jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 2, 2016 5:09:53 GMT -5
Five 7 pound capacity 6" PVC home made tumbling barrels and tumbler One Viking 14 pound vibe One sintered diamond pre-grinding tool 5 gallon bucket SiC 30 for rotary 5 gallon bucket Aluminum Oxide 80 (or 220) for vibe(and step 2 in rotary if vibe is busy) 5 pounds Aluminum Oxide 14,000 polish for vibe 5 gallon bucket Georgia colloidal clay for thickening slurry in rotary 10 pounds sugar for thickening Aluminum Oxide 80 slurry in vibe 1 box Borax for thickening Aluminum Oxide 14,000 slurry in vibe Big piles of Mohs 7 hardness agate, pet wood, jasper, coral, etc. My only subjects to tumble. Covington 18 inch saw(not required)
After 4 years of experimentation the above components are all that is needed to make fine Mohs 7 tumbles. I have eliminated as many redundant steps as possible by letting the tumblers break down grit using slurry additives namely colloidal clay in rotary. I have found that coarse shaping can be sped up tremendously by adding one bigger rock in the barrel of the rotary (1-2 pounds). I have found that high rotary speeds also increases coarse grind times tremendously and allows higher frequency of coarser grit additions. I have found that slurry is the key to faster/better rock protecting grinds with less clean outs and less media. I consider pre-grinding rocks prior and during tumble to be rewarding and productive.
I have a fairly large quantity of abrasives that I need to get rid of. Namely Aluminum Oxide pre polishes. 270 and 300 Garnet abrasive. AO 5000. AO 1000. Rock Shed and Lortone brands. others Would be glad to ship them to anyone needing them if they paypal LFRB shipping costs. PM me. I move slow so be patient. A Lortone 12 pound barrel w/lid. Anyone ? Some ceramic media.
PS Anyone that has any SiC 30 they don't want I will take it.
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Post by rockpickerforever on Oct 2, 2016 7:46:51 GMT -5
jamesp, please slap my name on the 12# Lortone barrel. Picked up a QT66 frame and motor, no barrel. Let me know what I owe you. Thank you!
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Oct 2, 2016 7:55:44 GMT -5
I could use some AO 500 and AO 1000. Sending pm.
Chuck
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 2, 2016 8:07:30 GMT -5
I could use some AO 500 and AO 1000. Sending pm. Chuck Chuck, I am going to keep the trusty AO 500. I believe I have a 5 pound unopened bag of 1000 and maybe a pound or two open.
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Post by captbob on Oct 2, 2016 8:42:59 GMT -5
I have found that high rotary speeds also increases coarse grind times tremendously and allows higher frequency of coarser grit additions. I believe you mean decreases here? 30 grit may be my new BFF. Think I have a 50# box of 46/70 (whatever) out there somewhere I've never opened. Ought to see if I can find it. nice offer(s)!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 2, 2016 9:18:20 GMT -5
I have found that high rotary speeds also increases coarse grind times tremendously and allows higher frequency of coarser grit additions. I believe you mean decreases here? 30 grit may be my new BFF. Think I have a 50# box of 46/70 (whatever) out there somewhere I've never opened. Ought to see if I can find it. nice offer(s)! The faster rotation increases grind rate therefore increasing rate of grit use. Is that stated better ? Ah, I reread. Yes yes-decease, thank you. Glad the 30 is BFF. Must say same. The grit guru that sells abrasives for Washington Mills used to stop by and trade me coral for grit 'samples'. He said SiC 30 single grade was the best size SIC for really hard stuff like rocks. i.e. longest lasting/most efficient/most durable He siad SIC 4-8-16 broke in sheets and did not cut as well. 30 was the one used in industry for shaping hard stuff universally. Should have seen the SiC 4, looked like sling shot ammo. He gave me a big bucket of AO 46 I have since used up grinding the soft outer layer off of coral. Taught me a bit about coarse AO. That salesman said the most demanding operation was military helicopter rotor shafts. He said a few over sized grit particles could make a scratch in the shaft that could propagate a fracture. They screened the abrasive for that application many times to make sure it is pure, like .05%. Serious life threatening application of abrasives. He was clear about tumbling abrasives. Since the tumbler breaks it down to nothing it was the lowest grade of abrasive.(least screened)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2016 9:49:05 GMT -5
Lowest grade, and least expensive...
Good. Our work is meatball stuff compared to helicopter shafts...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2016 9:50:26 GMT -5
You buy sugar by the 10# bag? I figured you hit restaurant supply for 45# bags.
Do you premake syrup or mix water sugar in the vibe?
Clay doesn't work in the vibe?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 2, 2016 10:09:38 GMT -5
You buy sugar by the 10# bag? I figured you hit restaurant supply for 45# bags. Do you premake syrup or mix water sugar in the vibe? Clay doesn't work in the vibe? I leave the sugar in the greenhouse in a tough little container to keep the critters out of it. Plus our humidity turns it to rock candy. Just use a cup per load in vibe, so light usage. No pre-mix. Just chunk a cup sugar and a cup water in vibe. Let the vibe mix it. Excellent mixing machine. Then add abrasive. I do run out and raid the kitchen once in a while. Benefit of spousal aggravation in that situation. That clay has some sand in it. Best used in coarse grind operations in rotary. But the clay is mostly eroded felspar, so very platelet colloidal for most part. I do use a crap load of clay.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2016 10:57:37 GMT -5
Kitty litter is purified kaolin. I sold windows to a dude who operates the kitty litter line at arm and hammer in Victorville California. Arrives in RR cars full of powder kaolin.
Looking for kaolin powder. Might try that, first. Make a thin slip from it.
I have an aversion to organics in the tumbler......
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 2, 2016 12:49:14 GMT -5
Kitty litter is purified kaolin. I sold with does to a dude who operates the kitty litter line at arm and hammer in Victorville California. Arrives in RR cars full of powder kaolin. Looking for kaolin powder. Might try that, first. Make a thin slip from it. I have an aversion to organics in the tumbler...... This red clay is basically kaolin with iron in it Scott. The clay vein I am mining probably has 20% quartz sand in it, low %. Some has about no sand. Average is 30-40% sand. At 50-60% it is way less slick when wet. Some red clay very pasty, others with lots of abrasive quartz sand. In the 4 wheel drive biz the guys shift into high gear to in the wet areas to sling the clay caught in the tread out of the tries for a fresh grip. i.e. to expose treads for grip. Impacted tires very slick. Friends from Florida came up with trail bikes. Started up a wet gummy clay hill, got half way up, and started sliding back down. Only to drop all three bikes in harmony. I tried to tell them. They were mesmerized. Their tires got plugged=no knobby's. Wonder if those rail cars are coming from Georgia. We put out some kaolin. (JM Huber, billionaire off of clay) Hmmm, kitty litter from kaolin. Florida makes cat litter out of non colloidal gumbo clay. I think it is all fired. Paint and paper inks are full of kaolin, killer suspension properties. For grit too.
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dottyt
spending too much on rocks
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Post by dottyt on Oct 2, 2016 13:55:39 GMT -5
Is all your AO gone? I'm guessing "yes." Do you only use sugar in the vibe? My candy making days are long ago and syrup making in chemistry lab longer, but I recall a LOT of sugar was needed to get thickening. I take it vibes don't use much water tho. Is that how it works? How do you keep ants out of the vibe if the lids don't seal that tight?
These questions aren't helping you with getting rid of your un-needed supplies, so ignore if you don't have time! Just curious again! :-)
P.S.: I suppose ants in the vibe wouldn't be such a big deal. I would just be concerned with them finding the vibe and then having a base camp to the kitchen.... Could be your logistics are totally different than mine though.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 2, 2016 14:20:53 GMT -5
Is all your AO gone? I'm guessing "yes." Do you only use sugar in the vibe? My candy making days are long ago and syrup making in chemistry lab longer, but I recall a LOT of sugar was needed to get thickening. I take it vibes don't use much water tho. Is that how it works? How do you keep ants out of the vibe if the lids don't seal that tight? These questions aren't helping you with getting rid of your un-needed supplies, so ignore if you don't have time! Just curious again! :-) P.S.: I suppose ants in the vibe wouldn't be such a big deal. I would just be concerned with them finding the vibe and then having a base camp to the kitchen.... Could be your logistics are totally different than mine though. Ants in the vibe would have a seriously bad day Dotty. There are a few ants. Oddly not many, and all the tumblers are outside in a greenhouse. I have more aluminum oxide. Like 5 one pound bottles of Lortone pre-polish and a 3-4 pound bag of 5000 polish. They are yours if you want them. Yes, the vibes don't use much water so a thick slurry from sugar is easy. Like 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. LOL, about like our Georgia iced tea. For some reason hornets have been feeding on the sugar. They must have a sweet tooth.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Oct 3, 2016 6:14:48 GMT -5
When I read the original post I assumed AO 5000 was a typo for AO 500. I have never seen or used AO 5000 before. I just looked it up and it looks like 5000 is equal to about 2.5 microns. Were you using that as a polish or just another step along the way?
Chuck
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 3, 2016 6:38:15 GMT -5
When I read the original post I assumed AO 5000 was a typo for AO 500. I have never seen or used AO 5000 before. I just looked it up and it looks like 5000 is equal to about 2.5 microns. Were you using that as a polish or just another step along the way? Chuck I asked for a sample of AO 5000 Chuck. From an abrasive company. I got lots of free samples that way. They sent 5 pounds !! It polishes just like AO 14,000. Not much different. Yes, using it as a polish at 2.5 microns. It was not precision graded. Bell curve showed a range from 2000 to 8000. Got it back when fooling with obsidian since it seems to like lots of steps.
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Post by txrockhunter on Oct 3, 2016 7:43:03 GMT -5
5 gallon bucket Aluminum Oxide 80 (or 220) for vibe(and step 2 in rotary if vibe is busy) So you're not using any SIC in the vibe, replacing the 120/220 SIC with AO 80? Does the AO have any performance advantages or is it a cost savings? Always appreciate your research updates!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 3, 2016 8:45:14 GMT -5
5 gallon bucket Aluminum Oxide 80 (or 220) for vibe(and step 2 in rotary if vibe is busy) So you're not using any SIC in the vibe, replacing the 120/220 SIC with AO 80? Does the AO have any performance advantages or is it a cost savings? Always appreciate your research updates! The SiC 220 ran low so I grabbed the AO 80. Left it running for two days and was surprised to find a decent polish on a big crazy lace. Let it run another day and went straight(extremes) to AO 14,000 with Borax and it transformed into a fine polish. Performance/cost, not so much. I am so busy now and need time savings. 3 days with out cleaning out the vibe was a great time savings Jeremy. The AO 80 must have transformed to 220-500-1000-at least 3000 in one fell swoop. AO is a great finish abrasive. SiC a cutter. Probably should use AO for all vibe operations. The AO 80 is a funky size for us tumblers. It is actually cheap grade sand blasting media I found in a junkyard $25 for 5 gallons. I also had a 5 gallon bucket of AO 46. Used it to grind soft cortex off coral. Accidentally left it rolling for 2 weeks once in the rotary. Noticed some of the coral had a light polish. Wrote it off as a fluke. Maybe not a fluke.
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Post by txrockhunter on Oct 3, 2016 11:40:34 GMT -5
I am with you on the time savings! Having to clean out the vibe every 12 hours gets to be a little restricting!
I'll keep my eye out for some AO 70 or 80. Harbor freight has 50#'s of AO 70 for $45. Better deals out there, I'm sure....
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Oct 3, 2016 12:04:37 GMT -5
I am with you on the time savings! Having to clean out the vibe every 12 hours gets to be a little restricting! I'll keep my eye out for some AO 70 or 80. Harbor freight has 50#'s of AO 70 for $45. Better deals out there, I'm sure.... Maybe order a small amount from Rock Shed. This AO 80 and AO 220 is working in my Viking vibe. Who is to say it will work in yours ? Just saying, may be best to try small amount to see if it works w/your equipment. i.e. go conservative.
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Post by captbob on Oct 3, 2016 12:04:54 GMT -5
Why do you have to clean out a vibe other than to change grit or polish to the next step? Are you only running each step 12 hours and moving on?
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