mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 16, 2020 12:39:22 GMT -5
I'm interested in this tumbler, but I have some questions.
1. Do you have to fill both barrels, or can you leave one empty?
2. I read that it's best to use different barrels for different grits. Is this true? Can you just clean them out really well and go to the next grit?
3. What size rocks can go into a barrel together? I collect local rocks, and I don't plan to buy rocks for tumbling.
4. Do the rocks have to be similar in make up (composition) or hardness to go into a barrel together?
5. Anything else I should know or consider before my purchase?
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Benathema
has rocks in the head
God chased me down and made sure I knew He was real June 20, 2022. I've been on a Divine Mission.
Member since November 2019
Posts: 703
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Post by Benathema on Apr 16, 2020 12:59:42 GMT -5
Presuming QT66?
You can roll just 1 barrel. Metal barrel guide for knurled nut one one side, nylon washer guide for lid on the other. If just one barrel, put it on the metal guide side.
Imo just wash the barrels really well. I like to put craft poms with soap and water and run it while I'm cleaning the rocks off.
Size? Whatever fits and can rotate freely about all 3 axis. Can stick to that 1 to 1.5 inch range if you're hesitant, but I've seen people, myself included, do larger stones.
Coarse grinding, in my opinion, mixing material can be okay, since it's just knocking the edges off. I would say keep an eye on the softer stuff no matter what, mixing or not mixing hardness. General rule of thumb is to keep hardness the same though. So definitely step 2+ it'd be worth abiding by that.
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JBe
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2019
Posts: 103
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Post by JBe on Apr 16, 2020 13:21:34 GMT -5
I have the QT66 if that's what you're looking at. I have one 12 lb barrel and two 6 lb barrels. The base is the same between the QT12 and the QT66. If you think rock tumbling is for you and you'll stay interested I think the QT66 is a good place to start since you can upgrade to a 12 lb barrel down the road if you need it. Also if you don't have a vibratory tumbler having the two 6 lb barrels will allow you to keep a rough stage rolling while you run through the polish stages in the other barrel.
Here's my opinion on your questions:
1. You can run with just one 6 lb barrel on the tumbler.
2. Some people prefer one barrel for rough stage and a second barrel for the polish stages. If you clean really well there's no reason you can't use the same barrel for all stages. Pay attention to the rim where the lid seals. It will collect grit, slurry, and rock bits. I use a toothbrush to scrub the rim of the barrel and lid after every cleanout.
3. Generally you just don't want too many large rocks. I have a chunk of lace agate in mine now that started at roughly 6" across. Everything else in the barrel is 2-3" or smaller. Try to imagine what's happening inside the barrel. You want all the rocks rolling individually against each other so they wear each other down. If you throw in three huge pieces that fill the barrel they will lock against each other and just turn as one big chuck with the barrel. They are not rubbing against each other then.
4. Best practice is to not tumble rocks with hardness that is too dissimilar. If you throw a few softer rocks in with a bunch of agate the softer rocks shrink quickly and/or potentially bruise and chip. For example I threw a pound of labradorite in with mostly agate material and they shrunk pretty fast in one week. It didn't necessarily ruin them but they ended up smaller than I would have liked. I pick up local river rock here in WA and just throw it all in together and I don't worry too much about the hardness. When I buy a chunk of something that catches my eye and I want the best possible outcome I'll pay more attention to hardness and what other rock I throw in with it.
5. The instructions that come with tumblers is an okay starting point but you'll figure out what works for you as you gain experience. Rough stage may take more than one week like the instructions state. You should repeat the rough stage as many times as it takes for the rocks to look good enough to move on. Maybe only one or two rocks in the batch are ready after a week in rough. Pull them out, set them aside until you have enough for a polish batch, and throw some fresh rocks in. It's pretty tough to ruin rocks so feel free to experiment a bit. Really the worst that can happen is you tumble some soft rock until it disappears or breaks. If you get part way through polish stages and you see some pits in a rock that you wish you'd tumbled out just throw it back in rough. Oh and don't pour your grit slurry down any drains. It will set up like concrete in your pipes.
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mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 16, 2020 19:45:34 GMT -5
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Post by RocksInNJ on Apr 16, 2020 20:09:02 GMT -5
Best bet is to order from The Rock Shed or Kingsley North. I got my Qt-66 from The Rock Shed, along with all the needed grit and ceramics. Sean is a great guy and will help you with everything you need. The Rock Shed
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mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 16, 2020 20:11:38 GMT -5
I just emailed RockShed. They do not have the QT66 in stock right now, so I asked to be put on the waitlist for one! Hope he can recommend some grit and any supplies I should buy to get started.
Did you buy extra grit with your first one? Did you buy any additional supplies?
Thank you again for the recommendation!
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Post by RocksInNJ on Apr 16, 2020 20:26:27 GMT -5
He usually gets them back in stock fairly quick. I’d recommend 46/70 SIC grit over the 60/90 SIC for the first stage. You use this the most and go through a lot of it, so I ordered 50 pounds of it. Then you’ll want 120/220 SIC, 500 AO and finally AO polish. You’ll also want plenty of large and small ceramics.
That’s pretty much what I started with, but now also have a QT-12, an old Sparkle Gem Maker tumbler and a UT-10 vibe, which is great for all stages except the first. I just use my rotaries for the first stage now to feed the UV-10.
The QT-66 is a great machine. You’ll love it. Keep us updated on how you make it and have fun my friend.
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mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 16, 2020 22:13:10 GMT -5
He usually gets them back in stock fairly quick. I’d recommend 46/70 SIC grit over the 60/90 SIC for the first stage. You use this the most and go through a lot of it, so I ordered 50 pounds of it. Then you’ll want 120/220 SIC, 500 AO and finally AO polish. You’ll also want plenty of large and small ceramics. That’s pretty much what I started with, but now also have a QT-12, an old Sparkle Gem Maker tumbler and a UT-10 vibe, which is great for all stages except the first. I just use my rotaries for the first stage now to feed the UV-10. The QT-66 is a great machine. You’ll love it. Keep us updated on how you make it and have fun my friend. Thank you for this shopping list! This will surely come in handy! If I end up getting a vibe, do you like your UT-10? I can't afford both fancy tumblers, so one of them needs to be cheap! Which one would you cheap out on? The rotary or the vibe? Are these the same? One is half the price of the other. Hmmm. Cabela's: www.cabelas.com/product/Thumlers-Tumbler-Ultra-Vibe-Tumbler/705516.utsAmazon: www.amazon.com/Thumlers-Tumbler-Ultra-Vibe-10-Vibrating/dp/B003DW1ANI/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Thumler%27s+Tumbler+Ultra-Vibe&qid=1587093103&sr=8-2
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mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 16, 2020 22:22:43 GMT -5
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mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 16, 2020 22:23:26 GMT -5
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,432
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Post by Wooferhound on Apr 17, 2020 8:22:24 GMT -5
I've had a QT66 for 3 years and I love it. The 12 pound barrel will fit it too. When switching to the Next Stage of grit, I always run the rocks threw a Plain Water wash for about an hour before getting the Stage started, works well for me as I get great shiny rocks.
I like to use the larger 30 grit in my Stage 1 tumbles, but I have a cleanout sink that recovers any unused grit for use later as a Slurry Thickener.
Kingley North has the best Bulk Grit prices. kingsleynorth.com/lapidary-equipment-supplies/abrasive-media.html
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Post by RocksInNJ on Apr 18, 2020 22:42:27 GMT -5
I love the UV-10, but it’s a beast. It hold a lot of rock and you’ll struggle to keep it fed with only the QT-66. The UV-10 at least for me anyway takes a lot of trial and error and experimenting with to get the right action for the different rocks and stages. I’d suggest you look into a Lot-O vibe if you have a way and place to mount it on a cement floor or some filled in cinder blocks or something. The Lot-O is an excellent vibe and can also be purchased at The Rock Shed and will be a lot easier for you to keep up with it.
With both, you can use the rotary for the first stage and do all the other stages in the Lot-O and it’ll use a heck of a lot less grit and do those stages twice as fast as well. Glad to be of help and feel free to ask if you have any other questions.
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stewdogg
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2020
Posts: 388
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Post by stewdogg on Apr 19, 2020 10:30:00 GMT -5
I haven't seen the TV-5 suggested yet. Is it because of the size?
I don't think you need to buy everything at once. I bought a TV-5 a month or two ago and haven't gotten to use it yet. I have spent most of my time in coarse grind. You could get the QT66 and tumble for a month or two and then puck up your vibe machine. In know I have seen it suggested before, but figured I would reiterate. Good luck, it's addictive!
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mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on May 2, 2020 12:26:23 GMT -5
I haven't seen the TV-5 suggested yet. Is it because of the size? I don't think you need to buy everything at once. I bought a TV-5 a month or two ago and haven't gotten to use it yet. I have spent most of my time in coarse grind. You could get the QT66 and tumble for a month or two and then puck up your vibe machine. In know I have seen it suggested before, but figured I would reiterate. Good luck, it's addictive! I do have a lot of rocks I shaped and "polished" on my slanted lapidary machine that could use much better polishing than I can seem to get. I have about 12 ready to go right now. Do you think the TV-5 is "easy" to use? I am ok with cementing a Lot-O to the garage floor, but I read that tumblers should not be placed on the floor. I can't cement it to a table. Haha. Do you have a TV-5? Do you think it's hard to use? Is a Lot-O that much easier? I am a math teacher, so I am not worried about measuring & mixing needs for math!
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Post by manofglass on May 2, 2020 16:40:32 GMT -5
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quartzilla
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2020
Posts: 1,237
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Post by quartzilla on May 3, 2020 8:58:52 GMT -5
Wow manofglass those are looking sweet!
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