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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 27, 2022 19:35:18 GMT -5
Patty, thanks for posting the video!! That thing is spinning wicked fast compared to my Model B!
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Post by drocknut on Jun 27, 2022 20:25:48 GMT -5
It's cool but kinda like watching a washing machine...lol
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Post by liveoak on Jun 27, 2022 20:39:42 GMT -5
Well I'll be curious at the end of the week what the rocks look like , the funniest thing is the intermittent noise it has. It's like you're outside & it stops & starts again - it's odd.
A true test would be, if I had 2 of them & ran one with the reversing feature & one only forward.
But that would kill the cost effective aspect. :-)
I'm really curious to see what the rocks look like at the end of a week.
Patty
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Post by Starguy on Jun 27, 2022 21:10:03 GMT -5
liveoakPatty, if it seems like the barrel is wearing too fast you might be able to line it with something. I was thinking about truck bed liner or that stuff you use to rubberize tool handles. It seems like it’s spinning too fast. A pulley change might fix that. Looking forward to your results.
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Post by liveoak on Jun 28, 2022 6:11:08 GMT -5
Thanks Starguy, but no go, I believe it's a direct drive, with rollers.
I did contact the company and ask about buying a second barrel.
Unfortunately they don't sell parts.
BUT they told me that they give a 1 year warranty & would replace the whole unit if I had a problem.
We'll see how it flies.
My thinking is to leave it run for my 8 day cycle & clean it out to see how the reversing action (and speed) is working & likely recharge it & run it again.
Patty
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electrocutus
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2020
Posts: 341 
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Post by electrocutus on Jun 28, 2022 10:37:08 GMT -5
How noisy is it compared to rubber barrels?
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Post by liveoak on Jun 28, 2022 10:46:48 GMT -5
It's hard to tell electrocutus, my HF dual 3 pounder is quieter, EXCEPT that it makes this horrible random screeching sound, as the drum rubs against the frame. This one just makes a rattling sound with occasional pauses. Since it's under my stilt house, the only time it's really noticeable is when I'm doing the laundry under the house. I was curious how fast it's actually turning , so I timed it this morning & it's doing 70 RPM and the outer diameter of the barrel tires is 7" . I'd have to do measurements & math to try and figure out how fast the motor is going, but I don't think it's worth that. I'll give a new report after the 8 day first cycle. We shall see. Patty |
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hypodactylus
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2021
Posts: 478
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Post by hypodactylus on Jun 28, 2022 15:21:35 GMT -5
For reference, my QT12 barrel is around 7.7 inches in diameter and does around 34 rpm. (In case that is useful information for anyone)
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Post by liveoak on Jun 28, 2022 16:17:08 GMT -5
So mine is going just about twice as fast.
OTOH mine is reversing constantly as well (stopping & starting), which certainly adds another element.
Time will tell.
I have a load of mixed rocks I got from the rock shed in there, all supposed to be similar hardness ( 7 +/-)
Patty
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stefan
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Jun 28, 2022 16:54:57 GMT -5
LOL the rocks don't grind when it stops! Very interesting design and concept. I think it is spinning too fast, but we shall see.
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electrocutus
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2020
Posts: 341
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Post by electrocutus on Jun 29, 2022 16:21:48 GMT -5
It's hard to tell electrocutus , my HF dual 3 pounder is quieter, EXCEPT that it makes this horrible random screeching sound, as the drum rubs against the frame. This one just makes a rattling sound with occasional pauses. Since it's under my stilt house, the only time it's really noticeable is when I'm doing the laundry under the house. I was curious how fast it's actually turning , so I timed it this morning & it's doing 70 RPM and the outer diameter of the barrel tires is 7" . I'd have to do measurements & math to try and figure out how fast the motor is going, but I don't think it's worth that. I'll give a new report after the 8 day first cycle. We shall see. Patty That's the same rotation speed as the lowest speed of my Dr.Cool Pro tumbler (same as National Geographic Pro). It is fast, but for stage 1 it works really well, unless you are tumbling something fragile. |
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Post by liveoak on Jun 29, 2022 18:10:02 GMT -5
That's the same rotation speed as the lowest speed of my Dr.Cool Pro tumbler (same as National Geographic Pro). It is fast, but for stage 1 it works really well, unless you are tumbling something fragile. Thank you, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear.
That's what I thought to use it for - grind it up then down size to my 3 pounder for polishing.
My one question is should I keep in the fast tumbler for the next grit as well and then move to the 3 lb for the really fine & polishing.
That's kind of my tendency - but may take experimenting to see what works.
Patty
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Post by Bob on Jun 29, 2022 18:18:24 GMT -5
It's going way too fast! Maybe twice as fast as should.
I predict this barrel will not last long, unless it is lousy at tumbling rocks. If it is good at tumbling rocks, meaning there is a good abrasive action, then I think the barrel will be destroyed quickly as it is worn away.
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Post by liveoak on Jun 29, 2022 18:38:37 GMT -5
We shall see Bob, I'm in it now :-) Patty |
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,603
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Post by jamesp on Jul 1, 2022 6:06:52 GMT -5
I roll at that speed for only step 1, then finish with a vibe. Just fill the barrel to 80% and add slurry thickener.
Better to roll slow for 500-1000-polish steps Patty.
what a cool machine.
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Post by liveoak on Jul 1, 2022 6:39:47 GMT -5
I roll at that speed for only step 1, then finish with a vibe. Just fill the barrel to 80% and add slurry thickener. Better to roll slow for 500-1000-polish steps Patty. what a cool machine. Thanks Jim, No vibe- just rotary's at this point.
So second step is 120/220 .
I was thinking to keep that grit in the big fast one & then move as you say to the slower 3 lb for the 500 and up.
Yup- I'll throw in some kitty litter then, thanks 
I'm looking forward to opening it up on Monday & see how it's going.
Patty
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Post by liveoak on Jul 3, 2022 7:46:57 GMT -5
7th day update.
Well I had planned to let it roll for 8 days, but this morning I found the 2nd belt had failed (got 2 with it). The first belt broke on day 4. So I can testify, that the belts are weak.
We have new polyurethane belting on the way.
But the unit ran fine the whole time, never got hot or anything, the drum did not fall apart & never leaked a drop.
7 days later and you can still see in the barrel, although a little cloudy.
I'm pretty pleased with the outcome, as you can see from the photos.
I left my 3 lb tumblers going for a month & never got this result.
I'm thinking that the automatic reversing feature really did have an effect, to get these this rounded in 7 days.
Note- I did not pre-grind, or chip off any of the rocks, the before photo is exactly how they went in the tumbler.
I ended up putting 5lbs of rocks & 1 lb of large size aquarium gravel & 10 TBS of 60/90 SIL
Before :
Thanks for looking. I'm looking forward to my new belting so I can roll some more :-)
Patty
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lucy
having dreams about rocks
Becoming obsessed with rocks
Member since June 2022
Posts: 52 
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Post by lucy on Jul 3, 2022 17:11:42 GMT -5
Nice!! Thanks for sharing!
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 3, 2022 19:32:26 GMT -5
Thanks Starguy , but no go, I believe it's a direct drive, with rollers.
I did contact the company and ask about buying a second barrel.
Unfortunately they don't sell parts.
BUT they told me that they give a 1 year warranty & would replace the whole unit if I had a problem.
We'll see how it flies.
My thinking is to leave it run for my 8 day cycle & clean it out to see how the reversing action (and speed) is working & likely recharge it & run it again.
Patty
Maybe put a voltage regulator inline such as a dimmer switch to slow the motor down. Spinning that fast creates a couple of problems. One, you can hear rocks slamming against each other, which is going to cause chipping. To fast a speed can also prevent proper tumbling. Rock tumbling is supposed to mimic the tumbling of rocks in a river or beach. So it is a slow rolling of the rocks against each other allowing them to grind. If a barrel spins to fast, the centrifugal force pushes the rocks up against the wall preventing them from rolling around so they can grind against the grit and each other. |
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Post by liveoak on Jul 4, 2022 6:30:51 GMT -5
Maybe put a voltage regulator inline such as a dimmer switch to slow the motor down. Spinning that fast creates a couple of problems. One, you can hear rocks slamming against each other, which is going to cause chipping. To fast a speed can also prevent proper tumbling. Rock tumbling is supposed to mimic the tumbling of rocks in a river or beach. So it is a slow rolling of the rocks against each other allowing them to grind. If a barrel spins to fast, the centrifugal force pushes the rocks up against the wall preventing them from rolling around so they can grind against the grit and each other. I had thought of using a fan controller if need be, but honestly I didn't see any negatives with the tumble .
No cracking or chipping happened at all.
The only piece that had any problem was one, that a piece of the small aquarium gravel got lodged in a crack in it. So I'd likely throw that one piece in the next batch.
Once my belting comes this week I'm planning to move up to the next grit in that machine (after a borax run to clean). I'm most pleased, the speed & reverse feature actually worked well in my opinion, and shows results in a week that as I said, I haven't seen in a month's tumble in my 3 pounder.
So for me this cheapo tumbler seems to be working pretty well.
OTOH if I do a very soft rock mix I think I likely need to go less then 7 days.
The experiment continues.
Patty
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