sillylittlegoose
off to a rocking start
just a little fool trying my best and by trying my best I mean having fun and being myself hooray!
Member since January 2024
Posts: 2
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Post by sillylittlegoose on Jan 22, 2024 0:30:39 GMT -5
Hello, friends! I just made this account and I am very new to rock tumbling! My knowledge on the subject is rocky at best (I bet you all aren't absolutely sick of seeing that joke on the forum, huh?). But seriously, I'm only 1 crappy tumble into to the rock-verse and would like to get better. If anybody out there who has more rock expertise than me (virtually all of you, I'm guessing) can answer some questions, I would be forever honored.
(I probably could have just looked some of these up - in fact, these questions have probably been answered on this very forum - but I would really appreciate any input)
1) What is a good price to pay for untumbled rocks? I know it depends on what type of rock it is, and I want to get ones that are good enough quality, but I don't want to be tricked into dishing out stupid amounts of cash for some naturally occurring sediment piles. Are some types of rocks more expensive, on average? Is it worth is to buy expensive rocks or would I be better off investing in better grits or polishes?
2)Would having a bad rock tumbler (the machine itself) cause bad turn-outs. Like, if it tumbles too slow or unevenly, could that affect my finished product? I'm still using one of those child hobby tumbling kits I got as a kid however many years ago (and had not touched in those many years).
3) Do you need to polish rocks after you tumble them or is it a 1-or-the-other type deal? Is it necessary to polish rocks in between any grit cycles?
4) What are wash cycles and how often should they be used?
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Post by Pat on Jan 22, 2024 0:52:57 GMT -5
Oh, dear! Not a tumbler, but there are many tumbling pros here. There is a big tumbling section mentioned on the Homepage.
Good luck. Welcome from California
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ctxtumblebug
having dreams about rocks
Member since August 2023
Posts: 56
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Post by ctxtumblebug on Jan 22, 2024 3:23:37 GMT -5
Welcome to this forum. Some of the very best and most experienced rock tumblers in the world are here on this forum to point you in the right direction. As for your questions, I have a few good answers.
1. I purchase my best tumbling rough at my local rock shop and from Kingsley North. Average cost per pound ranges from $3 on the low end (Agates and Jaspers from West Texas and Mexico) up to $15 or a little more on the high end for me. (Lake Superior Agates and high quality Botswana Agates) If you live in the right area, you can find nice rocks for tumbling for free on your own almost anywhere. As for grit and polish, I use 46/70 or 60/90 SiCa for Step One, 120/220 SiCa for Step Two, 500 SiCa Pre-Polish for Step Three and 1200 AO Polish for Step Four. I buy my grit and polish from my local rock shop and from Kingsley North.
2. I use a National Geographic tumbler all the time for small batches with an extremely high success rate. This is an inexpensive tumbler that people buy for their kids but when used correctly, it will definitely produce high quality tumbled rocks with a nice shine. As for rocks, they must all be of an equal hardness for them to tumble well and take on a good polish. Agates, jaspers, chert, quartz and petrified wood are all pretty much of an equal hardness and will tumble and polish well.
3 and 4. My recipe for successful rock tumbling with a National Geographic or any small (3lb drum) rotary rock tumbler works like this:
A. Fill the drum 2/3 to 3/4 full with rocks of equal hardness. Fill the drum with water until it is just below the top of the rocks. Add 3 level tablespoons of 46/70 or 60/90 SiCa grit for the Step One tumble. Tumble time is one week or until the rocks are smooth.
B. Same thing but with 120/220 SiCa grit. Step Two tumble time is one week.
C. Same thing but with 500 SiCa Pre-Polish. Step Three tumble time is one week.
D. Same thing but with 1200 AO Polish. Step Four tumble time is one week.
Important things to know: Grit recipe for rotary tumblers is always one level tablespoon of grit for every pound of rock. Small tumblers like the National Geographic have a 3lb drum so it takes three level tablespoons of grit when it is filled as described above. Big tumblers like the Rebel 17 or the Thumler's Model B will hold about 10-12 lbs of rock when filled properly so it takes 10-12 level tablespoons of grit for the best results. Clean-outs between each of the steps is critically important. The barrel and the rocks must be completely clean and free of grit from the previous step before moving on to the next step. Failure to do so will result in dull crappy rocks. Hard rocks and soft rocks do not play well together in the tumbler. Be sure the rocks are all of equal hardness for best results. Agates and Jaspers are great for beginners. Step One tumble can take anywhere from a week or all the way up to several months before the rocks are smooth and ready for the next step so be patient. If Step One has to be repeated again until the rocks are smooth, the grit needs to replenished weekly. There are many tutorials on this forum and on YouTube that shows all of this in great detail. I strongly recommend that you watch MichiganRocks rock tumbling tutorials on YouTube because that's how I learned and it made me an excellent tumbler right off the bat.
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Post by HankRocks on Jan 22, 2024 7:11:51 GMT -5
Before we get too far, what type tumbler do you have? And what grits do you have, and most importantly what polish do you have. If you can post some pictures of your batch so we can get an idea of the type rocks in your first batch and the mix of sizes.
One thing you will find is that everyone out here has a different method. I must have 5 or 6 different methods with each specific to what I am tumbling.
I would also suggest that you start with less expensive rocks. You can learn with those and get a method established and then move on to better rocks. If you live in an area that you can collect some tumble material, that's another way to get material. For myself I have never bought rocks online, I need to see and feel the rocks to know if it's material I want to tumble. I have been tumbling rocks for almost 60 plus years and I can generally see and feel a rock and know if it will tumble well.
One thing to remember is that, the first stage is important. You can take months tumbling rocks through the first stage multiple times. I would suggest that while learning you not do that, it's going to get frustrating waiting for a finished product. As you learn the rocks and the methods you can always alter them in subsequent batches as you go. Besides it's your call as to when a rock is ready to move on.
Are there any gem and mineral clubs close to you?, or any rock shops? They could be good places to talk to folks or in the case of Shops buy tumbling material.
Just remember, all rocks are not equal, some make for better tumbling and others are not worth the effort. Learning to tell the difference is eventually important in turning out good batches of polished rocks.
Good luck and keep those questions coming( and pictures if you can figure out how to post them) Henry
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Post by jasoninsd on Jan 22, 2024 8:23:30 GMT -5
Both Tumblebug and Henry have some great answers to your questions. So...I will just say welcome to the forum from South Dakota!
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rocknewb101
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2022
Posts: 1,328
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Post by rocknewb101 on Jan 22, 2024 9:30:18 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum! Agree that you've got some great advice here already. I have three rotary tumblers and a vibe - my rotaries run stage one non-stop (except now because it's dang cold outside). I will keep the rocks in stage one until they are smooth and round so there are no divots/cracks to trap grit as you move them to the next stage (My stages 2-4 are done in a mini sonic vibratory tumbler). Stage 1 can take weeks, and months - really learned how to be patient. If you keep agates and jaspers together in your batches you should do just fine. At the end of each week, clean out your barrels, remove any that are ready for stage two, and refill your barrel with enough new rough to keep you at the 2/3 or 3/4 full mark. This new rough will not hurt what has already tumbled. As tumblebug mentioned, the videos on you tube by Michigan Rocks (Rob is a member here) have a plethora of information on all things tumbling. Really goes through each step so you get an idea of what to expect. No slurry down your drain is very important! It will clog your drains with cement. I wash mine out into a bucket through the winter - I only keep one going - and then I do my wash outs into the lawn Spring-Fall. I don't typically use borax in my runs so there's nothing to hurt the earth. I run an ivory soap cleaning after stages 2, 3 and polish to help get off any grit/polish that may reside on the rocks and barrel - usually run for about 30 mins and then rinse before moving along. But I've also started using my water pic to blast out any cracks that may remain, just as an extra precaution. Probably more info than you need, but a lot of it does just come down to trial and error. I'm still fairly new (couple years in) and have ruined my share of pretty rocks - but you can always bring them back to stage one and try again...Good luck and enjoy - look forward to seeing some of your progress pictures.
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,258
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Post by chris1956 on Jan 22, 2024 9:30:21 GMT -5
Welcome from Missouri. I agree with @hankrocks about starting with material you can collect yourself if possible. I get mine from here in Missouri (glacial stuff from up north) and from trips to Michigan. That is what I did and for the most part still do because I haven't gotten tired of them yet plus it gets you lots of exercise. Also agree that a great source for tumbling information is Michigan Rocks on Youtube.
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Post by 1dave on Jan 22, 2024 11:46:59 GMT -5
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Post by HankRocks on Jan 22, 2024 11:50:32 GMT -5
One other thing I should mention, even despite my almost 60 years of tumbling rocks, I am still learning and I do still make mistakes. The past 7 years as a member of this forum with all the knowledge out here has really accelerated the learning. That and I still look forward to sorting through a coarse run and the finished products from a polish run.
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dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,595
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Post by dillonf on Jan 22, 2024 20:32:50 GMT -5
Welcome!
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 22, 2024 20:46:49 GMT -5
Welcome from Virginia!
I'm not a tumbler, but I hang out with the best of the best and those still learning. You have come to the right place.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 22, 2024 23:37:07 GMT -5
Welcome from Northern Arizona!
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 23, 2024 0:19:01 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum.
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dshanpnw
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 892
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Post by dshanpnw on Jan 23, 2024 7:43:40 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from Washington state. I feel it safe to say that any tumbler will work if used correctly. Buying rocks can be a gamble sometimes, but most online stores have a good reputation. I use a recipe I found on this forum and it works quite well. Post your photos when you can.
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Post by drocknut on Jan 24, 2024 9:25:48 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from south central Arizona. I'm not a tumbler but you'll get great information from others who are expert tumblers.
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