Cleanout vs. Recharge Experiment Final results
Oct 12, 2014 13:35:10 GMT -5
connrock, jamesp, and 4 more like this
Post by tkvancil on Oct 12, 2014 13:35:10 GMT -5
BACKROUND: I have 3 rotary tumblers. Two Lortone 33b's and one Lortone QT66. Up until April of this year I had always used Lortones suggested formulas. Four tbs. grit in the 3# barrels and 10 tbs. grit in the 6# barrels with a weekly cleanout. In the 3# tumblers there was always a small amount of grit unused but in the 6# tumbler I never found any unused grit. In April I began using the herchenx recharge formula in my three pounders in hopes of getting more finished rocks out of them. Original post here forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/post/735759/thread . I have been happy with the results but unsure if it has been any faster hence this experiment.
DISCLAIMER: This experiment is subject to human error. (some has already occurred )
DETAILS: I will be using the 6# barrels. The experiment will be done in three phases. It is my goal to test economy and efficiency. Three week intervals have been chosen for two reasons. After three weeks in a recharge barrel slurry tends to get overly thick in my limited experience. Secondly it's about the minimum amount of time I've ever felt any particular rock was ready for the next stage. I will be using loss of mass as a gauge to how each barrel performs.
PHASE 1: Clean out barrel gets 10 tbs. grit per my usual formula. Recharge barrel gets 5 tbs. grit, appx. 1 tbs. per pound. Graded 80.
PHASE 2: Both barrels will be charged with 6 tbs. grit. Graded 80.
PHASE 3: Both barrels will be charged with 8 tbs. grit. Graded 80.
THE ROUGH: Bahia Agates ranging from about 1 to 3 inches. Lake Superior agates ranging from 1/2 to 1 & 1/2 inches. Quartz pebbles and misc. agate ranging from 1/4 to 3/4 inches. Bahia's weighed individually and split into two groups with the same piece count and weight. Lakers sorted in groups of 5 to 10 pieces identical total weight with similar size and qualities. Same for the misc. fill.
Recharge on left / Clean out on right. Each weighs 5 lbs. 1/4 oz.
At the end of week 1 the cleanout barrel (right) has a thicker slurry, expected due to double the grit. Barrels were slightly under 2/3rds but over half full originally. I often start the first week a little light on volume feeling that anything that is going to break will do so then.
Week 2 filler is 10 more Lakers 1 to 1&1/4 inches, some hammer broken Green tree agate 1/4 to 1/2 inches and more misc. agate 3/4 inches and less. On the right the cleanout load in a homemade cardboard jig representing 2/3rds. full. The jig is filled generously and barrel volume was at 3/4 give or take. 1 lb. 5&3/8 oz. added.
At the end of week 2 the slurry in the recharge (left) has thickened and is heartier than the recharge. Casual observation ... hammer broken pieces seem to be rounder in the cleanout.
Week 3 filler is some hammer broken green jasper, some broken Montana and five more Lakers. Here is where human error came into play. I had 1 lb. 2&1/4 oz. ready for filler. This is what I expected would be correct fill and neglected the use of the jig. Barrels are overfilled, probably 85%. For some reason I stubbornly left the fill in and ran instead of removing it.
Upon opening the barrels end of week 3 there was of course unused grit. First time I've ever had this happen in a 6 pounder, contradicting my earlier statement. This might have been a good error as it gave me some insight as to what is going on between the two barrels. In the cleanout side (right) you can really see how much grit went unused.
What insight could I have gained from this mistake? I rinse my rocks thru a strainer into a large bowl. I "panned" out the unused grit from each load by rotating the bowl while spraying water in with my pump sprayer and slowly pouring off the water and mud. From the cleanout load I recovered about 5tbs. of grit, half of the original charge. From the recharge load there was only about 1tbs. left, 1/5th of the original charge. This lends me to believe that the slurry is a benefit indeed.
Here's what they look like after 3 weeks. Pieces like the Bahias which were already smooth compare similarly. There is a difference in the hammer broken stuff with the cleanout side (right) seeming to have rounded the rough edges better. Probably due to the double dose of grit.
RESULTS: Each barrel had a total of 119.875 ounces of rough. 30 tbs. grit into the cleanout and 15 tbs. grit into the recharge.
The cleanout barrel had 106.5 ounces at the end of three weeks, a loss of 13.375 ounces (12.2%) or .455 ounces per tablespoon of grit.
The recharge barrel had 111.25 ounces at the end of three weeks, a loss of 8.625 ounces (8.2%) or .575 ounces per tablespoons of grit.
CONCLUSIONS: I understand that this first phase is flawed. I have two variables, one the retained slurry and the other being different quantities of grit. The overloaded barrel is another flaw but was telling in and of itself. When considering loss of mass per tablespoon, early results suggest that the recharge method may indeed outperform the cleanout method.
Phase two is now running. Since I felt that there was a difference in rounding between the two loads I split them 50/50. Again attempting to have all similar size and quality pieces. Tedious to say the least.
I welcome all questions , comments or criticisms.
DISCLAIMER: This experiment is subject to human error. (some has already occurred )
DETAILS: I will be using the 6# barrels. The experiment will be done in three phases. It is my goal to test economy and efficiency. Three week intervals have been chosen for two reasons. After three weeks in a recharge barrel slurry tends to get overly thick in my limited experience. Secondly it's about the minimum amount of time I've ever felt any particular rock was ready for the next stage. I will be using loss of mass as a gauge to how each barrel performs.
PHASE 1: Clean out barrel gets 10 tbs. grit per my usual formula. Recharge barrel gets 5 tbs. grit, appx. 1 tbs. per pound. Graded 80.
PHASE 2: Both barrels will be charged with 6 tbs. grit. Graded 80.
PHASE 3: Both barrels will be charged with 8 tbs. grit. Graded 80.
THE ROUGH: Bahia Agates ranging from about 1 to 3 inches. Lake Superior agates ranging from 1/2 to 1 & 1/2 inches. Quartz pebbles and misc. agate ranging from 1/4 to 3/4 inches. Bahia's weighed individually and split into two groups with the same piece count and weight. Lakers sorted in groups of 5 to 10 pieces identical total weight with similar size and qualities. Same for the misc. fill.
Recharge on left / Clean out on right. Each weighs 5 lbs. 1/4 oz.
At the end of week 1 the cleanout barrel (right) has a thicker slurry, expected due to double the grit. Barrels were slightly under 2/3rds but over half full originally. I often start the first week a little light on volume feeling that anything that is going to break will do so then.
Week 2 filler is 10 more Lakers 1 to 1&1/4 inches, some hammer broken Green tree agate 1/4 to 1/2 inches and more misc. agate 3/4 inches and less. On the right the cleanout load in a homemade cardboard jig representing 2/3rds. full. The jig is filled generously and barrel volume was at 3/4 give or take. 1 lb. 5&3/8 oz. added.
At the end of week 2 the slurry in the recharge (left) has thickened and is heartier than the recharge. Casual observation ... hammer broken pieces seem to be rounder in the cleanout.
Week 3 filler is some hammer broken green jasper, some broken Montana and five more Lakers. Here is where human error came into play. I had 1 lb. 2&1/4 oz. ready for filler. This is what I expected would be correct fill and neglected the use of the jig. Barrels are overfilled, probably 85%. For some reason I stubbornly left the fill in and ran instead of removing it.
Upon opening the barrels end of week 3 there was of course unused grit. First time I've ever had this happen in a 6 pounder, contradicting my earlier statement. This might have been a good error as it gave me some insight as to what is going on between the two barrels. In the cleanout side (right) you can really see how much grit went unused.
What insight could I have gained from this mistake? I rinse my rocks thru a strainer into a large bowl. I "panned" out the unused grit from each load by rotating the bowl while spraying water in with my pump sprayer and slowly pouring off the water and mud. From the cleanout load I recovered about 5tbs. of grit, half of the original charge. From the recharge load there was only about 1tbs. left, 1/5th of the original charge. This lends me to believe that the slurry is a benefit indeed.
Here's what they look like after 3 weeks. Pieces like the Bahias which were already smooth compare similarly. There is a difference in the hammer broken stuff with the cleanout side (right) seeming to have rounded the rough edges better. Probably due to the double dose of grit.
RESULTS: Each barrel had a total of 119.875 ounces of rough. 30 tbs. grit into the cleanout and 15 tbs. grit into the recharge.
The cleanout barrel had 106.5 ounces at the end of three weeks, a loss of 13.375 ounces (12.2%) or .455 ounces per tablespoon of grit.
The recharge barrel had 111.25 ounces at the end of three weeks, a loss of 8.625 ounces (8.2%) or .575 ounces per tablespoons of grit.
CONCLUSIONS: I understand that this first phase is flawed. I have two variables, one the retained slurry and the other being different quantities of grit. The overloaded barrel is another flaw but was telling in and of itself. When considering loss of mass per tablespoon, early results suggest that the recharge method may indeed outperform the cleanout method.
Phase two is now running. Since I felt that there was a difference in rounding between the two loads I split them 50/50. Again attempting to have all similar size and quality pieces. Tedious to say the least.
I welcome all questions , comments or criticisms.