wizzykin
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2017
Posts: 22
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Post by wizzykin on Feb 19, 2017 12:58:09 GMT -5
Hey - I got directed here by someone I asked some questions to on YouTube. I've got a 6 year old who's really into rocks, and grandpa bought him this on Christmas: www.amazon.com/Discover-Dr-Cool-Rock-Tumbler/dp/B011PVF1GK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487525186&sr=8-1&keywords=dr+cool+tumblerI know it's a "toy" tumbler, but it seems pretty decent. We've done one batch so far, and started another. We just followed the instructions on the first load and went with minimum days just to see how the whole thing works; so it took about 22 days. The results seemed decent enough for a first test run, but not great (which is expected). We started the second batch and just started step 2 today; with the rock batch refill and grit that the company sells. I've read that they don't always give the best mix of rocks to tumble together, but I get completely lost when it comes to all the hardness and softness. All rocks feel hard to me - that's what rocks are; hard. It seems fairly important for the tumbler to be full enough, but I don't think the refill even comes with enough to properly fill it, so we dug through the backyard and added some rocks to it; what kind of rocks they are, I have no idea - but hopefully it can't hurt. I actually filled it up pretty decently and now going into step 2, it's only about half full; somehow 6 days of stage 1 wore down the rocks that much. I suppose I'll have to buy some of these "beads" that people have mentioned to fill the tumbler a bit more. I thought the rocks seemed not ready after the first 4 days so did 2 more and a lot of them look great, but there's also a ton of smaller chunks broken down and stuff - so maybe I over did it? Seems crazy to me that 3/4 full can become around 1/2 full after 6 days (on speed 3, if that really matters). I guess this isn't really a quick hello at this point. Anyway! I'm working on trying to understand the tumbling process better so that we can get some really good batches going at some point. I'm curious how important the tumbler itself is to the process, or if the one he has is adequate. I saw someone post a link to a site with better tumblers and was surprised that they were actually cheaper than a "toy" tumbler. I'm also considering moving away from the refill packs and trying to perhaps buy some rocks on amazon and buying actual containers of grits and polish, instead of what comes with the refill packs. Of course, then I have to figure out measurements instead of just pouring a package in! Where do you guys mostly buy your grits, polishes and rocks? I'm sure a lot of people go hunting for their rocks, which we can certainly do - but I'm sure people also buy them. I'd be looking to grab a stage 1, 2 and 3 grit and then a stage 4 polish - and then whatever else people recommend having (beads, soap and other additions because recommend when tumbling to make the stones turn out as best they can). I'm also curious about learning to identify rocks and hardness better so that we can put appropriate stones together. He has a bunch of books on rocks, but heck if I can look at a rock and then the book and figure out what is what. I also ask - is it as important as I've read? I also remember reading people saying to just take out the stones that don't look ready after a batch and run them with the next batch when you get to that stage; which didn't occur to me before but seems like a really go idea. In which case - can I run a harder rock through stage 1 with other rocks and not worry about it? At what stage does the hardness truly matter? Lots of questions here! Sorry for the jumble. My son really enjoys it and I'd like to actually learn what we're doing here instead of just randomly throwing rocks and grit in and hoping for the best. It would be nice if I could help him get the best rocks that he can out of the thing.
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Post by Jugglerguy on Feb 19, 2017 16:59:46 GMT -5
Hello Wizzy, and welcome to the site. Another new member here just bought the same tumbler. I agree that you could have bought a nice Lortone for the same price from The Rock Shed. That's where I'd recommend getting your grit, tumblers, and it's also a good place to buy rock. I'd suggest getting agates or jaspers to start out with. They're a 7 on the Moh's scale of mineral hardness, so they can be tumbled together without a problem. I'd stay away from softer stuff until you figure out hoe to tumble harder rocks. If you really get into this, you'll want to buy coarse grit in much larger quantities. I buy 46/70 grit in fifty pound quantities from Kingsley North. 80 grit or 60/90 is also a good choice for a small tumbler. I go through way more of coarse grit than any other grit because the first stage take approximately forever if you want really perfect rocks. You don't have to shoot for perfection, but that's what I like to do. I run the first stage for weeks or months until the rocks are completely free of cracks and holes. Each week, I empty my tumbler into a colander, rinse everything off, and inspect each rock. If a rock looks perfect, remove it and set it aside until I accumulate enough for the second stage. I throw in more rough rock to fill the barrel back up to about 3/4 full. This process continues week after week until I have enough rock to fill the barrel again. As for how much grit to use, it depends on the size of the barrel. Most manufacturers rate their barrel size in pounds. This is the approximate number of pounds of rock that you can put in a barrel. No one really measures this. The weight also doesn't include the weight of the barrel, water, or grit. Just fill it to 3/4 and don't worry about it. In a good quality tumbler like a Lortone or Thumlers, you won't have a problem. I have no idea what to expect from your tumbler. In my three pound barrels, I use three tablespoons of grit. I do all my other stages in a Lot-O vibratory tumbler. Someone with more rotary experience can give you advice about how much grit they use in later stages. Don't put any plastic pellets in during the first stage, they'll just slow things down. It's also ok to mix rocks of different hardnesses during the first stage. I'd keep the rocks separated for later stages. Later stages are where you want to use pellets to cushion things more too. Ok that's enough typing for now. That should answer a few of your questions.
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Post by vegasjames on Feb 19, 2017 17:48:00 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum.
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osuguy0301
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2015
Posts: 203
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Post by osuguy0301 on Feb 19, 2017 22:44:09 GMT -5
When I started out I got all my stuff from therockshed.com
For rocks, I started out with the "medium mixed rocks" from the RockShed. I got 2, 5 pound bags and was really happy with them. There was a nice mix of different rocks and the vast majority of them were the same hardness. As opposed to buying mixed bags of rocks off of Amazon and the vast majority of it was junk that wouldn't tumble.
They also have grit packs for rotary tumblers at the RockShed. For $18 you can get 1 pound of stage 1 (60/90), 1 pound of stage 2 (120/220), 1 pound of stage 3 (500), and 1 pound of stage 4 (polish) and a pound of pellets. You will want the pellets for your stage 3 and stage 4 tumbles to help cushion the rocks, carry the grit, and make up for any lost volume. Measuring out grit in a rotary tumbler isn't that bad. Most people use 1 Tablespoon for each pound of rock. Just don't use the same measuring spoon for all the grits, get a dedicated tablespoon for each grit size so there is no contamination.
Lots of good information and people on this board. Ask questions and you will get lots of good advice.
Good Luck and welcome,
Jake
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Feb 22, 2017 18:50:48 GMT -5
Your tumbler is fine and more than adequate to get you and your son's feet wet in the hobby. If you choose to go further with the hobby, you can look into equipment recommendations and bulk purchase sources referenced. The forum members have a wealth of knowledge and have already provided some good pointers in this thread. A good alternative to plastic tumbling media is simply using smaller stones or pea gravel.
If you PM me your address, I can send you some rocks that will all be around Mohs 7 hardness scale for tumbling, and/or some mineral & fossil specimens if your son likes rocks in general.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,687
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Post by Fossilman on Feb 23, 2017 9:52:55 GMT -5
Welcome to the site!
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vayank5150
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2017
Posts: 118
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Post by vayank5150 on Feb 26, 2017 17:03:53 GMT -5
Hey Wizzy. You and I are kinda in the same boat. My 8 year old daughter has been bringing home rocks in her pockets since she was probably 5. We got her a rock tumbler of Christmas (the Nat Geo version) and we (Daddy big time) were hooked immediately. I get my grit from the rockshed.com, but at this early stage, my daughter and I enjoy hunting for new rocks (rockhounding) almost as much as the tumbling process. For us, seeing what can come from the rocks she finds around the house or her playground at school is most of the fun. Granted, we don't have a lot of "beautiful" rocks here in central Virginia, but for now at least, they suffice for her and isn't that all that really matters? Just so you know, I ended up buying a 2nd tumbler based on some recommendations from this site, a Lortone 33B and it is a very nice tumbler. Everyone here is crazy helpful and I recommend you just keep asking questions, as I have yet to have a question go unanswered. Welcome to the hobby!
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wizzykin
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2017
Posts: 22
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Post by wizzykin on Mar 7, 2017 11:47:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the replies. Meant to come back sooner and got lost and had to remember how to get here.
I just opened up and cleaned his stage 3 rocks - getting ready for stage four. I bought some plastic pellets from Amazon and put them in with 3 and I think it made a big difference. The rocks originally seemed to break up pretty quickly so what was 3/4 full for the first stage was down to less than 1/2 for stage 3. So I filled it will those pellets and I think they did a great job keeping the rocks from smashing up. I only have a few small pieces. I'm going to try stage four tomorrow when I get him from school - tonight I work evenings so I can't do it with him. I remember on the youtube video that got me here that he said to mix it with some baking soda, so I'm going to try to find that video and give it another go. Any other suggestions to get a nice shine on them with stuff I'd probably have around the house for now?
I think I'm going to go to that site linked earlier and get some grit and rocks instead of going with the refill pack from the company.
Another quick question - if I clean up and dry those plastic pellets; do you think it's safe to use them again on the same stage next time? The bag wasn't super cheap, but I wanted to just try it out and see how they worked. I'm thinking it should be safe to just wash them up a bit, store them in a bag and then use them the next time I need some on a stage 3 again. But maybe there's something I'm not thinking about that would make that unwise. Any ideas?
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,685
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Post by Tommy on Mar 7, 2017 12:03:46 GMT -5
Just wanted to say welcome! You're in great hands here with some pretty amazing folks when it comes to tumbling. I am not one of those folks I dabble but if wheels aren't spinning then it's moving too slow for me.
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Post by wigglinrocks on Mar 7, 2017 12:04:28 GMT -5
Yes you can reuse the pellets , but use them in ONLY the same stage they were previously used in . As for baking soda , No idea what kind of polish they would do . Highly recommend the polish from Rockshed . com
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Post by captbob on Mar 7, 2017 12:07:48 GMT -5
Another quick question - if I clean up and dry those plastic pellets; do you think it's safe to use them again on the same stage next time? The bag wasn't super cheap, but I wanted to just try it out and see how they worked. I'm thinking it should be safe to just wash them up a bit, store them in a bag and then use them the next time I need some on a stage 3 again. But maybe there's something I'm not thinking about that would make that unwise. Any ideas? If you are going to mark them for use in the same stage, you don't even need to wash them. Quick rinse if it makes you feel better, but no need to go crazy. I do let them dry out before storing them so there isn't any moisture to allow mold/bacteria to grow, may be that even that is not necessary, but that's just me being overly cautious. Not sure what you are doing with baking soda...? I don't understand. Is your stage 4 your polish or a yet finer grit? I don't recall anyone ever using baking soda for a tumbling additive, can you post the YouTube link for that?
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wizzykin
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2017
Posts: 22
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Post by wizzykin on Mar 7, 2017 13:01:52 GMT -5
Another quick question - if I clean up and dry those plastic pellets; do you think it's safe to use them again on the same stage next time? The bag wasn't super cheap, but I wanted to just try it out and see how they worked. I'm thinking it should be safe to just wash them up a bit, store them in a bag and then use them the next time I need some on a stage 3 again. But maybe there's something I'm not thinking about that would make that unwise. Any ideas? If you are going to mark them for use in the same stage, you don't even need to wash them. Quick rinse if it makes you feel better, but no need to go crazy. I do let them dry out before storing them so there isn't any moisture to allow mold/bacteria to grow, may be that even that is not necessary, but that's just me being overly cautious. Not sure what you are doing with baking soda...? I don't understand. Is your stage 4 your polish or a yet finer grit? I don't recall anyone ever using baking soda for a tumbling additive, can you post the YouTube link for that? This is the guy that led me to this forum - he does it in this video:
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notjustone
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2017
Posts: 426
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Post by notjustone on Mar 8, 2017 1:38:38 GMT -5
If you are going to mark them for use in the same stage, you don't even need to wash them. Quick rinse if it makes you feel better, but no need to go crazy. I do let them dry out before storing them so there isn't any moisture to allow mold/bacteria to grow, may be that even that is not necessary, but that's just me being overly cautious. Not sure what you are doing with baking soda...? I don't understand. Is your stage 4 your polish or a yet finer grit? I don't recall anyone ever using baking soda for a tumbling additive, can you post the YouTube link for that? This is the guy that led me to this forum - he does it in this video: I don't know if I would take to much advice from a guy who says course grind for 4 days. I'm doing my first tumble and some have been in coarse for well over a month.
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