3 Responses

1. Lori Tucker

   August 12th, 2008 at 3:19 pm

   1

   WOW!! What a find! I have been combing the internet, auctions, craigslist all over the world, etc. looking to buy a good tumbler at a decent price. I’d have paid a lot more for that machine. It’s awesome and I drool at the picture. I am seriously looking for two tumblers a vibratory and a rotary. Thanks for sharing the pic.

2. Steve

   August 31st, 2008 at 12:15 pm

   2

   First tumbler?
   (I’m all over this web site today)
   Here’s some great tips (mine)
   Keep your sludge. It is great for the next batch! A 5 gal bucket is a great “dump bucket”. Let it set. If you want to be picky, just use the bottom inch (when dry) It has your residual grit! You’llbe amazed at how well this sludge improves performance on the subsequent loads.

   Go Super Clean on the polilsh stage! Save the sludge! (Separate from the grinding mud of course). That stuff is expensive and is reusable - if you don’t contaminate it with grit!

   These particular barrels are a pin with their nut-n-bolt lid attachment. If it doesn’t have wing nuts, replace the nut with ‘em. Face ‘em wing nut to wing nut.

   Use rubber glue when you put the lid on. It’s a bit messy at “clean time”, but SO much better than cleaning up the mess when the lid leaks. (and they will - oh yes, they will.) This simple trick solved a multi-year problem! You don’t need fancy lapidary glues, etc. rubber glue is fine. It just makes a seal and does not haper easy removal of the lid when it’s time to do so. (Of course, only use the glue where the lid actually contacts the barrel - not all over the inside of the lid.
   I permanently glued the rubber lid gasket to the steel lid. This helps preserve the holes where the bolt goes through the lid (leak point). It also facilitates clean up and you never lose the rubber gasket lid.

   After polishing and you’re all excited about “finally done”, have patience. Use dishwasher soap (non sudsing) and optionally, a little amonia. (Here’s a super secret - super trick - add “new car finish wax at this stage. Use that synthetic stuff they sell anywhere they sell car cleaning products. This isn’t a “wax”. It is a permanent application. You see what it does for your car - wait till you see what it does for your stones!) Now, rn the load for for another 24 hours. What a super difference! Trust me - one time - you’ll become a believer forever. You’ll be amazed at the “garbage” that pours off in this final one-day stage. It was on the rocks. Now, it’s gone. Super Polish! It also cleans your barrels and helps keep them well maintained and that synthetic polish is great for the rubber liner of the barrel!.

   I had a problem with my barrels rolling up onto the bearings of the rollers. Solution? I drilled a hold and inserted a long eyebolt. Put one nut on top and one below where the bolt is attached to the frame - washers are optional.) The “eye” of the eybolt should be centered to the center off the barrel. This does a GREAT job of keeping your barrels well centered on the rollers (of course setting it very level is important too.) This has save me bearings and barrels. A drop of oil on the eye is great too. There’s nothing worse than “squeak, squeak, squeak” at 2:00 in the morning).

   NEVER let your barrels set with a load for more than 1/2 hours. That mud will set up - even though water logged and when you finally open the barrel, you just have a lump of stuff and your electricity / time was wasted.

   Garbage in - garbage out. If you’re going to put the time and expense into the tumbler spend additional time in prepping your load. No valleys, points, crags… Why spend all that time for “ugly rock”. It is SO worth the time to prep the load and reject uglytite before you start. I cut / trim rock. I save the trimmings. I may even refine the trimmings a bit on the trim saw (nubs, etc). This makes for very worthwhile tumbler loads! It sure beats chunks for craggy petrified wood! Consider that the stones may be worthy of jewelry. It you start well, you will finish well. The tumbler won’t shape, only smooth.

   I have mixed up to 1/2 of the load with slabs with remarkable success. If all slabs, performance greatly dimishes. Those chips from the trim saw are excellent for grinding. I’ve used those plastic pellets - not needed! There’s always someone who wants your money. Just use those trim saw chips. And, those plastic pellets are a pain to segragate from your load (must be done prior to polish). They are “grit bombs” to your polish stage!

   I made a screen frame with hdw store window screen and 1×2 board (screwed together with with the screen between). This does a SUPER job of helping you with cleaning your load for the next stage. The grit just goes through, you can examine your load carefully,… etc. Trying to wash the load in a bucket is nearly impossible and a tremendous waste of valuable time. (How long are you going to live?)

   Think about the load… Don’t mix monster pieces with fragile gems. They don’t get along.
   Polish garnets seperately. Expect up to 1/2 of the weight of the garnts to disappear. Polish obsidian separately. Polishing Obsidian is almost an art form! By the way - you might think you’ve “failed” at the end of the polish stage. In that final soap day”, use that synthetic “new car finish”. WOW! OH MAN, WOW! WOW! WOW!

3. Jason

   August 31st, 2008 at 2:35 pm

   3

   Wow Steve thanks for the wonderful comment!

   Jason