bgast1
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2010
Posts: 1,076
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Post by bgast1 on Jun 29, 2013 1:06:29 GMT -5
I recently acquired a Lot-O vibratory tumbler. It doesn't have lids for the barrels. I haven't used it yet and I am curious whether I need lids at all? I haven't ever tumbled anything yet and I was hoping to try it out next Monday or Tuesday.
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Geoff
spending too much on rocks
Please add 1074 to my post number.
Member since December 2012
Posts: 446
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Post by Geoff on Jun 29, 2013 1:35:24 GMT -5
You need lids. Mud splatter aside, it will dry out way fast. Go buy a can of tennis balls. Perfect size lid. Poke a hole in it for pressure relief.
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Post by connrock on Jul 8, 2013 9:14:52 GMT -5
Although the manufacturer suggests a hole in the cover to release gas I don't think it's a good idea as it lets the load dry out much faster. I've had my Lot-O's for many years and none of my covers have holes in them.I've NEVER had a gas problem either,,,,with the tumbler! LOL connrock
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 8, 2013 9:29:40 GMT -5
I put a tiny hole in my lid. I used a 1/16 drill bit. I've never had a problem with it drying out, except in the 220 stage, but that's not because of the hole. But if no hole is necessary, why make one?
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Post by connrock on Jul 9, 2013 10:04:04 GMT -5
Some rocks create more gas then others which can make the lid blow off but I've never had this happen to me. I find that obsidian and petrified wood creates the most gas.The obsidian because it has gas bubbles in it's composition and petrified wood because there always seems to be some sort of organic matter in and or on it. Making "beach glass" can cause a lot of gas too but again,,,I've never had a problem and don't have holes in my lids. That being said,I do have my lids come off due to wear on the lids and barrels.After years of use even new lids don't stay on,,,for me anyway. I've seen a lot of different ways to hold worn lids on,even with duct tape. I made "holders" out of 2 small bungee cords and a ring to go around the "nub" onthe bottom of the barrel. In this photo you can see the bungee cords attached around the top of the lid on the right.This lid is not from the manufacturer.It's a Capplug used to protect the threads on pipes,etc. Here you can see the 2 bungee chords attached to the ring on the "nub" on the bottom of the barrel,,,,, This barrel and unit are very old and even the sides of the barrels I use with it are worn on the sides so I put duct tape on the frame to keep the barrels from sliding down. Hey,,,,a fellas gotta do what a fellas gotta do! LOL I found that after years of using one of these vibes the 120/220 stages or even the 220 stages dries out often enough without helping it dry out with a ole in the lid. Whatever suits your fancy I guess! Good luck,,, connrock
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 9, 2013 10:09:29 GMT -5
Connrock,
Have you ever worn out a barrel? It sounds like you're using your original barrels.
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Post by connrock on Jul 10, 2013 7:26:09 GMT -5
Rob,,, No I've never worn out any of my barrels and I've had them for many,many years. I use my vibes for rocks and also for jewelery with different types of media for de-burring,polishing,etc. I don't use any grit more coarse then 120/220 and rarely even use that.I rough i8n rotaries and let the last run go for about 2 weeks.This breaks down the 60/90 to be fairly fine. After the rough I use graded 220 (99% of the time). I also filled that hole at the bottom of the barrels with plumbers pig putty which is a semi-solid 2 part epoxy.You "knead" the 2 parts together and then just stuff it in the hole. I do this so that no grit and or small rocks get stuck in the hole. These barrels are pretty tough but I think the rough 60/90 can wear them out fairly fast. It's pretty hard to get the 60/90 to work well too.The water/grit/soap ratio has to be right on or the grit just falls off. I tried it about 15+ years ago but read about premature barrel wear so I stopped. connrock
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jul 10, 2013 8:49:44 GMT -5
That's good news. I thought that barrels would wear out faster than that. I filled the holes in the bottom too, but I used liquid epoxy. It seemed to work great.
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Post by connrock on Jul 11, 2013 7:29:31 GMT -5
Rob,,,The only reason I used the Pig-Putty epoxy is because that's what I had.I would think that any 2 part epoxy would work just as well. connrock
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