arago
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2014
Posts: 5
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Post by arago on Jul 24, 2014 15:50:07 GMT -5
I'm about to crank mine up for the first time. I noticed the directions said, rocks may vary in size to include a few up to one and a half inch diameter.I also found this: Fill barrel 50% full with stones between 15mm - 90mm (0.6" - 3.5") for a [12lb] unit. in a post from ASI Industries. So, how big can the rocks be? Only a few can be of the larger variety? Can some be 3.5"? I'm tumbling petrified wood. I sorta made a hasty decision jumping into this... Most of the pieces I've collected are about the size of a lemon or a baseball. I imagine the next surprise will be my wife asking me what is that horrible sound once I plug it in.
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zerocd
starting to shine!
Member since July 2014
Posts: 27
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Post by zerocd on Jul 24, 2014 16:23:46 GMT -5
Make sure you have a sufficient amount of "ride along" pebbles and I think you will be fine. I have the larger UV18 and can fit 5 (or more) in that range as long as the bowl has plenty of smaller stuff. Run it without the lid and watch it move. That's how I learned. I plan on putting a few larger items than that and have already tumbled 5" pieces without issue.
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moogie
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since December 2013
Posts: 77
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Post by moogie on Jul 24, 2014 17:05:51 GMT -5
I have a (bad?) habit of putting in several large rocks in my UV10. I happen to include ceramic media that I bought from the Rock Shed, plus quite a few smaller rocks, and the large rocks come out surprisingly well. It may be that you'll have to put the rocks through several times to get them shaped, but that's OK too.
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arago
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2014
Posts: 5
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Post by arago on Jul 24, 2014 17:30:33 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestions!
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moogie
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since December 2013
Posts: 77
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Post by moogie on Jul 26, 2014 10:39:39 GMT -5
I just wanted to make one more point so you can avoid frustration that I went through...as the level of the stuff in the vibe drops, like on day 2, add more pebbles or ceramic media to keep the level up to the brim, to maintain the rolling action. You won't need to add more than a handful probably, but it really helps to keep the grinding going strong.
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arago
off to a rocking start
Member since May 2014
Posts: 5
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Post by arago on Jul 26, 2014 15:47:57 GMT -5
So the pebbles act like the ceramic media? I've put a bunch in. Does the bowl have to be two-thirds full or is half-full enough? I'm minutes away from plugging it in.
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Thunder69
Cave Dweller
Thunder 2000-2015
Member since January 2009
Posts: 3,101
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Post by Thunder69 on Jul 26, 2014 21:25:37 GMT -5
I fill equal to the top of the inner cone...A mix of sizes is best..I push the limits of size..I have polished pet wood of a decent size.. A batch I did last year.. John
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moogie
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since December 2013
Posts: 77
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Post by moogie on Jul 27, 2014 4:32:01 GMT -5
If there's one thing I've learned it's to ignore the instructions that come with the vibe! Fill that bowl to the brim (the top of the cone, the tippy top) by adding small pebbles or ceramic media, same thing. I like ceramic because it's not going to possibly disintegrate like pebbles of unknown hardness might, but if that's what you have it should work fine. Just make sure you have plenty of pebbles handy in case they do tend to disintegrate, and add more as needed throughout the 48 hour course to keep the level in the bowl high.
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zerocd
starting to shine!
Member since July 2014
Posts: 27
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Post by zerocd on Jul 27, 2014 6:20:37 GMT -5
I live in Delaware and quartz/quartzite pebbles abound. Plenty of flint and chert pebbles too. I had some ceramic media but it disintegrates in the vibe just a little slower than the quartz.
Now I just prefer pebbles to "ride" along and float the bigger pieces. They worked with a bunch of Delaware petrified wood too.
Then I get a great bunch of shiny jelly bean sized finished product to go with the batch.
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Post by Peruano on Jul 30, 2014 17:29:15 GMT -5
How big can that rock be? Well it has to be able to move up and down with the rest of the mixture. If its too big and just lays on the bottom of the bowl, it will wear a hole in the bowl and cost you money. So if there is a question, watch the mix as its vibrating, and you should see the rocks in question come around (come to the surface and then dive down again). If they seem to be missing, you probably have a problem. I hope this helps. Tom
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