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Post by miket on Jan 29, 2020 10:42:28 GMT -5
I checked one of my qt66 barrels this morning and it got me thinking. Monday mornings I check my 33b barrels, then on Wednesdays or Thursdays it's the 66. I know that some tumblers on here recommend a complete cleanout every week or two- but I rinse my rocks when I check them, add more grit and water if needed, then set them into motion again. My question is this- is it necessary to clean the barrels out completely? And, if so, why? Thanks! Oh, and I couldn't resist pics of a couple in progress. A while back I mentioned experimenting with some Teepees that weren't cabbable, here's one in progress: And this guy...I can't remember when I first posted a pic of this one that I found, but I do remember cutting it and not finding any Fairburn inside and deciding to tumble it. I'll bet it's been at least seven months. So far the biggest stone I've tried tumbling and it has a long way to go!
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 29, 2020 11:05:03 GMT -5
If your changing stages of grit, yes it is a must to completely wash and (or) clean the inside of barrels, so you won't get cross contamination on grits! Only takes a few to ruin a nice batch of material... If just checking and recharging the barrel with the same grit, than no - go for it!
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Post by miket on Jan 29, 2020 11:11:01 GMT -5
If your changing stages of grit, yes it is a must to completely wash and (or) clean the inside of barrels, so you won't get cross contamination on grits! Only takes a few to ruin a nice batch of material... If just checking and recharging the barrel with the same grit, than no - go for it! Thanks for the response, Mike. I'm only running coarse stages in the barrels, especially since I got the vibe. Even with four barrels running nonstop I can't get enough ready to move on to the vibe!
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Post by aDave on Jan 29, 2020 15:13:26 GMT -5
If your changing stages of grit, yes it is a must to completely wash and (or) clean the inside of barrels, so you won't get cross contamination on grits! Only takes a few to ruin a nice batch of material... If just checking and recharging the barrel with the same grit, than no - go for it! miket , the only reason you might want to rinse the barrel is that it makes it easy to clean and dry the ledge for the lid. Some will use a spray bottle and brush to accomplish that task, but it's just as easy for me to use a garden hose. That said, I'm not worried about getting every last bit of slurry/grit out of the entire barrel. My target is the ledge. ETA: I do understand my ability to use a garden hose outside will be dramatically different than yours during the winter.
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Post by miket on Jan 29, 2020 15:32:35 GMT -5
If your changing stages of grit, yes it is a must to completely wash and (or) clean the inside of barrels, so you won't get cross contamination on grits! Only takes a few to ruin a nice batch of material... If just checking and recharging the barrel with the same grit, than no - go for it! miket , the only reason you might want to rinse the barrel is that it makes it easy to clean and dry the ledge for the lid. Some will use a spray bottle and brush to accomplish that task, but it's just as easy for me to use a garden hose. That said, I'm not worried about getting every last bit of slurry/grit out of the entire barrel. My target is the ledge. ETA: I do understand my ability to use a garden hose outside will be dramatically different than yours during the winter. Thanks, Dave- for the response and the chuckle! I do clean the ledge of the barrel thoroughly to ensure a tight fit. I'm not looking for any leaks... Still chuckling.
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Post by arghvark on Jan 29, 2020 17:28:49 GMT -5
And this guy...I can't remember when I first posted a pic of this one that I found, but I do remember cutting it and not finding any Fairburn inside and deciding to tumble it. I'll bet it's been at least seven months. So far the biggest stone I've tried tumbling and it has a long way to go! That's going to be a real beauty! You could speed it up by taking your Dremel to it and smoothing out some of the rough spots and voids...
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Post by miket on Jan 29, 2020 18:00:17 GMT -5
And this guy...I can't remember when I first posted a pic of this one that I found, but I do remember cutting it and not finding any Fairburn inside and deciding to tumble it. I'll bet it's been at least seven months. So far the biggest stone I've tried tumbling and it has a long way to go! That's going to be a real beauty! You could speed it up by taking your Dremel to it and smoothing out some of the rough spots and voids... Thanks Eric. I probably could, maybe I'll take another look at it next week. It's full of Fairburn patterns on the outside- but I'm saving those pics for the finished product!
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