Post by aaroninkansas on Feb 9, 2009 16:48:30 GMT -5
I've been a member here for a while but mostly been a lurker. Really enjoy the conversations and loads of information.
I, like so many others, started out with a Chicago Electric double barrel tumbler. I'd always wanted to get into tumbling and that seemed to be a cheap way to start (even though I didn't know at the time they were, um.. you know). One turned into four pretty rapidly. I started having trouble with the belts right away and found a source on eBay where I could buy the belts cheap. I was buying them 20 at a time and could get about 3 months out of 20 of them on 4 machines. I also replaced the pulleys with the metal ones.
This all worked pretty well until summer hit. Being in the garage, it seemed the ambient temperature was too much for the CE motors to handle. They slowly started melting down. For a while, I was replacing them at the local HF store with no problems. Finally, one day I went out there and three of the four were stopped. I had finally had enough. (~July 08). I hung it up and decided it was more trouble than it was worth with the CE tumblers (ironically, the same prognosis I had found on here). I stayed dormant but still collecting rocks.
At the end of December, I had a bonus from work that allowed me to purchase some new tumblers. I liked the Lortone design that the Chinese copied for the CE design, but there was something about the Thumler's design that caught my eye. I think it was the fact that everything was out in the open and it looked like it would be easier to work on with my big hands. I purchased three A-R2's and one AR12. After a month of running, I have no problems to report. I keep spare parts on hand to keep them running, but have not had to use any yet. I'm very happy with my choice and thrilled to be cranking rocks out again.
When I started tumbling, I was often asked what I was going to do with the rocks when they are finished. I really didn't know but I thought they looked nice in a vase on the table. I've since outgrown the vase and several others, but I do have a plan. I've got several fish tanks. My goal is to replace all the nasty painted gravel that is currently in my fish tanks with polished rocks. Given the number of aquariums I have, I estimate it will take about 430lbs of rock to replace what is currently in them, assuming I don't add anymore between now and then. Given the fact they are headed for an aquarium, I skip the burnish stage because I can't have the soap residue on the rocks.
Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and what I'm working toward. This is a wonderful group of people here and I've enjoyed leaching information. I hope to soon put some pictures up of rocks. I am also considering building a tumbler for all those CE barrels I have laying around (based on the pictures of the one that was done earlier on here).
Aaron
I, like so many others, started out with a Chicago Electric double barrel tumbler. I'd always wanted to get into tumbling and that seemed to be a cheap way to start (even though I didn't know at the time they were, um.. you know). One turned into four pretty rapidly. I started having trouble with the belts right away and found a source on eBay where I could buy the belts cheap. I was buying them 20 at a time and could get about 3 months out of 20 of them on 4 machines. I also replaced the pulleys with the metal ones.
This all worked pretty well until summer hit. Being in the garage, it seemed the ambient temperature was too much for the CE motors to handle. They slowly started melting down. For a while, I was replacing them at the local HF store with no problems. Finally, one day I went out there and three of the four were stopped. I had finally had enough. (~July 08). I hung it up and decided it was more trouble than it was worth with the CE tumblers (ironically, the same prognosis I had found on here). I stayed dormant but still collecting rocks.
At the end of December, I had a bonus from work that allowed me to purchase some new tumblers. I liked the Lortone design that the Chinese copied for the CE design, but there was something about the Thumler's design that caught my eye. I think it was the fact that everything was out in the open and it looked like it would be easier to work on with my big hands. I purchased three A-R2's and one AR12. After a month of running, I have no problems to report. I keep spare parts on hand to keep them running, but have not had to use any yet. I'm very happy with my choice and thrilled to be cranking rocks out again.
When I started tumbling, I was often asked what I was going to do with the rocks when they are finished. I really didn't know but I thought they looked nice in a vase on the table. I've since outgrown the vase and several others, but I do have a plan. I've got several fish tanks. My goal is to replace all the nasty painted gravel that is currently in my fish tanks with polished rocks. Given the number of aquariums I have, I estimate it will take about 430lbs of rock to replace what is currently in them, assuming I don't add anymore between now and then. Given the fact they are headed for an aquarium, I skip the burnish stage because I can't have the soap residue on the rocks.
Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and what I'm working toward. This is a wonderful group of people here and I've enjoyed leaching information. I hope to soon put some pictures up of rocks. I am also considering building a tumbler for all those CE barrels I have laying around (based on the pictures of the one that was done earlier on here).
Aaron
