Tumbler Slurry

[T.C.]

Does anyone save their tumbler slurry and re-use it?? I read an article where a guy said he saved his and re-used it. Just curious....

 

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[meMiner]

I find the grit breaks down. If there is anything abrasive left over, then probably the rocks should be run for longer or you are using too much grit. For sure, rough grit can be recycled, but look at the reason that you have it in your slurry.

 

[T.C.]

Yeah, that makes sense. Still, I read somewhere that the guy saved his and just added to it....

 

[Eu_citzen]

When my old man used to make a living of tumbling rocks he would save the grit left over in the slurry and mix with 50% new grit.
But then, he used quite big amounts ever week. So unless you do tumble a lot - I doubt its worth the hassle.

 

[meMiner]

My two cents - It is probably OK to reuse the step 1 coarse grit or maybe the step 2 medium, but I would never suggest reusing the step 3 fine or step 4 polishing. You won't get a good polish at that stage - if there is anything left behind in the used material that scratches your rocks...little scratches will leave your rocks dull and will have to be re-run. It takes a long time to polish rocks, so I like to have no contaminates.

 

[ice9]

Just don't send it down the drain. The idea is to thicken the slurry faster, as, supposedly, the grinding action is best when the water thickens into a slurry. So instead of waiting for the slurry to form, you create an instant slurry. As with many, many ideas in lapidary, I doubt any actual testing has been done. I'm rolling 40 lbs right now. Rockhound tumbling hobby forums will have a wealth of info for you.