melo
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2024
Posts: 11
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Post by melo on Sept 5, 2024 22:20:32 GMT -5
Even with 29 lbs capacity constantly rolling, I find my vibratory has lots of time resting, just waiting to be fed.
Does anyone run completely rough rocks in the vibratory to do at least some preliminary shaping? Any tips? Thanks!
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 941
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Post by lordsorril on Sept 6, 2024 7:53:19 GMT -5
Depends on the Mohs score, 3 or less: sure.
Over 3 - I wouldn't risk it, my UV18/45 bowls are made out of plastic and would get shredded and/or scratched and hold grit.
Even with normal 24/7 use I have to replace my UV18 bowls every six months.
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RockNerds
noticing nice landscape pebbles
oooooooooo a rock lol
Member since August 2024
Posts: 83
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Post by RockNerds on Sept 6, 2024 13:05:16 GMT -5
I always stick to stage 1 in the rotary tumblers
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chaosdsm
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2024
Posts: 164
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Post by chaosdsm on Sept 7, 2024 15:52:50 GMT -5
Depends on the Mohs score, 3 or less: sure. Over 3 - I wouldn't risk it, my UV18/45 bowls are made out of plastic and would get shredded and/or scratched and hold grit. Even with normal 24/7 use I have to replace my UV18 bowls every six months. 6 months seems like an awful short lifespan even if in 24/7 use.... Are you using the yellow banded bowl, or the blue banded bowl? Blue banded bowl is for heavy duty "industrial" use i.e. rock tumbling, the yellow banded bowl is for light duty use like brass cleaning, small parts rust removal, etc... Stage 2 might even be a little aggressive for a vibe. Personally, I'm only doing pre-polish & polish stages in the vibe. Stage 1 is done in my 5Kg Vevor rotary, and stage 2 in my 3lb Nat Geo. Although I'll probably get a second Vevor before the end of the year, & use one for stage 1 & one for stage 2, now that I know I can easily convert it to run on DC power!!! |
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chaosdsm
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2024
Posts: 164
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Post by chaosdsm on Sept 7, 2024 16:27:25 GMT -5
Even with 29 lbs capacity constantly rolling, I find my vibratory has lots of time resting, just waiting to be fed. Does anyone run completely rough rocks in the vibratory to do at least some preliminary shaping? Any tips? Thanks! If your vibratory has a rubber bowl, you might be able to get away with it, though it will shorten the lifespan of the bowl. |
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lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 941
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Post by lordsorril on Sept 8, 2024 21:11:30 GMT -5
Depends on the Mohs score, 3 or less: sure. Over 3 - I wouldn't risk it, my UV18/45 bowls are made out of plastic and would get shredded and/or scratched and hold grit. Even with normal 24/7 use I have to replace my UV18 bowls every six months. 6 months seems like an awful short lifespan even if in 24/7 use.... Are you using the yellow banded bowl, or the blue banded bowl? Blue banded bowl is for heavy duty "industrial" use i.e. rock tumbling, the yellow banded bowl is for light duty use like brass cleaning, small parts rust removal, etc... Stage 2 might even be a little aggressive for a vibe. Personally, I'm only doing pre-polish & polish stages in the vibe. Stage 1 is done in my 5Kg Vevor rotary, and stage 2 in my 3lb Nat Geo. Although I'll probably get a second Vevor before the end of the year, & use one for stage 1 & one for stage 2, now that I know I can easily convert it to run on DC power!!! I can process a lot of rocks in 6 months with my UV18. I buy my bowls from The Rock Shed and they are blue banded. Mohs 6-7 stuff I use #46 SiC in QT12's until the rocks are shaped to my liking, then I switch over to the vibe @#120/220 aluminum oxide for a few runs (as needed), and then prep-polish and polish batches. The savings in time/electricity/grit of performing all steps beyond coarse grind are massive (days in vibe = weeks in rotary). I change the foam padding for the base every few months, and I can weigh the bowls to determine when they are about to crack. Obsidian/Glass and anything with Corundum is going to drop the durability of the bowl rapidly-so I have to take that into account. Side Story: Someone on YouTube left a comment on one of my videos and said that I could effectively convert my UV45 to use a UV18 bowl by adjusting the counterweights on the bottom of the device to decrease intensity. I have no idea of this is true or not, but, it is my backup plan if my original UV18 dies (as it has been running constantly for many years now).  |
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mirkee
starting to spend too much on rocks
Started tumbling a couple of months ago but now have four tumblers. Very interested in the hobby.
Member since March 2024
Posts: 128
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Post by mirkee on Sept 9, 2024 0:51:51 GMT -5
UV 18 ns uc 45 same brand? Never heard of UV 45
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chaosdsm
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2024
Posts: 164
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Post by chaosdsm on Sept 9, 2024 11:07:18 GMT -5
UV 18 ns uc 45 same brand? Never heard of UV 45 The UV-45 is a high capacity industrial tumbler that can handle 45 to 50lbs of rocks at a time. From Left to Right: UV-10 - UV-45 - UV-18  |
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