Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 12, 2009 10:36:08 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Well, with the demise of my QT66 which I was using for coarse grind, I was short a tumbler so I dug out Old Yeller, my MJR tumbler. If you're into tough rocks, fast shaping, and high maintenance, this is the rig. It easily handles one Lortone12# and one 6# barrel 3/4 full and really eats rock. Drawbacks are, if you don't pour gear oil on the bearings several times per day, it eats shafts fast and it rolls twice as fast as a Lortone which means a very rough action in those faceted Lortone barrels. This can be helped by filling them pretty full and using some slurry to thicken the mix. Delicate stone just disappear in this rig overnight. However, that being said, it does cull out fractured stones and does a fast job on really sharply broken agate and jasper etc. Anyway, I really am running short on stone ready for the fine grind phase so I got this baby set up and running.....Mel  |
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leadhand
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2009
Posts: 262
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Post by leadhand on Nov 12, 2009 10:50:14 GMT -5
Been pondering Old Yeller ... could she be turning too fast and that's why she's so aggressive and burns out the shafts? Can you gear her down a bit so she's a little slower? Might save you some maintenence. Just a thought FWIW
Kevin
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Post by Toad on Nov 12, 2009 11:23:19 GMT -5
Old Yeller looks like a champ.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 12, 2009 18:31:33 GMT -5
Kevin, Yep it does run way too fast. Discussed this with the manufacturer and he disagrees but at like twice the speed of a Lortone, in my book this is too fast and there's no real way to slow it down with the motor and belt mounted like they are. Not a real problem as long as I stick to tough rocks though and as the slurry thickens, it works even better. It does round off newly broken stuff pretty darn fast but it also burns through grit real fast too *L*.....Mel
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leadhand
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2009
Posts: 262
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Post by leadhand on Nov 12, 2009 23:35:48 GMT -5
What about a voltage regulator and turning down the juice the motor gets?
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Post by connrock on Nov 13, 2009 6:03:14 GMT -5
It may have been designed to tumble brass cartridge casings??
I have one 15 pounder that runs twice the normal speed and use it for "pre-roughing" with either 36 or 60 grit.
The key to using it is to use MUCH less water for 2 days and then add water about every 2-3 days.
I let it run for 2 weeks and then put it into 120/220/ in a normal speed 15 pounder.
I did all of the above when I was running all my 10 tumblers but have cut WAY back since retiring,,,,No Obama care here! lol
connrock
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 13, 2009 9:37:07 GMT -5
Connrock: The manufacturer runs his ads in Rock & Gem and claims it's for rock tumbling. Overall, it does a good job for coarse grinding but is way too rough for any other stage. Can't run things like quartz crystal or obsidian that's for sure. Really cracks up the delicate stuff.....Mel
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chassroc
Cave Dweller
Rocks are abundant when you have rocktumblinghobby pals
Member since January 2005
Posts: 3,586
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Post by chassroc on Nov 13, 2009 10:02:03 GMT -5
Mel,
That sounds like a good problem to me...I run 12 pound Thumlers for Coarse stage and sometimes medium too. They never seem to run fast enough for me. I usually only run agate and jasper and PW that can take the action
Charlie
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Post by johnjsgems on Nov 14, 2009 11:39:41 GMT -5
Thumlers makes "high speed" versions (3450 rpm) and say "will process metal as fast as vibe tumblers". I'm guessing Connrock has it right. It is a metal finishing tumbler they' re marketing to the rock world. Putting a rheostat would be the quickest way to ruin the motor. You could likely find a similar motor in lower speed and have a nice 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 Nov 14, 2009 17:44:56 GMT -5
Mel,
It sounds good for getting rough ready in a hurry but how long will the Lortone barrels hold up?
Dave.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 14, 2009 22:02:04 GMT -5
Hey Dave, You know, I've yet to ever wear out a Lortone barrel. I've worn out a lid gasket or two and knurled nuts but have barrels probably six years old or more with no problems. Of coarse, none have been used on ole Yeller more than a few months...Mel
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Post by frane on Nov 15, 2009 8:12:19 GMT -5
Well, that sounds like a great way to get the edges off quick! Just have to keep packing it full so you don't shatter stuff. You know, looking at the pictures, it doesn't look so large until you stop and realize that is a 12 ob and a 6 lb barrel on it. WOW!
Fran
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Mudshark
fully equipped rock polisher
Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. Will Rogers
Member since December 2008
Posts: 1,083
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Post by Mudshark on Nov 15, 2009 15:22:05 GMT -5
Mel,I have the 15lb. version of that tumbler.Is that the larger one that you have?I dont use it much because the plastic barrel it comes with is super loud.But it does grind really fast if you can stand the racket.I dont oil mine as often as you do but I think I better ramp up the lube schedule so I dont burn the bearings or shaft.
Mike
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 15, 2009 20:10:49 GMT -5
Mike: I think it's the same base unit. I just didn't get their barrels as I had years worth of Lortone barrels lying around. and figured the rubber barrels would be quieter. I still think my original shafts/bearings were defective as the bearing ground through the shaft in no time despite frequent oiling. The seller replaced the shafts and bearings under warranty but I haven't had the machine going long enough this time to see if this is still going to be an issue. I'm lubing the bearings really a lot now.....Mel
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Post by Woodyrock on Nov 16, 2009 0:40:41 GMT -5
Mel:
I just read that you are on a new set of bearings, and shafts. Are the bearings bronze sleeve, or ball bearings? It is not that expensive to replace bearings with a better quality. I rebearinged my old Sears (not sure who actually made it) with self aligning ball bearings this year. The tumbler is at least forty years old, and we keep it turning. The old sleeve bearings used a lot of oil, the new ones none.
Woody
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Post by johnjsgems on Nov 16, 2009 7:40:11 GMT -5
Woody, I think Star Diamond made the Sears tumblers and sold their tumbler line to Lortone before they went under.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Nov 16, 2009 17:50:58 GMT -5
Woody: Ball bearings, with an apparently, fairly soft steel shaft because the bearings sure ground through the first shaft fast. So far, the new ones seem to be doing ok with no signs of shaft grinding...Mel
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Nov 24, 2009 0:45:02 GMT -5
Why did you take the covers off of the motors on those 33bs? I know they get hot, but I thought they were made to run that way.
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Post by rocklicker on Nov 25, 2009 16:23:12 GMT -5
Hope this setup works for you. Too bad you can't slow that thing down, because your bearings and shafts should last a lot longer then.
Interesting about the sears tumblers. I tend to pick up old tumblers and noticed that the sears and star diamond tumblers are very similar. As far as sears ones go, they hold up pretty well. The one I have going requires minimal maintainance and keeps up with all the rest. Pretty impressed with it actually.
Steve
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