RocknCritter
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2008
Posts: 489
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Post by RocknCritter on Apr 14, 2011 20:36:37 GMT -5
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Apr 14, 2011 21:11:56 GMT -5
The only thing green about that is the money that left the pocket of anyone thats gullible enough to purchase it.
snuffy
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RocknCritter
spending too much on rocks
Member since November 2008
Posts: 489
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Post by RocknCritter on Apr 14, 2011 22:32:44 GMT -5
I think someone would go green with frustration waiting for the results.
One day the wind blows. The next day, nothing.
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Post by Roller on Apr 14, 2011 23:30:15 GMT -5
it would take forever but in this case it might be worth it ... think about it... or well think about our future .if we still have one .. i see where there coming from ...
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rockhound97058
freely admits to licking rocks
Thundereggs - Oregons Official State Rock!
Member since January 2006
Posts: 760
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Post by rockhound97058 on Apr 14, 2011 23:49:29 GMT -5
That's funny! - Where I'm at I'd have no rocks left due to the winds! - But I highly doubt it'd be that great. For years I have thought of having a water wheel driven one off a water wheel using a year round creek. Maybe I should draw up some plans and hit eBay hehehe?
Jason
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Post by Toad on Apr 15, 2011 6:57:15 GMT -5
Yawn... Tell me when someone comes up with a nuclear tumbler!
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,455
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 15, 2011 10:07:29 GMT -5
I've seen cool water driven tumblers but, as with wind generated electricity, wind is an inconsistent power source. When the wind stops temporarily, your sludge sticks your load together and destroys your tumbling action. You would need back up electricity to keep the unit turning, just like with wind generated power you have to have a back up power source. Just ask the wind farm folks who admit wind has problems now that they've got all their investment money from the greenie suckers and government subsidies....Mel
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wyobrian
fully equipped rock polisher
GO VIKINGS
Member since February 2009
Posts: 1,739
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Post by wyobrian on Apr 15, 2011 10:47:27 GMT -5
I think here in Wyoming it would spin too FAST ;D
Brian
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Apr 16, 2011 5:56:16 GMT -5
A water driven one would be better as you could control the speed , just think if a gale force 10 got up ?
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Apr 16, 2011 8:44:51 GMT -5
Yawn... Tell me when someone comes up with a nuclear tumbler! Japan is still in the testing stages...not looking too good yet.
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Apr 16, 2011 8:49:37 GMT -5
I've seen that one before, thought it was in Popular Mechanics.
Then there are the ones that attach to your car too. I saw picks of one that was on a trailer that the guy towed everywhere, but they didn't show the results (problems like Sabre52 said).
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playin4funami
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since March 2011
Posts: 87
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Post by playin4funami on Apr 20, 2011 16:53:55 GMT -5
I thought aboutusing and old decorative lawn windmill, hooked to a automotive generator charging a bank of batteries relayed through a converter to 110 volt to give you a fairly steady and constant power supply to run a small motor continuiosly, in the end decided it wasn't worth my time, but it is very doable. and would be free electric if you lived where the wind blowing is a forgone conclusion, like nebraska,lol! It does work but requires maintienence and just isn't worth my time I guess.
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charles kuchar
spending too much on rocks
getting ready for the second coming
Member since November 2010
Posts: 300
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Post by charles kuchar on Apr 24, 2011 10:28:26 GMT -5
a wind driven tumbler would be practical if you did first grind rough i think. i have did that sand and rocks and they came out just as with grit but it takes a little longer and the sludge doesn't build up like with 50/90 grit. i think it would be practical for certain situations. charlie
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Apr 24, 2011 10:49:07 GMT -5
The other day was a good example of what would happen with this setup. Our power went off about 10 minutes.When it came back on, 3 of my tumblers wouldn't turn.I had to shake them and break the contents that had already set up to get em going again.Went ahead and shook em all to make sure.
snuffy
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Post by Woodyrock on May 18, 2011 0:20:50 GMT -5
There were plans for a wind driven tumbler in Lapidary Journal in the early sixties. Woody
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horsinaround
spending too much on rocks
If you don't lick rocks...you ain't cool
Member since November 2006
Posts: 315
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Post by horsinaround on May 29, 2011 12:37:43 GMT -5
I live in an area of arizona where there is almost always a good stiff wind blowing..then problem with it is not stead and we get gust of up to 40 mph like today with 40 plus winds...it would work if it were a power generating wind mill hooked to a battery bank and power inverter like many folks do out here. alot of the homes out here are hooked to solar panels and wind turbines....because there is no powere to these houses. it is just not feasable to have it hooked directly to the windmill even if it had a gear reduction.
well that is my 2 green cents...lol steve
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kyzach
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2021
Posts: 1
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Post by kyzach on Mar 22, 2021 8:38:19 GMT -5
My neighbor had one when I was a kid. He would run a few pounds at a time and it worked great. I have no idea how long he would run a batch. He died 20 years ago, so there’s not much of a chance in asking him unless someone is really good with an Ouija board.
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USMC15
Cave Dweller
I feel like I just came out of the tumbler ...
Member since March 2021
Posts: 273
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Post by USMC15 on Mar 22, 2021 19:07:45 GMT -5
The page was removed
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Mar 22, 2021 20:00:05 GMT -5
Of course it was. This thread is 10 years old.
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neural
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since November 2019
Posts: 114
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Post by neural on Apr 21, 2021 14:55:21 GMT -5
Of course it was. This thread is 10 years old. Yep. Though the topic is still thought of now and then. Did a search for this before posting about it. It's pretty windy today in PV. I was wondering if anyone had tried this, and reading through the comments I know some people are concerned about high winds. As long as the wind turbine itself can handle the high winds, the connection between the turbine and the tumbler can be regulated through a governor and clutch. Basically once the turbine goes above a certain level, centrifugal force causes the clutch to engage, thus preventing the tumbler from going too quickly. I believe that some wind turbines have similar governors as well for generating electricity, in order to try and keep the output steady once the turbine is spinning at an optimal rate. That said, a wind powered rock tumbler would only be ideal if you live in an area where it is often breezy, and aren't in a rush to tumble rocks. Whether it's effective/efficient or not, it is an interesting concept.
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