es355lucille
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2016
Posts: 194 
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Post by es355lucille on Mar 26, 2016 15:36:52 GMT -5
I was looking into getting a vibratory tumbler and I was looking to keep it on the cheap at first. Any suggestions? You guys gota check this out. Got a good laugh out of it! That is awesome bubbles!! LOL! |
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller 
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Mar 26, 2016 19:15:13 GMT -5
Randy, do you have a rotary? I second what Rob said about saving up and getting a good vibe to start with...I've heard too many bad stories on the low-end stuff. While you're waiting for the cash to build up it's a good time to be rockhounding!  |
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Post by Bikerrandy on Apr 1, 2016 17:47:06 GMT -5
Don't buy cheap!! Cheap vibes last a week or two. I've had my Thumlers UV-10 for 11 years. Never settle for any less than what you really want, any hobby that's worth doing is worth doing right.
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Post by Bikerrandy on Apr 1, 2016 17:48:08 GMT -5
Oh, and don't buy a Chicago Electric, they're junk
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randynmi
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2016
Posts: 5
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Post by randynmi on Apr 2, 2016 13:54:53 GMT -5
Thanks for the response guys. Can you dry tumble rocks? I saw one guy said you could using corn cob and polish. I live in Michigan, there are rocks all over here ripe for the tumbling. Someone said there was a place to get tumblers at a good price, where was that? Website?
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randynmi
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2016
Posts: 5
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Post by randynmi on Apr 2, 2016 15:21:17 GMT -5
I was looking into getting a vibratory tumbler and I was looking to keep it on the cheap at first. Any suggestions? You guys gota check this out. Got a good laugh out of it! That is awesome bubbles!! LOL! Brad, have you watched season 10 yet? By the way, I do have a Thumblers rotary tumbler. |
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Post by Jugglerguy on Apr 2, 2016 16:51:27 GMT -5
Thanks for the response guys. Can you dry tumble rocks? I saw one guy said you could using corn cob and polish. I live in Michigan, there are rocks all over here ripe for the tumbling. Someone said there was a place to get tumblers at a good price, where was that? Website? I'm probably that guy. I'm from Michigan too. What are you tumbling? I use dry corn cob media to tumble Petoskey stones. I do the the first two stages (80 for three days at a time until done, then 220 for 2-3 days) in a rotary. Then I do two days in 500 and two days in polish in my Lot-O with dry corn cob. I have also done Kona dolomite with less success, but not a complete failure, and some coral fossils in black matrix with good success. If I'm tumbling harder rocks, I use the more common wet method. The Rock Shed has about the best prices on tumblers. |
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Apr 2, 2016 21:00:45 GMT -5
That is awesome bubbles!! LOL! Brad, have you watched season 10 yet? By the way, I do have a Thumblers rotary tumbler. Got rotary...get a vibe.  You'll love it. Let the rotary do the heavy lifting for you and then speed through the polish with the vibe. You'll like the reduced grit/polish u$age, too!! |
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es355lucille
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2016
Posts: 194
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Post by es355lucille on Apr 3, 2016 13:54:55 GMT -5
That is awesome bubbles!! LOL! Brad, have you watched season 10 yet? By the way, I do have a Thumblers rotary tumbler. I just started Season 10 the other night....ha ha ha... |
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es355lucille
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2016
Posts: 194
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Post by es355lucille on Apr 3, 2016 13:59:53 GMT -5
I am with Intheswamp on this one. Use a rotary to do the first heavy grind until you get the stones the shape you want, then use a vibe. I got a Lot-O just recently and its an amazing machine for how small it is. |
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Post by paulshiroma on Nov 21, 2016 9:13:10 GMT -5
Don't buy cheap!! Cheap vibes last a week or two. I've had my Thumlers UV-10 for 11 years. Never settle for any less than what you really want, any hobby that's worth doing is worth doing right. Thanks for posting this thread waaaay back when, Bikerrandy. It has come in handy. Paul |
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rockerdi
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1 
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Post by rockerdi on Dec 29, 2016 11:46:32 GMT -5
Hello all!
I received a UV10 Thumler's as a Christmas gift from my perfect children! Started tumbling as soon as I purchased some grit. The thumlers instructions said to start with fine grit, then prepolish, then polish. Question: Is the fine grit the same as the 120/200 Randy talks about to use? Based on pictures in the rock shed, it's not. But being a first timer, and not having anything else but the thumler's fine grit, that's what the rocks have been tumbling in for the past 3 days. Any recommendations from the experts here would be much appreciated!
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Post by captbob on Dec 29, 2016 16:09:03 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum rockerdi . Having perfect children sounds like quite a gift in itself! As to your tumbling, were the rocks shaped in a rotary tumbler with coarse grit before they went into your new vibe? If not, while you may get a polish (shine) on them in the vibe, they probably aren't going to change much in shape from where they started. Rotary tumblers and coarse grit are for rounding - it can take a LONG time! Vibes are for finishing your rocks after they have achieved the shape you want. The 120/220 grit is not really considered a fine grit, more a medium. Fine grit would be something in the 500 range. 1000 is even finer. Both may also be called a pre-polish. So in your vibe, you would want to start with 120/220, move to 500 (then to 1000 if you have it) and then polish. I'm a rotary tumbler user, have a UV-10 but prefer the rotary myself. LOTS of vibe tumbler users here and they will be more than happy to help with any further questions you may have. You might want to start a new thread for future questions so it gets more attention and quicker answers. Enjoy your new tumbler and cherish those perfect children! Again, welcome to the forum. |
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jennyebert
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2016
Posts: 6
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Post by jennyebert on Mar 29, 2017 11:27:15 GMT -5
I tried to find this, but it looks like I never actually posted it. This is my formula for vibe tumbling, every batch will turn out perfect depending on the rocks that you start out with..... Vibes are aggressive and will eat up the soft rocks. The agates (chalcedonies) and the "hard" jaspers" work best. Also, tigereye, unakite, and even sodalite and obsidian as long as you monitor them. You may already know this, but just in case.....- Never used 60/90 in a vibe. Vibes are too agressive for 60/90. There are only three stages, 120/220, 500, and polish. The Aluminum oxide polish that the Rockshed sells is the absolute best there is for vibe tumbling. If you've never delt with the Rockshed, it's owned by a guy named Shawn, who is one of the best to deal with. Also, before we get started I gotta say this.... if you don't have a second bowl for your vibe, get one!! This will be your polish bowl, and will be used for polish only. Grit gets embedded in the walls of your bowl, and you will not get the desired shine, trust me on this!! I used plastic pellets for a good while, but recently noticed that I get the same results without them. I used to used 6-8 tablespoons of grit, but I've perfected my methods a bit. Now I simply pour the grit in the vibe (while running) a little at a time until rocks are completely gray. This probably takes about 3 tablespoons. If this doesn't turn them gray, add one more. If they get dry during this process, spray a little water in and continue. The rocks should be just wet enough for the grit to stick to them. If done correctly, the rocks will turn gray quickly, and should be gray enough that you won't see any color other than gray. With the 500 and the polish, you'll only need 3 or 4 tablespoons (heaping, but not like a mountain...more like a foothill). The polish should be milky, but you will barely be able to still see the patterns of the rocks through it if you used the proper amount. Another trick that I like to do is between the 500 and the polish stage, do a burnish stage (borax) to ensure that all grit is removed from the rocks and barrel. Alot of people do this, but I do one thing different- add a teaspoon of polish to the Borax. This will act kinda like a pre-polish stage as well. Here's the steps I use with the best results..... 120/220- 2 days, wash and re-charge with fresh 120/220 and go two more days 500- two days, then do burnish stage with Borax and a teaspoon of polish Polish- 5-6 days... Yes, 5-6 days!! lol, I found that the rocks will get more shine the longer you leave them in the polish. 5-6 days will give them the optimum shine. Also, always use a separate bowl for polishing, this will be your dedicated polish bowl. Don't use it for any grit ever!! You can remove a couple of rocks from the bowl each day and rinse to determine if they are ready for the final burnish. Once you're satisfied with your results of the polish stage, remove rocks, rinse, and tumble in Borax (2-3 tablespoons) and water (sprayed as before) and turn vibe on for about 3-4 hours. This is important- especially in the 120/220 stage, take the lid off of the tumbler (while running) three times a day. The rocks should always be moving, coming up from the sides and going back down into the center of the bowl. It's ok for them to slow down a little, but they should have a fair amount of movement. Make it a habit to spray two or three times with water each time you remove the lid, even if they're still moving. If they're moving slow, spray them until they start to move fast again. You should never see water in the bottom of the barrel (bowl). If you do, there's too much water. In a few hours of tumbling with too much water, you'll have a gray milk shake and the rocks will stop the tumbling action. One thing that you'll notice is in the 500 grit stage, the rocks will stay moving better and won't need as much water to keep them going. With the polish, I only check in on them once or twice a day. After you get experienced with a few batches, you'll be able to listen to the vibe and tell what's going on inside, so take note on what you're hearing before each time you remove the lid. This will be your learning experience. You'll pick up a few tricks of your own, I know that I have. Hopefully this isn't confusing, but I can clarify anything you have questions about. If you have anymore questions, or "ever" have any questions, I'm here! Randy |
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jennyebert
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2016
Posts: 6
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Post by jennyebert on Mar 29, 2017 11:32:08 GMT -5
I tried to find this, but it looks like I never actually posted it. This is my formula for vibe tumbling, every batch will turn out perfect depending on the rocks that you start out with..... Vibes are aggressive and will eat up the soft rocks. The agates (chalcedonies) and the "hard" jaspers" work best. Also, tigereye, unakite, and even sodalite and obsidian as long as you monitor them. You may already know this, but just in case.....- Never used 60/90 in a vibe. Vibes are too agressive for 60/90. There are only three stages, 120/220, 500, and polish. The Aluminum oxide polish that the Rockshed sells is the absolute best there is for vibe tumbling. If you've never delt with the Rockshed, it's owned by a guy named Shawn, who is one of the best to deal with. Also, before we get started I gotta say this.... if you don't have a second bowl for your vibe, get one!! This will be your polish bowl, and will be used for polish only. Grit gets embedded in the walls of your bowl, and you will not get the desired shine, trust me on this!! I used plastic pellets for a good while, but recently noticed that I get the same results without them. I used to used 6-8 tablespoons of grit, but I've perfected my methods a bit. Now I simply pour the grit in the vibe (while running) a little at a time until rocks are completely gray. This probably takes about 3 tablespoons. If this doesn't turn them gray, add one more. If they get dry during this process, spray a little water in and continue. The rocks should be just wet enough for the grit to stick to them. If done correctly, the rocks will turn gray quickly, and should be gray enough that you won't see any color other than gray. With the 500 and the polish, you'll only need 3 or 4 tablespoons (heaping, but not like a mountain...more like a foothill). The polish should be milky, but you will barely be able to still see the patterns of the rocks through it if you used the proper amount. Another trick that I like to do is between the 500 and the polish stage, do a burnish stage (borax) to ensure that all grit is removed from the rocks and barrel. Alot of people do this, but I do one thing different- add a teaspoon of polish to the Borax. This will act kinda like a pre-polish stage as well. Here's the steps I use with the best results..... 120/220- 2 days, wash and re-charge with fresh 120/220 and go two more days 500- two days, then do burnish stage with Borax and a teaspoon of polish Polish- 5-6 days... Yes, 5-6 days!! lol, I found that the rocks will get more shine the longer you leave them in the polish. 5-6 days will give them the optimum shine. Also, always use a separate bowl for polishing, this will be your dedicated polish bowl. Don't use it for any grit ever!! You can remove a couple of rocks from the bowl each day and rinse to determine if they are ready for the final burnish. Once you're satisfied with your results of the polish stage, remove rocks, rinse, and tumble in Borax (2-3 tablespoons) and water (sprayed as before) and turn vibe on for about 3-4 hours. This is important- especially in the 120/220 stage, take the lid off of the tumbler (while running) three times a day. The rocks should always be moving, coming up from the sides and going back down into the center of the bowl. It's ok for them to slow down a little, but they should have a fair amount of movement. Make it a habit to spray two or three times with water each time you remove the lid, even if they're still moving. If they're moving slow, spray them until they start to move fast again. You should never see water in the bottom of the barrel (bowl). If you do, there's too much water. In a few hours of tumbling with too much water, you'll have a gray milk shake and the rocks will stop the tumbling action. One thing that you'll notice is in the 500 grit stage, the rocks will stay moving better and won't need as much water to keep them going. With the polish, I only check in on them once or twice a day. After you get experienced with a few batches, you'll be able to listen to the vibe and tell what's going on inside, so take note on what you're hearing before each time you remove the lid. This will be your learning experience. You'll pick up a few tricks of your own, I know that I have. Hopefully this isn't confusing, but I can clarify anything you have questions about. If you have anymore questions, or "ever" have any questions, I'm here! Randy |
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goldminer
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2018
Posts: 17
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Post by goldminer on Jun 25, 2019 9:08:58 GMT -5
As a pre-polish do I use 1200 calcined alumina or 1200 white aluminum oxide in a Vibe tumbler? I thought the calcined may not hold up to the vibrations but a salesman for a well-respected company says I will get a better polish with the softer calcined alumina. Anyone know about this, as my head is about to explode with all the charts for FEPA and ANSI and the different kinds of polishes.
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wr426f63
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2020
Posts: 8
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Post by wr426f63 on Jul 21, 2020 4:01:24 GMT -5
I tried to find this, but it looks like I never actually posted it. This is my formula for vibe tumbling, every batch will turn out perfect depending on the rocks that you start out with..... Vibes are aggressive and will eat up the soft rocks. The agates (chalcedonies) and the "hard" jaspers" work best. Also, tigereye, unakite, and even sodalite and obsidian as long as you monitor them. You may already know this, but just in case.....- Never used 60/90 in a vibe. Vibes are too agressive for 60/90. There are only three stages, 120/220, 500, and polish. The Aluminum oxide polish that the Rockshed sells is the absolute best there is for vibe tumbling. If you've never delt with the Rockshed, it's owned by a guy named Shawn, who is one of the best to deal with. Also, before we get started I gotta say this.... if you don't have a second bowl for your vibe, get one!! This will be your polish bowl, and will be used for polish only. Grit gets embedded in the walls of your bowl, and you will not get the desired shine, trust me on this!! I used plastic pellets for a good while, but recently noticed that I get the same results without them. I used to used 6-8 tablespoons of grit, but I've perfected my methods a bit. Now I simply pour the grit in the vibe (while running) a little at a time until rocks are completely gray. This probably takes about 3 tablespoons. If this doesn't turn them gray, add one more. If they get dry during this process, spray a little water in and continue. The rocks should be just wet enough for the grit to stick to them. If done correctly, the rocks will turn gray quickly, and should be gray enough that you won't see any color other than gray. With the 500 and the polish, you'll only need 3 or 4 tablespoons (heaping, but not like a mountain...more like a foothill). The polish should be milky, but you will barely be able to still see the patterns of the rocks through it if you used the proper amount. Another trick that I like to do is between the 500 and the polish stage, do a burnish stage (borax) to ensure that all grit is removed from the rocks and barrel. Alot of people do this, but I do one thing different- add a teaspoon of polish to the Borax. This will act kinda like a pre-polish stage as well. Here's the steps I use with the best results..... 120/220- 2 days, wash and re-charge with fresh 120/220 and go two more days 500- two days, then do burnish stage with Borax and a teaspoon of polish Polish- 5-6 days... Yes, 5-6 days!! lol, I found that the rocks will get more shine the longer you leave them in the polish. 5-6 days will give them the optimum shine. Also, always use a separate bowl for polishing, this will be your dedicated polish bowl. Don't use it for any grit ever!! You can remove a couple of rocks from the bowl each day and rinse to determine if they are ready for the final burnish. Once you're satisfied with your results of the polish stage, remove rocks, rinse, and tumble in Borax (2-3 tablespoons) and water (sprayed as before) and turn vibe on for about 3-4 hours. This is important- especially in the 120/220 stage, take the lid off of the tumbler (while running) three times a day. The rocks should always be moving, coming up from the sides and going back down into the center of the bowl. It's ok for them to slow down a little, but they should have a fair amount of movement. Make it a habit to spray two or three times with water each time you remove the lid, even if they're still moving. If they're moving slow, spray them until they start to move fast again. You should never see water in the bottom of the barrel (bowl). If you do, there's too much water. In a few hours of tumbling with too much water, you'll have a gray milk shake and the rocks will stop the tumbling action. One thing that you'll notice is in the 500 grit stage, the rocks will stay moving better and won't need as much water to keep them going. With the polish, I only check in on them once or twice a day. After you get experienced with a few batches, you'll be able to listen to the vibe and tell what's going on inside, so take note on what you're hearing before each time you remove the lid. This will be your learning experience. You'll pick up a few tricks of your own, I know that I have. Hopefully this isn't confusing, but I can clarify anything you have questions about. If you have anymore questions, or "ever" have any questions, I'm here! Randy |
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wr426f63
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2020
Posts: 8
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Post by wr426f63 on Jul 21, 2020 4:04:11 GMT -5
Great info Randy. I just got my vibe and you have already clarified some of the issue's I am having. I will adjust some and see how it goes.
Thanks.
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RockyBeach
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2023
Posts: 342
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Post by RockyBeach on Aug 19, 2023 18:29:18 GMT -5
Bumping this very valuable thread for reference for me and for the all other newbies !
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RockyBeach
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2023
Posts: 342
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Post by RockyBeach on Aug 19, 2023 18:35:29 GMT -5
Early in the thread the Ray Tech Vibe was given a some pretty negative negative comments .... has their reputation improved over the years?
The Thumblers and Lot-O's seem to be "out of stock" just about everywhere so the choices are very limited. Just invested in the RT10 and the comments have me a tad worried about its potential longevity.
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You'll love it. Let the rotary do the heavy lifting for you and then speed through the polish with the vibe. You'll like the reduced grit/polish u$age, too!! 
Nov 14, 2024 18:17:57 GMT -5
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Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
