katrice
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2013
Posts: 2
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Post by katrice on Jul 27, 2013 20:01:08 GMT -5
I have been collecting river washed agates for quite a while now, and recently purchased a Thumbler Tumbler Model B to polish them. I have been trying to find information on how many pounds of rocks I can load into the barrel. One article I read said that this was a 15 pound barrel. Does that mean I can load 15 pounds of rocks, or does the 15 pound weight include rocks, grit, water, and the weight of the barrel itself? Also, what is the largest dimension of rock that I can polish with this tumbler? Should I oil the bushings before the first use? What type of oil should I use to oil the bushings? Thank you in advance for your help. I definitely don't want to burn the motor up overloading the barrel or not oiling it properly.
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Post by jakesrocks on Jul 27, 2013 20:11:46 GMT -5
The 15 pounds will be the combined weight of rocks, grit and water. A few ounces one way or the other shouldn't make a big difference.
Don't overdo the oiling of motor or shaft bearings. Oil attracts dust and shortens the life of both. About 2 drops of a light oil like sewing machine oil in each motor oil hole per month, and 1 drop at each bearing.
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marinedad
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since December 2010
Posts: 813
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Post by marinedad on Jul 28, 2013 7:24:33 GMT -5
welcome katrice!
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Post by connrock on Jul 28, 2013 8:59:16 GMT -5
The barrel HAS to be AT LEAST 1/2 -2/3 full of mixed size rocks.At least 1/3 of that total has to be small rocks of about 1/2" or smaller. I think you will have a difficult time trying to get a weight of 15 lbs while getting the right volume of rocks in the barrel.I have 2 Model B's and have rarely been able to d this.I am always over weight yet have successfully run both tumblers without mishap for almost 25 years.I have worn out belts but never burned out a motor. I have often wondered why the tumbler manufacturers use weight to "size" their tumblers and if any of them have ever tumbled rocks?
When my Model B's are filled to the right volume they weigh about 17-18 lbs or even more in some cases. Consider this,,,, If you were going to rough a load of very small stones,,, about the size of a normal grape and 1/3 of the rocks being even smaller,,,the total weight of the barrel,grit,water and soap would be way over the so called limit of a 15 lb tumbler.
I have NEVER gone by weight but rather by volume.
The ONLY reason I weigh my rocks is to see how much grit I need for any given load.
Good luck and have fun,,, connrock
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katrice
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2013
Posts: 2
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Post by katrice on Jul 28, 2013 10:02:08 GMT -5
Thanks everyone! conrock- that was the exact problem I was concerned about. I know the barrel weighs 7.5 lbs. When I filled the barrel 2/3rds of the way with a mix of sizes, the total weight was 21.5 lbs (including rocks, grit, water, and barrel). If I subtract the weight of the barrel, the contents were 14 pounds. I felt that this was okay, since I was told that this was a "15 lb barrel." After about 5 hours of tumbling, I noticed that the motor got a lot louder. So, I worried that I had too much weight. I removed three large rocks (roughly 2 1/2" by 2" each in size), and the motor was quieter once again. The barrel is only a little over 1/2 full now. I'm really tempted to put those three rocks back in and see if the louder noise returns. What do you all think? Thanks again!
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Post by connrock on Jul 31, 2013 12:03:44 GMT -5
I hate to tell anyone to over load a tumbler but like I said,,,I go by volume rather then weight. What you're hearing may not be the motor as sometimes the belt will "groan" a bit more with a heavy load? I'm not sure but I think the motor will shut down if it's over heated? connrock
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Post by johnjsgems on Jul 31, 2013 12:42:52 GMT -5
I would follow Connrock's advice and lose the scale. Fill the barrel to 2/3 full (mixed sizes) and bring it up to 3/4 full with ceramic media or very small rocks. Barrels should be rated by volume as that volume of different rocks and even different sizes add up different by weight. If you are worried about the weight, use more ceramic media as a lighter weight filler. As far as maximum size, the rocks have to roll. Probably 2-3 racks in the2"-3" range would work with the rest of the load smaller. I would oil the bearings at the start of each batch. The motor should have instructions on the motor that says "oil every 3 months", "oil annually", etc. You should follow the motor tag requirements, especially if under warranty. If the motor quits under warranty, you don't want to ship it to them and be told the motor was full of oil.
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