El JeffA
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2016
Posts: 353
|
Post by El JeffA on Sept 14, 2019 21:44:47 GMT -5
Now, 3-25 lb tumblers is more like it. AND at half the price of a new 40 lb. Much easier to handle. I would be all in on that also. Congrats on that purchase. My latest great find was a Lortone QT 66 for $25 at an estate sale. Runs great with a 12 lb extra barrel that I had and I now have 2 good 6 lb barrels on standby. Some of my Lortone 12 pounders have really thin bottoms. I’ve had 1 leak in the past but it starts as a pinhole in the center and radiates out like a psychedelic pinwheel. I just watch them more closely at this point. Best of luck with your new toy.
Jeff A
|
|
|
Post by TheRock on Sept 15, 2019 11:17:05 GMT -5
People say it takes many Rotary's to keep up with a Vibe.... I have 4 Vibes and 9 Rotary's And have 50lbs of stone waiting on an Open Vibe. So I could dust Em all with a UV-45 I found a used Diamond Pacific 75RT (3 25lb barrels) on a familiar online auction. Lortone was at least 8 weeks out and behind. 75lbs worth of tumbling and half the new price compared to just 40lb and double the price. Good for you! Yep 3 25's Isn't a bad way to go either Shawn tells me his Diamond Pacific 65T Is rolling 24/7 and every week his Dad Opens it up and sorts and adds new rock and grit. I had to add a 1/4" Aluminum Stiffener Plate on lid side of my 40T Damn Plastic lid isn't worth a Crap It works good now with that 1/4" Aluminum Diamond Plate Lid. No Leaks Now!
|
|
doublet83
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 118
|
Post by doublet83 on Sept 15, 2019 23:31:25 GMT -5
Ah, I guess you have already made your purchase, but I've owned the Lortone 40lb tumbler and have had it running non stop for about 1.5 years now. So far no problems and no part needs replacing. I guess time will tell how durable it is but it does seem quite a bit more durable than the Thumbler Model B's that I own.
It is obviously louder than the model B's but quieter than a 18 lb Thumbler vibe. I would say it tumbles the same rock maybe 50 to 75% faster than a 15 lb model B with a high speed motor and probably 150% faster than the regular speed model B.
|
|
|
Post by rmf on Sept 16, 2019 8:21:00 GMT -5
As title says, does anyone have a Lortone Model 40lb and use it regularly? My Lortone qt-12 just isn’t enough and I’ve acquired more stone to tumble and would like to knock it out in as few loads as possible. TIA I have not used the 40# Lortone. Years ago I needed to tumble a lot in a hurry and I was using 10 Lortone 12# drums and it was taking forever to just take off and put on the lids. I purchased a Gemstone vib tumbler because it had an adjustable vibration held 40# of rock and I could do metal. Tumbling rough in coarse ate the bottom out of the vib is 6 loads. at $85 each I had to find something else. I was at a show in MI and complained to the "salesman" at the show that they did not last long enough. Turns out it was the President of the company. He said they were not really designed to do rocks. I asked why were they marketing to rock people (in Lapidary Journal), and why did they call them Gemstone? He sent me a plastic drum for rotary. It was octagonal with edges for a roller and it held about 80# They cost about the same as the vib drums ($85) but I ended up building a tumbler just for the drums. I used them only for coarse tumbling since this is what was eating the vib. The drums required a hole saw to cut an opening then I purchased a sewer plug to plug the hole. They worked good but they still wore out after 6 loads. That could be extended by patching the bottom end with epoxy prior to wear through. That solved my problem and relatively cheap. That was a number of years ago and I have not needed to tumble that much in a long time. The year I did that I finished 3000# of rock. I would hate to do that much each year now. I am older, fatter. Your local
|
|
|
Post by broseph82 on Sept 16, 2019 11:32:07 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by broseph82 on Sept 16, 2019 14:27:33 GMT -5
Ah, I guess you have already made your purchase, but I've owned the Lortone 40lb tumbler and have had it running non stop for about 1.5 years now. So far no problems and no part needs replacing. I guess time will tell how durable it is but it does seem quite a bit more durable than the Thumbler Model B's that I own. It is obviously louder than the model B's but quieter than a 18 lb Thumbler vibe. I would say it tumbles the same rock maybe 50 to 75% faster than a 15 lb model B with a high speed motor and probably 150% faster than the regular speed model B. Yes and I am more than happy with the 75RT. I couldn’t believe the sizes of the pieces I was easily able to put in there and then dumping tons of small scrappy pieces and watching those fall inbetween all the larger ones just made me very happy. Hell, after a few full loads I may not have much sizable pieces to tumble. Rock hounding trip will be underway!
|
|
|
Post by broseph82 on Sept 28, 2019 23:47:58 GMT -5
So I’ve been running the 75RT for exactly 2 weeks. Have been out of town for the past week and came back to two barrels that slightly burped themselves and left a lil mess. Luckily for me it was already dried and all I had to do was shop vac it up.
Had put 4C of 60/90 in each 25lb barrels (yes I’m aware it should have only been 2cups). All grit was broken down and all rocks well under the water level. At a week the grit was still gritty and exactly two weeks all grit was broken down. I cleaned out all three barrels and added just 2cups 60/90 and some agatized coral. Pics to come in the morning
|
|