[Jewelry making - Article 00266] - Re: [Orchid] Tumbling - barrels and Media

[MillsGem]

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Dear Judy,

    You bring up an interesting consideration.....the one that suggests
    that tumbler barrels work best when they have flat sides. I remember
    reading an article in one of the lapidary magazines which was
    written by a rockhound who was an engineer. He had conducted an
    intensive trial and analysis of this subject and came to the
    conclusion that barrels with smooth interiors were best. He also
    suggested that the flat sided ones had a tendency to lift and drop
    as opposed to a gentle cascading. As I have mentioned before, the
    configuration of the barrel is just one of many factors. Loading,
    buffering, viscosity and speed are other factors which must be
    factored in. Theoretically, by altering one or more of the foregoing
    factors one might be able to get excellent results from just about
    any barrel. 

    I encountered an agate processor in Botswana who was processing
    Botswana agate with the tilted barrel from a concrete truck.
    Unfortunately he was turning out agates that were checkered with
    surface fractures ( by the ton ) When I suggested that he remove the
    internal baffles he was able to solve the problem......the baffles
    were carrying the agates to the top of the barrel and dropping them
    ! (And, of course, the inside of the barrel was smooth.)  

Ron Mills, Mills Gem Co. Los Osos, Ca. 

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