jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Apr 24, 2016 15:23:46 GMT -5
Judging the way the Lot-O does glass and obsidian it seems the best machine.
Loto happy users.
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Post by pauls on Apr 24, 2016 16:30:43 GMT -5
Don't use that mini sonic for course grit, replacement barrels are really expensive. I have a couple of them that I use for fine grit and polishing, they do a great job, I use minimum water and a tiny amount of polish and the polish is great. Plastic media seem to slow the whole thing down, it seems to cushion the vibration too much, so unless I have to I don't use it.
Paul
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Apr 24, 2016 16:51:00 GMT -5
Judging the way the Lot-O does glass and obsidian it seems the best machine. Loto happy users. Can't tell for sure what is best until I have tried them all, LOL Chuck
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Apr 24, 2016 16:59:46 GMT -5
Watching many Lot-O users the results seem overwhelming. Never has a vibe required such massive counterbalances. Likely to reduce the amplitude(distance travelled/vibration). Which probably(does) pit softer materials. In my book, if a vibe can slap a polish on glass it will easily do it on harder stones like agates.
Gotta give em all a try in fairness and pleasure lol. Pretty sure the Lot-O boys dotted the I and slashed the T. Superb device.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Apr 24, 2016 18:01:24 GMT -5
Judging the way the Lot-O does glass and obsidian it seems the best machine. Loto happy users. Got three lotos now but I mostly only use two of them I bought three so I would have three barrels and never have to wash or even rinse barrels anymore. I figure I have polished 400-500 pounds over the last three years and I know at least 100 pounds of that has been apache tears and obsidian. Chuck
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Apr 25, 2016 2:47:35 GMT -5
Great Loto-O testimonial. To put a polish on that much obsidian is telling. A 'say no more'. Would like to put a vibration analyzer on different vibes to measure displacement. Pretty sure they are all vibrating about 3000/sec. But the shorter distance travel is likely the key to soft/brittle materials. You should try Flourite in the Lot-O if you have not Chuck. I had better luck with it than obsidian.
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Fritz
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since May 2016
Posts: 77
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Post by Fritz on May 6, 2016 21:25:09 GMT -5
I'd say #1 is Lot-O, then rotary, then sonic, but they all look good to me!
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on May 6, 2016 21:33:12 GMT -5
I'd say #1 is Lot-O, then rotary, then sonic, but they all look good to me! Thanks- I would probably agree with that assessment but I have about 150 batches of experience in the loto tumblers VS first batch ever in the sonic so it really was not a fair comparison. Too busy to give the sonic the attention it needs right now but I'll eventually get it figured out. Chuck
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Post by washingtonrocks on May 7, 2016 18:13:01 GMT -5
I have a mini-sonic too, but have only ever used it for prepolish and polish for which it does an amazing job. Never tried using it with the coarser grit. Maybe I should give it a go. It's a noisey little bugger, but it sure makes quick work with the dry polish. Are you using Vibra-dry? I've been dry tumbling Petoskey stones in my Lot-O with corn cob media and regular aluminum oxide polish from the Rock Shed. I'm not sure what Vibra-dry is exactly. Is it just a polish like aluminum oxide or does it include something like corn cob? Can it be reused? Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you Jugglerguy. Yes, I'm using Vibra-Dry, although I've used wet polishes as well. It is indeed reusable. Indefinitely as far as I can tell. I've used the same polishes scores of times and have had consistently great results each time. The media appears to be crushed walnut shells impregnated with polish, up to 50,000. I'm not sure what the polish is made from, but it compares to tin oxide if you've ever used it. The polish seems deeper to me. More lustrous. The results are always very good, and polish times seem to be quicker than other vibes.
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Post by washingtonrocks on May 7, 2016 19:02:59 GMT -5
This is what the Vibra-Dry polish looks like. This is 15,000, but all of the polishes look identical in regards to the size of the media carrying the polish.
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 7, 2016 19:37:50 GMT -5
This is what the Vibra-Dry polish looks like. This is 15,000, but all of the polishes look identical in regards to the size of the media carrying the polish. Thanks for the info. I looke up Vibra-dry and its now called Vibra-dry plus. It contains rice and stainless steel shot in addition to the walnut shells. I'd love to try it, but it's really expensive. I guess if you can reuse it, that would bring the cost down. It's very intriguing.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 12, 2016 9:24:19 GMT -5
This is what the Vibra-Dry polish looks like. This is 15,000, but all of the polishes look identical in regards to the size of the media carrying the polish. Thanks for the info. I looke up Vibra-dry and its now called Vibra-dry plus. It contains rice and stainless steel shot in addition to the walnut shells. I'd love to try it, but it's really expensive. I guess if you can reuse it, that would bring the cost down. It's very intriguing. So buy some walnut shells and add polish? Not so expensive to make your own. It ain't magic. Try corn cobs too. In fact, this could be the way to use diamond in a vibe...
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Post by Jugglerguy on May 12, 2016 12:28:40 GMT -5
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Post by washingtonrocks on May 14, 2016 6:33:53 GMT -5
I do use corn cob and polish. I think I read somewhere that it contains a lubricant of some sort. Not sure what the lubricant is, but it tends to want to remain on the stones after final polish. I usually burnish by hand, but even after a 6-12 hour mechanical burnish, there is still a very light, residual "oily" feel to the stones. It's very subtle and not unpleasant or distracting in any way, but it's there. It seems to be intimately worked into the surface of the stones during polishing stages somehow. Maybe it's by design. They look great, but just have a different feel when in hand. I can't imagine what kind of lubricant that might be.
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tkvancil
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2011
Posts: 1,546
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Post by tkvancil on May 15, 2016 13:34:54 GMT -5
All three batches look very good Chuck. Best of luck in the competition.
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Post by nowyo on May 16, 2016 21:55:08 GMT -5
They all look good to me. Interesting to see the results from the different equipment.
Russ
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Post by broseph82 on Mar 19, 2017 13:22:23 GMT -5
I know its an old thread, but I think the rotary and lot-o batches came out with a better shine! Drummond Island Rocks
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Mar 19, 2017 13:46:16 GMT -5
I know its an old thread, but I think the rotary and lot-o batches came out with a better shine! Drummond Island RocksI did this test last year to help decide which method to use on my world contest rocks. I am a die hard loto fan but I did end up rotary polishing the contest rocks. Chuck
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Post by aDave on Mar 19, 2017 15:22:28 GMT -5
Yep, it's a bit old, but beautiful work nonetheless. The shine on the "rotary only" gives me hope (and something to aspire to). Drummond Island Rocks, do you recall how long you left your rocks in the different stages following your coarse grind? If you already mentioned it, I missed it. Thanks and regards. Dave
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Mar 19, 2017 15:27:06 GMT -5
Yep, it's a bit old, but beautiful work nonetheless. The shine on the "rotary only" gives me hope (and something to aspire to). Drummond Island Rocks, do you recall how long you left your rocks in the different stages following your coarse grind? If you already mentioned it, I missed it. Thanks and regards. Dave 46/70 SC as long as needed 120/220 SC 7 days 500 A/O 7 days 1000 A/O 7 days 14,000 A/O polish 14 days That is a whopping 5 weeks after stage one. Chuck
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