racevw112
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2010
Posts: 174
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Post by racevw112 on Apr 6, 2011 20:04:11 GMT -5
Does anyone weigh their barrels before they tumble or just go by feel? Question is for Lortone 3A and 33B
I have not been weighing mine, just going by the 1/2 to 3/4 full rule.
Thanks,
Lyle
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Post by 150FromFundy on Apr 7, 2011 9:29:31 GMT -5
No need to weigh a rotary barrel. 2/3 full of rock 1/2 full of water grit It all works out.
Perhaps in a extreme case (barite, lead, gold) the weight of the material may exceed the recommended barrel weight, but it won't happen with agate, jasper, or quartz.
Darryl.
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learn2turn
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since February 2011
Posts: 77
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Post by learn2turn on Apr 7, 2011 9:31:14 GMT -5
When a tumbler is listed as a 3lb tumbler, is that the amount of rough rock you but in it or the total contents including rock, grit, and water?
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playin4funami
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2011
Posts: 87
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Post by playin4funami on Apr 7, 2011 16:55:01 GMT -5
what I do the first time or two with a new barrel is zero my digital scale, set the barrel on it and do the fill till the scale reads the recommended weight, this includes rocks water grit and anything else I throw in there, but once you get a good idea of where your levels are for rocks and water just eyeball it and you should be good. the fuller the barrel the better my stuff tumbles, mainly your just worring about working the motor too hard and shortening its life if it is a little heavy.
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playin4funami
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2011
Posts: 87
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Post by playin4funami on Apr 7, 2011 16:55:50 GMT -5
When a tumbler is listed as a 3lb tumbler, is that the amount of rough rock you but in it or the total contents including rock, grit, and water? I wish I had enough gold to overload my tumbler,lol.
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playin4funami
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2011
Posts: 87
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Post by playin4funami on Apr 7, 2011 16:57:43 GMT -5
No need to weigh a rotary barrel. 2/3 full of rock 1/2 full of water grit It all works out. Perhaps in a extreme case (barite, lead, gold) the weight of the material may exceed the recommended barrel weight, but it won't happen with agate, jasper, or quartz. Darryl. I wish I had enough gold to overload my tumbler,lol
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Post by 150FromFundy on Apr 7, 2011 20:09:11 GMT -5
Rule of thumb ... a three pound barrel will hold two pounds of rock. The water, grit and barrel make up the remaining pound for a total of three.
Darryl.
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racevw112
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2010
Posts: 174
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Post by racevw112 on Apr 7, 2011 21:45:09 GMT -5
Thanks, I have been running mine a little over weight. I noticed that the 33B is running a little slow compared to the 33A. Seems the belt is stretching too, I bought a new belt and had to adjust it all the way out, to get it fairly snug.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 7, 2011 22:00:54 GMT -5
I weigh mine because following the approved formula, my barrels always seem to run overweight. More so with the 6#, or 12 pounders which following that formula will often weigh well over 15#. I noticed my Lortones really don't like overweight barrels so I try to keep the weights strictly in line with what they are supposed to be even if they are not quite as full as 2/3. Also, as the rocks grind down and you remove well rounded ones and replace the removed ones with more rock, the rounded rocks settle and pack together more tightly so the barrels can really get heavy as the loads progress. This is also true ion the fine grind through polish cyckes as again the smooth rounded stone form a more compact load and a 2/3 barrel full of smooth stone will generally weigh more than a 2/3 barrel of rough stones as with he angular stones there is more wasted space in the barrel..Mel
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