jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 2, 2016 18:12:50 GMT -5
This barrel got used full time with some brutal treatment. Broken up SiC grinding wheels, SiC 8,16, 30. Big rocks. It split perfectly into two pieces. Very even wear. About $40 to make a new one. Held 20 pounds. Unused 6 inch sch 40 PVC left, worn out one on right.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2016 20:38:50 GMT -5
it is specially awesome it split in the middle!
did it make a mess?
<$1/month for that barrel. NOw its easy enough to set aside a little every day for the next one. Every day, put a nickel in a jar. When this newest one wears out, you will have enough nickels for the replacement.....**
**This is called "reducing to the ridiculous...." google it, if it interests you... lol
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Jun 2, 2016 22:36:12 GMT -5
Outstanding. What a great life. I'll tip another in reverence. RIP.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 2, 2016 22:48:30 GMT -5
Outstanding. What a great life. I'll tip another in reverence. RIP. Appreciate the reverence. Was thinking about a burial. Poor thing served well.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 2, 2016 22:54:17 GMT -5
it is specially awesome it split in the middle! did it make a mess? <$1/month for that barrel. NOw its easy enough to set aside a little every day for the next one. Every day, put a nickel in a jar. When this newest one wears out, you will have enough nickels for the replacement..... ****This is called "reducing to the ridiculous...." google it, if it interests you... lol Split very close to the middle, right at the glue joint. The heavy glue coating may have weakened it by a few thousandths. No surprise, you could see light thru it quite a while ago. You could deform it by pushing on it real hard a few months ago. Passing light as good as an x-ray. Will gladly build another just like it. Remember the thick blue pipe you had ? That stuff is sure heavy though.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2016 23:20:07 GMT -5
Yes, i will build a barrel soon from the schedule 80, 8". Will use a 6" bushing reducer. This to tumble very large pieces. Like 1.5#. With a sh|tload of smalls! I started priming the lumber for my forever tumbler today. I have all the metallic parts, just need to finish prime, then assemble the frame. The metallic portion of the job easy compared to painting! Lol I have also starting perusing purple colors for finish paint color. I like purple...
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El JeffA
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2016
Posts: 353
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Post by El JeffA on Jun 3, 2016 0:28:14 GMT -5
Yes, i will build a barrel soon from the schedule 80, 8". Will use a 6" bushing reducer. This to tumble very large pieces. Like 1.5#. With a sh|tload of smalls! I started priming the lumber for my forever tumbler today. I have all the metallic parts, just need to finish prime, then assemble the frame. The metallic portion of the job easy compared to painting! Lol I have also starting perusing purple colors for finish paint color. I like purple... I can't wait to see 'Barney', the forever tumbler.
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 3, 2016 7:41:14 GMT -5
Coarse grind only: I did have better luck with 6" than 8" on bigger rocks. Larger than 14 ounce rocks were real sensitive to speed and slurry thickness and larger barrel(and smaller barrel). If the slurry got thin(or too thick) at any point the 8" caused little half moon fractures or edge frosting. That 6" barrel did fine with like 50 % 6-12 ounce rocks at 30 RPM and thick slurry. Gave up on bigger than 12-14. I tried 50% 6-12 with tiny garnets and the grind was super slow. Best luck using 1/2 to 1 inch agates for the 'media'. So made longer 6" barrels for more capacity and canned the 8 inch barrels. If just tumbling one big rock in the load then no problems if well filled. One big rock can break bots, thin slabs and chips though.
Conclusion was to stick with 50% 6-12, 50% 1/2" to 1", thick slurry, 30 RPM, and 6" barrel. Even 60-70% 5-10, 30-40% 1/2" to 1", thick slurry, 30 RPM, and 6" barrel. Favorite and fastest tumble.
Been running four 6" barrels about full time for 4 years. All four need full replacement. Only 2 of the original 4 still going. The other one died the same way.
May they rest in peace.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 3, 2016 7:52:48 GMT -5
Did a 2 month stay at Florida camp in summer of 2013 on a coral run. Hit Tampa, Zephyr Hills, Suwannee, Withlacoochee. Heat treated a bunch, reduced them. Took 2 years to tumble this batch from that trip. Just saying, those barrels had a job and coral is hard and sharp as glass. In 8 inch pots Plus small corals more from same trip
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Post by Garage Rocker on Jun 3, 2016 7:58:41 GMT -5
Sounds like you're about ready to resupply. That's quite an impressive haul, sell these in your business I guess? Got completed photos, or a link to another thread that does?
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Post by Garage Rocker on Jun 3, 2016 7:59:16 GMT -5
Never mind, you added already
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2016 8:09:37 GMT -5
Yeah, I am learning oh, Obi Wan jamesp Jedi Master of the tumble. I was a little bummed you didnt enter my contest. In particular I have a large pice of royal purple burro creek agate that alone is worth the expense of parts to make that 8" barrel. I plan to run slower, and only the one piece with the barrel full of 1" pieces. Have you experimented with less slurry, same milkshake viscosity, but less of it?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 3, 2016 8:21:41 GMT -5
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 3, 2016 8:47:12 GMT -5
Yeah, I am learning oh, Obi Wan jamesp Jedi Master of the tumble. I was a little bummed you didnt enter my contest. In particular I have a large pice of royal purple burro creek agate that alone is worth the expense of parts to make that 8" barrel. I plan to run slower, and only the one piece with the barrel full of 1" pieces. Have you experimented with less slurry, same milkshake viscosity, but less of it? I have had the slurry get to thick. Stick rocks to the wall of the barrel and hold them in place. Only to get beat to pieces by the loose rocks. Darn sure have tumbled less than 2 inch rocks 50% full with just a coating on the rocks. Slurry thick enough that when poured out it laid in a mound.(slump cone test lol) But that is a fine line of sticking them to the walls. Most of the time the thick slurry is over the level of the rocks. Keep it at rock level to 1 inch over rock level. Never below. Which is a bit non-conventional. No doubt in my mind that cohesive forces of thick slurry sucks rocks together and grinds the scnitt out of them. No doubt. The thick slurry flat out grinds the 30 grit away so fast. Have had to dial in to a consistent pasty clay vein back in the woods. The clay on the farm has too much sand in it. Less sticky. Must add more per pound of rocks. If I was going to tumble 2-3 pounders. A long set of shafts holding a bunch of real short 6 or 8 inch barrels with one large rock in each barrel. Pre-grind every one of them. I cheat too much to enter a contest. I pre-grind all the trophy rocks. That's not fair.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Jun 3, 2016 8:47:56 GMT -5
Well you're certainly not short on material to work with when/if you wear out. You keep everything else running past it's expiration date around there, why should you be any different? That second page of the King Kong Tumbles is downright bada**. Guess you shaped those on your diamond cup grinder. I like the orange ones marked like a clown fish and the others that show the coral structure. Lots of beauties.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,561
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Post by jamesp on Jun 3, 2016 9:06:07 GMT -5
Well you're certainly not short on material to work with when/if you wear out. You keep everything else running past it's expiration date around there, why should you be any different? That second page of the King Kong Tumbles is downright bada**. Guess you shaped those on your diamond cup grinder. I like the orange ones marked like a clown fish and the others that show the coral structure. Lots of beauties. Thanks for browsing garage. The coral occurs in very large pieces. Up to the size of a washing machine. Gotta bring carpet to avoid shrapnel and a an 8 pound sledge hammer on some chunks. Average is 5-15 pounds. So collecting poundage no problem. The diamond cup does fine on larger chunks(to save your fingers) on tough agates that are so easy to tumble to a fine polish. Diamond cup so heavy duty and those agates eat diamonds so fast (as in tile saw blades). Cup is just cheap for a lot of heavy grinding. Been using a 7 inch cup from Harbor Freight at 2200 RPM. It could be run way slower and safer and still cut well.
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