LazerFlash
Cave Dweller
The more they over-think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the toilet.
Member since September 2021
Posts: 550
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Post by LazerFlash on Oct 21, 2021 13:14:42 GMT -5
...for a 3 pound rotary tumbler? I know what the guides and the books say. But, in reality, how big is just too big? I have a few pieces that are ~3" long, ~2" wide, and just about an 1" thick. Are these to big to throw in the mix in a 3 pounder?
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Post by Son Of Beach on Oct 21, 2021 13:19:03 GMT -5
You want some action when you tumble, so while you can fit a bigger rock in there, you have to compensate for that extra girth and put smaller fill rocks around it so there is some movement, otherwise you just have a spinning rock slurry. If it's too long the ends may not see as much action as the core. It's kind of trial and error but you can almost imagine how the rocks look in the tumbler. I try to not put anything much over 150g in my 3lb tumbler, def no more than two of that size.
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Post by broseph82 on Oct 21, 2021 16:14:56 GMT -5
...for a 3 pound rotary tumbler? I know what the guides and the books say. But, in reality, how big is just too big? I have a few pieces that are ~3" long, ~2" wide, and just about an 1" thick. Are these to big to throw in the mix in a 3 pounder? Honestly smaller rocks do better across the board. I know everyone wants to tumble the bigger stuff because you get more color and pattern out of it (I’m guilty too) but they just don’t do as well in a tumbler.
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Post by Peruano on Oct 21, 2021 16:43:31 GMT -5
All it takes is for a large rock to be lodged so that it can't move relative to the barrel and it will begin to chew its way out in an undesired way. This can happen with two rocks spanning the width of the barrel, but is most likely when the large rock can lock in place as a solid unit obstacle.
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Post by Rockindad on Oct 21, 2021 17:36:26 GMT -5
...for a 3 pound rotary tumbler? I know what the guides and the books say. But, in reality, how big is just too big? I have a few pieces that are ~3" long, ~2" wide, and just about an 1" thick. Are these to big to throw in the mix in a 3 pounder? Personally I like running larger rocks and find they come out fine. The rule I use is the rock has to be large enough so that no matter how it rotates in the barrel it cannot become wedged in there, keep in mind you have to account for size loss as the process moves along. Also, you need to have enough room for other small rocks to circulate around the larger one giving you the needed friction. The alternative would be that the rocks would have to be small enough that they could not get stuck. I have yet to open a barrel to find any wedged in there. Sometimes overlooked but an added benefit of having a larger rock in the mix is that it will speed up the grind time on the smaller ones, giving you material that you can move onto the next stage faster.
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