yongxiu
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2010
Posts: 2 
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Post by yongxiu on Aug 10, 2010 11:23:13 GMT -5
Hi. I am very new to rock tumbling and am in the process of choosing my first tumbler. I have found the advice on this board to be so valuable!
Here's my question: It seems that the general consensus is that it's best to start with a rotary tumbler (I was thinking of the Lortone 33B).
However, what if you don't care about the shape of the final polished rock? It really doesn't matter to me if the final polished rock is rounded or not.
If you don't care about the shape, is it better to start with a vibe? I am kind of attracted to the fact that the vibe is so quick, and I am generally at home during the day, so I can maintain it. Can you use a vibe tumbler from start to finish if the shape of the rock is not important?
Thanks!
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Post by Toad on Aug 10, 2010 12:06:32 GMT -5
I'm not sure that you could. Though most of the shaping happens in the rough grind, a lot of smooting happens too. In general, a vibe starts with 220 grit vs. the 60/90 of the rough grind. I'm not sure that starting rough stones at 220 in a vibe would work - though I haven't tried it myself.
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Post by johnjsgems on Aug 10, 2010 12:18:08 GMT -5
Beach/river rounded rocks or shapes you want to maintain (cabs, hearts, etc.) would work well. In my experience most beginners get too frustrated starting with vibes and often give up. With a rotary you can't really mess up only change how long the process takes. I always advise people to master a rotary first.
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revco
starting to spend too much on rocks
Another Victim Of The Rockcycle
Member since February 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by revco on Aug 10, 2010 18:02:38 GMT -5
In my opinion, I think you would be better served with a rotary style for your first tumbler. Even if most of your rough is beach/river rounded, you are still bound to have quite a bit of rough that will need some work. I collect a lot in the creeks and rivers around here and there's very little that wouldn't require at least some time in rough. Even with perfect rough, you would still probably get better results with a week or two in rotary. If the rough isn't right, you will likely run into issues with contamination, poor polishes, partial polishes, etc.
For all these reasons, I'd suggest the rotary will do you well. Good luck!
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yongxiu
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2010
Posts: 2
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Post by yongxiu on Aug 11, 2010 1:38:59 GMT -5
Thanks, everyone. I bought my Lortone 33B today!
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Aug 11, 2010 2:44:45 GMT -5
Hi Yongxiu,
First , Welcome to the board
I agree with John s Gems above , I also add some pre cuts at various stages depending on how sharp I want the final edges
But I always use smoothed / shaped fillers to make up the full vibe
I have a batch from the sea shore I collected on monday in my vibe now they come out very well(Quartze, Jasper That sort of stuff)
I some times give them a pre run thats 24 hrs in 220 wash , then start again with the 48 hour run in 220 grit on to 400 G, 600G , 1000G tripoli and polish washing between stages
Jack
Yorkshire uk
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Post by susand24224 on Aug 11, 2010 11:14:44 GMT -5
Congratulations on your 33B--you will get many loads of rocks from it. Please be sure to post pictures for us to see.
Susan
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Jasper-hound
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2010
Posts: 208
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Post by Jasper-hound on Aug 15, 2010 12:56:06 GMT -5
I love my vibe, but it is not for rough grinding rocks. Once rocks are rough ground in the rotaries, they get harvested into the vibe, along with any cab/bead preforms i may have standing by...
The other thing about the vibe is that it takes a lot of trial and error before you learn the proportions necessary to keep the rocks moving properly. And it is not set-it-and-forget-it like a rotary. The slurry consistency is constantly changing in the vibe. The only part of the vibe process that is easy is burnishing!
c.a.
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Post by deb193redux on Aug 16, 2010 3:06:54 GMT -5
I used to do broken slab pieces in a Lot-O vibe with ceramic filler. It worked OK, butjust rounded over the edges slightly.
I tried some mixed agate/jasper rough in my Gy-Roc 10# and it took about 10 recharges to get pits and crevasses smoothed out. Still had some edges that I wished had rounded off. Not sure it was efficient grit-wise.
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