Post by jimaz on Jul 12, 2019 13:16:37 GMT -5
Just ordered a Lot-O from Shawn at The Rock Shed. Had been putting it off for a while, but finally bit the bullet. I'm anxious to get it set up and running.
One of the reasons I went ahead and ordered was because of an experiment I tried last week. I have an old Midway vibratory brass tumbler I used when I was doing a lot of reloading. I have used it with reasonable results for dry tumbling, so I decided to give it a shot for tumbling wet. Figured the worse that could happen is that it would break. It didn't.
This is what it looks like. Not mine, I don't have a BMW.
I had a mixed batch that was out of 120/220 in the rotary that I decided would work for the test. I put them in the Midway, but there wasn't near enough. I have some aquarium gravel that had previously been used for filler that I added to get to a decent level. I wet the rocks and then emptied the water so the stones were wet, no extra water in the bowl. Added about 4 squirts of liquid hand soap and one teaspoon od AO500. Watched the action and added a few squirts of water. Let it run for 48 hours, occasionally adding a couple more squirts of water when necessary, it's been over 100 every day the las week. Let me tell you IT WAS LOUD! I had it out in the store room attached to the garage and could hear it all the way to the front of the garage with the storeroom door closed. Didn't want to be in the storeroom for any period of time without ear protection. Bottom line was a success. When I pulled the stones I had a very good polish on all of the harder stones, and a decent polish on the softer stones. Convinced me to get the Lot-O.
I'll try to add some pictures of the stones later. Right now th lighting is crappy outside and I don't have a good place to take pictures inside.
One of the reasons I went ahead and ordered was because of an experiment I tried last week. I have an old Midway vibratory brass tumbler I used when I was doing a lot of reloading. I have used it with reasonable results for dry tumbling, so I decided to give it a shot for tumbling wet. Figured the worse that could happen is that it would break. It didn't.
This is what it looks like. Not mine, I don't have a BMW.
I had a mixed batch that was out of 120/220 in the rotary that I decided would work for the test. I put them in the Midway, but there wasn't near enough. I have some aquarium gravel that had previously been used for filler that I added to get to a decent level. I wet the rocks and then emptied the water so the stones were wet, no extra water in the bowl. Added about 4 squirts of liquid hand soap and one teaspoon od AO500. Watched the action and added a few squirts of water. Let it run for 48 hours, occasionally adding a couple more squirts of water when necessary, it's been over 100 every day the las week. Let me tell you IT WAS LOUD! I had it out in the store room attached to the garage and could hear it all the way to the front of the garage with the storeroom door closed. Didn't want to be in the storeroom for any period of time without ear protection. Bottom line was a success. When I pulled the stones I had a very good polish on all of the harder stones, and a decent polish on the softer stones. Convinced me to get the Lot-O.
I'll try to add some pictures of the stones later. Right now th lighting is crappy outside and I don't have a good place to take pictures inside.