[Rockhounds] rotary tumbling

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

June Young wrote:
> 
> I am tumbling agates in a new Lortone, double 3# barrels.  When it is time to change the  course grit, #80, the bottom of the barrel still has all the grit in it.  It looks like it has not been used or broken down.  Is this normal for #80?  The other grits do not act like that.
>   Thanks for all your help and advise.
>   June
> 


June,

It sounds like you have the barrel too full, and the rocks can't
actually tumble. You only want to fill the barrel to about 2/3 full by
volume, and water to about the top of the rocks.

Lortone used to send a great phamplet on tumbling how-to's with new
tumblers. Don't know if they still do, but if you got one it is worth
reading.

Kreigh