Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on May 6, 2004 13:49:08 GMT -5
I just took some stones which look too pitted or cracked to have a chance, and started one more stage 1 with the survivors. I still ended up with 14 pounds on a QT66 (I'm weighing them now). It ran but I had to roll it to start it (didn't need to last timme, when I started it still warm...does that make a difference?). The barrels barely look half full. Is flint a dense rock? How do you fill a barrel right if the full weight is still less than half full?
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Post by mrbrett on May 6, 2004 16:33:12 GMT -5
I read somewhere that this guy fills his tumblers little bit more that what it calls for. He said by the second or third round of first grit you have reduced it to close to the correct weight. Mine start out fuller than what they call for. I do make sure that the tumbler will start without any problems. You don't want the motor burning out. I find by the second or third day all the rocks have settled down and the barrel is about right. Also rocks do have different density so one batck of something might weigh more than another of something different.
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on May 6, 2004 17:20:39 GMT -5
Hi All, From everything that I have heard and read about rock tumbling, there are apparently very few ABSOLUTE rules for success involved in this hobby. However, I have always heard that one should never overload a barrel. If the capacity for your barrel is 6 lbs, then the rocks,grit, and water you load it with should be no more than 6 lbs. If the barrel is not to the properly filled level, then we're supposed to use those pesky plastic pellets. One other thing that I've heard many times is to always start the motor BEFORE putting the barrel(s) on. Supposed to be less strain on the motor that way. If you start your motor without the barrels on the tumbler and it doesn't start turning immediately, then your belt may be too tight. Hope this helps! Barbara
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Post by sandsman1 on May 6, 2004 21:56:28 GMT -5
hi all - this is just one guys apinion but i weighed one barrel when i finaly got a scale and it was around half full of rocks to me its a waste of time and elect to run half full barrels so i fill mine around 3/4 maybe alittle more and run the heck outa them hahahaha if i burnup a motor well ill just hafta buy another when i get the money hahaha and i never shut them off when changing barrels they have been running since they came outa the box i just make sure they get oil all the time and they stay clean and i have the belts so loose that you can get them off without undoing the nuts i havent had a prob yet but time will tell----i just weighed my 12lb lortone barrel its allmost 20 an 1/4 lbs hahaha guess im askin for it huh ill be sure to yell if any of them blow up and let ya-s know seeya----john
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Post by rockyraccoon on May 6, 2004 22:02:15 GMT -5
i don't weigh mine either. i just fill it to 3/4 and roll it.
kim
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Post by creativeminded on May 7, 2004 10:03:04 GMT -5
I don't weigh mine either I just fill it to the 2/3 full mark sometimes a little more, by the time it is ready for the second stage the stones have ground down to where I have to put some plastic pellets in it to fill the barrel.
Tami
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on May 8, 2004 18:33:08 GMT -5
This is totally not fair! I always weigh everything that goes into my barrels so that there is no chance of OVERLOAD. However, when I came home from work yesterday, my 15 lb'er was not tumbling and motor not running. It must have just quit right before I came in because I touched the motor and it was SMOKIN' hot! I removed the barrel, let the motor cool off, then plugged it back in. It started immediately so I put the barrel back on. It hasn't stopped again (in 24 hours), but when I touch the motor, it IS pretty hot! I know the barrel isn't overloaded, so what would cause this? Barbara
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Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on May 9, 2004 11:55:15 GMT -5
Barbara: Dave at Rocks-N-Chips says that the motor normally gets too hot to touch.
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SirRoxalot
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 790
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Post by SirRoxalot on May 9, 2004 14:20:30 GMT -5
Yeah, those motors are designed to run hot. Not red hot, but hot.
RU running a Lortone? My Lortone twelve pounders have no trouble at all, and I load 'em to the gills.
I never weigh anything; this ain't rocket science. It's like that rotary oven you see the infomercials for at three in the morning: set it and forget it!!!
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on May 9, 2004 14:36:52 GMT -5
It seems like I hear more and more problems about Lortone motors. I only use Thumlers and I've never had an incident. I weighted one of my "15 lb" model B barrels and it weighted 25 lbs! I've had a few belts go out before, but those motors are indestructible!
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Post by sandsman1 on May 9, 2004 15:59:46 GMT -5
i just jumped the fence james hahaha i just got a new model b from sue from kempf gun shop on ebay looked like a good price so i bid 123.00 ---so by the end of next week ill be the proud owner of a thumlers hahaha--seeya----john
but i still like the lortones too i had 5 so far and never had a spill or a problem
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on May 9, 2004 18:05:45 GMT -5
I'm running both Lortone and Thumler's. It was the Thumler's Model B that overheated and quit. I check the motor on it all the time. It usually feels very warm to hot when running, but not too hot to maintain touching it. When it had quit the other day, the motor was WAY too hot to keep my hand on. However, since it cooled off and I started it back up, it's been running fine. Barbara
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on May 9, 2004 18:37:17 GMT -5
Make sure you keep it oiled. I'm sure you do... I have four model b's and I've never had a problem.
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on May 9, 2004 19:10:06 GMT -5
Yep........oiled it 2 days before the failure. Maybe this problem was just a fluke?
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Post by sandsman1 on May 9, 2004 19:32:48 GMT -5
maybe you had a short blackout and it couldent restart with the weight on it
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on May 9, 2004 19:43:48 GMT -5
Sandsman, You're a genius! I was in another part of town Fri morning when the power bleeped off for just a second. I hadn't even considered that possibility for the tumbler prob. Thanks for clearing up that mystery. I'll sleep better tonight. Anyone think that would have caused any permanent damage to my motor? The bleep happened about 9:30 am and I didn't get home til 3:30 pm. Thanks! Barbara
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on May 9, 2004 20:38:39 GMT -5
Power surges can damage electrical circuits. Maybe it fried your motor? I have all my tumblers hooked up to a surge protector.
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Post by creativeminded on May 10, 2004 14:29:35 GMT -5
If there is a fuse in the plug or in the motor check that, we had a satillite receiver that quite working after a lightening storm and after several years of it not working we just wound up getting all new ones to update our system so my dad took apart the old one that wasn't working and come to find out the only thing wrong with the machine was a burnt out fuse. This also happened with a string of figurine lights, he cut the plug off and put another one in and later I saw where the plug had a place to change a fuse at. You will also find fuses in the plugs of christmas lights. Tami
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bwalters
has rocks in the head
Member since March 2004
Posts: 557
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Post by bwalters on May 10, 2004 19:19:31 GMT -5
Since my Thumler's has been running steady since I let it cool off and restarted it Fri, my motor must not be fried. But I am going to have to get at least 2 surge protectors to hook my tumblers up to. They're running in 2 different rooms. Thanks for sharing that, James!
Barbara
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Post by sandsman1 on May 13, 2004 2:13:24 GMT -5
hey barb i just got my new model b today and i filled it and watched it roll for about 2 hrs and the next time i looked over it wasent rollin the motor was runnin the barrel just stoped only thing i can think of is i oiled it just befor i put the barrel on and i musta got a bit of oil on the belt or pulley cause i wiped them off and they where dirty and it hasent happend since, its been a few hrs i dont like that you cant adjust the belts tension on these
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