Dalle Posted July 19, 2023 Posted July 19, 2023 I am new on this.Så i hawe to ask if this one works to ballmill BP and other chemicals?Lortone Stentrumlare 3A - Kapacitet ca 1,3 kg - Slöjd-Detaljer (slojd-detaljer.se)it is in swedich so i translate it.Stone tumbler from Lortone. Silent drummer with a rubber drum 0.8 L. Suitable for grinding and polishing smaller stones up to 30 mm as well as for polishing gold, silver, brass etc. Capacity about 1.3 kg. 220/240 V. 0,33 A. Size drum 120 mm x Ø 112 mm. Measures 235 x 145 x 70.
Arthur Posted July 19, 2023 Posted July 19, 2023 As a small mill it will be slow. With ceramic media ( www.inoxia.co.uk/products/ball-mill/media ) it will work well for a long time. A mill jar loaded with lead media will likely not turn because it will overload the motor.
MooneyRanger Posted July 19, 2023 Posted July 19, 2023 Dalle,My first post, as well. As long as there is a rubber disc cover inside the tumbler covering the metallic lid during operation, you are looking at a conventional pyrotechnics tumbler. I would search the forum for common tumbler practice topics. There is much to learn and know to be safe using the tumbler such as media, loading ratios, rotational speeds, sensitive comps... just to name a few. Practicing safety wins out over luck any day.
ThrownBiscuit Posted July 19, 2023 Posted July 19, 2023 (edited) You might be able to use it. Be mindful that lead milling media is very dense (11.34g/cm^3) so will use up mass capacity quickly. I am curious of its rotational speed in rpm, you will want the drum to be turning at about 80-90 rpm. When milling you will want the jar about 1/2 full of milling media and 1/4 full of chemical and 1/4 full of empty space. For using a ballmill, I recommend using different drums and media for different chemicals to prevent cross-contamination and prevent dangerous compounds from forming. As examples of dangerous interactions: potassium chlorate and ammonium perchlorate. These 2 mixing can kill you and should be avoided. Edited to reflect accuracy as per SharkWhisperer's correcting my error. I should have put potassium chlorate rather than potassium nitrate. I guess I had BP components in my brain at that moment. Edited July 20, 2023 by ThrownBiscuit
Arthur Posted July 20, 2023 Posted July 20, 2023 If you design and build a mill then it's speed is your choice. If you BUY something to be your mill then it's speed was set by the maker -just work with it.
SharkWhisperer Posted July 20, 2023 Posted July 20, 2023 As examples of dangerous interactions: potassium nitrate and ammonium perchlorate. These 2 mixing can kill you and should be avoided.Maybe not the best example: You risk a double displacement rxn that produces ammonium nitrate (hygroscopic) and KClO4. Not dangerous but risks spoiling any effect from humidity collection by formed ammonium nitrate. The reason you don't prime ammonium perchlorate-based stars with BP. Now any ammonium compound and a chlorate together is dangerous (explosive ammonium chlorate). Accuracy in providing fireworking information is essential.
Dalle Posted July 20, 2023 Author Posted July 20, 2023 (edited) Thx for the tip, I think I'll build one myself instead of buying a ready-made one. The engine of a washing machine should be able to provide more power and larger drum. Edited July 20, 2023 by Dalle
ThrownBiscuit Posted July 20, 2023 Posted July 20, 2023 Thank you SharkWhisperer for correcting my oversight. I welcome any corrections so that information is conveyed more accurately.
SharkWhisperer Posted July 21, 2023 Posted July 21, 2023 Thx for the tip, I think I'll build one myself instead of buying a ready-made one. The engine of a washing machine should be able to provide more power and larger drum.Windshield wiper motors are pretty torquey, too, and sometimes used for small mills. Dalle, if I did the currency conversion correctly, that Lortone mill costs over $200, which is about 4x the price for a single jar hobby tumbler in the USA. If you could find somebody in the States to mail you one, this Harbor Freight two-drum unit is a common hobby mill (I have one stored away that worked will for years) for about 1/3 the price ($70 USD). https://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html. With lead media, you can only turn one jar at a time without overstressing the unit, unless you undercharge your jars and run it for a longer duration. Or use lower-density media (and also run it for longer). This HF mill and the Lortone probably comes out of the same Chynese factory (the jars do, for a fact). There are hobby mills on Amazon, too, but most are comparatively overpriced.
modelbuilder70 Posted August 8, 2023 Posted August 8, 2023 I have a Lyman Reloading Cyclone Tumbler that I’m not currently using for reloading, would this work for ball milling? Or is it too large.https://www.lymanproducts.com/reloading/case-cleaning/cyclone-rotary-tumbler
Arthur Posted August 9, 2023 Posted August 9, 2023 It's too large IF you don't fill it optimally for milling! However if you think it's too large then will it turn when full of lead balls? Many a repurposed tumbler is underpowered to turn many pounds of lead balls. If a mill is underpowered for a full charge of lead balls it will likely still turn a full charge of ceramic balls. I do like that the advert says it has a rubber liner for quietness.
modelbuilder70 Posted August 9, 2023 Posted August 9, 2023 It's too large IF you don't fill it optimally for milling! However if you think it's too large then will it turn when full of lead balls? Many a repurposed tumbler is underpowered to turn many pounds of lead balls. If a mill is underpowered for a full charge of lead balls it will likely still turn a full charge of ceramic balls. I do like that the advert says it has a rubber liner for quietness.The manual says not to exceed 30 pounds in the drum. So it should be able to spin 15-20 pounds of lead-antimony balls.
Dalle Posted October 5, 2023 Author Posted October 5, 2023 Hawe to ask, i hawe turn lots of brass balls 20mm for my tumbler.I read at another place here where they use smaller balls.My question is can i use my 20mm balls och are they to big for my 4" drum so i hawe to make smaller.
cmjlab Posted October 6, 2023 Posted October 6, 2023 It would be worth giving it a shot, milling media is getting expensive. You could find some smaller brass balls to toss in as well to cover more surface area (instead of just the 20mm).
Arthur Posted October 6, 2023 Posted October 6, 2023 Look at www.inoxia.co.uk/products/ball-mill/media/ceramic-balls-13mmRock tumblers usually will not turn a full drum of heavy lead balls, but will turn ceramic media.
stivec Posted November 3, 2023 Posted November 3, 2023 Would this work?https://www.amazon.com/Jewelry-Polisher-Capacity-Polishing-Finishing/dp/B0B2KNY3SN/ref=sr_1_88?crid=1PKXNRXQFG627&keywords=rock%2Btumbler&qid=1698970000&sprefix=rock%2Btumbler%2Caps%2C286&sr=8-88&th=1
Arthur Posted November 3, 2023 Posted November 3, 2023 It will work BUT not with lead balls (a 60w motor will not turn pounds of lead and pounds of ingredients. Either you buy a retail hobby rock tumbler and work within it's rated weight using ceramic media, or you build your own with a 500w motor. It takes a lot of energy to rotate a drum of lead balls.
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