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Post by liveoak on Mar 22, 2022 10:14:35 GMT -5
So you all inspired me to take out my long forgotten 3 lb rotary tumblers & thought I'd get me some shiny rocks the easy way :-)
I put a load of moss agate in 4 tbs 80 grit ran it 8 days, removed the little rocks & recharged it & ran again.
It just doesn't seem to be rounding the rocks as much as I thought it would, after 16 days.
I need to order more grit, are there any negative reasons not to start with 60 grit or even 46 ? Seems logically enough that it would round stuff faster ?
But heck, what do I know.
OK, one more graded or ungraded.
I've read back in the archives & certainly have read good & bad.
But it seems to me that people mostly quote price difference.
KN sells graded or ungraded for exactly the same $- am I missing something ??
I also read in the archives about adding clay or kitty littler - so I guess I'll try that as well.
How much do you add to a 3 lb tumbler ??
Thanks for all / any direction /advice,
Patty
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nursetumbler
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Member since February 2022
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Post by nursetumbler on Mar 22, 2022 20:30:15 GMT -5
New tumbler. There is grit coarser than 60/90? ?
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brybry
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Post by brybry on Mar 22, 2022 20:37:38 GMT -5
I usually don't run anything courser than 60/90 in my 3 pounders.
For the clay/kitty litter I'd start with 2tbls, maybe 3. Don't need a lot, just enough to help suspend the grit. Some folks don't use it and still get good results. If it's hard stone, it can take a bit to get them good and ready for stage 2.
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catskillrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,270
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Post by catskillrocks on Mar 22, 2022 20:43:59 GMT -5
So you all inspired me to take out my long forgotten 3 lb rotary tumblers & thought I'd get me some shiny rocks the easy way :-) I put a load of moss agate in 4 tbs 80 grit ran it 8 days, removed the little rocks & recharged it & ran again.
It just doesn't seem to be rounding the rocks as much as I thought it would, after 16 days. I need to order more grit, are there any negative reasons not to start with 60 grit or even 46 ? Seems logically enough that it would round stuff faster ?
But heck, what do I know.
OK, one more graded or ungraded.
I've read back in the archives & certainly have read good & bad.
But it seems to me that people mostly quote price difference.
KN sells graded or ungraded for exactly the same $- am I missing something ??
I also read in the archives about adding clay or kitty littler - so I guess I'll try that as well.
How much do you add to a 3 lb tumbler ??
Thanks for all / any direction /advice, Patty
You can use 45/70 grit in a tumbler especially for a faster grind on harder rocks. If you can get graded for the same price then I would go for it. As far as adding clay/kitty litter some people do use it but I haven't so I can't recommend the quantity, though I don't think that you would need much. Hope this helps.
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catskillrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2008
Posts: 1,270
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Post by catskillrocks on Mar 22, 2022 20:45:58 GMT -5
New tumbler. There is grit coarser than 60/90? ? Yes, 45/70 grit can be used; however as brybry stated above, doesn't recommend it in a 3 pounder.
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Post by perkins17 on Mar 22, 2022 20:58:19 GMT -5
New tumbler. There is grit coarser than 60/90? ? Yes, 45/70 grit can be used; however as brybry stated above, doesn't recommend it in a 3 pounder. Yup, totally agree. 47/70 doesn't do well in a 3lber. I have a lot of different coarse grits mixed together, and sometimes the coarsest don't break down by the end of the week, so it's a waste of grit. I don't use clay/slurry thickener in my tumblers because I only run smaller capacity tumblers. I personally prefer 60/90 for coarse, but I don't think it really matters.
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Post by liveoak on Mar 23, 2022 6:28:56 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for the input.
I ordered up some 60/90 since that's what JB sold and I was ordering from them already.
And thanks brybry for the kitty litter amount - from some photos I saw in the archives, it looked like it could make a difference & doesn't cost me anything to try.
I read an old post that suggested to only fill the 3 lber 1/2 full , so the rocks move around more.
Is there any merit to that ??
I filled my 3/4 with the water just below the rocks - and didn't get much results.
I'm sure things run differently in a 12 lber, but 3's are what I own at this point.
Although my husband ,suggested he could make one out of a truck tire....... Not sure I'm up for that yet.
Patty
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brybry
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Post by brybry on Mar 23, 2022 8:57:45 GMT -5
I do the standard 3/4 full but I cut back on the amount of water. Not having enough fill can cause stone damage from them beating and banging on each other. It wouldn't be as bad in a 3 pounder, it likely won't do you any favors either.
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Post by liveoak on Mar 23, 2022 9:46:03 GMT -5
Thank you brybry , I have a lot to learn about tumbling (and everything else for that matter).
Patty
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badrock
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Member since January 2022
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Post by badrock on Mar 24, 2022 19:25:36 GMT -5
I've noticed that there isn't much grit left after 3-4 days of tumbling. If the rocks are all large, the 3As don't mix the grit very well. It seems to stick to the back of the barrel. I add smaller rocks / chips in the 3A tumbler to help mix it up better. I'm recharging my tumblers mid-week.
I imagine that grit shatters, as it breaks down. The larger the grit, the longer the process. I've rocks that have been tumbling since last December. It's my patience that's wearing out. Has anyone notice any difference in the quality of grit?
Most of my grinding is done in a couple of QT12s. We also have two 3As and a QT6 running. One 3A is polishing agates while the other is grinding quartz.
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quartzilla
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Post by quartzilla on Mar 24, 2022 22:26:17 GMT -5
I agree with what others here have said: anything courser than 60/90 doesn’t work well in a 3 lb tumbler. However with the courser grits (46/70) I get excellent results in the 6lb tumblers. I use 1 teaspoon of kitty litter per pound of rock ie 3 teaspoons/1 tablespoon per 3lb tumbler.
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