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Post by perkins17 on Jul 26, 2021 12:38:33 GMT -5
I am in the coarse cycle using a Lortone 33b and just recharged today. I am going to be away from my home for 11 days. If I add more coarse grit just before I leave, will it grind the full time or it it pointless? Thanks!
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Post by HankRocks on Jul 26, 2021 13:32:43 GMT -5
Personally, I would not leave my tumblers running un-attended for any length of time, over-night is only un-attended run time I have. If I am going out of town I shut down the operation.
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victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,975
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Post by victor1941 on Jul 26, 2021 15:12:53 GMT -5
I run a UV-18 vibe and proper use requires checking what is happening on the load. Turn the machine "off".
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Jul 26, 2021 15:56:53 GMT -5
Don't leave unattended longer than overnight ! There is a long list of nasty things that could happen including starting a fire from overheating . Not really a big chance of THAT happening but why risk anything or all you own for a hand full of rocks !
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Post by perkins17 on Jul 26, 2021 16:53:56 GMT -5
Thanks all! I will take all the proper precautions and make sure that there is absolutely no chance for fire. I completely agree with you guys and might drop it off at a family members house to make sure that there are no issues.
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pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
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Post by pizzano on Jul 26, 2021 17:06:40 GMT -5
I am in the coarse cycle using a Lortone 33b and just recharged today. I am going to be away from my home for 11 days. If I add more coarse grit just before I leave, will it grind the full time or it it pointless? Thanks! 11 days away from oversight is asking for potential problems..........and not just a rock tumbling issue. Simply put, would you leave anything electrical (small appliance) running, that generates a good amount of heat, friction (torque) and motion, plugged into a 120v outlet, indoors or out, (with or without circuit protection), without the ability to monitor hands-on occasionally..........?.......answer that question first. Plenty of experienced tumblers run their rotaries non-stop for months (not so much vibes).......few leave un-attended for more than a couple of days at a time.....if that, without at least checking to see if the machine is still running.........safety first, the rocks will survive......not so much your equipment, house, shop, property......lives.
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Post by perkins17 on Jul 26, 2021 18:26:05 GMT -5
pizzano, I have it hooked up to surge protection in my garage. I actually put two bricks underneath it to bring it above the concrete floor. Thanks!
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afterburnt
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2021
Posts: 152
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Post by afterburnt on Jul 26, 2021 23:21:30 GMT -5
I was tempted to leave mine running while I was out of town but I didn't want to gain a week and court disater. I check my roll twice a day to make sure my machines don't mess up.
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Post by Bob on Jul 30, 2021 13:30:37 GMT -5
When I started tumbling and was gone for a week, it was fun because I would get back and my rocks were ready to check. But, in the years of doing this I've seen what can happen and I agree with the others. After a few near disasters, I would move all the tumblers away from all walls and to the middle of the garage floor a long ways from anything else. Then I would only run them if gone for the weekend. Now if I leave for the weekend, I unplug them all. I also keep a fire extinguisher close to them.
I'll never forget a barrel blowout that caused slurry and rocks to spread out over the shafts and also some on the motor and jam up the rotation. I heard the squealing in the garage. One shaft was rotating against the jammed barrel and the barrel was partially melting and the odor of material about to burn permeated the air. Whether it could actually combust into flame isn't known to me, but I'm not going to risk life, limb and my house.
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rewdownunder
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 357
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Post by rewdownunder on Jul 30, 2021 13:55:25 GMT -5
Everyone has great advice. Give a call to your insurance agent see what they think. We cut the main power to our club shop when we close it up just to make sure nothing is running. As I am sure you know do not leave rocks and grit just sit in the tumbler when you shut it off. You only do that once.
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JR8675309
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since August 2019
Posts: 751
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Post by JR8675309 on Jul 30, 2021 15:34:09 GMT -5
Last night we had storms (yay for rain) the power went out. When I got home later, the Lortone (qt66) tumbler was stuck on moving axels and running motor. I had to kick it. I run the fridge on a GFCI and that didn't start back up, may need to pick up a second GFCI pigtail. Just my observations.
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Post by Bob on Jul 30, 2021 16:20:48 GMT -5
....I am sure you know do not leave rocks and grit just sit in the tumbler when you shut it off. You only do that once. You know, now that you mention that, and it's in all the guides as well... ...I've done that many times and nothing bad has ever come of it. I have 40lb, 20lb, 12lb and 6lb barrels. Starting them up after not rotating and just sitting on the shafts has not been a problem whether they are off for 1, 3, or 21 days (I take 3 week foreign trips). Based on how much travel I do I'll bet all my tumblers have been turned back on with fully loaded shafts (132lbs) about 140 times in 7 years. I used to watch that 40lb barrel upon restart real carefully, thinking because of all the warnings like yours that it might jump off the shafts because of some giant hardened thing inside of it on one side. But nothing like that has happened. I can only tell, by listening, that the sound of sloshing isn't evened out to normal for up to maybe 30 secs after a 3 week trip. I do remember though once with a 20lb barrel taking it off the shafts, putting it on the workbench on its end, and getting distracted and it sitting overnight before I opened it. The rock dust in the slurry had settled and working the rocks out was a pain. So were that to happen again, I would put it back on the shafts for 30 mins before opening it. I can't explain why that happened on the workbench turned upright, but it happening while horizontal on the motionless hafts (surely it must also happen then too) has led to no problems for me.
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Post by perkins17 on Jul 30, 2021 17:04:38 GMT -5
Thanks all. I will drop my tumbler over at a family members home and will let it run there until I'm done with my vacation.
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victor1941
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2011
Posts: 1,975
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Post by victor1941 on Jul 30, 2021 17:35:14 GMT -5
Perkins, this doesn't answer your question about grit consumption but it did trigger a different thought about time. Could one use a NEST camera+sound and separate smart phone power outlet connector for the tumbler that lets you turn the tumbler "on" and "off" remotely with the phone. The NEST camera with sound will let you see and hear the unit and monitor what is happening from a distance. Alexa and Google programs and about $25 dollars for a unit might do the trick.
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rewdownunder
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2012
Posts: 357
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Post by rewdownunder on Jul 30, 2021 18:13:35 GMT -5
I have a spare webcam in my lab & shop I use to watch a 24 rotolap from my office when I was working. Just had to call my wife and ask her to adjust the water if it started to dry out. That way I could run it when I was at work. For me sound is the key you can hear if something is not running right. Tech has become so cheap we can use it to support our hobby. I just need to build a robot arm to polish flats on the big lap.
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Post by oregon on Jul 30, 2021 18:45:21 GMT -5
I have a spare webcam in my lab & shop I use to watch a 24 rotolap from my office when I was working. Just had to call my wife and ask her to adjust the water if it started to dry out. That way I could run it when I was at work. For me sound is the key you can hear if something is not running right. Tech has become so cheap we can use it to support our hobby. I just need to build a robot arm to polish flats on the big lap.
I suppose a dishwasher / washing machine valve tied to alexa/google home etc would allow you to quit bugging your wife. Always wondered if you could put a reflectivity sensor on there to measure the dryness, but maybe sound is a better bet...hmmm.
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Post by oregon on Jul 30, 2021 19:17:23 GMT -5
While the lortone's certainly are too hot for comfort (surprised they get a UL cert?) I tend to leave my home built one running, with a latching relay plugin. ymmv.
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