Lortone 33B Rotary Rock Tumbler
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You'll need coarse, medium, pre polish, and polish tumbling grit in four different grades. Because I get all of my rocks from the Jersey Shore, they're already fairly rounded and smooth. You will also require a great deal of patience, as each of the four steps takes a week to complete. Lortone 33b Double Barrel Tumbler is exactly what I needed.
Between four and six weeks. Others polish more quickly, while others polish more slowly. After a 4-stage polishing process, we go over each barrel one by one. Over a 5-day period, determine which rocks should be returned to the barrel from which they were extracted and which should be polished with a finer grit. You can get some really beautiful rocks if you take your time. We use two of the two barrel polishers at the same time, which allows us to use all four grit grades simultaneously. Just keep polishing them up to the next level. You should have a polished barrel of rocks every week after five weeks.
Although I enjoy answering lapidary questions, I would need a little more information to fully answer yours, such as: br> Is it a rotary or vibratory tumbler that you have? br> What size slabs do you have? (The larger ones should be placed in a vibratory tumbler.) Smaller ones can be done with a rotary)br> What materials are used? (In order to tumble polish, rocks must be separated by hardness, as softer materials can be quickly ground away or beaten up by harder materials.)br>Once you've figured out the above, you'll need some grit (generally silicon carbide, a minimum of three grades from coarse to fine, depending on the hardness and material type), a polishing agent (again, this will depend on the materials you're tumble polishing; usually cerium oxide works well on most materials br>To tumble wet (usually in a rotary tumbler), place the slabs and plastic pellets in the tumbler's rubber barrel, fill it 4/5 full with water, and then add the grit (coarse first; the amount depends on the barrel's size). Close the lid and start the machine for the first time. The time it takes to complete each run will vary depending on the hardness of the stones, ranging from a few days to weeks. When the first run is finished, empty the barrel (never into a sink because the slurry can clog pipes) and thoroughly rinse and clean the pellets and stones. Then repeat the runs, starting with the medium grit and working up to the fine grit, until you are satisfied with the results. br>Make absolutely certain that there is no grit left in the barrel or on any of the stones, as a single speck could ruin weeks of work! I have barrels dedicated solely to the polishing process. Depending on the stones, the polishing process can take as little as a day. Completely clean your stones before wrapping them. br>I prefer to tumble slabs dry in a vibratory tumbler, using the same processes as above but without adding any water, because slabs tumble polish more quickly in a vibratory tumbler when dry. To make things easier, you could use a spray protectant, such as Krylon acrylic spray, to give your slabs a nice glossy finish. When wrapping it, just make sure not to scratch it. br>Caution: This page contains sensitive information. It's easy to become addicted to polishing your own stones. br>Dale "Cougar" Armstrong contributed an answer.
Selected User Reviews For Lortone 33B Rotary Rock Tumbler
I bought one of these units, along with the 2 pound Madagascar Stone Mix, as a gift for my wife, who enjoys making jewelry. I wanted to get her a high-quality rock tumbler instead of a cheap toy. This unit appealed to me because it seemed to meet her needs and was well-made. Because it was a gift, I did not inspect the unit or open the product packaging when it arrived. My wife was overjoyed to receive the tumbler and put it to good use with some stones from the 2 pound stone mix a few days later. During step two of the polishing process, the unit's drive belt broke with each drum about half full of stone and about 12 hours into the process. She requested that I examine it, and after removing the service cover, I discovered the broken belt. I also noticed that the inside of the housing was littered with small pieces of belt material. The drive pulley and the motor pulley were 1/4 inch out of alignment, which was obvious upon closer inspection. The drive belt wore excessively on one side as a result of the misalignment, and it eventually broke. Both pulleys were still firmly attached to the shafts, indicating that it had been put together incorrectly. I couldn't help but notice how flimsy and poorly assembled the materials used in the drive assembly are. I've since ordered a couple of replacement belts and will attempt to properly align the pulleys and reinstall the drive belt. br>I must say that for the price, I was expecting a higher-quality product, and I strongly advise anyone considering purchasing this unit to thoroughly inspect it before using it. br>br>Update on the Review: br>br> br>I contacted Lortone about the belt/pulley alignment issue, and I'm happy to report that they were extremely helpful in resolving the problem.
He's nine years old and has a thing for rocks (which he inherited from his mother!). I had always wanted a tumbler as a kid, so I didn't want to disappoint him when he asked for one for his birthday. Lapidary art is a fantastic hobby to introduce to your child if you want to give them something to do for the rest of their lives. However, if you truly want a child to enjoy it, invest in a long-lasting tumbler such as this one!! For a child, waiting the long times it takes to tumble a set is difficult enough, but the disappointment of having a cheapo "bargain" tumbler fail will be enough to make them lose interest in continuing their hobby. (I've known a couple of kids who got those and the tumbler stopped working after a few weeks. ) They didn't try again after that. ) As a result, making an initial investment is worthwhile. br>br>Lortone is well-known for producing high-quality hobby and light-use tumblers. There are two rubber barrels on this model. This is ideal for doing two stages at the same time or having two different types of rocks going at the same time. This is something that even a complete novice can do. It's a plug-and-play situation; )br>br>Grit is also required- This piece does not include any. This is the one area in which I would encourage adult participation. My 5-year-old daughter and I are capable of loading, sorting, and cleaning the rocks. I, on the other hand, use a dry powder. Some of the grits/polishes are extremely fine, and I don't think inhaling them would be safe. Considering it's a spinning jug of rocks, it runs much quieter than I anticipated. However, there will undoubtedly be some noise. This is not appropriate for a child's room. Alternatively, you can make your own. Having said that, it does produce a white noise sound that I have grown accustomed to after a while. If you need to drown out traffic or something, it might work as a background noise, but for the most part, an entry, garage, or shed is the best location. It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the motor box never gets too hot. However, it is not particularly hot. So I wouldn't leave it somewhere where you wouldn't be able to check on it every now and then or where something might fall on it.
We run two batches at the same time, and we've already gotten some stunning results. One tip: Gravity will cause the barrels to sag, so find a perfectly level table or shim the unit to make it just right. The barrels will not be able to rob against the stop on either end as a result of this. br>br>Purchase a good supply of raw stones, as well as grit and plastic pellet kits!.
It appeals to me. You can play two drums at the same time. The unit is easy to use and has excellent quality. If repairs are ever required, they appear to be simple to carry out. The drums are quieter than those I've seen on other units. I actually purchased a second unit so that I can now run four drums, which are simple to fill and clean. It was well worth the money.
I keep track of what stones are tumbling, what stage they are in, and when the next stage will begin using a dry erase board. This tumbler will not let you down.
This tumbler appeared to be a fantastic bargain at first. It was quiet and appeared to function properly. There is no on/off switch, and turning it off necessitates unplugging the tumbler. The rocks were not as smooth as the rocks I was tumbling in my other tumbler (Tumblebee) after the second week of tumbling. The rocks took twice as long as expected, and the buckets began to warp after only two weeks of use. I doubt the tumbler will be able to handle another round by the time this batch is finished. Unfortunately, it is of poor quality. Spend the extra money on a better brand; even though our other one is louder, it is far superior in terms of quality.
I had a single barrel Lortone tumbler that I used for crafts in my business, but it took so long to tumble a large quantity of product that I decided to upgrade to a double barrel tumbler. This tumbler allows me to complete three times as much work in the same amount of time. Lortone tumblers are pricier than some, but they are well worth the money. Lortone tumblers in all sizes are highly recommended.
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