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Post by shereechalfanttroy on Mar 20, 2014 10:08:02 GMT -5
. . .soooo much foam it's causing the bottom of my tumbler to bulge.
I'm a newbie BUT before tumbling my first load I read and re-read the instructions, mentally visualizing each phase of tumbling. I burped my first load when instructed....but the unexpected foam threw me off. So I scooped the excess out and resealed it.
Five days later I checked it again—thank goodness—because the foam was ready to overflow. So I scooped it off...again.
After about eight days I opened it once more. More foam. This time I peeked at a few stones which seemed smoother so I decided to rinse the load, discard the old slurry and start again with 60/90. I was very careful to fill the tumbler properly, measured the grit accurately, EVEN ADDED a TABLESPOON of baking soda. That'll do the trick I thought....
Next day.....THE NEXT DAY....I noticed the bottom bulging. Here we go again.
The tumbler is now sitting open and I'm online trying to figure out this foam thing!
I'll try some Borax but in the meantime can anyone share some tips?
Thanks, Sheree
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jerrys
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2014
Posts: 263
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Post by jerrys on Mar 20, 2014 10:17:24 GMT -5
What kind of rock are you trying to tumble?
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on Mar 20, 2014 11:36:56 GMT -5
I can tell you from experience DO NOT put baking soda in your tumblers. I did it once and almost blew the lid off. I run lortone tumblers and the info card that comes with a new barrel specifically states no baking soda. I only read that after my near disaster. Here is the best way to solve gas build up that I have found..... Use hot tap water, as hot as your tap will run. It also helps to have the rocks warm, I let them sit in a hot tap water bath for a few minutes before I put them in the barrels and add my grits and hot water. If the hot water alone does not solve the problem then you are correct in using borax. It does help control gas build up. I would recommend getting that baking soda rinsed out before you restart. The instructions that came with your tumbler probably said to burp it, right? Two things, foam by itself is not a bad thing and you don't really need to burp a barrel unless it begins to bulge. Seal it up and let it run for 7 to 10 days, check it a couple times a day and only burp IF it swells up. Here is a thread about gas which you might care to look at forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/post/713478/thread
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Mar 20, 2014 12:57:24 GMT -5
another way if you don't want to use hot water is to fill an old water jug with regular tap water and let it sit with no top on it for a couple hours so the water gives off the extra oxygen in it. most sinks have an aerator built into them and the screen at the end of the faucet allows air to get picked up and mixed into the water so it doesn't get that stale taste you get from leaving a glass of water next to your bed all night, then in the morning you take a sip and bleh!! flat tasting water... that's because the extra air floated to the top and dissipated. Hot water doesn't have as much air trapped in it so it doesn't "pressurize" your tumbler. If you don't want to do that, go buy a gallon of De-ionized water, made for steam irons, at the grocery store, it will work too and no pressure build up.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,179
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Post by jamesp on Mar 24, 2014 20:50:28 GMT -5
I have good luck adding sugar. About a cup per 3 pounds of rock. If you are tumbling glass it will often foam.
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Post by 150FromFundy on Mar 25, 2014 17:02:41 GMT -5
Do the "temperature trick" and let science do the work for you.
When you fill your tumblers with steaming hot water and snap the lid on, the air space is also warm and occupies a volume of space. As the barrel cools, the air space cools and the air now requires less space. This creates a vacuum inside the barrel and you should actually see the rubber bottom dimple inward. The air pressure inside the barrel is less than the air pressure outside the barrel and it simply can't come off. In fact, you will have to pry the lid off.
If the contents of the barrel are cooler and the barrel is allowed to warm up, the opposite effect is true and the high pressure inside the barrel will blow the lid off.
Laura demonstrates this effect in science class by sucking a hard boiled egg (shell removed) into an old fashioned milk bottle by simply allowing the air inside the bottle to cool by a few degrees. This is done by dropping a burning match into the bottle, snapping the egg on the lid to make a seal, and waiting while the flame goes out and the air cools. Try it! This is REALLY cool and the kids love the hideous smell of match sulphur combined with hard boiled egg.
It also works for tumbler barrels, except don't use the match. Guaranteed!
Darryl.
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erin
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2014
Posts: 2
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Post by erin on Apr 11, 2014 18:40:08 GMT -5
Hello... I"m new to rock tumbling also, and also having the foam issue. Not bad enough to cause bulging, though. Is it ok to let it run through the week with all the foam, and then when I change grit at the end of this cycle, try some of the suggestions? Thanks for any help.
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fixfireleo
starting to shine!
Member since March 2014
Posts: 30
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Post by fixfireleo on Apr 11, 2014 20:10:39 GMT -5
i use hot water and i've never had a problem. i dont really check my rocks until they are done but i would notice, i think, if the rubber barrel was bulging.
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erin
off to a rocking start
Member since March 2014
Posts: 2
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Post by erin on Apr 11, 2014 20:55:17 GMT -5
Thanks for all the replies... I'm going to just let it go... and try the borax when we switch grits.
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