boutoo
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 62
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Post by boutoo on Aug 10, 2015 8:32:21 GMT -5
For my birthday this year I decided to try a new hobby...rock tumbling! I love collecting rocks when I'm out & about, so why not polish them up I've bought a Skilcraft 931 tumbler, but will have to wait a while as it's coming from the US. My question is this....can I use the barrels here with it? www.littlegemsrockshop.co.uk/acatalog/Stone-Polisher-Machines.html I didn't know I needed more than one barrel as none of the sites that sell tumblers made this clear. Sieves, strainers & spoons aren't a problem...that's what the £1 shop is for, no If I can't use those barrels, does anybody have any recommendations please & thank you
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ringlord
starting to shine!
Member since May 2015
Posts: 31
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Post by ringlord on Aug 10, 2015 11:02:38 GMT -5
It's ideal to have more than one barrel, but it's not a requirement. Before you invest in more barrels, I'd recommend getting your tumbler and trying it out first, making sure that you'll be happy with it. Once you're satisfied and have some tumbling experience under your belt, then I'd begin looking at building your inventory of supplies.
I'm not familiar with that Skilcraft tumbler and can't find any documentation stating the dimensions of the barrel it comes with, so I'm not able to answer your question.
Once you have the tumbler in hand, you can measure the barrel and see if it matches up with a Lortone barrel or any other brand you might want to buy.
Maybe someone else can be of more help than I!
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boutoo
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 62
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Post by boutoo on Aug 17, 2015 15:39:10 GMT -5
Ok, so I found out that one was a childrens' one & very old, so I cancelled the order & later found a UKGE one that arrived this morning & has been tumbling since I managed to get it out of the packaging!!! I listened to the advice posted elsewhere in the forum & only put in agate.....how long before I can look at it?
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ringlord
starting to shine!
Member since May 2015
Posts: 31
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Post by ringlord on Aug 17, 2015 16:13:34 GMT -5
You will be tempted to check it every day, but I would wait 7 days before cracking open the barrel.
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boutoo
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 62
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Post by boutoo on Aug 17, 2015 17:31:29 GMT -5
Argh!!!!!!
Ok, I can manage lol
*twitches*
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Post by rockpickerforever on Aug 17, 2015 19:09:23 GMT -5
Ok, so I found out that one was a childrens' one & very old, so I cancelled the order & later found a UKGE one that arrived this morning & has been tumbling since I managed to get it out of the packaging!!! I listened to the advice posted elsewhere in the forum & only put in agate.....how long before I can look at it? Just agate? No grit, no water??
Or did you mean all the rocks are agate? We are a very literal bunch here, lol.
Welcome to the forum from SoCal.
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Shelbeeray
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2006
Posts: 688
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Post by Shelbeeray on Aug 17, 2015 19:31:07 GMT -5
Hi Boutoo,
Did you download the tutorial? Are you using a rotary tumbler or a vibratory tumbler?
Agate tends to be the most rewarding choice for starting out - good for you for choosing that!
I suggest checking your tumbler every couple of days, especially when you start out. That way you can see how thick the slurry is getting. My first tumble resulted in a solid mass three days into the tumble! I hadn't put in enough water and had too many rocks AND I hadn't limited to one type of rock for starting out! LOL Gawd, I spent hours picking the rocks out of the sludge and cleaning that barrel!
After a few tumbles you get an idea as to what it sounds like when things are moving along properly and what to listen for when they go wrong. Silence =bad. :-)
Take some rocks out after a week of tumbling and rinse them off. They should give you a good idea as to where you are in the process. When they come out of rough, they should be rounded, no pits or anything. Essentially, picture what you have, but shiny. If they are the shape you want, then you move them on to the next level of grit. From there on out, it is simply a matter of smoothing the surface for the shine. The shaping is completed in the rough stage.
Share a pic if you have questions. The biggest mistake at this stage is that we get really eager and excited and move our rocks out of the rough stage too soon.
As far as buying separate barrels for each stage, some folks do, some don't. I use a separate barrel for each stage. You definitely want one dedicated for polish. I choose to have separate barrels because, when I started I didn't and had a lot of trouble. It seemed something always scratched things up during the last stage no matter how hard I worked at cleaning the barrels and the stones between stages. Once I switched to separate barrels, I stopped having problems.
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obsidian man
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2015
Posts: 23
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Post by obsidian man on Aug 17, 2015 19:32:56 GMT -5
welcome from north eastern california, don't be afraid to ask all the questions you need. there are some very knowledgeable folks here. enjoy the rth!
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boutoo
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 62
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Post by boutoo on Aug 18, 2015 14:26:50 GMT -5
Ummmmm Londoner here, so yes grit & water LOL! Yes I d/l'd the tut & I have about half the agate looking rocks I got tumbling now (3/4 full) & yes I made sure the water covered the rocks & the sound is very much like my dishwasher & washing machine going at the same time or that sound rocky streams make when the flow is fast - noisy, but not as loud as I thought it might be thankfully. I don't have a garage, so mine in the kitchen. I managed to sleep last night & nobody I spoke to on the phone today noticed From the pics below, it seems only the tigers eyes are beginning to look like they should (yes, I did just run to check mid post & take pics for you!) Noted that polishing definitely needs its' own barrel. I'm finding the plastic one difficult to open & shut, so there goes next months budget :3 I also found this on eBay for 'later'. If I'm going to break anything, I want it to be on the small one ha ha I know a little bit about rocks, but not much so am willing to learn Pics now
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Shelbeeray
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2006
Posts: 688
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Post by Shelbeeray on Aug 18, 2015 15:24:30 GMT -5
LOL Boutoo! Thanks for the pics! I can't really tell from the photo....but the agates look really rough. They might be tough to get down to a nice shape. You are definitely at least a week away from the next stage...at least... (Just so you know Tiger's Eye usually refers to a quartz.) From your description, the sound is right. I can't imagine having my tumbler in our kitchen - in our house, the sound would keep us up all night!
I am not familiar with the tumblers you have pictured...have you tried a search for Lortone or Thumler in the Great Britain area Ebay? I know there have been members from the area. The plastic lids are definitely frustrating though. The rocks eventually wear hard plastic down. Vulcanized rubber barrels and lids that don't screw on are best.
I look forward to seeing your progress! Thanks for the pics!
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boutoo
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 62
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Post by boutoo on Aug 18, 2015 15:50:44 GMT -5
When I was looking before I couldn't find any Lortone or Thumlers....here we have UKGE (my one) & Evans. However, after I bought this one I did find a US Thumler merchant (NOBODY here has either brand!) willing to post over here & will treat myself in the next couple of months (I linked to it in my previous post). From the pictures of rotary tumblers that I found, mine is very similar to a Lortone, but has the rollers on top for some strange reason. UKGE are our 'official' geological & expedition people Yerg...should I panic, or can I take them out tomorrow? I have injuries to my arms that have slowed me down a LOT & the lid is really stiff, even after soaking in boiling water. One thing I didn't realise before starting out on my little adventure is that rough rock isn't easy to get over here...most of ours that isn't scavenged from beaches etc is imported from India to the US & then sent here...silly, but c#est la vie. I'm looking at around £15-£20 per 1lb to buy. Thankfully, I live near the Thames, so will be hunting there a lot One thing...my liquid hsn't really thickened at all...is it ok? I have been reading the boards a little bit as well as your great tutorials (thanks again) & know this stage can take up to 2-3 weeks. But I'm hoping for closer to 10-11 days. I will post more pics as time goes on
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Shelbeeray
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2006
Posts: 688
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Post by Shelbeeray on Aug 18, 2015 16:58:38 GMT -5
Nooooo! Don't panic! See how it turns out. The world won't end no matter what happens in the tumbler...though sometimes it feels like it has! LOL I justwanted to warn you that the rougher stuff, especially if it has pits and grooves will take longer and, sometimes, may never smooth out. Depends on the rock and what composes the rough stuff.
Your tumble is pretty new, so it should be fine. Slurry thickens more slowly with agates and jaspers and quartz. How much it thickens depends on how much water is in the mix and how much material is removed from the stone. At the end of two weeks, it should be thickened right up. I save some slurry from each stage as a starter for the next. I still add water and grit, but it helps carry the grit around better. Some folks don't do that...I think it is the obsessive recycler in me.
Converting to Canadian in my head....yikes! That is crazy expensive!! Let me see how much it would cost to ship you some agates or something...Don't hold your breath - I'm slooooooow! I have carpal tunnel and arthritis in my hands, so I know what you mean about physical stuffs being challenging! About how much rock would you say your tumbler holds - 3 lbs?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Aug 18, 2015 17:11:12 GMT -5
The tumbler you linked to is not a Thumlers tumbler. It's a Chicago Electric tumbler, and they do not have a good reputation. You should check with iant about tumbling supplies. He's from Scotland, and he knows what he's doing. As Shelbeeray pointed out, not everyone does thIngs the same way, so you'll have to experiment to see what you like. Don't worry too much about the slurry getting thick. I use less water than you do, by the looks of it. I change my grit weekly and I never add old grit to it, I figure it's used up, so it's not going to do much good. Someone here did a very extensive experiment and found that adding old grit slowed the tumbling process down slightly. I'm sort of a perfectionist about my tumbling and continue the rough stage until the rocks are perfectly smooth. With rough agates this can take months rather than weeks. The first batch is the biggest test of your patience, but it gets easier with each batch. By the way, welcome to the forum!
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Shelbeeray
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2006
Posts: 688
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Post by Shelbeeray on Aug 18, 2015 17:17:30 GMT -5
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boutoo
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 62
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Post by boutoo on Aug 18, 2015 17:35:54 GMT -5
It's a 1 1/2lb one, very small, but good for beginning with. Sorry, I should have pointed out that it isn't the rock itself that's expensive. It's the postage. We only have 3 online suppliers here (I did a LOT of searching) UKGE, Little Gems (1st post) & Manchester Minerals/Gemcraft who I got this batch of stone from...none have a huge selection & when I looked on eBay, the US sellers have much higher quality stuff on sale. I wasn't looking for anything, just saying We don't have lots of homegrown shiny rocks, but what we do have can be found by lakes, beaches & rivers. I will spend some time scavenging at low tide as the Thames is 5 minutes from my house. Lapidary & clubs aren't as common as you might think. Probably due to the expense of importing if you want really nice stone. I am following the London club on FB & no doubt they'll have info I don't. I'm not worried or downcast as yet. I used to make jewellery, so being able to polish stone will be fun for me & small polished stones are fashionable right now, so maybe I can make enough to support my tumbling? Noted on the Chicago thing, found Thumlers on eBay tho', just not from here How's this one?
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Shelbeeray
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2006
Posts: 688
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Post by Shelbeeray on Aug 18, 2015 17:40:36 GMT -5
They don't say the brand of the tumbler itself. They are including a Thumler's grit kit, but the tumbler itself looks like a generic. I wouldn't go for this. Contact them and see what brand the actual tumbler is...
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boutoo
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 62
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Post by boutoo on Aug 18, 2015 18:15:36 GMT -5
It's another one of those Chicago ones sigh The accessories fooled me :/ I asked Thumlers where the best place to get one is. They should know ha ha Ian will tell you that Scotland, Northern & SW England & Wales are far better than SE England for rock...Kent, Sussex, Wessex, Wiltshire etc are all chalk downs & we have lots of slate, white quartz, flint, shale & pebbles...we do have tons & tons of pebbles in varying sizes. I can also get 20mm gravel for £3 per 5kg bag tho' I'll go down to the river on the next sunny day & make a video of what's there for you
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2015 21:31:37 GMT -5
Greetings [boutoo] firstly may i welcome you to RTH Forums, the tumbler you have shown is a 2lb Beach tumbler manufactured by Beach Lapidary Ltd it has a five year warranty on the motor, the belt is almost indestructable it is a small basic professional tumbler not a kiddie toy. Currently the cheapest place to get a 2lb 1x 2lb (£59.75) or 3lb 1x 3lb (£75.25) or 2x 1.5lb (£79.95) Beach tumbler is Creetown Gem Rock Museum Scotland's only vendor as there is no Vat at 20% (sales tax). Thumlers tumblers are not available outside North America, never seen or heard of anyone that has one with a 220v 50Hz motor that they did not fit themself. Sticky #1 has all the UK shops and manufacturers, Mineral craft North has the cheapest grits but lacks choice, if buying less than 5kg each grit, Nobel Abrasives is cheapest for 25kg each grit. Sidcup Lapidary & Mineral Society is your nearest lapidary club. Please check out my Sticky's below. -- Please click images to open larger images in a new Tab, same with everything that is Underlined! I currently have a 3lb Beach (UK), Lortone QT 12/66 (USA) rotaries & 2x Viking Vibrasonic (Diamond Pacific) (USA) virbrating tumblers, with Silicon Carbide grit F80, F220, F600, F1200, with Tin Oxide (1.0 micron) & Aluminum Oxide (1.0 micron & 0.3 micron) polishes. I hail from (The Barony of Seabegs) Bonnybridge, Stirlingshire, U.K, where aliens (15mb) sometimes come for a visit & about 4 miles west from that monstrosity & 7 miles west of this new monstrosity! Sticky's: their contents are resource information 1#: Vendors worldwide (2mb), 2#: How to use the forum, 3#: How to identify rocks & minerals, 4#: Save money on expensive grits & polishes, 5#: Aussie Lapidary Forum: Rock Tumbling Guide!
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Post by pauls on Aug 19, 2015 2:17:17 GMT -5
Welcome from Oz It sounds like you are doing all the right things, gathering information, making a sensible purchase while continuing to gather info, so well done. Agates are a great choice of rock, you will get a fabulously fabulous polish on them, just don't rush them. It is worth leaving them for an extra week then deciding they need another week ad infinitum (fancy words for months)until they are all nice and smooth. If you do decide to get impatient then make sure everything is scrupulously clean before moving on to the polish, tiny cracks and crevices can carry grit over into your polish. Also beware of stones that look like they might actually break into parts, They will, and the sharp edges and fragments will completely ruin everything, toss them in your garden for the kids/grandkids/ neighbours kids to find.
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boutoo
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2015
Posts: 62
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Post by boutoo on Aug 19, 2015 7:26:05 GMT -5
Heya Andrew & Paul Ha ha @ your monstrosities!! I have Isengard, The 'Ice Cream Cone' & Canary Wharf to contend with, not to mention London clay to dig up Just for giggles, I once fell into Loch Awe after getting stuck between 2 huge boulders that weren't as close to the shore as I thought they were. I got very wet & very cold, but still remember what great treasure troves the beaches & rivers are up there! I have no hopes of building my own machine as my electrical/engineering/mechanical skills run to rewiring plugs & changing light bulbs only! I have thought of a new design for one if anybody knows anybody who could make it?? I know mine isn't a toy...the very first one I posted was, but I cancelled the order & got the UKGE one instead (2nd hand, but hardly even touched, so am happy) Wouldn't a shaver plug adaptor take care of the voltage difference if I were to get a US model? I found some of the sites on your list, although I think it's worth mentioning that the K-A site says they only manufacture church organs I have little hope of getting any grinders or laps for quite a while, so am happy to stick with Creetown, Manchester & Little Gems for now (read I will mostly hunt down things on the river & play with some of the beach bits I've found over the years - I might even try out a bag of gravel, just out of curiosity) Grit & polish seem to be the biggest minefield in terms of discovering what works & what doesn't + how much etc etc. Longer coarse tumbling + loss of mass mean that I have time to pick up a couple more barrels before I move on to the next stage, so no rush here, unless there's a reason I can't collect up my coarse tumbled for the next stage? Thanks for giving grit amounts in grams tho', as you say a tbsp can be many things (I know this from baking a lot when my arms worked!) Not sure about vibratory tumblers, no clue why, I'm just not....I'm putting it down to lack of knowledge atm & am leaving it for future thought. Lapidary is for the teaching of patience, no? Have already found a good tip for plastic beads here...tile spacers I have Skeena's tuts printed out & sat next to me as my beginners guides I'll check out the Aussie thread too Borax!!!!! I don't know why, but getting it is hell on earth down here...any ideas for substitutes/places to buy that I can get to easily? The only places I've heard of so far are Aldi's own brand washing liquid (£1.99 a bottle) & Boots who are costly (£5+ per 450g box) I think I've understood the clean & wash & clean again between stages down.....but how do I get rid of the slurry? I know I can't put it down the drain or just chuck it in the garden (I have 5 fur babies), so what to do with it in the middle of busy London? I found Sidcup society, but they're quite a long way from me in local terms & not so easy to get to. It's fine, as I'm quite happy playing & exploring by myself for now Unless there's an urgent reason I need to join them??? I have some other rocks (mostly quartzes) I found when I was in Turkey visiting my oldest that I'll post pics of later. I also have a horrible feeling that my ex 'hid' all my other collected over many years beach treasures in the gravel he put down in my front garden. I shall have fun hunting them down out there at some point lol Thanks very much for all the great info & encouragement
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