Debby
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2013
Posts: 9
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Post by Debby on May 16, 2013 22:28:11 GMT -5
Hi! I've been learning rock cutting, shaping and polishing for about a year now. Because of health problems, I can't do all the polishing by hand any longer. I want to get a vibratory tumbler, but don't know which is best, what size is best, or where to get one. I'd appreciate any advice! Thank you...
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on May 17, 2013 0:13:04 GMT -5
Hi and welcome. I don't think I've heard anyone complain too much about the vibe they own. In fact, everyone here pretty much swears by theirs. There are 4 or 5 brands of vibes actually durable enough for rock, all pretty good I think, but on this forum, most discussion of vibe tumblers is about either the Thumlers UV-10 industrial, or the Lot-O-Tumbler. They work a bit differently, but the biggest difference is size. The UV-10 is "10 pounds" (whatever that actually means), and the Lot-O is I think 4 pounds. I have a UV-10, and I love it, but it takes a lot of rock going into the 60/90 to produce enough ready to fill the vibe. How much are you going to have ready to polish at a time? Two vendors always come up when people ask for a good place to buy a tumbler. One is run by one of our own active and very helpful members, John at www.jsgemslapidary.com/. The other place is www.therockshed.com/ That owner is Shawn, and he's is a great person to work with too.
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Post by johnjsgems on May 17, 2013 8:03:51 GMT -5
A third reputable choice is Gy-Roc. Steer clear of anything light duty like Raytech and Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight) or anything rated as "dry" or metal finishing only.
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on May 17, 2013 12:35:13 GMT -5
The other one I was thinking about is the Diamond Pacific Mini Sonic. I don't know much about that one, but I think it's durable enough to be called a "real" rock tumbler.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 17, 2013 12:55:52 GMT -5
I have been using the lot-o and have no complaints at all. I have been hearing good things about the mini sonic by diamond pacific recently also.
Chuck
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Debby
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2013
Posts: 9
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Post by Debby on May 17, 2013 14:07:20 GMT -5
Well, I have plenty of stuff that's already been cut and shaped for cabs (can't stop playing with the rocks). I think I'd have about 3 to 4 lbs of rock at a time. It's mostly jasper, agate, pet wood, chrysoprase, obsidian, smoky quartz... And I have some chunks of pet wood that are about 3 x 1.5". Anyway, I've never done the tumbling thing and I want to do it right!
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Post by deb193redux on May 17, 2013 14:27:32 GMT -5
For the smaller 3-4lb parcels you mention, go with the Lot-O or Mini-Sonic
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 17, 2013 15:28:48 GMT -5
I have a Lot-O and I like it. I have two six-pound barrels and two three-pound barrels (rotary) to feed it. The rotaries do not rough in rock fast enough to keep the Lot-O going. So for me, I wouldn't want a bigger tumbler. The Lot-O can polish any rock that's small enough to fit through the hole. I think the hole is 2 1/4 in.
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Debby
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2013
Posts: 9
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Post by Debby on May 17, 2013 19:09:28 GMT -5
Well, I've decided to get a Lot-O and am now wondering which grits to buy with it. I've read tons of stuff and am very confused. Silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, tin oxide, cerium oxide, corncob stuff, etc. I really appreciate the advice so far. Can anyone tell me more about the stuff that goes into it? thanx!
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 17, 2013 20:37:35 GMT -5
Here's what I run in a batch:
2 heaping TBSP graded 220 silicon carbide 1/2 tsp 500 grit aluminum oxide 1/2 tsp 1000 grit aluminum oxide 1/2 tsp tripoli 1/2 tsp aluminum oxide polish
I also use 1 tsp Dreft laundry soap in every stage. I got this recipe from Connrock, and it's not the same recipe everyone uses. I think a lot of people use fewer steps in the vibe. This has worked well for me, so I've stuck with it.
You need to get some ceramic media too. It lasts a long time, so you don't have to replace it often. I use a mix of large and small.
As you can see from the ingredients above, you won't need a lot of grit, but you'll need more 220 than the others.
I get all my grit from The Rock Shed. They offer a discount on grit when you order a tumbler, so it's a good time to stock up on 60/90 grit too. I use a lot more 60/90 than anything else and that first rotary stage usually takes months.
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Post by Bikerrandy on May 17, 2013 21:54:14 GMT -5
I'm sure that you'll be happy with the Lot-O. I don't have any experience with them but I've been reading on here for a few years on posts from people that do have them, nothing but good comments. I love vibe tumblers, I have the UV-10 and I've been using it since 2005. They speed up the tumble time tremendously.
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Post by johnjsgems on May 18, 2013 8:47:21 GMT -5
If you will only use it for cab polishing it depends on where you end up with the cabber. If you sand to 1200 or 3000 you don't need any grit at all. If doing finished cabs use approximately 75% ceramics (non-abrasive) by volume and a good quality (.3 micron works great) aluminum oxide polish. An alternative would be Vibra Dry from Diamond Pacific in 14K and 50K. It is a dry reusable polish that works very well. It costs more initially but is reusable and you don't need ceramics with it.
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Debby
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2013
Posts: 9
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Post by Debby on May 18, 2013 13:16:08 GMT -5
This is awesome information, thank you!
So what if I just slab, trim and shape? Do I still do all the steps in the Lot-O?
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