quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
|
Post by quartz on Feb 3, 2016 0:19:01 GMT -5
I fretted a bunch about the rubber deterioration of some barrels, not every run, but now and then. I started testing the PH of the slurry and found the stronger in alkalinity, or base depending on your term of preference, the blacker the slurry. This alkalinity came from the rocks, but strong soap would likely do the same thing.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Feb 3, 2016 7:56:48 GMT -5
Thanks Larry. I was just reading some third party info on Dreft (and other washing detergents/soaps) and read that liquid Dreft has a low a low pH. Also, Woolite has a basically neutral pH. I don't hear of anyone using liquid soaps, though....mostly Borax (powdered) or powdered Dreft. The liquid soaps I read about are usually used wash cycles. Anybody ever use Woolite? You could also wash your delicates in it....like priceless, heirloom dish towels. As for Dreft or Borax...is there a notable difference between the two in regards to the end product, which is a glassy, blinding, shining rock? From the different reports that I've read it seems that it's mostly preference among people on what they use and the end product is about the same, or any difference at least indistinguishable. Another question... Do the flakes tend to work better than the liquids when used as a grit-cycle additive (not a wash cycle)?
|
|
|
Post by broseph82 on Feb 3, 2016 8:08:59 GMT -5
Looking good, Ed! I've had a problem with Dreft soap in my rotary barrels lately. I've used it to wash rocks like you did and the water came out black. I know it wasn't the rocks that made it that black, so it had to be the barrel. There was no noticeable deterioration of the barrel, but I think there was some sort of reaction with the rubber and the Dreft. I hadn't had that problem with the Lot-O barrel. I wonder if your detergent did something similar. Last batch I ran in Lot-O was 2 pairs of plugs. One pair pet wood the other pair was pudding stone. All the ceramic media had little black specs all over. Never had I seen it before and it seemed to wash away. The only clean out I did was with water and rinsed the ceramic until it ran clear. No soap used. Some people on FB claim that dish soap will eat the barrel. Not sure about that since a lot of folks here use just a drop of dawn, but I thought it would be worth mentioning.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Feb 3, 2016 8:28:31 GMT -5
Had you used soap/detergent in the barrel previously?
Had the barrel dried out since the last batch of rocks were polished in it?
|
|
quartz
Cave Dweller
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,341
|
Post by quartz on Feb 3, 2016 13:26:07 GMT -5
The drop or two of Dawn is more to lessen the surface tension of the water so grit/polish spreads over the rocks and carries into tight places better.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Feb 3, 2016 13:47:37 GMT -5
A surfactant, that makes sense. Thanks for the info, Larry.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Feb 8, 2016 21:49:03 GMT -5
Ok, I've moved the load on to the Lot-O....first tumble I've tumbled in the Lot-O, other than smoothing out some ceramic media. It was really a small load so I finished filling up the barrel with the ceramic media. 02/08/16 ~3pm.
|
|
Intheswamp
Cave Dweller
Member since September 2015
Posts: 1,910
|
Post by Intheswamp on Feb 14, 2016 18:31:20 GMT -5
Well, time has gone on and this load of rocks are due to go into the polish stage tomorrow...
|
|