Dixierocks
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2010
Posts: 3
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Post by Dixierocks on Dec 28, 2010 21:38:26 GMT -5
We have my sons Christmas tumbler is in action now. It's been running for 3 days now. It's quite and impressive piece of equipment, extremely robust and well built.
We opened the barrels tonight to see how the rocks were progressing. I'm very impressed with the rocks. I can't believe how much material has already been removed.
The two barrels contain Ocean Jasper in one and the other has Red Brecciated Jasper and Lace Agate.
The grit was 45-70 with a mixture of large and small ceramic pieces. The slurry in the Ocean Jasper barrel looked a little thin when I checked the rocks after 3 days tumbling. So I added a couple of Tbs of grit and a few more ceramic pieces to fortify the slurry.
How long should this first stage run? I've have read 10 to 14 days. To clarify my goals.....I want to tumble the rocks in the rough stage until all pits/cracks or other defects are removed. Being new to this, I would expect that some rocks will be ready to move to the next stage sooner than others. If this occurs I will remove the early graduates and add ceramic to makeup the volume. When they finish this rough grind I plan to move them to the Lot O Tumbler with 120-220 grit. Does this sound like the right plan to take?
Thanks Greg
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chromenut
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since December 2009
Posts: 1,971
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Post by chromenut on Dec 28, 2010 23:35:42 GMT -5
Make sure every couple of days to "burp" those barrels! Otherwise you may find a pile of goo on the floor. Not so much a problem after you get out of the coarser grits, but when you're starting you do need to keep an eye on that. I burp mine daily, also gives me the chance to watch the grit and make sure it's staying the right consistency.
As to how long for each cycle. Well, I've never seen two batches behave the same way so it's hard to say. Me, I'm a nut case and I run each level for a month. Yep, unless it's soft stone, I'm going to run the heck out of it. Others here are way more pro at this than I am so hopefully they will chime in.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,463
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Post by Sabre52 on Dec 28, 2010 23:41:27 GMT -5
Howdy Greg, Actually the grit breaks down fairly quickly. I usually use 60/90 for the coarse because it sticks to the rocks more and settles less but I usually recharge every week until the stones are shaped and smoothed enough to move on to the next stage for which I also switch from the rotary to the vibe with the 110/220. For hard rocks like agate and jasper, I go through a lot of coarse grit because I often run them four to six weeks with the weekly recharges. Some folks just leave the rocks in coarse for a long time to skip the second and third stages which will be achieved as the coarse breaks down but the real grinding action will stop and the stones won't round off much more after it breaks down for the first week.....Mel
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Dixierocks
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2010
Posts: 3
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Post by Dixierocks on Dec 29, 2010 21:44:47 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies. I had hoped that the first stage would be faster than a month, but it is what it is. Perfection comes at a price. When I finish I know that the majority of the rocks will be just polished rocks, but at least they will be no defects in them that could have been removed with additional grinding time.
Speaking of rocks that just turn out to be highly polished, is there any such thing as buying higher graded rocks? to my thinking this would increase the chances of getting something really nice out of the tumbler. I'm not suggesting buying rocks that have already tumbled through stage one, which somehow feels to me like cheating. I want to do all the work myself, however I wouldn't mind starting with some rocks that have a greater chance of being really unique.
Also, would stage one go any faster if I supplemented the tumbling grit with a few Tbs of fresh grit every couple of days? It just seems to me that a little fresh grit would be a good thing. Again, I'm not trying to cheat the process, just trying to keep it moving at 100% efficiency.
Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Greg
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,463
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Post by Sabre52 on Dec 29, 2010 23:58:56 GMT -5
Greg: Probably the best way to make a primo grade rough is to whack up your own rough so you can control quality by sorting out the best shapes. You can also grade rough you buy by eliminating those rocks with bad fractures or serious pits you don't feel will grind away in coarse. As you progress in the hobby, you will also learn which types of rough are usually fracture and pit free ( ie: Things like Brazilian and Botswana Agate). You can also use a tile saw to cut small stuff into good chunks and see what's inside rough before you tumble it or to trim away bad sections before you go to the tumbler. Same with a grinder. For best results, beginners should start with rocks of similar hardness and preferably hard stuff like agate, jasper, pet wood etc.
You can simply add grit when you recharge after a week or so to continue the cutting action but I prefer to rinse the load, sort out the ones ready for moving on to the next stage, replace the removed stones with additional rough and recharge once a week. Build up of slurry will eventually inhibit your grinding and tumbling action if you just keep adding grit......Mel
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