Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on Apr 19, 2004 8:39:12 GMT -5
Last night when looking at my stones, I noticed the bolt was lying next to the machine. I figured I probably forgot to screw it on but there was a remote chance that the turning unscrewed it. I was going to start a biggest goofs thread now any way. This morning it seemed very loud. When I went down, all the water had leaked from one of the barrels. I cleaned up the mess (which seemed rather fresh to me, but what do I know?) and put in maybe a teaspoon of course grit to make up for any lost, along with the pile of clay. Did I handle this right? I will check maybe an hour or so after closing a barrel from now on, in case it slowly leaks, and not just at the minute I start it. I figured a day and a half was a short enough time for just putting in a little replacement grit. Was this wrong? I will also be more careful about pounding down the lid all the way around...I thought I had done this, but maybe I did not do it well enough? The funny thing is that, when the bolt was off, everything was fine! But when I screwed the bolt so tight I needed pliers to remove it, this had happened! I am glad my father was not living here, or he would have pitched the whole thing in the rubbish! Has anyone else had messes this big, and do they cause family problems?
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Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on Apr 19, 2004 9:06:51 GMT -5
While checking a little early, I noticed something. There is a spray of tiny droplets on a bag covering a Christmas tree next to the tumbler. Could it have exploded? The cap was on very tight, although the lid was stuck inside it. The barrels were checked last night...I thought the other one popped very faintly (maybe I imagined it) but the one with the problem seemed fine. I suppose it is imaginable that I forgot to check the other? It was the one with the bolt off before, seems hard to image, but with me anything is theoretically possible. Wish I had an old hand here with me!
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Post by sandsman1 on Apr 19, 2004 9:47:54 GMT -5
hi all--- maz your screwin the lid to tight its pullin the seal out and into the lid you just hafta tap down the lid and snug up the screw cap if you make to tight it pulls out the seal (just finger tight) seeya john
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Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on Apr 19, 2004 11:31:55 GMT -5
Thanks John...I did try to screw it on very tight. Also, I am having trouble with that barrel now dripping (I am starting to check this now). I can't seem to make it stop. Also, the motor is not turning both barrels now, even when I take some out. I called Dave and he said to turn it off, lay the barrels down and bring it in as soon as I can, which will probably be tomorrow. I also asked if the motor was running too hot, he said they normally get very hot. He said nothing would go wrong letting the barrels sit for a few days.
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Post by creativeminded on Apr 19, 2004 19:09:48 GMT -5
If you are running a Lortone tumbler you might want to think about removing the blue housing, I had to do that with my 3A tumbler because it was getting so hot that the belt kept slipping. I no longer have that problem and the motor is running alot cooler.
Tami
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Post by cookie3rocks on Apr 19, 2004 20:17:21 GMT -5
The bolt on the top of my vibrating tumbler has a rubber sleeve and the instructions showed to tighten till it just bowed a little. Also, in that first phase gasses tend to build up and need to be released. My husband even noticed it and loosened the bolt a liitle to finger tight.
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Post by docone31 on Apr 19, 2004 22:12:04 GMT -5
On rotary tumblers with a single screw on nut, the seal is made from the rubber lid expanding and rolling into the setting on the drum. The aluminum lid keeps the drum in shape, and the center bolt rolls the upper lid of the top/gasket into the pressure point between the aluminum lid, and the top. I have found, burping the gasket/lid rubber and sometimes cleaning inside the gasket has solved a lot of leakage problems. A small piece of grit can cause a puddle. Critical, the aluminum lid MUST retain its shape. There will be times when the pressure in the bbl. will make removing the aluminum lid almost impossible. To break the seal, twist the lid and then remove. In this case, the rubber gasket/lid will appear to be adhered to the bbl. Do not pry either the lid, or the gasket/lid with a mechanical device. Twist the aluminum lid and remove, then apply pressure to opposing ends to burp the bbl. The gasket/lid can then be removed. Pressure in the bbl., forces the gasket into contact with the bbl. acting like the aluminum lid. The aluminum lid is relatively thin, .010" however it gets its strength from circumferential coherence. The rubber gasket/lid gets its seal with meet-point contact, and a gas bubble under the aluminum disc/rubber gasket forces the gasket into retaining its seal. When I charge the bbl for tumbling, I use the hottest water short of boiling I can. I had the same issues and this seems to have solved the spray issue with my tumbles. My belief is, the contraction of the hot water into ambient balances the internal pressure of tumbling. Jasper must be burped, however, feeling the drum for pressure is an indication of the need.
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Post by cookie3rocks on Apr 19, 2004 22:28:42 GMT -5
Like I said, gases build up ;D burp your baby. This is is the red neck version. Doc's got it together!
cookie ;D
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Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on Apr 19, 2004 23:33:41 GMT -5
Turns out I can't get there till Saturday What is "finger tight"? Sure wish I had an instruction manual, or something that covered points like "do not screw on too tight".
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Post by cookie3rocks on Apr 19, 2004 23:44:32 GMT -5
When it stops turning manualy, even for a moment, STOP! cookie
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Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on Apr 20, 2004 9:06:43 GMT -5
I hate to think of it suddenly stopping when I am asleep or at work!
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Post by sandsman1 on Apr 20, 2004 10:16:54 GMT -5
another way i doit is never tightin the nut so much that the screw sticks outa the top of the nut if it sticks out its to tight when your screwin the nut down watchit and when it gets close to the top of the nut stop your done
and maz as for it stoppin id check the belt it might be slippin since it leaked it might have got wet maybe it needs to be a bit tighter but dont over tightin that eather just till it stops slippin you should still be able to press on belt in the middle and have some play
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Post by cookie3rocks on Apr 20, 2004 18:44:04 GMT -5
Um, I meant when the nut on the bolt stops turning manualy, stop. ie, don't use pliers to get it super tight ;D
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Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on Apr 20, 2004 18:54:29 GMT -5
I did not use pliers to get it on, I had to use them to get it off. I just used muscles (I guess too many) to tighten it. And I tried it again with just one barrel. It started out fine for an hour or so, then slowed down and was stopping when I checked it the second or third time. I will have Dave look at it, probably Saturday. BTW, as post 100, this one makes me a full member.
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Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on Apr 24, 2004 15:41:59 GMT -5
Turns out the motor was stopping because I had a screw lose (and DON"T you say it). I'm back in business (at least as of 4:12 PM Saturday).
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Post by cookie3rocks on Apr 24, 2004 19:32:17 GMT -5
Was there ever any dought? Sorry, I had to. ;D
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on Apr 24, 2004 20:57:55 GMT -5
Congratulations on being back in business, Maz! We gotta keep those tumblers rumblin'.
As for loose screws, I'm beginning to think that all of us rock hobbyists have those! ;D
Barbara
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Post by cookie3rocks on Apr 24, 2004 22:15:45 GMT -5
Check my thread intitiled "somethings wrong" and you'll see my head must have been unscrewed. Now where did I put that dmn thing this time?.... cookie
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