brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
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Post by brent on Dec 6, 2012 11:17:48 GMT -5
I finally got around to using my new tumbler. So far I have this to say... holy crap it takes a lot of rocks to fill it. ;D
The one problem I am having is over doing it with the grit. I can't believe how little it takes before gumming up the works. I have a batch in polish now, so I will have pictures soon...I hope.
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Dec 6, 2012 11:40:44 GMT -5
Gratz on your purchase.... and yes it takes very little to gum it up.. bee there done that too !!
I have a vibe tumbler i use for free forms and slabs as it only rounds edges and even that is done gently so the stone doesn't really change.
When you post your results, post your formula for how you did it too, people like me like to compare notes to see if we can improve on what we are doing!!
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Dec 6, 2012 12:40:18 GMT -5
Well, I can tell you what didn't work...lol. With the 500 I put in three heaping table spoons and after 12 hours there was so much "lather" that I spooned out 3/4 cup to get things moving again (and that's barley moving). In the polish, I started with one tablespoon and then added another 1/2 after 24 hours. So far so good.
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
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Post by jspencer on Dec 6, 2012 13:12:14 GMT -5
Brent I don`t have the same vibe as you but my normal formula is one teaspoon per lb. of rocks + 1 teaspoon Borax. Then I only use a misting spray bottle to wet the rocks enough to keep them moving well. The coarser the grit the more water it will take to do this. I start with 220 and it needs to be checked every couple of hours the first day to monitor movement. After the first few hours of any stage they should be ok for a couple of days to keep running. Time and material savings over a rotary tumbler are worth getting a vibe. You should not be able to tell the color of a rock while it is running in a vibe. It needs to be covered in grit and slurry.
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Dec 6, 2012 13:29:49 GMT -5
You should not be able to tell the color of a rock while it is running in a vibe. It needs to be covered in grit and slurry. that's the part that got my my first time with the vibe... I put in too much water and never got that gray coating on the rocks. I've learned since then and am getting better too.
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Dec 6, 2012 13:31:32 GMT -5
Well, I can tell you what didn't work...lol. With the 500 I put in three heaping table spoons and after 12 hours there was so much "lather" that I spooned out 3/4 cup to get things moving again (and that's barley moving). In the polish, I started with one tablespoon and then added another 1/2 after 24 hours. So far so good. did you check out the tumbling sections stickies on using a vibe tumbler, they have a basic formula for amount of grit and what not... I didn't and it was a mess the first day!!
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Dec 8, 2012 20:58:18 GMT -5
Well this is a little dissapointing. I threw in a couple polished cabs that I wanted to get more shine on the back side. I checked and after 4 days those cabs are now dull.
Thinking of dumping it out and starting over with chrome oxide polish instead of the cerium oxide.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 8, 2012 21:51:16 GMT -5
I dint see what kind of rocks you have in this batch but we have been using rock shed A/O for the past year and have never been disappointed even with mixed batch loads of varied hardness.
Chuck
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Thunder69
Cave Dweller
Thunder 2000-2015
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Post by Thunder69 on Dec 8, 2012 21:53:06 GMT -5
What kind of material is it? In my vibe(10 lb) on the polish stage I use 4 teaspooons of AO and 3 tsp of borax and let it run for 3-4 days...Checking 2-3 times a day and using a spray bottle to keep them sliding...JOhn
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Dec 8, 2012 22:49:35 GMT -5
it's a load of glacier dolomite, obsidian and other softer material. I think that the 500 stage wasn't done right, I had too much grit and didn't get very good action. The softer stones might polish eventually.
I really need to get it right the next time. I am getting a load of agates ready.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Dec 8, 2012 22:55:34 GMT -5
well the agates will be much more forgiving than those softer stones you are running now. are you roughing in a rotary?
Chuck
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Dec 9, 2012 6:01:45 GMT -5
I rough them on the grinder. They are mostly preforms.
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Dec 10, 2012 19:49:45 GMT -5
I have followed Biker Randy's vibe instructions (4th thread form the top) from the first time I used my UV-10, and have always had excellent results. Start with wet rock. Turn it on. Then add the soap, Borax and grit while carefully spraying it with water at the same time. I don't know how much water to add, I've never measured it. I usually do agate, jasper and quartz though - softer rock is undoubtedly trickier.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Dec 10, 2012 20:32:49 GMT -5
If you think it takes a lot to fill a UV-10, try a UV-18! I got a good deal on the tumbler on ebay, but there are times when I wish I had a UV-10 instead.
Good advice by all. I also just put the rocks in wet and add grit. I use the Rock Shed guidelines, but have been meaning to try less grit. Like Daniel, I just do harder stones.
Make sure you really fill the bowl. If you don't, the rocks just hammer against each other and will cause a dull finish instead of a shine. It's also really important to have a good mix of sizes; I try to use 2/3rds pea size or smaller.
Chuck
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Post by johnjsgems on Dec 10, 2012 21:38:31 GMT -5
For cabs you need about 70% filler like ceramics or small rocks. And as mentioned full hopper.
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brent
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2008
Posts: 1,316
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Post by brent on Dec 13, 2012 10:56:59 GMT -5
Ok, I can see my problem. I don't have enough rocks in the batch. They start off good but seem to slow down alot and then stop for a few minutes before taking off again.
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Post by johnjsgems on Dec 13, 2012 12:55:43 GMT -5
And moisture content is critical. If it slows as slurry forms add drops of water or a spritz at a time until initial movement returns.
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