bamananu
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2011
Posts: 15
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Post by bamananu on Jul 1, 2012 16:01:24 GMT -5
I have been attempting to learn to tumble (and lurking here-lol) for about a year and am currently running one 3 lb single barrel tumbler and two 3 lb double barrel ce tumblers. Several times I have had a friend or relative ask me to polish up a handful of "special" rocks- ones they picked up on vacation with the kids, or wherever. I don't want to tie up my 3 lb barrels with a small amount of rocks, and am afraid that after a month or so I would forget which ones are theirs if I throw them in a batch with my rocks. I have had several varieties of the "kiddy" tumblers- they are expensive and wear out too quickly. Do anybody make a small sturdy tumbler in the 1 lb or less range?
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Post by manofglass on Jul 1, 2012 16:49:33 GMT -5
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Jul 1, 2012 17:30:07 GMT -5
When my friends and relatives ask me to do that "stuff," I always forget. And, guess what, after awhile, they forget too. Aha. It just wasn't that important, except that they wanted to waste your time. You ever notice how the friends and relatives who are actually equals and do favors for you...are never the ones who ask you to work for them for free?
In other words, if your friends and relatives really wanted the stones polished in a tiny tumbler, they could have gotten online and done the shopping themselves. You're being free-loaded.
I didn't answer the question you asked. But I answered the situation. When your skills are developed a bit more, you can quote a price and say that you'll tumble the stone if you get a deposit. But you're not that skilled yet. Best not to mess with it at all. What happens if the freeloader decides you messed up their "special" rocks?
Another answer I have is, It's just a hobby right now. I don't want to take on other people's projects.
But there's a way to avoid filling your tumbler full of their junk, without having your time eaten up doing their shopping for them.
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Post by geoff on Jul 1, 2012 18:14:28 GMT -5
I use a tennis ball in the top of my lot o tumbler. Works great for small precious gems too.
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bamananu
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2011
Posts: 15
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Post by bamananu on Jul 1, 2012 21:39:57 GMT -5
Peachfront: there are a few people that I know that I definitely feel the same way about, but there are a also few special ones that I'd do almost anything for- and those are the ones that have generated this question. I'd try to polish one pea sized piece of leaverite to a crystal shine if they asked me too- LOL
Walt:that Lortone Model 3-1.5 Tumbler is very interesting. I may get one in the future when my finances allow. Special rocks or trial runs would be easy to keep track of in those (-:
Geoff: I wonder if a tennis ball would hold up to a week or two in a rotary? I imagine a different one in each grit?
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Jul 2, 2012 6:59:11 GMT -5
The problem is the leaverite they picked up on the beach will never take a polish in the tumbler. Actually, I did have this come up with a close relative. All I could do was say I'd try and let a few years pass until they forgot about it. Unfortunately, even the best of relatives, if they don't know rocks and they pick up a junky piece of porous-y vacation rock, it won't polish just because they wish it would.
I too have used the tennis ball on the Lot O but not on a rotary. The tennis ball, in any event, does not address the issue of people who don't know what they're doing, picking up a piece of un-polishable junk, and then expecting a miracle. You can also try the kind but honest, "This won't polish," but some people don't hear what you tell them so then you have to try something else.
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Post by 3rdrockfromthefun on Jul 2, 2012 7:16:24 GMT -5
Wow, this brought up some interesting things about human behavior didn't it!?
I split it in two: 1.) The people with good intent. You Mother - honestly, are you gonna quote her a price for tumbling some rock? How about your 7 year old kid? I sure hope not. 2.) The dreaded book and magazine borrowers. These are the people who will borrow your books, the prized ones - not the crappy folded up paper-backs but the hardbacks, and never return them and if it ever comes up they'll say, "Oh c'mon, nobody ever returns books". They have ways of putting you on the spot; making you look the heel for denying "favors" and on and on. I have a super effective EZ fix for the favor-asker in them: You say, "Sure, you betcha!", and you tumble their rock to grit and proudly (gotta keep a straight face) present them back to them, beaming for the wonderful job you've done. And if they ask you to pick something up for them - "Sure, you bet!" - and you forget. And so on. I've only had to do that once or twice in my nearly 50 years on this planet (I'm pretty good at saying "go F yourself" unless they're better at trapping or tricking me in ways that I'll look bad or lose a lot of money etc -- these are the lowest form of humans... they develop 'using' into an art form) but have found it to be 100% effective.
To the actual question: Can't you just get a grown-up tumbler and use cheapie/freebie rock of little interest that's of the same or higher hardness as fill? This would serve an added benefit - you'd have a spare tumbler if you were in the middle of a batch and one of your regulars failed. You could even call it "The Fabled Fabulous Favor Maker" (or call it "Bob" - that's what I'd do).
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Post by geoff on Jul 2, 2012 9:36:08 GMT -5
I'll still run the unpolishable crap through 46/70, 100, 400. It doesn't shine, but it gets smoothed out and looks ok. Plus, I know exactly which rocks aren't mine I guess since I'm not a pro, I don't mind throwing a few ounces of garbage in my 12 pound rotary. And once the batch is done I'll throw in some nice but worthless local quartz/jasper.
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Post by NatureNut on Jul 2, 2012 9:46:07 GMT -5
Sometimes that organic, low polish satin finish looks good on some rocks. Jo
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Post by 3rdrockfromthefun on Jul 2, 2012 10:05:08 GMT -5
Sometimes that organic, low polish satin finish looks good on some rocks. Jo Heck ya - I do some things like that on purpose - even obsidian depending on what I'm making out of it. I even like some things plain flat finished. One thing I almost always like high gloss, however, is agate - it just looks so awesome when you can see yourself in it, lol...!
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Steve
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2005
Posts: 506
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Post by Steve on Jul 2, 2012 10:38:08 GMT -5
You can generally find contrasting rocks to put in with your family's rocks. If you want the family rocks to have a chance at getting a polish, make sure that they are the hardest rocks in the batch. After you pull their rocks out, you can always do a second polish run on your rocks. Just be sure to replace the volume with plastic pellets or some other filler.
I think it's cool that your family appreciates and is trying to support your hobby.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Jul 2, 2012 10:49:51 GMT -5
People ask for my advice and take it"when it comes to rocks they found"..........They know I don't have most of the equipment for my hobby,so I'm save so far..... Hey why can't you make your own barrel with some small PVC pipe and go from there.....
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Post by jakesrocks on Jul 2, 2012 11:41:33 GMT -5
LOL. Haven't had that problem with tumbled rock, but a couple years ago my wife brought home a rock from one of her friends at work. Her husband picked it up in their pasture. Just a plain old piece of crumbly granite. So I took a slice off of one face and polished it on flat disks. My wife took it back to them, and you'd have thought they had gotten the crown jewels. Some folks are easy to please.
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Post by johnjsgems on Jul 2, 2012 12:50:05 GMT -5
You can run their rocks with pea gravel or ceramic media as filler. You can also buy a 1.5 lb drum and use it on your existing tumbler. I liked the idea of running recognizable rocks too. Like add a bunch of all green rocks of yours along with their brown/grey/etc. If their rocks don't polish after rounding them tell them to keep them in a jar of water.
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snuffy
Cave Dweller
Member since May 2009
Posts: 4,319
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Post by snuffy on Jul 2, 2012 15:28:45 GMT -5
Lortone makes the 1.5 E tumbler that is well built and relatively inexpensive. I've got 2 of them,great for a small load.One single barrel.
snuffy
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Post by Jack ( Yorkshire) on Jul 3, 2012 1:14:24 GMT -5
I used to find that my small tumbler (1 1/2 lb) didnt make a a good job and took a lot longer
(Due to the weight of rocks in the cascade)
Like john above I think the use of a different colour rock is a excelent Idea
Jack Yorkshire uk
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bamananu
off to a rocking start
Member since December 2011
Posts: 15
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Post by bamananu on Jul 5, 2012 1:08:16 GMT -5
Appreciate the ideals and input everybody. I have the Lortone 1.5 on my wishlist, but I'm thinking the contrasting colors ideal will work for now. Tomorrow is "check the tumblers" day- I am always excited to see whats been going on in there lol
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