jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Mar 24, 2015 5:38:38 GMT -5
I wish you luck MrP. Have adjusted mine a dozen times and still having same problem. I thought about replacing the springs, but remembered you had replaced the springs. Trying to do obsidian now and the Borax thickener is all going to one side in 1000 stage as the slurry gets thicker. So I did a clean out last night and started the 1000 over using sugar. The sugar did not separate to one side when doing agate in any stage. So I am not having much luck w/the separation issue. And when you adjust the counterweights to less vibration the problem gets worse, like for obsidian. Had the same problem with 6 inch PVC rotary barrels-longer than 18 inches and the rocks separate by size. I had 30 inch long barrels of 6 inch PVC and had to cut them in half to prevent the rocks from segregating from the filler. I suppose that is why the tumbler manufacturers make tumbling barrels on the short side-good mixing. So the reason for having dividers in the Vibrasonic tub. I may steal the steel tub I welded for a home made vibe and put dividers in it and adapt it to the Vibrasonic base mounts. It holds 18 pounds. A bit shorter of a tub left to right, but larger diameter.
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Post by MrP on Mar 24, 2015 6:26:54 GMT -5
I wish you luck MrP. Have adjusted mine a dozen times and still having same problem. I thought about replacing the springs, but remembered you had replaced the springs. Trying to do obsidian now and the Borax thickener is all going to one side in 1000 stage as the slurry gets thicker. So I did a clean out last night and started the 1000 over using sugar. The sugar did not separate to one side when doing agate in any stage. So I am not having much luck w/the separation issue. And when you adjust the counterweights to less vibration the problem gets worse, like for obsidian. Had the same problem with 6 inch PVC rotary barrels-longer than 18 inches and the rocks separate by size. I had 30 inch long barrels of 6 inch PVC and had to cut them in half to prevent the rocks from segregating from the filler. I suppose that is why the tumbler manufacturers make tumbling barrels on the short side-good mixing. So the reason for having dividers in the Vibrasonic tub. I may steal the steel tub I welded for a home made vibe and put dividers in it and adapt it to the Vibrasonic base mounts. It holds 18 pounds. A bit shorter of a tub left to right, but larger diameter.
jamesp I have played with the weights but only to fix the rate of vibration. Never really thought about why it always goes to one side until you found out how much your last batch separated. When I start using it again I will try to center it. I want to try to see if I can get it to go to the opposite because if that is not possible I don't believe centering it will be possible. I sure would like it to be perfect but I am willing to put up with a lot to be able to polish very large slabs. snowman polishes large slabs in his large, 45# I think, Vibrasonic. I know his tub is the right one, not homemade, so I wonder how they work in his. The real tub is rather tall verses wide so wonder if that could make a difference..............................MrP
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2015 6:41:25 GMT -5
That's great James! I was hoping you would get some cab shapes. I have a box with me and am looking forward to tumbling it. Oh well if it is smalls at least I don't need ceramic pellets. I am in New Iberia La. Fixing to go to the Live Oak Festival!!! Gonna try those crawfish or mud bugs as the locals call them. We had shrimp and Goo fish on the grill last nite. No idea what a Goo fish is! LOL I ate good pardner!!! goo fish-probably gaspergou(freshwater drum.and Jamesp you ain't Lyin them coonasses could make roadkill taste yummy."little cayenne pepper,whooooo i gaurroonteeee"as Justin Wilson would say Dave
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Post by orrum on Mar 24, 2015 7:05:13 GMT -5
Hey Dave thanks for the fish name. It was very good and had a great texture, more like a saltwater fish. Had seafood gumbo Dave, was the best soup or stew I ever had!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Mar 24, 2015 7:23:10 GMT -5
MrP-I can make them go to either side by making the counterweight more off balance on one side. The action on one side is different from the other side though. Centering is an issue. Just checked the sugar, it is rolling fast and there is good balance. Rolling fast OK for agate and balance, not so sure for obsidian. Polishing slabs in that vibe is great .
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Mar 24, 2015 7:29:13 GMT -5
@arrowheadave orrum - need more be said, nutria gumbo:
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39don
starting to spend too much on rocks
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonsLapidaryArts
Member since February 2012
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Post by 39don on Mar 24, 2015 8:16:30 GMT -5
39don-Did you have tub type vibratory tumblers at the factory ? If so, did you run mixed size pieces that separated ? I am thinking of making a steel hopper like MrP has and putting dividers in the hopper so I can eliminate some of the separation. It may still be a problem within the smaller sections. It should allow tumbling one big rock in each section using filler. We had the oblique barrel tumblers which were pedestal mounted on a pivotal pad so you could position the barrel at what angle required to achieve the best action. Because we purchased so much alumina raw material we used the 1287 raw alumina instead of Sic and a variety of ceramic shapes as a filler. I do not remember any problems with separations issues. The only tub vib was a Rampi and it was used for sand removal on dielectric discs. The discs had firing sand spread over them before firing so they would not stick together while firing. The Rampi was a open tub vib similar to the Viking vibs but much larger. It would have been at least a 100lb vib. 39don
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Mar 24, 2015 8:30:03 GMT -5
Oblique barrel tumbler. Thanks 39don. Viking made them for rocks. This one industrial : I can say the faster the action in the tub the less the separation occurs. The slower the action, the worse the separation, especially w/thicker slurry. No idea why, another enigma. dangit
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39don
starting to spend too much on rocks
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DonsLapidaryArts
Member since February 2012
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Post by 39don on Mar 24, 2015 8:36:34 GMT -5
Oblique barrel tumbler. Thanks 39don. Viking made them for rocks. This one industrial : I can say the faster the action in the tub the less the separation occurs. The slower the action, the worse the separation. No idea why, another enigma. That is basically the same tumbler and set up but we didn't use the top diversion bar and the electric motor. Ours were motivated by variable speed hydraulic motors. 39don
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Mar 24, 2015 8:42:31 GMT -5
Oblique barrel tumbler. Thanks 39don. Viking made them for rocks. This one industrial : I can say the faster the action in the tub the less the separation occurs. The slower the action, the worse the separation. No idea why, another enigma. That is basically the same tumbler and set up but we didn't use the top diversion bar and the electric motor. Ours were motivated by variable speed hydraulic motors. 39don Wondered what that 'diversion' bar deal was. I would have paid them to run the tumbler shop May have been on the noisy side, probably an odd sound-ceramic tumbling with hydraulic motors whining. Some get to have all the fun.
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Post by captbob on Mar 24, 2015 9:30:05 GMT -5
Have you considered calling the manufacturer of the tumbler and seeing if they have any answers?
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Mar 24, 2015 11:05:53 GMT -5
Have you considered calling the manufacturer of the tumbler and seeing if they have any answers? Great idea captbob. About time to do such. Actually long over due.
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1nickthegreek
spending too much on rocks
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Post by 1nickthegreek on Mar 24, 2015 18:00:22 GMT -5
jamesp, I have your solution......buy a Lot-o-Tumbler from me and you can tumble all the obsidian that you would like to feed it with only Ceramics for filler and Borax as a thickener for your slurry. Have you read Kristie's tutorial?? It is a breeze if ya follow that!!! Here is the link: TNT Mom Tut
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Mar 24, 2015 18:53:16 GMT -5
jamesp, I have your solution......buy a Lot-o-Tumbler from me and you can tumble all the obsidian that you would like to feed it with only Ceramics for filler and Borax as a thickener for your slurry. Have you read Kristie's tutorial?? It is a breeze if ya follow that!!! Here is the link: TNT Mom Tut Thanks Nick. A Lot-O would have gotten it done.
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1nickthegreek
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2014
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Post by 1nickthegreek on Mar 27, 2015 0:04:16 GMT -5
jamesp, I have your solution......buy a Lot-o-Tumbler from me and you can tumble all the obsidian that you would like to feed it with only Ceramics for filler and Borax as a thickener for your slurry. Have you read Kristie's tutorial?? It is a breeze if ya follow that!!! Here is the link: TNT Mom Tut Thanks Nick. A Lot-O would have gotten it done. No problem, although Kristines tutorial may be very helpful even without a Lot-o. Best of luck anyways!!!
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Mar 27, 2015 6:57:40 GMT -5
Thanks Nick. A Lot-O would have gotten it done. No problem, although Kristines tutorial may be very helpful even without a Lot-o. Best of luck anyways!!! The separation issue in my vibe is a big problem when running obsidian Nick. And when it separates it bruises the obsidian. Frustrating. It is peculiar to the tub type vibe. And apparently no easy solution. The donut and barrel shaped vibes have better mixing of rocks.
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1nickthegreek
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2014
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Post by 1nickthegreek on Mar 27, 2015 16:37:54 GMT -5
No problem, although Kristines tutorial may be very helpful even without a Lot-o. Best of luck anyways!!! The separation issue in my vibe is a big problem when running obsidian Nick. And when it separates it bruises the obsidian. Frustrating. It is peculiar to the tub type vibe. And apparently no easy solution. The donut and barrel shaped vibes have better mixing of rocks. Hmmmm, have ya tried tumbling them with talc as a buffer? That may solve yer bruising issues.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Mar 27, 2015 18:50:07 GMT -5
1nickthegreek- Never tried talc. Have tried a lot of things though. Have you tried talc ?
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1nickthegreek
spending too much on rocks
Member since February 2014
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Post by 1nickthegreek on Mar 31, 2015 13:07:28 GMT -5
1nickthegreek- Never tried talc. Have tried a lot of things though. Have you tried talc ? No James, I was being a wiseass LOL I only tumble my obsidian with ceramics, grit, and borax to carry it.
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Mar 31, 2015 13:31:37 GMT -5
1nickthegreek- Never tried talc. Have tried a lot of things though. Have you tried talc ? No James, I was being a wiseass LOL I only tumble my obsidian with ceramics, grit, and borax to carry it. I had a suspicion, you seem dedicated to Krystee's fine recipe, so I thought you might be messin. Thanks for the jab. Good sense of humor is best way. Will keep an eye on the Greek.
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