vayank5150
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2017
Posts: 118
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Post by vayank5150 on Jan 29, 2017 17:48:14 GMT -5
OK.....I know I am new to this, but I am hooked and waiting weeks for to see the results of one batch is not working for me. I am considering investing in a 2nd tumbler, but have no idea which way to look. My current tumbler (sorry, my daughter's tumbler) is a 1lb rotary tumbler sold by National Geographic. I have learned there are many different varieties of style and size out there, and was wondering what you might recommend for me (I mean, my daughter)....
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,423
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 29, 2017 17:54:18 GMT -5
I recommend the Lortone 33B, it has two 3 pound barrels so you can be doing 2 things at once. If you look around you can find it for a little over $100.
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jan 29, 2017 18:18:33 GMT -5
how many rocks will you have on a regular basis? how much money do you want to spend? how much grit can you afford per week? how much time do you have to spend on weekly clean outs? rotary tumblers or vibe tumblers? If it were me and I had a 1 pound tumbler and found myself addicted and wanting more I would step up to the lortone dual six pound. If you do not think you will have enough tumbler food to keep that fed then the lortone dual three pound is a great choice. When I was in your shoes I ditched the toy tumbler and went ahead and built my own multi barrel setup. Chuck
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jan 29, 2017 18:26:12 GMT -5
I agree with both of the above posts. The Rock Shed is the best and also the cheapest place to buy. I have the 33B and the QT66 and I like both. If you really want to speed things up, consider a Lot-O. It works best for all the stages after the first stage. It uses very little grit compared to rotary tumblers and can finish the last four stages in about a week total. It's also easier to get a really good shine with the Lot-O. That's still not going to help you with the first stage though. That's going to take a while no matter what. The QT66 will turn out more rocks than the 33B, so if you're in a hurry, bigger is better. If you decide to get a Lot-O, you'll need some ceramic pellets (both small and large) to run with your rocks. It wouldn't be a bad idea to run your shopping list by us before you order. We might be able to spot something that you missed and save you spending money on shipping a second package.
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vayank5150
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2017
Posts: 118
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Post by vayank5150 on Jan 29, 2017 19:23:36 GMT -5
Just FYI....therockshed.com site appears to be down.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jan 29, 2017 19:27:02 GMT -5
Just FYI....therockshed.com site appears to be down. It works for me. Try it again.
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Post by wigglinrocks on Jan 29, 2017 19:29:01 GMT -5
Works for me too
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vayank5150
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2017
Posts: 118
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Post by vayank5150 on Jan 29, 2017 19:33:12 GMT -5
Odd....I can't get to that website.
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vayank5150
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2017
Posts: 118
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Post by vayank5150 on Jan 29, 2017 19:35:54 GMT -5
how many rocks will you have on a regular basis? A lot. Not to mention the large backlog she has already. how much money do you want to spend? Around $100 will keep the wife happy... how much grit can you afford per week? Grit, is easier....not an issue. how much time do you have to spend on weekly clean outs? I only have time. rotary tumblers or vibe tumblers? I do not understand the difference between the two, so I do not know. Read more: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/77420/additional-tumbler-question?page=1#ixzz4XCV27mGg
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Post by Drummond Island Rocks on Jan 29, 2017 20:00:33 GMT -5
The $100 budget rules out some of the other questions. Decent vibe tumblers are $150 and up. The lortone 33B dual 3 pound will be the upgrade in the $100 price range. I have bought all of my lortone tumblers used on ebay and have no issues with any of them so I recommend shopping there and watch craigslist too. Tumblers are simple machines that last a long time so usually no issues buying used.
Vibe tumblers vibrate the rocks instead of rolling them. A quick youtube search will give you all kinds of video explanation about those. search "vibrating rock tumbler". They are little bigger investment but they take stage 2,3, 4 from a three week process down to a six day process. They also use about 1/6 the anount of grit and polish. The vibe tumblers so not do stage one so you still need a larger capacity rotary for that step.
Chuck
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Jan 29, 2017 20:00:41 GMT -5
If you find yourself picking up rocks everywhere you go, then get a larger Lortone or Thumler's. I have them both and prefer the high speed Thumler's B: it's more efficient. Then get a Lot-o: it's much more efficient.
Colin
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jan 29, 2017 20:11:08 GMT -5
If you find yourself picking up rocks everywhere you go, then get a larger Lortone or Thumler's. I have them both and prefer the high speed Thumler's B: it's more efficient. Then get a Lot-o: it's much more efficient. Colin I haven't used the Thumlers model B, but I really hate my A-R2. If choosing between the Lortone 33B and the Thumlers A-R2, I really like the Lortone. The Thumblers has leaked several times and I've never had a Lortone barrel leak. The larger Thumlers might be great. I know some people here love them.
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vayank5150
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2017
Posts: 118
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Post by vayank5150 on Jan 29, 2017 20:18:10 GMT -5
Thanks, guys/girls. But what are the differences between a rotary tumbler and a vibrating tumbler?
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Post by Jugglerguy on Jan 29, 2017 20:25:45 GMT -5
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Post by Garage Rocker on Jan 29, 2017 22:30:36 GMT -5
vayank5150That's a good explanation of the tumblers, but don't believe him when he says step one will take a week. There is no set time on step one, they're ready when they're ready.
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Post by spiceman on Jan 29, 2017 23:45:41 GMT -5
For my first tumbler I bought a harbor freight. A lot less money and to just see if you want 2 tumblers, it's a good deal. I've had mine for 2 years, running nonstop. Check it out.
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osuguy0301
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 203
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Post by osuguy0301 on Jan 30, 2017 7:00:42 GMT -5
With about a $100 budget I would go with a the Lortone 33B. I would use the 33B to run your coarse stage and then use your 1 lb tumbler to run all the rest. Having 2 3lb barrels running coarse grit ought to keep enough rocks coming to keep feeding your 1lb barrel if you are picking out rocks that are ready after each clean out. By the time you run a batch through 120/220, 500, and then polish in the 1 lb barrel, you would have enough ready to start back at 120/220 again. That way you would constantly be progressing a batch almost weekly.
Jake
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Jan 30, 2017 14:35:01 GMT -5
With about a $100 budget I would go with a the Lortone 33B. I would use the 33B to run your coarse stage and then use your 1 lb tumbler to run all the rest. Having 2 3lb barrels running coarse grit ought to keep enough rocks coming to keep feeding your 1lb barrel if you are picking out rocks that are ready after each clean out. By the time you run a batch through 120/220, 500, and then polish in the 1 lb barrel, you would have enough ready to start back at 120/220 again. That way you would constantly be progressing a batch almost weekly. Jake Good thinking. Solid advice.
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vayank5150
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2017
Posts: 118
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Post by vayank5150 on Jan 30, 2017 14:36:09 GMT -5
With about a $100 budget I would go with a the Lortone 33B. I would use the 33B to run your coarse stage and then use your 1 lb tumbler to run all the rest. Having 2 3lb barrels running coarse grit ought to keep enough rocks coming to keep feeding your 1lb barrel if you are picking out rocks that are ready after each clean out. By the time you run a batch through 120/220, 500, and then polish in the 1 lb barrel, you would have enough ready to start back at 120/220 again. That way you would constantly be progressing a batch almost weekly. Jake THIS...is exactly the approach I want. I am not sure whether my 8 year old daughter or her 48 year old father has less patience when it comes to rock tumbling! Thank you ALL for your suggestions. I like the idea of the dual tumbler, and found a good deal on a Lortone 33B on eBay.
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Jan 30, 2017 14:45:52 GMT -5
For my first tumbler I bought a harbor freight. A lot less money and to just see if you want 2 tumblers, it's a good deal. I've had mine for 2 years, running nonstop. Check it out. I'm glad that you've had some good luck with the HF tumbler. I did the HF return dance for about a year until they said no more and gave me a gift certificate. Seems like the motor would burn out or the barrels would get out of sync, and that would cause the motor to burn out. Colin
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