29:58 GMT -5
I considered the possibility that organic matter may be decomposing in the barrel and releasing gas but I had gas build up in all the stages. I even put a few drops of clorox in the pre polish stage on one tumble to no avail.
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Post by LCARS on Jan 20, 2009 3:29:36 GMT -5
Glass is a mixture of different materials and it does produce gas in the tumbler as it grinds down, less so in each successive stage though. I have a load of colored glass in right now and it's doing the same thing. I usually have to burp it after two days when I start it and once every few days after but maybe only once in fine grit and it seems to stop gassin by the time it gets to prepolish. It's just par for the course when tumbling man made silicates.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Jan 20, 2009 6:55:31 GMT -5
Be careful with your pea gravel. I used some on a load and couldn't get a decent polish. Turned out one piece was very hard and rough. I haven't used it since.
Chuck
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carloscinco
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,639
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Post by carloscinco on Jan 20, 2009 17:59:21 GMT -5
That's a good point about the pea gravel.
I got home this afternoon and the barrels without marbles look normal, the barrels with marbles are puffy. I will burp the puffy barrels tonight before I put them to bed and check again tomorrow. If the results are repeated, I will banish the marbles to the flower vases and stick with various size , similar rocks to encourage tumbling behavior.
Anybody get gassy with ceramics? I run across various size ceramic balls from 3/16" to 3/4" from time to time.
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Jan 21, 2009 4:32:05 GMT -5
I've used bb-sized plastic pellets for years, in all stages (not always in the coarse and fine grind, but often enough to say I've done this many times over), and I've never had a problem with gas build-up. Guess my recommendation would be that if gas is a problem with glass marbles, try switching to plastic pellets.
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fanatic
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2007
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Post by fanatic on Jan 21, 2009 7:48:47 GMT -5
I save all the little scraps and trimmings from the pre-forms I cut and I use them as filler whenever I need some in the coarse and fine grind stages. This way your filler is approximately the same material as your good material you are tumbling. No need to use any glass or questionable pea gravel. They can be used again and again. I have so much of this stuff I've started leaving it in all the way through polishing. I put the polished scraps in jars, etc. Just last weekend I found some old half pint square canning jars with the wire seal lids. They look great filled with my tumbled junk. Kids love those little pieces too!
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carloscinco
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,639
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Post by carloscinco on Jan 21, 2009 18:12:15 GMT -5
No doubt today that the barrels with the marbles generate gas while the barrels without marbles remain poof free. I may conduct this experiment with ceramics next time I get a chance but I'm done with glass. This may explain why my Thumblers A-R6 barrel kept leaking. It doesn't take much pressure on a 6 inch lid to blow it off. Thanks for everyones input.
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Jan 23, 2009 11:49:34 GMT -5
I had some opressurization in my first runs. I had read that a little bicarb would help. it made no sense and didn't seem to help, but the problwem has abated anyway. Pyrex glass (in Europe and older pyrex in the US) is borosilicate glass. Newer Pyrex is soda-lime glass and could breakdown to create CO2. Common glass is also soda-lime glass and is subject to chemical attack, as in the dishwasher wheerre it will etch eventually in a strong alkaline environment (lye and chlorinated compounds. There are sulfur compounds in the rubber barrels themselves from the vulcanizing process that could ghenerate acid, as can some igneous and common metamortphic minerals(lapis, sodalite, gypsum, etc. ) combine these with a little limestone crust on some of the other rocks- you get gas.
UIf bacteria and decomposing organic matter are a concern, sanitizers alone may not eliminate the problem- and it will take a lot more chlorox thn a couple drops. try washing the barrels inthe dishwasher, which shoulfd sanitize them and neutralize surface acid generators. Try an old barrel or lid liner first to see how it takes the heat and detergent, and use the upper rack. thios is a good way to sanitize baby bottles without boiling and should work on the barrels, too.
Mark H.
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