Leveling up- need advice

[janjanindiana]

I’m ready to move up in the world of tumblers from the cheapest to something under $300 that can run inside my house. I have an extra bedroom where the tumbler can live. I was thinking of getting a vibratory tumbler. But I’m not at all mechanically gifted. I can read articles and watch videos all day and still not know what I’m doing. So. Thoughts? Should I stay in rotary tumbler land? Are there tumblers of any variety that are fairly easy to maintain? Are there places I can take a tumbler of it needs repairs? I appreciate your thoughts.

[vegasjames]

Best to run stones in a rotary tumbler at least through stage 1 to soften points and sharp edges to help protect the vibe tumbler barrel, which is expensive to replace.

Most rotary tumblers are easy to repair yourself unless they have unnecessary stuff like digital readouts or speed control. I mean most are simply a motor, pulleys, a belt and 2 rollers that sometimes have pillow bearings. So, very basic and putting new belts on the pulley, or new rubber on the rollers is very easy.

[rockinronda]

I just did the same upgrade and to tell ya the truth I wish I hadn’t let AP (analysis paralysis) hang me up so long. Always use the rotary for stage one after that stages go so fast in a vibe tumbler it will make your head spin! I just finished my first vibe load, the results are astounding! And they were in final polish in like a week!
It’s really not hard and you use MUCH less resources (water, electric, grit) that’s the hard part is getting used to using much less. You do have to check on them a lot to keep the slurry consistent, I plan on setting up a slow drip gravity water feed since mine are in the garage downstairs. But it’s actually so enthralling to watch I went down there like every 2-4 hours just to watch them go down and around and back up. It’s a great show!

The vibe tumbler I got (Raytech TV-5) is actually by far the cheapest piece of lapidary equipment! I spent $150 on a kit that included 2 bowls so I have one dedicated to polish only.

[ronnsrockroundup]

I have a UV10 vibe in my collection, I love it but, I wouldn't want to run it in the spare bedroom as it is much louder than my rotories. I purchased it used and in good working order but, since I have had to do a lot of repairs, everything from motor replacement, to motor mount strap replacement, to bowl rod replacement. The repairs are not that difficult, but I have the proper tools and am comfortable with doing it. I feel any machine will fail at some point, and I don't believe I have ever seen a dedicated tumbler repair person anywhere. If you know someone who is mechanically inclined that has tools and willing to help go for it. Depending on what rotary set up you have it's nice to have a larger rotory as you can run more and larger rocks. Welcome to the Rabbit hole. We will all be pulling for you no matter which direction you go

[dshanpnw]

My proposal is that you get a vibe. I don't think you'd regret it, however they are expensive. I have a Thumler's UV-10 and it is great. It holds 10 pounds so I have to wait a long time to get enough properly shaped stones to fill it. I had to do most of the same repairs ronnsrockroundup has done on his UV-10. Things wear out like the center screw. It is also pretty loud so definitely take that into consideration. Rockinronda is correct in everything she says about a vibe. If you're going to tumble a lot and for many years a vibe is the way to go. You can also get a great polish using only rotary tumblers too. There's nothing wrong with just rotaries. Hope this helps.

[janjanindiana]

Thank you all! I appreciate your sharing your expertise!

[RockyBeach]

I got a RayTech10 Vibe and find that the output from the two Harbor Freight rotaries (Two 3LB barrels each) is about the right amount for a Vibe run.

Hardest part of using the RT machine, is getting used to seeing the rocks moving and learning what they are supposed to  look like when things are working correctly.

Luckily, the folks on this board are very patient with newbies and their noooobeeee questions. 

[vegasjames]

Nov 29, 2024 18:37:42 GMT -5 RockyBeach said:

I got a RayTech10 Vibe and find that the output from the two Harbor Freight rotaries (Two 3LB barrels each) is about the right amount for a Vibe run.

Hardest part of using the RT machine, is getting used to seeing the rocks moving and learning what they are supposed to  look like when things are working correctly.

Luckily, the folks on this board are very patient with newbies and their noooobeeee questions. 

May be too much water. I have 3 UV-18s, which are great vibe tumblers. i fill them pretty much to the brim with different sized stones then add just a little water. Make sure the bowl is tightened properly so it does not tun. And power it on. I add water little by little until the stones are getting wet, and movement is slowed just a tiny bit. Check the water frequently, and if the slutty is getting thick and muddy, I take everything out, wash the rocks and bowl then refill the bowl to start the process again.

[lapidary1234]

Ok, first I have a question, what brand & size tumbler are you currently using?

Regardless of the answer, $300 is right around the price point of either a quality large rotary or a vibe.

I use and can highly recommend the diamond pacific mt4 (vibe). dshanpnw brings up an excellent point and its something to keep in mind, a large vibe tumbler barrel will likely be hard to keep full unless you have loads and loads of rough constantly in a larger barrel running stage 1. For example, I run a 12lb barrel constantly during summer months and check it weekly, remove the stones that are ready and add fresh rough to fill the space. Even doing this there are week's where I don't have enough ready to move onto the vibe (my mt4 is a 4lb barrel. I am Really glad I didn't get a uv-10 or any larger vibe.

Another thing about the mt4 is that it doesn't actually have a conventional motor, its all electric. It has a speed know controller so you can turn down the speed during final polish. It is also much quieter than I had thought it would be, it runs in the spare room across from my bedroom and I can leave the door open and still hear the quiet radio I leave on at night.

Fwiw, I still take rotaries all the way through polish stage for larger stones. I use a 12 lb barrel (as mentioned earlier) for stage 1 and then move stuff into my lortone 45c (4.5 lb barrel). I actually get just as good a polish (dare I say better?) In a rotary.

I have found a few "cheats" with the various rotary bases. For example I bought a thumlers model B used for a good price. I discovered if I got an idler shaft for a thumlers model ar-12 I can snap it on the model B base and spin either my lortone 12lb barrel, 2x4.5lb barrels, or even 2x3lb barrels. Also two of the 4.5lb barrels fit perfectly on the lortone qt12 base.

Regarding grit though, vibes use considerably less grit. I use 1tbsp of 220 & 500, then I use 1 tsp (teaspoon) for 1000 and micro alumina (final polish). I'm sure I could get away with using even less actually. Vibes are also MUCH faster. I 48 hours per stage, only need 24 hours for final polish!

If you're thinking of getting a bigger/better rotary I would recommend either the rebel 17 or a thumler's model B. The model B has wingnuts to close the barrel so it doesn't suffer from the poor design of their smaller barrels with an o-ring sealing it closed

Those are my thoughts. Key take aways are: how much rough rock do you have on hand and what size is your current tumbler? A vibe isn't a bad investment, the mt4 is basically maintenance free and doesn't even have a conventional motor.

Best of luck, let us know what you end up getting

[RockyBeach]

Nov 29, 2024 20:23:37 GMT -5 vegasjames said:

Nov 29, 2024 18:37:42 GMT -5 RockyBeach said:

I got a RayTech10 Vibe and find that the output from the two Harbor Freight rotaries (Two 3LB barrels each) is about the right amount for a Vibe run.

Hardest part of using the RT machine, is getting used to seeing the rocks moving and learning what they are supposed to  look like when things are working correctly.

Luckily, the folks on this board are very patient with newbies and their noooobeeee questions. 

May be too much water. I have 3 UV-18s, which are great vibe tumblers. i fill them pretty much to the brim with different sized stones then add just a little water. Make sure the bowl is tightened properly so it does not tun. And power it on. I add water little by little until the stones are getting wet, and movement is slowed just a tiny bit. Check the water frequently, and if the slutty is getting thick and muddy, I take everything out, wash the rocks and bowl then refill the bowl to start the process again.

I seem to have figured out the amount of water that works (most of the time). It's surprisingly little compared to what I thought it should be. Wet rocks plus about 2-3 Tbs plus a few spritzes appear to be  about right. I check periodically to make sure things are moving and give it all a little shot of water for the overnight or long term day runs. 

I have found that when things look a tad too thick or muddy, a few spritzes from the water bottle get things moving. Have also learned to remove  rocks that prove to be incompatible with the rest of the load because of size or shape and are slowing down movement. I save them for another time. 

[lapidary1234]

Nov 29, 2024 23:30:30 GMT -5 RockyBeach said:

Nov 29, 2024 20:23:37 GMT -5 vegasjames said:

May be too much water. I have 3 UV-18s, which are great vibe tumblers. i fill them pretty much to the brim with different sized stones then add just a little water. Make sure the bowl is tightened properly so it does not tun. And power it on. I add water little by little until the stones are getting wet, and movement is slowed just a tiny bit. Check the water frequently, and if the slutty is getting thick and muddy, I take everything out, wash the rocks and bowl then refill the bowl to start the process again.

I seem to have figured out the amount of water that works (most of the time). It's surprisingly little compared to what I thought it should be. Wet rocks plus about 2-3 Tbs plus a few spritzes appear to be  about right. I check periodically to make sure things are moving and give it all a little shot of water for the overnight or long term day runs. 

I have found that when things look a tad too thick or muddy, a few spritzes from the water bottle get things moving. Have also learned to remove  rocks that prove to be incompatible with the rest of the load because of size or shape and are slowing down movement. I save them for another time. 

The instructions that came with my mt4 say "if you can see standing water in the barrel it's too much water". I've also heard alot of people say to fill the barrel with water, flip it upside down and drain it with your hand over it and then add the grit. In practice I do the latter and then give it a good 8-10 spritzes with a mister bottle. I tend to leave the lid off of it so I can hear from the other room if something jams it will change the sound its making so I deal with more evaporation than maybe other users.
I end up giving it 8-10 mister sprays daily. Might be a bit much water but I'm getting the results I'm after

[RockyBeach]

Nov 29, 2024 23:40:43 GMT -5 lapidary1234 said:

... I'm getting the results I'm after

That's what matters in the long run!

When I first got the Vibe, I was totally paranoid about the horror stories of cement coated rocks from things drying out and as a result, I overdid the watering.
Several questions later, I was lead on the path to correct Vibratory use and things are going pretty well, waterwise.

I fill the bowl with rocks and water and then dump it all out into the colander, put rocks and media back into the bowl and add the grit, Borax and the TBs of water plus spritzes and then turn it on and watch for a short while, spritz a couple of times for good measure and then leave it be for a spell.

[titaniumkid]

Sound is something to consider when buying a vibe, and is one reason I'm sticking to rotary tumbling only. It would make too much noise in the house, and I have a noise-sensitive, quite whingy neighbour I don't want to antagonise so I can't run one in an outside building because he will hear it. It would be worth checking out how noisy different models are.