lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
|
Post by lookatthat on Jun 27, 2018 13:47:00 GMT -5
Hi guys,
My Worldwide Tumbling Competition rocks are tumbling in my Lortone 3A in a coarse-grit slurry. Friday afternoon through Monday evening we are expecting a heat wave; mid to upper 90s, heat index well over 100. This is exceptionally hot for this area. They are asking us to conserve energy during that time to lessen the strain on the power grid, so I was thinking of shutting down the tumbler for that time (yeah, I know it's less than 40 watts, but still). Also, I tumble outside and it seems like asking for trouble to run a motor in that heat. I'm sure most if not all rocks will not be ready to move to the next stage yet.
What would happen if I just shut it down and left the rocks in the barrel? Would it become like concrete? I had an idea of putting the rocks and slurry in a jar and cleaning out the barrel. Would the stuff in the jar become like concrete or would it be OK? What if I added extra water to the slurry?
Thoughts, ideas?
|
|
|
Post by aDave on Jun 27, 2018 13:56:49 GMT -5
Personally, I'd just do a cleanout and rinse the rocks. Grit and sediment will settle in a non-moving container, which would end up being a pain to clean further, as you'll end up with cake at the bottom. You might be able to scrape the barrel and stir things up (so it will roll properly again), but why go through all that trouble? Besides, you're halfway there with rinsing out the barrels anyway.
|
|
saxplayer
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2018
Posts: 1,327
|
Post by saxplayer on Jun 27, 2018 14:27:21 GMT -5
Agree with aDave The energy spent to do a clean out is small compared to the potential trouble if you try saving it all.
|
|
ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
|
Post by ingawh on Jun 27, 2018 23:47:13 GMT -5
I agree with the foregoing wisdom. Either stop and rinse the stones (if the heat wave is going to go on for several days and you want to give the tumbler and the energy grid a rest) or just let it keep going - maybe give it some shade if it's in direct sun. It doesn't use that much power, and the waste involved in an unnecessary clean-out means you're probably not coming out ahead in the long run. Just stopping in mid grind, especially in a course grind, can let the slurry set up like concrete inside so it won't tumble correctly when you start it up again.
Stay cool - Cheers!
|
|
|
Post by gmitch067 on Jun 28, 2018 8:09:09 GMT -5
I am not familiar with how electric grids are run, but isn't there something called a "brown-out" where the voltage drops for awhile. Will this adversely affect tumbler operations??? I agree with aDave ... do a clean-out, wash and bag the stones, label the bag with what stage is pending, and wait.
|
|
|
Post by grumpybill on Jun 28, 2018 9:04:47 GMT -5
I can't see that it matters what you do. (Unless, of course, you want to do your part to take stress off the power grid.) While it's true that if you simply shut the tumbler down for a few days, the mud and grit will settle to the bottom of the barrel. But...as long as the barrel is sealed, it shouldn't dry out. And even if it does, so what? It's pure bunkum that it will turn into "concrete". I save and dry out the mud and course grit from glass tumbles. I then throw chunks of this hard/dried cake in with the next load. It quickly rehydrates, turns back into mud, and disperses. As an experiment I've put dried mud/grit in a cup and added a small amount of water. It almost instantly turned back into mud. If someone is really worried that stopping a tumbler will cause problems, just give the barrel a good shake every now and then to re-disperse the muck.
|
|
lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
|
Post by lookatthat on Jun 28, 2018 9:12:07 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice, guys. I'll plan on doing a clean-out. Yes, gmitch, a brown-out is a concern. Hate to cut operations for a few days since time is so limited, but I think it's wisest. Unfortunately, they are now forecasting temperatures up to 100 (which I doubt we'll get, I think they just wanted to put that number on the screen)and have extended the heat wave into at least 4 days. Supposed to be very humid, too, as the heat wave is being preceded by heavy rain. Most people around here do not have air conditioning, so this is really oppressive.
Hmmm, good point grumpybill.
|
|
|
Post by aDave on Jun 28, 2018 11:33:13 GMT -5
I can't see that it matters what you do. (Unless, of course, you want to do your part to take stress off the power grid.) While it's true that if you simply shut the tumbler down for a few days, the mud and grit will settle to the bottom of the barrel. But...as long as the barrel is sealed, it shouldn't dry out. And even if it does, so what? It's pure bunkum that it will turn into "concrete". I save and dry out the mud and course grit from glass tumbles. I then throw chunks of this hard/dried cake in with the next load. It quickly rehydrates, turns back into mud, and disperses. As an experiment I've put dried mud/grit in a cup and added a small amount of water. It almost instantly turned back into mud. If someone is really worried that stopping a tumbler will cause problems, just give the barrel a good shake every now and then to re-disperse the muck. Bill, you're absolutely correct. It will not actually turn into a concrete like mass, and I do the same as you...I save old dried grit chunks and use it as a slurry kickstarter whenever I do a cleanout. Clearly, with the barrel being sealed, any evaporation is non-existent, and it should take a while for things to settle in most cases. However, I have had a couple instances where I've set down a barrel for a while, or there was a power outage, and crud caked due to settling in pretty short order. In those instances, I literally had to scrape the barrel to free up some rocks. But, I think the common denominator for those incidents was that it was very early in the week (after a cleanout), and alot of grit existed. In one sense, I almost wonder if it acted as a "binder" of sorts. In comparison, I've set down barrels at the end of a week, and no cake was there at all - and, all the grit was used up. So, in my non-scientific experience , maybe it's not an issue if all the grit is used up. Not knowing the variables, though, I'd just do a cleanout if I was in the same boat.
|
|
|
Post by manofglass on Jun 28, 2018 11:51:10 GMT -5
I have left my cans set for 3 weeks Then turned the tumbler back on it never Set up in the cans We’re having that hot weather to but my Tumbler is going to stay running
|
|
|
Post by grumpybill on Jun 28, 2018 12:48:11 GMT -5
However, I have had a couple instances where I've set down a barrel for a while, or there was a power outage, and crud caked due to settling in pretty short order. In those instances, I literally had to scrape the barrel to free up some rocks. But, I think the common denominator for those incidents was that it was very early in the week (after a cleanout), and alot of grit existed. In one sense, I almost wonder if it acted as a "binder" of sorts. In comparison, I've set down barrels at the end of a week, and no cake was there at all - and, all the grit was used up. So, in my non-scientific experience , maybe it's not an issue if all the grit is used up. Not knowing the variables, though, I'd just do a cleanout if I was in the same boat. I find the opposite to be true regarding grit particle size. My experience has been that the more grit (and the larger the particles) there is in the dried course stage cake, the easier it pulverizes with my fingers. When I ran an experiment with dried final polish/mud, it took some effort with a metal spoon to pulverize it even after soaking in water for over a week.
|
|
|
Post by aDave on Jun 29, 2018 19:27:27 GMT -5
I find the opposite to be true regarding grit particle size. My experience has been that the more grit (and the larger the particles) there is in the dried course stage cake, the easier it pulverizes with my fingers. When I ran an experiment with dried final polish/mud, it took some effort with a metal spoon to pulverize it even after soaking in water for over a week. I think we're talking apples to oranges with wet vs. dry. My experience is the same as yours with the dry stuff. The dry cake pretty much falls apart with heavy amounts of grit. Wet and in the barrel? I'm not so sure. I came across an old thread where gmitch067 had similar issues with a caked barrel. Not looking to prove a point...I just like the discussion and trying to figure out why it seems to happen some times and not others.
|
|
|
Post by grumpybill on Jun 30, 2018 6:52:26 GMT -5
Yep, aDave , we seem to have had a communication failure. I took "crud caked due to settling" to mean it had dried.
|
|