denversue
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2021
Posts: 160
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Post by denversue on Feb 24, 2022 1:20:51 GMT -5
So now I'm considering a Diamond Pacific MT-4 Mini Sonic Vibrating Tumbler. I sent some questions to the company and the President answered and said this was a QUIET tumbler. He also said you can take the top off while it's running if you need to add water. Does anyone have this tumbler? Is it really quiet? Is it easy to use with good instructions and not scary like the Raytech?
For comparison, right now I am running the Lortone 33B with both barrels full and it's extremely quiet.
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Post by rmf on Feb 24, 2022 4:02:39 GMT -5
denversue it is quieter than the bowl type and the action works like a regular tumbler as in a rotary action. I have an older version back from 40 years ago before DP ownership of the brand. Still makes more noise than rotary. Stilll picky on amount of water. The lid is easy on and off but you need it on to reduce evaporation. some of my lids do not fit as tight anymore and vibrate. keep in mind that my tumbling is in the basement so the noise does not bother me.
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denversue
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2021
Posts: 160
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Post by denversue on Feb 24, 2022 6:25:28 GMT -5
Thank you. The Raytech was in the basement but still unbearable
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aGates
has rocks in the head
Building a silver studio
Member since January 2021
Posts: 518
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Post by aGates on Feb 24, 2022 8:32:14 GMT -5
i have that vibe. when empty and on it just hums. when your batch is goin it can get noisy if your load isnt balanced well and the rocks are bumping into each other or theres not enough rocks in the barrel. otherwise we are talking about rolling rocks and they make noise.
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Post by HankRocks on Feb 24, 2022 8:37:53 GMT -5
So now I'm considering a Diamond Pacific MT-4 Mini Sonic Vibrating Tumbler. I sent some questions to the company and the President answered and said this was a QUIET tumbler. He also said you can take the top off while it's running if you need to add water. Does anyone have this tumbler? Is it really quiet? Is it easy to use with good instructions and not scary like the Raytech?
For comparison, right now I am running the Lortone 33B with both barrels full and it's extremely quiet. I have the Mini Sonic, the 3 - 4 lb hopper config. It is relatively quiet as compared to my UV-18 vibe. About the same as the Model B Rotaries. Mine is in the garage(detached) so noise is not an issue. I only run pre-polish and polish in it and keep a spray bottle of water handy to add a bit of water as needed as even with the lid on it does tend to dry out during the day(more in summer when garage temp gets above 90 degrees) The vibration is also adjustable with a dial which is nice. You do know you can polish rocks in 33B. Just not quite as fast but the polish is just as good in my opinion. |
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quartzilla
Cave Dweller 
Member since April 2020
Posts: 1,238
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Post by quartzilla on Feb 24, 2022 8:46:30 GMT -5
I have a single barrel mini sonic and yes it’s louder than a rotary but not bad IMO. I run it in the garage. I wouldn’t want to run it in the kitchen though lol.
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denversue
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2021
Posts: 160
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Post by denversue on Feb 24, 2022 9:24:31 GMT -5
@hankrocks I can't tell on my phone if you made the comment about the polish being as good as a rotary, but whoever said it THANK YOU. That is the 1st time anyone has said the rotary polish is just as good as a vibrating tumbler. I had FOMO; not so much anymore
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Post by perkins17 on Feb 24, 2022 10:05:23 GMT -5
The mini sonic and 33b are what I use to polish my rocks. The mini sonic is still a vibratory tumbler, so it makes way more noise than a 33b. Mine is probably around 40 years old and still running great, so it is long lasting. This machine doesn't make a mess, but it is still loud, takes a lot of supervision, and costs a lot. I would say it's worth it but it has a big learning curve (as does everything in this hobby).
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Post by vegasjames on Feb 24, 2022 21:32:45 GMT -5
@hankrocks I can't tell on my phone if you made the comment about the polish being as good as a rotary, but whoever said it THANK YOU. That is the 1st time anyone has said the rotary polish is just as good as a vibrating tumbler. I had FOMO; not so much anymore The big differences are that vibe tumblers are significantly faster. And rotary tumblers round the rocks as where vibe tumblers pretty much keep the original shape of the rock. This is why a lot of cabbers run there cabachons in a vibe tumbler after they finish cabbing to put a great shine on the cabs without altering the shape of the cabs. So, vibe tumblers have their advantages. |
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Post by rmf on Feb 25, 2022 4:37:10 GMT -5
Also, implied by vegasjames statement, vibs are much better at polishing flat areas than rotary. |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,589
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Post by jamesp on Feb 25, 2022 5:47:27 GMT -5
To avoid bad karma it is best to bury an overly loud tumbler in a pine box.  |
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badrock
starting to shine!
Member since January 2022
Posts: 30
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Post by badrock on Feb 27, 2022 13:47:47 GMT -5
I have a DP MT-4. It's about 18 years old and still going strong. Although I don't always use it, I highly recommend it. If I was to buy another vibe, it's the one I would buy. It runs in the garage and a wall separates that from my office. I barely hear it humming.
As a side note. I used to live near Barstow where Diamond Pacific (DP) is located. They have a rock shop at that location as well. The owner is an avid rock hound and has a mining claim (Top Notch claim) in the North Cady mountains. I haven't been there but it's an agate seam. Open to the public...
A helpful and knowledgeable person at DP is Don.
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denversue
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2021
Posts: 160
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Post by denversue on Feb 27, 2022 13:53:13 GMT -5
Thank you
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badrock
starting to shine!
Member since January 2022
Posts: 30
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Post by badrock on Feb 27, 2022 14:13:47 GMT -5
I forgot to mention. It vibrates via an electric magnet rather than a motor. No motor to wear out. If ever needed, they have a rebuild kit for it - it is a rubber piece and a spring. A simple and robust design. There's a mechanical diagram on the web.
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notfragile
off to a rocking start
Member since August 2021
Posts: 19
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Post by notfragile on Feb 28, 2022 0:43:11 GMT -5
About moisture loss in the MT-4...place a plastic sandwich bag between the hopper and the lid. That will give a better seal and you don't have to monitor the moisture level so closely.
I usually spritz in a few sprays in the morning and evening, maybe one more time in the afternoon if it's hot.
The other thing to look out for with the MT-4 is overloading the hopper or trying to tumble rocks that are too large. If the load stops turning, take a few stones out and try again. I find I get best results with 1.5 pounds of stones and a half-pound of ceramic media per load.
My schedule with the MT-4...coarse grinding is done in an MT-12 rotary.
120-220 grit SiC- Four teaspoons, run three days.
600 grit SiC- Three teaspoons, run two days.
1000 grit aluminum oxide- Two teaspoons, run 24 hours.
Raybrite A polish- One teaspoon, run 24 hours.
After each step, I run the rocks with a pinch of Ivory soap flakes for an hour or so to thoroughly clean both the stones and the hopper. Check out my Bloodstone post in the Pictures forum to see what results I get with this set up, it's probably on page 2 or 3 by now.
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