Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Oct 3, 2015 16:40:32 GMT -5
I'm getting ready to order some supplies and thought I'd go ahead and get some ceramic media for the Lot-O for "when the time comes". Which size, shape, and amount should I consider purchasing. After looking I see it ain't cheap! I'll be doing 4# batches in a Lot-O. Thanks!
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 3, 2015 16:49:05 GMT -5
I get half and half of the large and small sizes that The Rock Shed sells.
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Post by orrum on Oct 3, 2015 16:53:25 GMT -5
Same here as Rob! Jugglerguy. When you need more just order large because your small will be tiny and your large will be small.
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verhexen
having dreams about rocks
Member since June 2015
Posts: 73
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Post by verhexen on Oct 3, 2015 17:30:21 GMT -5
I order large cause it does get smaller over time, but I started with 5 lbs of small. A good mix is best.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Oct 3, 2015 18:47:19 GMT -5
Thanks for the feedback on the ceramic media. I guess while I'm at it I will go with a 5# bag of each of the sizes.
How much of the ceramic media do you usually use per grit stage? And, this leads me to another quesiton...does a 4 pound load consist of 4 pounds of tumbled rock plus the weight of the ceramic media? For example, 4 pounds of rock and 1 pound of media? Or, is it basically a total of 4 pounds in the barrel. I know to keep the used media set aside for each grit/polish but how much should be sat aside?
I bought a basic grit pack from The Rockshed and it included 60/90, 120/220, 500 pre-polish, and their AO polish. It seems I'm seeing some of you using five stages, with the extra stage being 1000 AO. Should I go ahead and add in 1000 AO into my recipe?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 3, 2015 19:30:58 GMT -5
I always do 1000. I haven't tried it without, so I don't know how much difference it makes. The grit breaks down over time, so just leaving it run for another day would do about the same thing. My rocks are very shiny after three days in the Lot-O. They get better, but even 500 shines them up a lot.
I never weigh my rocks for any tumbler. I fill the Lot-O up pretty much to the top. The only danger of filling it too high is that a big rock can push the top off. I fill it about an inch or maybe a little more from the top. I use 25-30% ceramic on normal loads. If I'm doing something fragile, like obsidian or flat things, like small slabs or cabs, I use much more ceramic. Maybe 50-60%
Ceramic lasts a really long time unless you put it in a rotary tumbler with coarse grit.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Oct 3, 2015 19:42:37 GMT -5
It sounds like the 1000 is a maybe you need it, maybe you don't item...but seems it might give the rocks a little bit of a tweak in preparation for the final polish. I'll mull that over a bit. But, when you're filling the Lot-O do you simply mix in a small handful all along as you fill it with rocks? Or, do you go ahead and eyeball a quarter to a their of the barrel and put that much ceramic media in it and then finish filling with rocks? As for the 1000...do you save this from batch to batch or simply start each batch with new polish. With as little grit and polish as the Lot-O requires it seems using new would be prudent in avoiding possible contamination issues. I guess I need to go do some reading.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 3, 2015 19:53:25 GMT -5
I throw the ceramic on top and it mixes in with no problem. It's hard and smooth so grit doesn't stick to it any more than it sticks to rocks. I wash the ceramics right along with the rocks and move it all to the next stage together.
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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 Oct 3, 2015 20:04:20 GMT -5
^^^^^^^ This?
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Oct 3, 2015 21:59:41 GMT -5
Ok, I understand now that the ceramic media is hard and smooth surfaced like the rocks now and can be washed off fairly easily. I'm still working on the other....
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Post by Jugglerguy on Oct 3, 2015 22:04:16 GMT -5
Yep, just fill it about 2/3 or 3/4 with rocks and top it off with ceramic. That's what I do, anyway.
I put a rubber band (actually three tied together) around the Lot-O to make sure the lid stays on. I hook on the knob on the bottom of the barrel, go over the top, and hook it on the bottom again. This is after I put the barrel on the tumbler.
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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 Oct 3, 2015 22:07:13 GMT -5
That's so hard to give you a definitive answer swamp. It depends on the hardness of the rock or what you are tumbling. For instance agate rough in 220 I would not use any ceramics but agate cabs I would have say 60-40 ceramic to cabs. It kind of a trial and error thing. Hopefully someone can do better than me.
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Oct 3, 2015 22:36:07 GMT -5
I think ya'll just squared it away for me. Basically just consider the ceramic media and the rocks as....rocks. And mix them in the percentages that you want to to fill the barrel up. I sometimes try to make things to difficult for myself. Thanks for your patience.
Now...if I could just figure pulleys out.<sigh>
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Oct 4, 2015 7:17:03 GMT -5
Now...if I could just figure pulleys out.<sigh> are you trying to figure out tumbler pulleys? I made an excel document for that when I built mine years ago. Chuck
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Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
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Post by Intheswamp on Oct 4, 2015 15:46:05 GMT -5
Oh yeah, Chuck, I've been wearing your spreadsheet out!!!! Thanks for making it available!!! I've been using it to figure out some different motor speeds and pulley combinations. After plugging in some numbers into the calculator I've come up with some possible pulley sizes. I'm looking at two different possible motors...a 1100rpm and a 1725rpm one. Using "A" datum for all pulleys, roller shafts of 3/4", motor shaft of 1/2", and barrel diameter of 7.27"... 1100rpm motor 9" roller shaft pulley 2" motor pulley will produce 25rpm 3" motor pulley will produce 38rpm 1725 motor 9" roller shaft pulley 2" motor pulley will produce 40rpm 3" motor pulley will produce 59rpm For the 1725rpm motor there isn't much I can do as for as lowering the rpm via the motor pulley, the only option there would be replacing the large roller pulley. Seems I've got more options with the 1100rpm motor in regards to using swapping small motor pulleys to change rpm. But, will I really be wanting to change rpm. I'm looking seriously at the 1100rpm motor along with one each of the 2" and 3" motor pulleys...I think that would give me a decent rpm range. ?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Oct 7, 2015 8:43:25 GMT -5
My Vibrasonic slows down with flat media. Speeds up as media gets rounder(ball bearing effect). Am suspicious that mixed sizes of round ball shaped ceramic media as sold on Ebay may be a great idea to speed roll in a vibe. These roundish aquarium gravels sped my Vibrasonic's roll way up AND improved mixing last batch and AO 500 breakdown. This stuff, but a bit bigger:
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Post by captbob on Oct 7, 2015 8:58:19 GMT -5
Your aquarium gravel just made me wonder what ever happened to ingawh
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Post by orrum on Oct 7, 2015 9:54:20 GMT -5
James I mixed some aquarium gravel in my Loto and as long as I didn't use too much it worked good. Too much causes the load to separate. We discussed this b4. Now I did a batch of obsidian with the ceramics and some rounded aquarium gravel. Bad idea, the gravel must be scratching the obsidian because I can't get my classic Loto shine!!#
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Oct 7, 2015 11:06:43 GMT -5
Your aquarium gravel just made me wonder what ever happened to ingawhme too Bob, me too.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,155
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Post by jamesp on Oct 7, 2015 11:09:34 GMT -5
James I mixed some aquarium gravel in my Loto and as long as I didn't use too much it worked good. Too much causes the load to separate. We discussed this b4. Now I did a batch of obsidian with the ceramics and some rounded aquarium gravel. Bad idea, the gravel must be scratching the obsidian because I can't get my classic Loto shine!!# Noted Bill. Did not think about using them with obsidian, I was doing agate. Thought @ingwawh did it ?? Remember that ? Was your aquarium gravel polished prior ? what about round ceramics ?
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