unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
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Post by unclesoska on Feb 21, 2012 15:37:03 GMT -5
Howdy All- I've had my eye on a Gy-Roc Vibrahone, Model B lately, to serve as a replacement to my dying TV-5. Anyone out there ever use this machine? Is it durable, how does it compare to Lot-o-Tumbler or others? Has anyone used it as a triple decker? Thanks for your comments
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Post by helens on Feb 21, 2012 21:34:08 GMT -5
I don't have a Gy-Roc, but since no one else has responded, I thought I should mention that the Gy-Roc was my #2 choice if I did not buy the Lot-O. Here were the pro's and con's as I thought of them at the time (I bought the Lot-O): Gyroc Pro's 1. stackable barrels. If you end up needing 2 barrels, you dont' need a 2nd machine, you just stack it on top of your first one with a 'piggyback' attachment. If you want 3 barrels, you can stack that on top... all on the same machine. 2. You can buy a barrel for $10-$15. (one Lot-O barrel is $36), buy a 'piggyback' for your Gy-roc and have 2 barrels running at the same time. Buy another and have 3 barrels running at the same time. Have polish and pre-polish going, and pop 1 stone at a time from that to the Polisher also running. Seems convenient. 3. Presumably a bit less 'vibratory' due to the stackability...my ASSUMPTION (don't own one!) is that the 2nd or 3rd barrels, being farther from the 'vibe', would be less jarring. This may be easier on preforms and opals. 4. Gy-Roc motors are well-known for reliability. If you search the net, you will find a lot of references to people who 'found' a gy-roc, plugged it in and it worked, or who forgot they had it in their garage (for like 10 years), plugged it in and it worked. etc. 5. Has hi and lo speed settings. Lot-O doesn't even have an on/off switch... you turn the Lot-O on and off by plugging and unplugging the unit:P.
Lot-O pro's: 1. You can pull out a rock easily while running to look at it. Simply pop the lid off, and see your rocks. The Gy-roc has to be turned off so the 4 clasps can be removed to open to look at rocks. 2. Highly recommended by many people who tumble.
The watching your rocks ability is what sold me on the Lot-O. But that's because I never tumbled or owned a tumbler before, so watching the process was important to me. As I got more familiar with the process, I didn''t feel the need to watch it tumble as much as I did my first batch.
That said, I would probably buy the Gy-Roc if I need another vibrating tumbler, just for that stackability. If I had a lot of rocks to tumble, being able to do a rough stage, a pre-polish, and a polish at the same time means I could move rocks every day that were more advanced to the next stage without waiting on the rest of the batch. I could start a new rough stage polish anytime I had 4 lbs of rocks to polish, regardless of what step the rocks already being done were in.
Since I don't actually own a Gy-Roc, all my comments on Gy-rocs are based on things I read on the net, not personal experience, but thought you might want to see what I dug up by way of research before I bought the Lot-O and why I bought it:).
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unclesoska
freely admits to licking rocks
All those jade boulders tossed in search of gold!
Member since February 2011
Posts: 934
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Post by unclesoska on Feb 24, 2012 15:06:34 GMT -5
Thanks Helen, that was a most helpful brainstorming session! LOL! I too am wooed by the stackability and using i motor instead of 2 or 3. Also appreciate the lower cost barrels- they kinda look very similar to some food storage containers I've seen. And that whole cinder block deal w/ the Lot-O. Gotta spare my bad back! Any other opinions? Please reserve your comments to the Gy-Roc machine, I've already heard all the Happy Folks with their Lot-O's on other threads. Thanks Again!
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Post by Toad on Feb 24, 2012 15:26:38 GMT -5
I liked my gy-roc and will be buying another soon. I also liked the barrels - they are completely sealed on the bottom, so no problems with leaks.
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Post by Toad on Feb 24, 2012 15:29:14 GMT -5
Oh yes, and I'm buying another one because I sold my original 4-5 years ago when I didn't have the space to tumble for a while. I had no problems with it.
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Post by helens on Feb 24, 2012 15:46:42 GMT -5
I want to mention too that jsgems here sells Gy-rocs, and he's a great contributor here, who's always helpful with everyone's questions. So make sure if you end up deciding on gy-roc to at least give him a call. If I bought one, I'd buy it from him.
Also, I've never seen the man promote himself or his business, he's just generous with his help on every topic he's knowledgeable in.
Edited: I have to add something I think is kinda important. We all save money because we have our questions answered here. We don't need to buy extra grit, or feel sad because we destroyed rocks that could have been saved if we just knew a bit more. Info forums like this provide. So, just taking the time to say that we should support our friends, even if it costs a bit more (not saying he costs more, I don't know), because they already saved us a lot in mistakes not made, and things not ruined.
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unclestu
Cave Dweller
WINNER OF THE FIRST RTH KILLER CAB CONTEST UNCLESTU'S AGUA NUEVA AGATE
Member since April 2011
Posts: 2,298
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Post by unclestu on Feb 24, 2012 16:23:18 GMT -5
I agree with you Helen, I have gotten ,uch info from John and he knew from the start that it wouldn't be a sale because he diddn't carry the specific thing I needed. He didn't carry it I guess because he didn't do te volume to compete with some of the larger opperations. But I can say this with certainty I will do business with him
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Feb 24, 2012 17:16:10 GMT -5
Guess I need to talk to John. I'm still so stuck between Lot-O, UV-10 and now the Gy-Roc....sigh.... JOHN, WHERE ARE YOU...lol
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Post by helens on Feb 24, 2012 17:57:01 GMT -5
On the forum, his name is johnjsgems, and this is his website (his signature): www.jsgemslapidary.com/Looks like he sells a whole bunch of different types of equipment, and I've seen people say on the forums that they buy their saw blades from him, and he always gives great advice and suggestions. For the record, I've never talked to him or bought anything from him yet. I just know he's answered some of my questions, and is a regular on the forum, and part of what makes the forum the special place it is.
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Post by johnjsgems on Feb 24, 2012 19:02:36 GMT -5
Aw shucks folks. Too kind.
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vndnbr7
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2015
Posts: 1
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Post by vndnbr7 on Dec 27, 2015 7:58:03 GMT -5
I have had my gy-roc model a for about 10 years. I bought it initially for metal work. It still works great ...wanders around the room a lot but tumblers well. I recently removed the steel shot and added cereamic pellets and 180/220 grit for rocks. It works very fast. I'm happy with it. Just before Christmas I ordered another gy-roc - model b - with two additional barrels so that I can stack them and dedicate barrels to specific grits. Have yet to put it into production. I incidentally purchased the new machine , extension kits, and ceramic pellets from JSGems. Not because I saw them here - though I'm glad they contribute- but because they had a good price and easy to use website. I received confirmation immediately and the equipment in record time. 2-3 days. In time to slide the package next to my 2ft pencil tree and open on Christmas.
So - love the gy-rocs... Though I really have nothing to compare them to except my loritone rotary tumblers - which are adorable but for which I have no patience. :/
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Tom
fully equipped rock polisher
My dad Tom suddenly passed away yesterday, Just wanted his "rock" family to know.
Member since January 2013
Posts: 1,557
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Post by Tom on Dec 29, 2015 9:25:49 GMT -5
Welcome to the group, you must have been reading lots of posts as you resurrected as zombie post from 2012. Glad you find the Gy-roc good, what kind of metals were you polishing in it?
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