In this video I show you my garage rock shop and review some of the equipment from brands like Lortone, Highland Park Lapidary, Covington, Diamond Pacific, and Raytech.
I have never seen such a awesome rock shop !! I hope you put out more videos and get more recognized. You have a lot to teach others and a lot of amazing rocks to show and share 👍😊
Thanks! I do enjoy the sound of a barrel full of rocks tumbling 😝. I’m always tweaking my setup and currently I have 14 barrels going on 3 different tumblers, one of which is basically homemade. Thanks for watching!
Hi Scott, Thank you for the shop tour. You are doing a great job running a full-featured shop and making beautiful polished stones. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Keep checking back because I’m moving into a new lapidary shop which will have lots of improvements over the original one. I’ll put out a video soon.
I’m in awe at all your setups and the metered drip is an excellent idea. I also got a good laugh outta it seeing it hooked up to a non sentient being. Keep up the good work…love your vids. 🙂🪨
Thanks Doug for watching! Soon I’ll be moving everything into a new shop and it should be much better since I’ve learned so much from my first layout 🤞. I’ll probably put out a new video of that once it’s finished so keep an eye out for that.
Wow your shop is awesome you got so much stuff I bet you love working out there I know I would. And I got one of those raytech vibes and I love it I had mine for almost a year in a half running non stop and the only thing I had to do is add some oil because the barring on the motor kinda ceased up but the oil brought it back like new awesome tumbler I think thanks for the shop tour love it
Hey Keith. Thanks for the comments, and thanks for watching! I am starting to like the Raytech. I still prefer the Thumler but only because it’s quieter and a less messy.
Hi and thanks. I literally just finished using it a few minutes ago. It is loud but not so much the motor as it is the sound of the cutting. I wear hearing protection when I use it. There is not too much spray. The way it is designed prevents that. I don’t get any water on me, other than my hands. I love mine so I can highly recommend one.
Awesome shop. Came here looking for reviews of vibratory tumblers. My current list of equipment is one 1977 Skilcraft 1.5 pound rotary tumbler which I have been running continuously since March polishing beach rocks for the grandkids. Lol.
Thanks! You can’t beat the vintage models, that’s for sure. Regarding vibratory tumblers I would recommend Thumler’s over Diamond Pacific and Raytech. I have never tried the Lotto but it is very popular.
I'm just getting started... I've been unhappy with the inability to "shape" the rocks I collect 1st. Now, I know how it's done and I have a rough idea of what it will cost me if I really want to go pro. I'm running a Model B (15lb), 8 - 3lb barrels, and a Thumler's Ultra-Vibe UV-10. I'll follow your posts to gain knowledge as my experience grows. I love your garage!
Well done review. I enjoyed it since I’m looking for a new tumbler. My one year old 4 pound Loretone burned out its motor and I haven’t been able to find a replacement motor. So I’m looking to purchase a Tumbler instead. Thanks again for the video.
You are most welcome and thanks for watching! Normally you cannot go wrong with Lortone so I am surprised to hear about your troubles. Consider building one from scratch as it’s not too difficult. Good luck!
Thanks Rob! Your videos are what inspired me to go overboard with the tumbling 😆. I’m still debating on whether or not to get the Lot-O. So far I’m very happy with the Thumlers and Raytech, although not so much the Diamond Pacific 🤔.
@@spwinaustin Seriously? I caused that? That's an incredible shop. Lot-O motors are very unreliable lately, so I have trouble recommending them anymore. If you're happy with what you're using, I'd just stick with that.
Thanks Rob! I think I will stick with the Thumler’s and Raytech for now as I’m getting pretty good results and they are fairly easy to use. From all the videos I’ve seen that use the Lot-O it appears they require extra steps to get the job done, and I’m basically lazy! 😁 I enjoyed your last video with the large piece of crazy lace but you kinda stole my thunder as I’ve been working an a similar video for a couple of months now 😆🤣! Mine should be ready in a few weeks but the piece is smaller and not as colorful so it won’t look as awesome as yours. Take care and keep up the good work. You and Nancy are like my extended family up there 😉.
@@spwinaustin Sorry about that. I didn't exactly rush that project. It sat in the tumbler barrel in water for about two weeks after it was done. I was leaving town, so I quickly rinsed it and stored it in water because I didn't have time to clean the cracks really well. When I got home I sort of forgot about it.
Wow, what a dream setup!! I’ve been looking at vibratory tumblers and so much is out of stock still! Do you have an updated review on the raytech tumbler? Or views on the Raytech vs Thumler’s? Seems a bit difficult to get anything these days!
Yep, I had to make a comment. Pretty awesome! I have a Sears 6 pound tumbler as well, that I got from goodwill online for a good price. The inner liner wore a hole through so I stopped my tumbling. I did use some flex tape, but the rocks and grit worked it apart. If you have had to get a new liner, it would be great if you could direct me on where to get get one. Now I’m going to check out your other videos along with the updated shop vid. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much! I’ve actually moved into a new lapidary shop and I’ll be putting out a new video soon. I made lots of improvements so be sure and keep an eye out for that one. Thanks for watching!
Wow! Awesome setup, I ended up finding the air blower you showed and it works great, very powerful, and the air seems warm too which is nice when working the cab wheels. I'm looking to get that UItra-sonic tumbler too, I wondered what kind of media you tend to use with the 1200+l stages of polishing?
Hey Brett, I’m so glad you were able to find the blower. It really does help when cabbing. I only use ceramic in my vibratory tumblers, with different shapes and sizes. Thanks for watching!
OMG I work in a hospital and had the thought of using an infusion pump or at the very least, IV tubing for lapidary purposes. I’m sure you could find that stuff at a medical supply store maybe? Your shop is amazing! I would need a separate home insurance policy just for the equipment lol. That’s a lot of dough but when you acquire a little at a time it’s more doable. I’m looking at buying used equipment. I’m also training to be a shop host with my rock club so I am learning how to troubleshoot and maintain the equipment.
Hey Rachael, thank you for watching! You are absolutely right, a little at a time is the best way to build a lapidary shop. Be sure and check my other videos for my all new and improved lapidary shop!
Hi Jessica. I completely understand your dilemma. I usually tumble my wood until it is very smooth so that I can get a mirror finish but occasionally I like to polish one with very little additional shaping. Also there are times when I just don’t feel like waiting months for the stone to get perfectly smooth! 😉 Thanks for watching!
Very cool, thanks for the tour! I just got a base for the Ultra Vibe without the bowl. I don't see a lot of bowls for sale. Do you think the Raytech bowl would work on the Ultra Vibe?
Hi. Thanks for watching. I believe the Raytech 10 pound bowl would work on the Thumlers. They are a similar design. I don’t know about the smaller Raytech bowls since they are designed differently. If you get the 10 pound bowl you will need to plug the built in drain hole. I used some 5 minute epoxy on mine along with grommet. Good luck!
So many wonderful "toys" in such a small space - your shop is beautifully organized. Thank you for showing us around and for explaining what you did and why, all very helpful. But my question is: how in the world do you keep track which rocks are in which tumbler and how long they have been in there? Do you keep logs for everything?
Hi, and thanks for watching! I now use a large dry erase board which has rows for all of my different barrels. It’s big enough that I can specify exactly what is in each barrel, the date started, and the grit.
Scott nice setup. I'm going to get a 15lb rotary tumbler mostly for polishing petrified wood and Jasper's. Would you have a recommendation? Thank you David
Hi David. Thanks for watching! I’m a big fan of Lortone tumblers and Lortone barrels. As far as I know they don’t make a 15 pound barrel so you would need to go with either the 12 or 20 pound versions, both of which would have no issue with petrified wood. Good luck!
🤝🤝🤝Dear friend, you have an impeccable polishing of samples. I have subscribed to your channel, I will be happy to watch your work. Besides, I'm a big fan of agate stone👍👍👍👍👍
Wow! Wow! Wow! You have so many fun toys. How did the raytech vibratory tumbler work out? I have a lortone 33b and I’m going to get a vibratory but I can’t make up my mind on which one.
Hi Jeannie, thanks for watching! The TV-10 can get great results but it is much noisier and messier than the others. My Thumlers was doing great but the motor failed. Now I’m using a Raytech AV 18 and I’m very happy with the results. You should definitely check out my newer shop tour video that I uploaded a couple of months ago. It has loads of improvements 😁.
Nice setup you have there. How thick do you cut your slabs? I try to cut mine at 1/4 inch for making cabochons. I've also cut them thinner if making guitar picks. My musician friends tell me a stone (Agate) pick creates a crisper sound and they love them.
Hey Stephen, thanks for watching. I usually go about a quarter inch as well because I like to get I high dome. I have also cut much thinner slices to make picks but I didn’t realize it created a different sound, thanks for sharing!
amazing shop you have!!!.... i was gonna ask if you do any polishing for customers that have stones that need polishing but i see you have enough work to last a lifetime
Hey Johnny, thanks for watching! I definitely have a full plate, that’s for sure 😆. You should check out my newer shop tour video because I made several improvements.
Hi Johnny. If you check my Playlists on my channel you will see a group dedicated to lapidary shops and equipment. The video is easily found in there. I hope you like it!
Im interested in one of the HP highspeed trim saws and wondering if the motor is loud and if there's a lot of spray and vapor off the blade . Anything you dont like about it for cutting agates and jaspers? Sweet shop btw!
Hi and thanks for watching! I put the big one together myself using a 3/4 HP motor given to me by a friend. The wood came from Lowe’s Depot and all the other stuff like the rods and bearings I got from Amazon. Overall it wasn’t too expensive, probably less than $200.
Hi Mike! Thanks, I'm trying to make the videos interesting and informative. Check out my latest videos and you'll see some of the rocks I purchased at the rock store a few weeks ago when I saw you. See you around!
Hey Brandon, thanks for watching! That’s just another bucket that I cut down to fit inside the 3 motors. I’m about to release a new video showing the making of a petrified wood sphere so be sure and keep checking back.
hello , I have been carving tagua nut for 23 years , removing the outer brown layer with grinding wheel or belt sander . I then use 240 / 400/ 600/ 1000 grit to get it to a beautiful shine . It is very time consuming and I wondered if you could suggest a rock tumbler that may work with tagua nut , any advice would be appreciated thanks - billy
Hi Billy, thanks for watching! I honestly have no idea how that nut would tumble at those grits but I think it’s safe to say that you should start with a vibratory tumbler. It would be much gentler and easier to keep a close eye on the progress. I suppose if you loaded the barrel with plenty of carved nuts and ceramic filler you should get the good vibratory rotation action which I get with the rocks, and therefore you should get good results. As far as brands I would recommend Raytech or perhaps Thumlers. As far as size it would depend upon how large your pieces are and how many you want to do at a time. Good luck with that and I hope it goes well! It sounds like a fun idea. 😁
Scott can you share or send me your recipe on using the RayTech 10. I had purchased one during the Christmas time and haven't used it yet. What I would like to know is on each tumbling grit that you use for each step all the way through to the polish. I know from what I've seen on other vibrators that you don't use the course grit in it. You tumble it first in a tumbler and then you use step two, three and four to finish it off. Also I noticed that it says in the instructions which are terrible that you're not supposed to use ceramic media but they show in the book the different ceramic medias and they advertise it when you go to purchase. So that's what I was going to ask if the non-abrasive ceramic media have you used it and have you had any problems?
Hi Bob. I’m happy to share my formula with you. I go through 4 polish steps instead of 3. Each one runs for 2 days. For the 10 pound bowl I recommend 1 heaping tablespoon of 220 SC for 2 days. Next, 1 tablespoon of 600 SC and 1 tablespoon of Borax for 2 days. Then, 1 tablespoon of 1500 SC and 1 tablespoon of Borax for 2 days. Finally, 1 tablespoon of AO polish and 1 tablespoon of Borax for 2 days. I get terrific results with that combination. Be sure to monitor the moisture level during each cycle because if it gets too dry bad things can happen. I’ve had no problem using standard tumbling ceramic in my Raytech. Recently my Thumblers UV-18’s motor bearing failed so I purchased a Raytech AV-18 and so far I really like it. Good luck with your rocks and thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching Vicki! I’ve moved into a new house with a new lapidary shop which I will show in a video soon so stay tuned. I’ve made lots of improvements 😉
Hi Brett. Between those two I would go with the Raytech because it will give you better results and have more capacity. The Diamond Pacific will be more reliable and does have the ability to vary its speed which can be useful with certain stones. I have not had a lot of success with the DP. Currently I’m using a Raytech Adjusta-Vibe 18 with the Thumlers 18 bowl. It’s the best combination so far because it lets me adjust the vibratory strength and it has a large capacity.
Scott, I started a couple of pounds of Syenite/Yooperlite in a Modle B barrel on the Lortone C20-2 base and immediately reconsidered running 5 Moh rocks at that higher RPM. I moved back to the Tumbler base to slow them down. I guess experimenting with expensive rock is my tuition! I just started a new batch of granite and tiger eye (same hardness, 7 Mohs) in a B Tumbler on the Lortone base. Should I be ok with 7 Moh rocks at the higher RPMs? I intended to run stages 2&3 in the rotary and move to my UV-10 for 3&4... depending on your advice. No pressure, you have no liability, I promise!
Hey Tom. It’s been my experience that if I load the barrels properly and use plenty of ceramic filler the only issue with higher speed rotation is faster grinding. For a softer rock I just keep a much closer eye on it, checking after a day or two and then extrapolating a reasonable time. The harder stones should be fine as well if the barrel is properly loaded and you shouldn’t need to worry about checking after 7 to 10 days. I only use the rotary tumbler for stage one. After that I do the rest of the stages in a vibratory tumbler. One big advantage to that process is that I never need to worry about how clean my barrels get after each tumble. I have several more tumbling videos nearly finished so stay tuned. I think they are turning out pretty good 🤞.
@@spwinaustin I meant stages 1 & 2 in the rotary, but I like the idea of not worrying about getting the course grit cleaned out completely... I'm going to follow your lead...
Hi, and thanks for watching! I’m not sure what the total is but I can say that most of what you see was acquired during the pandemic. Idle time and a credit card is a bad combination for me!😆 I have a regular job which keeps me gainfully employed, the rocks are just a hobby. Thanks to the good people like you who take the time to watch my videos I’m actually starting to make a very small amount of money from TH-cam ad revenue. It’s certainly not enough to live on but I’ll find something to do with it. Once I retire I might keep busy with lapidary work and perhaps start selling my creations. Be sure and check my other videos for an all new and improved lapidary shop video!
Hi. No, I haven’t looked into that. The rotary tumblers are constantly running and two of them have 1/6 HP motors while the other uses a 1/3 HP. I could figure it out but I’d probably pass out once I got them answer 🤣. Rock tumbling is my hobby, not my job. The difference is my job makes me money while my hobby takes it away! 😆
Michigan Rocks did a video on electricity use and cost of one or two of his tumblers. I remember it was under $5 a month for a small rotary (that's in Alpena, Michigan).
Hi. Thanks for watching. You are probably referring to the wet belt sander. The belt is coated with a resin which contains the 8000 grit diamond particles. The resin, when applied during the manufacturing process, leaves that bumpy appearance. It’s the same as on the cabbing machine’s wheels. It eventually smooths out, at which point it is time to replace the belt 😥.
Scott, I bought a Lortone C20-2 Tumbler Base ($442.00), made to fit 2 of Lortone's 12 lb QT series barrels. I'm wondering if I can run 2 Thumler's 15 lb barrels on it (the barrels are way less expensive than the C20 barrels) and maybe some of my 3 lb barrels (8) that came with derelict chassis. I'm confident the Model B barrels will fit, but I don't have specs on the C20-2 to know how wide apart the spin shafts are to know if the 3's fit. Any idea if that will work? There aren't any C-20 or C-40 units available anywhere, so I'm trying to improvise! Can we use email for contact? I have a couple specific rocks I'd like to get your opinion on how to polish. I'm at t2gunner at aol dot com.
Hey Tom. I’m sure the Thumler’s will work ok but I think the 3 pound barrels will be too small. I’m currently out of the country and can’t verify that but I’m pretty sure the barrels would just fall through to the base. I’m curious about the stones you are trying to polish. I’ll see about emailing you upon my return. Thanks for watching the video!
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I have never seen such a awesome rock shop !! I hope you put out more videos and get more recognized. You have a lot to teach others and a lot of amazing rocks to show and share 👍😊
I appreciate you saying that, thank you. I'm about to upload a new video shortly!
No wonder there are no tumblers for sale anywhere! You've got them all! All kidding aside, you have a great workspace and setup. Totally jealous!
Thanks! I do enjoy the sound of a barrel full of rocks tumbling 😝. I’m always tweaking my setup and currently I have 14 barrels going on 3 different tumblers, one of which is basically homemade. Thanks for watching!
That is the dream Lapidary setup you have going there, I don’t think I would leave that fantastic setup. Thanks for taking us along😍
Thanks Heather, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for posting. As a 2-month beginner, I'm in awe of your shop. Some good equipment reviews.
Thanks John. The shop has taken a while to complete but I'm loving it.
I resemble this post!
Wow. A dream setup!! Thanks for the tour and equipment reviews. Your finished cabs and slabs are beautiful.
Thank you so much, and thanks for watching!
Your rock laboratory is amazing. You have all the machines I would like to have. I have a few. Thanks for the tour.😎
Thanks Darrin, I’m glad you liked it. Just add when you can, that’s what I did.
What an amazing shop!! I'm really enjoying your videos. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you and thanks for watching!
Such beautiful works ❤❤❤
Thank you for watching!
Wow! very impressive shop, Scott Wilkins, and also very impressive work on your part, you have made some beautiful pieces. Thank you for showing us.
Thank you so much for that. I’ve enjoyed your videos as well. You are very creative.
Hi Scott, Thank you for the shop tour. You are doing a great job running a full-featured shop and making beautiful polished stones. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Keep checking back because I’m moving into a new lapidary shop which will have lots of improvements over the original one. I’ll put out a video soon.
You have an amazing setup! Great variation of equipment and very neatly setup! Thank for sharing. And you material at the beginning are beautiful!!
Thank you for watching! Be sure and check my new lapidary shop tour video for several improvements in the layout.
Fabulous shop! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Steve for watching!
You have an awesome set up! I could sure use a flat lap(hopefully soon) and I'd love to get a sphere machine. Thanks for the tour.
Glad you liked it Dude, I hope you get your shop the way you want it very soon!
I’m in awe at all your setups and the metered drip is an excellent idea. I also got a good laugh outta it seeing it hooked up to a non sentient being. Keep up the good work…love your vids. 🙂🪨
It’s alive!! 😆 Thanks for watching my videos, I appreciate it! Check out my latest lapidary shop video to see how I improved most of the setup.
Awesome shop you've got there brother! Thanks for the grand tour😀👍
Thanks Doug for watching! Soon I’ll be moving everything into a new shop and it should be much better since I’ve learned so much from my first layout 🤞. I’ll probably put out a new video of that once it’s finished so keep an eye out for that.
Wow your shop is awesome you got so much stuff I bet you love working out there I know I would. And I got one of those raytech vibes and I love it I had mine for almost a year in a half running non stop and the only thing I had to do is add some oil because the barring on the motor kinda ceased up but the oil brought it back like new awesome tumbler I think thanks for the shop tour love it
Hey Keith. Thanks for the comments, and thanks for watching! I am starting to like the Raytech. I still prefer the Thumler but only because it’s quieter and a less messy.
Just rockin out in the garage! Amazing set up! Way to go!
Thanks Chris!
Wow! You have an amazing shop!
Thank you Nancy!
Wow! such an amazing shop!
Thank you! If you check my other videos you will find a tour of my new shop which I believe has lots of improvements. Thanks for watching!
Hi and thanks. I literally just finished using it a few minutes ago. It is loud but not so much the motor as it is the sound of the cutting. I wear hearing protection when I use it. There is not too much spray. The way it is designed prevents that. I don’t get any water on me, other than my hands. I love mine so I can highly recommend one.
Such a really full-up workshop and very busy, nice!
Thanks Elaine, and thank for watching!
Awesome shop. Came here looking for reviews of vibratory tumblers. My current list of equipment is one 1977 Skilcraft 1.5 pound rotary tumbler which I have been running continuously since March polishing beach rocks for the grandkids. Lol.
Thanks! You can’t beat the vintage models, that’s for sure. Regarding vibratory tumblers I would recommend Thumler’s over Diamond Pacific and Raytech. I have never tried the Lotto but it is very popular.
I'm just getting started... I've been unhappy with the inability to "shape" the rocks I collect 1st. Now, I know how it's done and I have a rough idea of what it will cost me if I really want to go pro. I'm running a Model B (15lb), 8 - 3lb barrels, and a Thumler's Ultra-Vibe UV-10. I'll follow your posts to gain knowledge as my experience grows. I love your garage!
Hi Tom. Thanks for watching. It sounds like you are on the right track!
Super legit set up 👌🏼
Thanks Greg! The pandemic left me with too much time on my hands 😆. I just added a new 10” saw yesterday so it continues to grow….
Nice setup Scott, very serious shop of big boy toys.
GD
Thanks! What you see is mostly the result of a 2 year pandemic which left too much time on my hands 🤣. Thanks for watching!
Very cool space!
Thanks, I appreciate it, and thanks for watching!
Wow ! That's impressive !
Thanks so much, I’m glad you liked it!
Well done review. I enjoyed it since I’m looking for a new tumbler. My one year old 4 pound Loretone burned out its motor and I haven’t been able to find a replacement motor. So I’m looking to purchase a Tumbler instead. Thanks again for the video.
You are most welcome and thanks for watching! Normally you cannot go wrong with Lortone so I am surprised to hear about your troubles. Consider building one from scratch as it’s not too difficult. Good luck!
That's a very impressive shop! I thought I was into tumbling but that puts my set up to shame. The only thing you're missing is a Lot-O.
Thanks Rob! Your videos are what inspired me to go overboard with the tumbling 😆. I’m still debating on whether or not to get the Lot-O. So far I’m very happy with the Thumlers and Raytech, although not so much the Diamond Pacific 🤔.
@@spwinaustin Seriously? I caused that? That's an incredible shop.
Lot-O motors are very unreliable lately, so I have trouble recommending them anymore. If you're happy with what you're using, I'd just stick with that.
Thanks Rob! I think I will stick with the Thumler’s and Raytech for now as I’m getting pretty good results and they are fairly easy to use. From all the videos I’ve seen that use the Lot-O it appears they require extra steps to get the job done, and I’m basically lazy! 😁 I enjoyed your last video with the large piece of crazy lace but you kinda stole my thunder as I’ve been working an a similar video for a couple of months now 😆🤣! Mine should be ready in a few weeks but the piece is smaller and not as colorful so it won’t look as awesome as yours. Take care and keep up the good work. You and Nancy are like my extended family up there 😉.
@@spwinaustin Sorry about that. I didn't exactly rush that project. It sat in the tumbler barrel in water for about two weeks after it was done. I was leaving town, so I quickly rinsed it and stored it in water because I didn't have time to clean the cracks really well. When I got home I sort of forgot about it.
Wow, what a dream setup!! I’ve been looking at vibratory tumblers and so much is out of stock still! Do you have an updated review on the raytech tumbler? Or views on the Raytech vs Thumler’s? Seems a bit difficult to get anything these days!
Yep, I had to make a comment. Pretty awesome! I have a Sears 6 pound tumbler as well, that I got from goodwill online for a good price. The inner liner wore a hole through so I stopped my tumbling. I did use some flex tape, but the rocks and grit worked it apart. If you have had to get a new liner, it would be great if you could direct me on where to get get one.
Now I’m going to check out your other videos along with the updated shop vid.
Thank you for sharing.
Hi Brian, thanks so much for watching! Honestly I’m not sure where you could get a replacement since Sears is a thing of the past🤷♂️.
Nice shop. I would love to have all that equipment but the cab machine is where I would spend my days
Thanks, and that’s my plan for the future 😁!
It's a wonderful workspace. I'm sure you've done some great work.
Thanks so much! I’ve actually moved into a new lapidary shop and I’ll be putting out a new video soon. I made lots of improvements so be sure and keep an eye out for that one. Thanks for watching!
@@spwinaustin Thank you very much. I'll be following you.
Wow! Awesome setup, I ended up finding the air blower you showed and it works great, very powerful, and the air seems warm too which is nice when working the cab wheels. I'm looking to get that UItra-sonic tumbler too, I wondered what kind of media you tend to use with the 1200+l stages of polishing?
Hey Brett, I’m so glad you were able to find the blower. It really does help when cabbing. I only use ceramic in my vibratory tumblers, with different shapes and sizes. Thanks for watching!
OMG I work in a hospital and had the thought of using an infusion pump or at the very least, IV tubing for lapidary purposes. I’m sure you could find that stuff at a medical supply store maybe?
Your shop is amazing! I would need a separate home insurance policy just for the equipment lol. That’s a lot of dough but when you acquire a little at a time it’s more doable. I’m looking at buying used equipment. I’m also training to be a shop host with my rock club so I am learning how to troubleshoot and maintain the equipment.
Hey Rachael, thank you for watching! You are absolutely right, a little at a time is the best way to build a lapidary shop. Be sure and check my other videos for my all new and improved lapidary shop!
I have the biggest internal struggle over tumbling or polishing my petrified wood. For some reason I just don't want to lose a natural look of it 😆
Hi Jessica. I completely understand your dilemma. I usually tumble my wood until it is very smooth so that I can get a mirror finish but occasionally I like to polish one with very little additional shaping. Also there are times when I just don’t feel like waiting months for the stone to get perfectly smooth! 😉 Thanks for watching!
Show meu amigo belas máquinas like
Thanks Gilberto! Be sure and watch my newer shop video which shows my new lapidary shop.
Wow what as setup.
Thanks! It was mostly the result of a world wide pandemic and me being bored and stuck at home 😆. Thanks for watching!
Damn bro you gotta have the right tool for the right fool I like your videos
Thanks James, and thanks for watching!
I drooled.
Thanks for watching! My little rock shop is mostly the result of a world wide pandemic and being stuck at home a lot with too much time on my hands 😆.
Very cool, thanks for the tour! I just got a base for the Ultra Vibe without the bowl. I don't see a lot of bowls for sale. Do you think the Raytech bowl would work on the Ultra Vibe?
Hi. Thanks for watching. I believe the Raytech 10 pound bowl would work on the Thumlers. They are a similar design. I don’t know about the smaller Raytech bowls since they are designed differently. If you get the 10 pound bowl you will need to plug the built in drain hole. I used some 5 minute epoxy on mine along with grommet. Good luck!
@@spwinaustin Great, thank you!
So many wonderful "toys" in such a small space - your shop is beautifully organized. Thank you for showing us around and for explaining what you did and why, all very helpful. But my question is: how in the world do you keep track which rocks are in which tumbler and how long they have been in there? Do you keep logs for everything?
Hi, and thanks for watching! I now use a large dry erase board which has rows for all of my different barrels. It’s big enough that I can specify exactly what is in each barrel, the date started, and the grit.
@@spwinaustin thanks for replying, that's something I may do once I get past the trying-to-figure-things-out stage.
Scott nice setup. I'm going to get a 15lb rotary tumbler mostly for polishing petrified wood and Jasper's. Would you have a recommendation? Thank you David
Hi David. Thanks for watching! I’m a big fan of Lortone tumblers and Lortone barrels. As far as I know they don’t make a 15 pound barrel so you would need to go with either the 12 or 20 pound versions, both of which would have no issue with petrified wood. Good luck!
this guy Rocks
Thank you for watching!
Awesome shop. No doubt you’re enjoying making beautiful things.
Thanks so much, and thank you for watching! If you get a chance be sure and check my other videos for a tour of my new shop. It’s even better!
🤝🤝🤝Dear friend, you have an impeccable polishing of samples. I have subscribed to your channel, I will be happy to watch your work. Besides, I'm a big fan of agate stone👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you so much, and I appreciate you watching! I’ve got lots more coming soon so stay tuned!
Wow! Wow! Wow! You have so many fun toys. How did the raytech vibratory tumbler work out? I have a lortone 33b and I’m going to get a vibratory but I can’t make up my mind on which one.
Hi Jeannie, thanks for watching! The TV-10 can get great results but it is much noisier and messier than the others. My Thumlers was doing great but the motor failed. Now I’m using a Raytech AV 18 and I’m very happy with the results. You should definitely check out my newer shop tour video that I uploaded a couple of months ago. It has loads of improvements 😁.
Nice setup you have there. How thick do you cut your slabs? I try to cut mine at 1/4 inch for making cabochons. I've also cut them thinner if making guitar picks. My musician friends tell me a stone (Agate) pick creates a crisper sound and they love them.
Hey Stephen, thanks for watching. I usually go about a quarter inch as well because I like to get I high dome. I have also cut much thinner slices to make picks but I didn’t realize it created a different sound, thanks for sharing!
amazing shop you have!!!.... i was gonna ask if you do any polishing for customers that have stones that need polishing but i see you have enough work to last a lifetime
Hey Johnny, thanks for watching! I definitely have a full plate, that’s for sure 😆. You should check out my newer shop tour video because I made several improvements.
wheres the shop tour at?? @@spwinaustin
Hi Johnny. If you check my Playlists on my channel you will see a group dedicated to lapidary shops and equipment. The video is easily found in there. I hope you like it!
Im interested in one of the HP highspeed trim saws and wondering if the motor is loud and if there's a lot of spray and vapor off the blade . Anything you dont like about it for cutting agates and jaspers? Sweet shop btw!
Hi. It's definitely loud but there is not too much spray with which to contend. I think you will like it!
Wow, where are you located? I would love to visit. Great set up!
Hi Susan. I live in the Austin area. Thanks for the compliment, and thanks for watching!
My dad and I made a rock Tumblr out of an old treadmill and used 8 inch PVC pipe as the Tumblr barrel
That sounds super cool Jorgen, thanks for sharing, and thanks for watching!
Dude has the rock tumbling version of the Breaking Bad super lab
Good one Jane! You should check out my new lapidary shop and see some of the changes that would make Walter proud!😆
I wish I had watched your reviews all the way through before I purchased my Covington setup. Oh well!
If you take care of it and keep it running smoothly then you should have success. I just prefer Lortone.
Scott, Nice video here. What grit are you using to get your petrified wood to shine like that?
Hey Ryan, thanks for watching! I usually use one micron aluminum oxide polish, which is approximately 14,000 grit.
Thanks Scott!
@@spwinaustin
Hi, Scott where did you get the sphere indexer at? I need one and can't find one anywhere.
Hi. I found it from watching a different video on sphere making. The site is sphereproducts.com.
sphereproducts.com/
scott where do you buy your belts for the wet belt sander from highland park?
Hi, thanks for watching! I bought the silicon carbide belts from HP Lapidary and the diamond polishing belts from Kingsley North.
ohhhhhhh i need more pics of that awesome triple tumbler! how much are those?
Hi and thanks for watching! I put the big one together myself using a 3/4 HP motor given to me by a friend. The wood came from Lowe’s Depot and all the other stuff like the rods and bearings I got from Amazon. Overall it wasn’t too expensive, probably less than $200.
Awesome video man it’s Mike from the rock shop saying hi
Hi Mike! Thanks, I'm trying to make the videos interesting and informative. Check out my latest videos and you'll see some of the rocks I purchased at the rock store a few weeks ago when I saw you. See you around!
@@spwinaustin shop is absolutely killer and would make @lapidarydave jealous
what did you use for that outside bucket on your sphere machine?
Hey Brandon, thanks for watching! That’s just another bucket that I cut down to fit inside the 3 motors. I’m about to release a new video showing the making of a petrified wood sphere so be sure and keep checking back.
hello , I have been carving tagua nut for 23 years , removing the outer brown layer with grinding wheel or belt sander . I then use 240 / 400/ 600/ 1000 grit to get it to a beautiful shine . It is very time consuming and I wondered if you could suggest a rock tumbler that may work with tagua nut , any advice would be appreciated thanks - billy
Hi Billy, thanks for watching! I honestly have no idea how that nut would tumble at those grits but I think it’s safe to say that you should start with a vibratory tumbler. It would be much gentler and easier to keep a close eye on the progress. I suppose if you loaded the barrel with plenty of carved nuts and ceramic filler you should get the good vibratory rotation action which I get with the rocks, and therefore you should get good results. As far as brands I would recommend Raytech or perhaps Thumlers. As far as size it would depend upon how large your pieces are and how many you want to do at a time. Good luck with that and I hope it goes well! It sounds like a fun idea. 😁
😍😍😍
Thanks for watching!
Scott can you share or send me your recipe on using the RayTech 10. I had purchased one during the Christmas time and haven't used it yet. What I would like to know is on each tumbling grit that you use for each step all the way through to the polish. I know from what I've seen on other vibrators that you don't use the course grit in it. You tumble it first in a tumbler and then you use step two, three and four to finish it off. Also I noticed that it says in the instructions which are terrible that you're not supposed to use ceramic media but they show in the book the different ceramic medias and they advertise it when you go to purchase. So that's what I was going to ask if the non-abrasive ceramic media have you used it and have you had any problems?
Hi Bob. I’m happy to share my formula with you. I go through 4 polish steps instead of 3. Each one runs for 2 days. For the 10 pound bowl I recommend 1 heaping tablespoon of 220 SC for 2 days. Next, 1 tablespoon of 600 SC and 1 tablespoon of Borax for 2 days. Then, 1 tablespoon of 1500 SC and 1 tablespoon of Borax for 2 days. Finally, 1 tablespoon of AO polish and 1 tablespoon of Borax for 2 days. I get terrific results with that combination. Be sure to monitor the moisture level during each cycle because if it gets too dry bad things can happen. I’ve had no problem using standard tumbling ceramic in my Raytech. Recently my Thumblers UV-18’s motor bearing failed so I purchased a Raytech AV-18 and so far I really like it. Good luck with your rocks and thanks for watching!
@@spwinaustin , thanks Scott for getting back to me so fast. I will give that a try possibly in the next week. Thank you again
Wow!
Thanks Nancy!
Where did you get your 8,000 grit belt for your Highland Park Wet Belt Sander?
Hey, thanks for watching! I bought the belt from Kingsley North. They have an assortment of grits. I also have a cerium belt from them.
WOW!
Thanks for watching Vicki! I’ve moved into a new house with a new lapidary shop which I will show in a video soon so stay tuned. I’ve made lots of improvements 😉
Hi
I have a choice to buy a raytech tv10 or a diamond pacific mt4 which one do think would be the best to purchase
Hi Brett. Between those two I would go with the Raytech because it will give you better results and have more capacity. The Diamond Pacific will be more reliable and does have the ability to vary its speed which can be useful with certain stones. I have not had a lot of success with the DP. Currently I’m using a Raytech Adjusta-Vibe 18 with the Thumlers 18 bowl. It’s the best combination so far because it lets me adjust the vibratory strength and it has a large capacity.
Scott, I started a couple of pounds of Syenite/Yooperlite in a Modle B barrel on the Lortone C20-2 base and immediately reconsidered running 5 Moh rocks at that higher RPM. I moved back to the Tumbler base to slow them down. I guess experimenting with expensive rock is my tuition! I just started a new batch of granite and tiger eye (same hardness, 7 Mohs) in a B Tumbler on the Lortone base. Should I be ok with 7 Moh rocks at the higher RPMs? I intended to run stages 2&3 in the rotary and move to my UV-10 for 3&4... depending on your advice. No pressure, you have no liability, I promise!
Hey Tom. It’s been my experience that if I load the barrels properly and use plenty of ceramic filler the only issue with higher speed rotation is faster grinding. For a softer rock I just keep a much closer eye on it, checking after a day or two and then extrapolating a reasonable time. The harder stones should be fine as well if the barrel is properly loaded and you shouldn’t need to worry about checking after 7 to 10 days. I only use the rotary tumbler for stage one. After that I do the rest of the stages in a vibratory tumbler. One big advantage to that process is that I never need to worry about how clean my barrels get after each tumble. I have several more tumbling videos nearly finished so stay tuned. I think they are turning out pretty good 🤞.
@@spwinaustin I meant stages 1 & 2 in the rotary, but I like the idea of not worrying about getting the course grit cleaned out completely... I'm going to follow your lead...
But, I'm gonna need another vibratory! I have 4, 15 lb barrels! I'm on the UV-18 list...
@@t2gunner you’re going to love the UV18!
@@spwinaustin If I can find one! I'm on half a dozen lists... waiting.
Good 👍🎉🎉🎉
Thanks for watching!
👍👍👍👍👍👍💐💐💐💐🌼🌼🌼🌼🎁🎁 جميل جدا جدا ورائع إبداع جميل الآلات العجيبة رائعة أحسنت صديقي معدات مهمة لي الصقل الأحجار رائع جدا جدا
Thanks for watching!
How much money do you have in your whole set up?
Do you make a living off of rocks?
If so, can you explain how to ?
Hi, and thanks for watching! I’m not sure what the total is but I can say that most of what you see was acquired during the pandemic. Idle time and a credit card is a bad combination for me!😆 I have a regular job which keeps me gainfully employed, the rocks are just a hobby. Thanks to the good people like you who take the time to watch my videos I’m actually starting to make a very small amount of money from TH-cam ad revenue. It’s certainly not enough to live on but I’ll find something to do with it. Once I retire I might keep busy with lapidary work and perhaps start selling my creations. Be sure and check my other videos for an all new and improved lapidary shop video!
This going to be a hobby when buy the kit.
Got stones 😂
Thanks for watching!
Would love to buy slabs if they are for sale??
Hi again! I haven’t considered selling slabs but if it were convenient I would be happy to get rid of some.
Have you figured out an estimate on the electricity costs to run that many tumblers?
Hi. No, I haven’t looked into that. The rotary tumblers are constantly running and two of them have 1/6 HP motors while the other uses a 1/3 HP. I could figure it out but I’d probably pass out once I got them answer 🤣. Rock tumbling is my hobby, not my job. The difference is my job makes me money while my hobby takes it away! 😆
Michigan Rocks did a video on electricity use and cost of one or two of his tumblers. I remember it was under $5 a month for a small rotary (that's in Alpena, Michigan).
Killer
Thanks!
8.000 grit ?.. why it looks like 40 grit?
Hi. Thanks for watching. You are probably referring to the wet belt sander. The belt is coated with a resin which contains the 8000 grit diamond particles. The resin, when applied during the manufacturing process, leaves that bumpy appearance. It’s the same as on the cabbing machine’s wheels. It eventually smooths out, at which point it is time to replace the belt 😥.
@@spwinaustin thanks, I did not knew that.
Scott, I bought a Lortone C20-2 Tumbler Base ($442.00), made to fit 2 of Lortone's 12 lb QT series barrels. I'm wondering if I can run 2 Thumler's 15 lb barrels on it (the barrels are way less expensive than the C20 barrels) and maybe some of my 3 lb barrels (8) that came with derelict chassis. I'm confident the Model B barrels will fit, but I don't have specs on the C20-2 to know how wide apart the spin shafts are to know if the 3's fit. Any idea if that will work? There aren't any C-20 or C-40 units available anywhere, so I'm trying to improvise! Can we use email for contact? I have a couple specific rocks I'd like to get your opinion on how to polish. I'm at t2gunner at aol dot com.
Hey Tom. I’m sure the Thumler’s will work ok but I think the 3 pound barrels will be too small. I’m currently out of the country and can’t verify that but I’m pretty sure the barrels would just fall through to the base. I’m curious about the stones you are trying to polish. I’ll see about emailing you upon my return. Thanks for watching the video!