driver
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
Posts: 17
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Post by driver on Apr 3, 2019 17:26:50 GMT -5
Hello there.
I got my currently 9 year old kiddo a rock tumbler, it is a National Geographic rubber one, not their other one (which she had and broke). We have done several batches but we never got the results of store baught rocks or like any pictures we have seen. We have been getting better at it and learning as we go. I just found this forum today and I have been reading through and learning lots from it. You guys are awesome.
I have some questions, grit and rocks are expensive, shipping hurts a lot. I am in Canada, is anyone here from Canada and has a good source for supplies? The Rock Shed will ship to Canada but it costs an arm and a leg, same with E-Bay. Can someone point me in the right direction here?
I have also been reading that you guys like to use a Lortone Rotary Tumbler for the first stage and a Lot-0 vibrating tumbler for the rest of the stages. I will save up and get those products, maybe the vibrating one first since my rotary works well enough for now. The Rock Shed sells grit for Rotary and Vibrating tumblers seperately, what is the difference? everything looks the same.
Thanks in advance!
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Post by MsAli on Apr 3, 2019 17:33:43 GMT -5
Hi and welcome from Fresno Ca There are a few Canadians on here that I am sure can help greig
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driver
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
Posts: 17
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Post by driver on Apr 3, 2019 17:44:48 GMT -5
Hi and welcome from Fresno Ca There are a few Canadians on here that I am sure can help greig Thank you, I am glad to be here I am looking forward to learning, and so is kiddo. She loves rocks and she has rocks all over my house! She wants to learn how to find cool rocks for her tumbler too haha. We try but we don't find much that are pretty or gem-like.
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goatgrinder
spending too much on rocks
Make mine a man cave
Member since January 2017
Posts: 368
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Post by goatgrinder on Apr 3, 2019 18:06:30 GMT -5
Hey Driver, Welcome to the RTH from sunny Atlanta.
First off you want to start with a larger and better quality rotary tumbler, like a Lortone QT 12. You can tumble a high shine just as well with a rotary. Vibes do polish more quickly and use less grit but the coarse grit is very hard on the vibe. That is why some people use the two tumblers together.
If baby has "rocks all over the house", give them a tumble. Everything is prettier with a shine.
Best of luck.
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driver
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
Posts: 17
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Post by driver on Apr 3, 2019 19:16:44 GMT -5
Hey Driver, Welcome to the RTH from sunny Atlanta. First off you want to start with a larger and better quality rotary tumbler, like a Lortone QT 12. You can tumble a high shine just as well with a rotary. Vibes do polish more quickly and use less grit but the coarse grit is very hard on the vibe. That is why some people use the two tumblers together. If baby has "rocks all over the house", give them a tumble. Everything is prettier with a shine. Best of luck. Thank you. We are working on it! It takes so long. That is a HUGE tumbler! I like it but it would be hard to keep buying/finding enough rocks to fill that beast no? You figure that is the first thing I should invest in? I strongly believe in getting good gear once and not having to keep upgrading so I will go with advise you give me, just may take a while to gather the money for it and a batch of rocks to run it
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 3, 2019 19:44:31 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum.
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Post by Garage Rocker on Apr 3, 2019 21:02:52 GMT -5
I think Rob Jugglerguy always words it well to newcomers. He gave the same advice to me. "Here’s my recipe. It works for me, so I stick with it. It is very consistent. I have Lortone rotaries and a Lot-O vibe. Rotary tumbler: run the rocks in 46/70 or 60/90 or 80 one week at a time until there are no flaws in the rocks. Each week, I remove any rocks that are done and throw the rest back in. There is no set time, rocks can be done in a week (rare) or several months. These tumblers run indefinitely. They only run coarse grit. I use about one tablespoon of grit per pound. I don’t weigh the rocks, I go by the barrel rating. For example, a six pound barrel gets 6 tablespoons of grit. Vibe: Two tablespoons of 120/220 or straight 220 silicon carbide grit. Fill the barrel with water and then dump out all the water leaving wet rocks. Run for two days. Vibe: 1/2 TEAspoon of 500 grit aluminum oxide. 1 Tablespoon of borax. Run for two days. Vibe: 1/2 TEAspoon of 1000 grit aluminum oxide. 1 Tablespoon of borax. Run for two days. Vibe: 1/2 TEAspoon of aluminum oxide polish. 1 Tablespoon of borax. Run for two days. After each stage except the first, I run for about an hour in a tablespoon of borax for a better cleaning. All stages excep the first have mixed sizes of ceramic media (about 30%}. Others will give you other recipes. Those will work too. You can skip the 1000 grit stage in my recipe, but then you should run the 500 stage for an extra day." Read more: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/user/4071/recent?page=9#ixzz5k5UhdbqHI know you don't have a vibe tumbler (Lot-O in the above instance), so if you want to upgrade, you might want to consider the Lortone QT66. It would give you two 6 lb barrels to work with. Rough grind in one, polish in the other. Plenty of people have started that way...and continue in that way. You'll likely get different advice from everyone you ask, so take it in and figure out what works best for you.
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driver
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
Posts: 17
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Post by driver on Apr 3, 2019 21:16:14 GMT -5
I think Rob Jugglerguy always words it well to newcomers. He gave the same advice to me. "Here’s my recipe. It works for me, so I stick with it. It is very consistent. I have Lortone rotaries and a Lot-O vibe. Rotary tumbler: run the rocks in 46/70 or 60/90 or 80 one week at a time until there are no flaws in the rocks. Each week, I remove any rocks that are done and throw the rest back in. There is no set time, rocks can be done in a week (rare) or several months. These tumblers run indefinitely. They only run coarse grit. I use about one tablespoon of grit per pound. I don’t weigh the rocks, I go by the barrel rating. For example, a six pound barrel gets 6 tablespoons of grit. Vibe: Two tablespoons of 120/220 or straight 220 silicon carbide grit. Fill the barrel with water and then dump out all the water leaving wet rocks. Run for two days. Vibe: 1/2 TEAspoon of 500 grit aluminum oxide. 1 Tablespoon of borax. Run for two days. Vibe: 1/2 TEAspoon of 1000 grit aluminum oxide. 1 Tablespoon of borax. Run for two days. Vibe: 1/2 TEAspoon of aluminum oxide polish. 1 Tablespoon of borax. Run for two days. After each stage except the first, I run for about an hour in a tablespoon of borax for a better cleaning. All stages excep the first have mixed sizes of ceramic media (about 30%}. Others will give you other recipes. Those will work too. You can skip the 1000 grit stage in my recipe, but then you should run the 500 stage for an extra day." Read more: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/user/4071/recent?page=9#ixzz5k5UhdbqHI know you don't have a vibe tumbler (Lot-O in the above instance), so if you want to upgrade, you might want to consider the Lortone QT66. It would give you two 6 lb barrels to work with. Rough grind in one, polish in the other. Plenty of people have started that way...and continue in that way. You'll likely get different advice from everyone you ask, so take it in and figure out what works best for you. Wow thank you so much. Where do most people get rocks from here? Do they buy them or find them? One last question, if we find some cool beach rocks, can we skip stage 1 if it seems smooth?
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saxplayer
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2018
Posts: 1,327
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Post by saxplayer on Apr 3, 2019 21:17:12 GMT -5
I would second the Lortone QT66. It has the 2 x 6lb barrels so not as much rough is required. You can always but a 12 lb barrel down the road should you need, the same base motor runs it as well.
The only reason for the Lot-O is time savings. I do think it polishes easier than a rotary will, however several here produce amazing stones with only rotary. The thing is, once stage 1 (coarse grind) is done in a rotary - it is only about 1 week to polish them up in the Lot-O vs 3-4 (or more?) weeks with rotary.
I also have a QT12, QT66 and 45-c (all lortone) as well as the Lot-O for all stages past stage 1.
Grant
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Post by MsAli on Apr 3, 2019 21:23:21 GMT -5
Hi and welcome from Fresno Ca There are a few Canadians on here that I am sure can help greig Thank you, I am glad to be here I am looking forward to learning, and so is kiddo. She loves rocks and she has rocks all over my house! She wants to learn how to find cool rocks for her tumbler too haha. We try but we don't find much that are pretty or gem-like. What part of Canada are you in?
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Post by Rockindad on Apr 3, 2019 21:40:13 GMT -5
Hello there. I got my currently 9 year old kiddo a rock tumbler, it is a National Geographic rubber one, not their other one (which she had and broke). We have done several batches but we never got the results of store baught rocks or like any pictures we have seen. We have been getting better at it and learning as we go. I just found this forum today and I have been reading through and learning lots from it. You guys are awesome. I have some questions, grit and rocks are expensive, shipping hurts a lot. I am in Canada, is anyone here from Canada and has a good source for supplies? The Rock Shed will ship to Canada but it costs an arm and a leg, same with E-Bay. Can someone point me in the right direction here? I have also been reading that you guys like to use a Lortone Rotary Tumbler for the first stage and a Lot-0 vibrating tumbler for the rest of the stages. I will save up and get those products, maybe the vibrating one first since my rotary works well enough for now. The Rock Shed sells grit for Rotary and Vibrating tumblers seperately, what is the difference? everything looks the same. Thanks in advance! Only going to address what you are asking about. "You need a bigger and better tumbler" is advice given out to a lot of beginners here. You did not say that you wanted larger capacity nor the ability to run larger batches. If you do then by all means add some more equipment. You mention cost is a consideration, the more capacity you have, the more it will cost to keep them rolling/vibing. Everyone has to find their own sweetspot in this hobby- financially and how much time you want to dedicate to it. A 12 or 15 pound barrel is a lot more work than a 2lb. One thing for sure is that your results have nothing to do with your tumbler. The first tumbler I got my son www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Professional-Tumbler-Improved/dp/B013PWFKN6/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3I9LXMSR5JIC3&keywords=national+geographic is still in use even though we have added better and larger equipment. The barrel is an imitation of Lortones and the stones that come out of ours are the same quality of what comes out of our Thumler's . I would bet that you are following the manufacturers instructions regarding the coarse stage which says only run them one week then move them on. Much better results will be acheived with a longer run in coarse. Also, if you are using the grit packets that were included with the tumbler they are woefully small. Take your time, build up slowly. Don't turn this into a chore that you will resent. There is a TON of information on this site that goes back many years, take advantage of it. Al
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minniek
having dreams about rocks
Member since January 2019
Posts: 74
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Post by minniek on Apr 3, 2019 21:42:43 GMT -5
Hi! Another new Canadian here! I’ve done a couple of nice batches, thanks to the awesome advice I’ve found on this forum. I have a vibratory tumbler myself. As for supplies, the rock shed is where I’ve gotten most of my stuff, as well as some rocks (grit is on there too) from amazon.
The rock shed does have high shipping fees, but I’ve gotten a few orders, and it ended up costing much less then quoted, as they do all they can to get your order into a flat rate box!
Some rock & gem stores also carry rough, so start searching the net for stores in your area!
Have fun!!
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driver
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
Posts: 17
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Post by driver on Apr 3, 2019 22:08:52 GMT -5
Thank you, I am glad to be here I am looking forward to learning, and so is kiddo. She loves rocks and she has rocks all over my house! She wants to learn how to find cool rocks for her tumbler too haha. We try but we don't find much that are pretty or gem-like. What part of Canada are you in? I can't figure out how to multi-quote here. I am in Nova Scotia!
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driver
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
Posts: 17
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Post by driver on Apr 3, 2019 22:16:38 GMT -5
Only going to address what you are asking about. "You need a bigger and better tumbler" is advice given out to a lot of beginners here. You did not say that you wanted larger capacity nor the ability to run larger batches. If you do then by all means add some more equipment. You mention cost is a consideration, the more capacity you have, the more it will cost to keep them rolling/vibing. Everyone has to find their own sweetspot in this hobby- financially and how much time you want to dedicate to it. A 12 or 15 pound barrel is a lot more work than a 2lb. One thing for sure is that your results have nothing to do with your tumbler. The first tumbler I got my son www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Professional-Tumbler-Improved/dp/B013PWFKN6/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3I9LXMSR5JIC3&keywords=national+geographic is still in use even though we have added better and larger equipment. The barrel is an imitation of Lortones and the stones that come out of ours are the same quality of what comes out of our Thumler's . I would bet that you are following the manufacturers instructions regarding the coarse stage which says only run them one week then move them on. Much better results will be acheived with a longer run in coarse. Also, if you are using the grit packets that were included with the tumbler they are woefully small. Take your time, build up slowly. Don't turn this into a chore that you will resent. There is a TON of information on this site that goes back many years, take advantage of it. Al That is the exact same tumbler we have! Haha. It is our second one, we got a plastic crappy one used at first and it never worked well. I am currently happy with the size of it but unhappy with the time it takes haha. I can be patient and it will teach kiddo patience till we can get her more stuff. I certainly would like a bigger rotery one and a lot-o and will work towards that if we stick to the hobby. We have put a few batches through so far. You are right for guessing that we just followed instructions and are not happy, I understand the process better after reading through the forums. I have purchased a couple of batches of rocks from e-bay so far and bigger bags of grit. I am sure I can find better sources for this stuff with a little bit of help. Rocks is the hard one it seems, finding a good quantity of pretty looking rocks for kiddo at a reasonable price but I think it would be more fun to learn how and where to find decent rocks.
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Post by Rockindad on Apr 3, 2019 22:20:32 GMT -5
Only going to address what you are asking about. "You need a bigger and better tumbler" is advice given out to a lot of beginners here. You did not say that you wanted larger capacity nor the ability to run larger batches. If you do then by all means add some more equipment. You mention cost is a consideration, the more capacity you have, the more it will cost to keep them rolling/vibing. Everyone has to find their own sweetspot in this hobby- financially and how much time you want to dedicate to it. A 12 or 15 pound barrel is a lot more work than a 2lb. One thing for sure is that your results have nothing to do with your tumbler. The first tumbler I got my son www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Professional-Tumbler-Improved/dp/B013PWFKN6/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3I9LXMSR5JIC3&keywords=national+geographic is still in use even though we have added better and larger equipment. The barrel is an imitation of Lortones and the stones that come out of ours are the same quality of what comes out of our Thumler's . I would bet that you are following the manufacturers instructions regarding the coarse stage which says only run them one week then move them on. Much better results will be acheived with a longer run in coarse. Also, if you are using the grit packets that were included with the tumbler they are woefully small. Take your time, build up slowly. Don't turn this into a chore that you will resent. There is a TON of information on this site that goes back many years, take advantage of it. Al That is the exact same tumbler we have! Haha. It is our second one, we got a plastic crappy one used at first and it never worked well. I am currently happy with the size of it but unhappy with the time it takes haha. I can be patient and it will teach kiddo patience till we can get her more stuff. I certainly would like a bigger rotery one and a lot-o and will work towards that if we stick to the hobby. We have put a few batches through so far. You are right for guessing that we just followed instructions and are not happy, I understand the process better after reading through the forums. I have purchased a couple of batches of rocks from e-bay so far and bigger bags of grit. I am sure I can find better sources for this stuff with a little bit of help. Rocks is the hard one it seems, finding a good quantity of pretty looking rocks for kiddo at a reasonable price but I think it would be more fun to learn how and where to find decent rocks. It wasn't that hard to guess as we did the same thing Lesson learned. Al
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driver
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
Posts: 17
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Post by driver on Apr 3, 2019 22:20:57 GMT -5
Hi! Another new Canadian here! I’ve done a couple of nice batches, thanks to the awesome advice I’ve found on this forum. I have a vibratory tumbler myself. As for supplies, the rock shed is where I’ve gotten most of my stuff, as well as some rocks (grit is on there too) from amazon. The rock shed does have high shipping fees, but I’ve gotten a few orders, and it ended up costing much less then quoted, as they do all they can to get your order into a flat rate box! Some rock & gem stores also carry rough, so start searching the net for stores in your area! Have fun!! Thanks for the advice, what do they do, refund you the difference in shipping cost paid at checkout or do you just call them and they give you a quote? I live in the middle of nowhere and there would not be a decent rock and gem store for hundreds of miles lol.
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minniek
having dreams about rocks
Member since January 2019
Posts: 74
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Post by minniek on Apr 3, 2019 23:25:27 GMT -5
I’ve used PayPal, and they ‘reserve’ the total with the high shipping, then PayPal adjusts the final price once they process the payment with the actual shipping cost! You could always call or email them to see how much will fit into each size flat rate box. I’ve gotten a couple (😳) medium flat rate boxes from them which included around 15 lbs of rock... the shipping ended up being less then half of what was quoted. Still a little pricey, but the rough from there is well worth it!!! I’d imagine the small flat rate box would be more affordable, and you could always ask what would typically fit into one of those.
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Post by pauls on Apr 4, 2019 0:47:27 GMT -5
"if we find some cool beach rocks, can we skip stage 1 if it seems smooth?"
No, they might look nice and smooth but they will still have a lot of surface blemishes from bashing around on the seashore, give them a bit of a run in first stage to clean them up, it wont take long (try a week)
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driver
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2019
Posts: 17
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Post by driver on Apr 4, 2019 6:50:46 GMT -5
Thank you guys for the advice.
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Post by MsAli on Apr 4, 2019 6:52:00 GMT -5
You have agates, jasper, amythest and quartz crystals up there. Should be great rockhounding
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