electrocutus
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2020
Posts: 341 
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Post by electrocutus on Feb 2, 2022 15:35:30 GMT -5
I've only been tumbling for a year and a half, so I'm not close to burning out, but for me it's really a "minor" hobby. I have a Lortone tumbler with 3 1.5lb barrels so I just really tumble small batches of rocks I find, or that I buy online because I don't have much experience with rocks. I just love the look and feel of polished rocks so I don't mind leaving them tumbling in my workshop, peeking to see the progress evey few days.
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vwfence
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2013
Posts: 566
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Post by vwfence on Feb 2, 2022 18:38:56 GMT -5
realrockhound , just send your excess rock to me and ill hold it for you . If your looking for new places to explore come on down and i can get you into some good area's that need a person to play in them.
Stuckinohio : i would like to suggest you look into where there might be a club you can join . for several yrs i drove about 75 miles every couple months to a meeting back in Michigan . Here in Arizona there are lots of clubs and a lot of groups that arent even clubs ,just people that get together to talk rocks and go on runs . if you get to western Az and my health permits i will take you out into the mountains
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Post by Rockindad on Feb 2, 2022 19:14:15 GMT -5
Probably not unlike many before us we have been experiencing a bit of burnout with regards to the hobby... Interested to hear how others have dealt with this. I'm currently in my "lull," and it's been that way for about a year and a half. I shut off the tumblers for a trip, and they haven't been on since. Funny thing is that for that time period, I kept the rocks I was tumbling in water, fully anticipating getting to them again. I only recently took the rocks out of the buckets. Things have changed here at home, and other priorities have come to the surface. There is an end in sight with some of those things, but I don't know if I'll start the tumblers back up again or not. I'm still on here most every day, but my time has been limited more than it has been in the past. I still enjoy reading, but I often find myself not having much to add to conversations since I may be late in the game...much like this thread.  I didn't mention it in the initial post but there are a couple of external factors that contributed to where we are at. My oldest daughter left for college back in August and I am having a difficult time adjusting to that. Then in October my role at work changed and I was basically told that if I cannot turn our division around (after many years of mismanagement by someone they finally fired) that we would be shut down. It has been a bit stressful and I have been working a lot of hours so when I do get home I don't have much to give. Anyhow, glad to hear from you Dave and hope things settle down for you, rocks or no rocks. It's like going to the gym. Easy to stop or put off and difficult to start up again. Nothing wrong with taking a break and you can start up again with good friends for support, trying something new or just realizing that it is something you used to enjoy. The rocks aren't going anywhere and will patiently wait for you. That is why we took the approach we did instead of just turning them off altogether. We have never used so much water in the barrels and it is such an inefficient grind compared to what we normally do. On the bright side though when we want to do a cleanout after 3-4 weeks we have something running. |
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Post by Rockindad on Feb 2, 2022 19:18:31 GMT -5
It's already been briefly mentioned, but I think it warrants saying it again- there are many, many facets to this hobby. I won't list them all- you all know. So, if I get bored with cabbing or with doing preforms, I can wrap or do something else. Even just pulling cabs out to admire them is part of the hobby... and taking pictures. Lots of stuff to consider and master. I doubt I'll ever lose complete interest. In just the last couple of months I've gotten into the habit of putting a polished rock in my front left pants pocket. At first I was curious to see if it would improve the shine at all, but then I just started like going through the batches we've done and alternating the rocks. |
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brybry
Cave Dweller 
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Member since October 2021
Posts: 1,221
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Post by brybry on Feb 2, 2022 19:21:12 GMT -5
I just need to stop digging/prospecting and actually do something with the material haha. I'm turning into Gollum with the dang things. RIGHT! |
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Post by Starguy on Feb 2, 2022 19:52:46 GMT -5
Rockindad It’s not unusual to get burned out with any hobby. I’ve gone years without touching a tumbler. Now I’m running four barrels. Through it all, my love of rocks has remained strong. I kind of diversified my abilities in lapidary art. Now if I get bored with one aspect, I switch out for another. I think you are doing everything right. If you’re not enjoying it, you should do something else. It’s a great topic to bring up because others have been there too. Just remember that any hobby should strengthen your soul. If life is throwing you curve balls, you should be able lose yourself in the hobby of the moment. Pocket rocks are good!
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vwfence
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2013
Posts: 566
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Post by vwfence on Feb 2, 2022 19:53:57 GMT -5
There is one thing i have to say to all the rock hounds here though in this discussion . He Who dies with the most rocks wins
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brybry
Cave Dweller
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Member since October 2021
Posts: 1,221
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Post by brybry on Feb 2, 2022 20:04:32 GMT -5
There is one thing i have to say to all the rock hounds here though in this discussion . He Who dies with the most rocks wins That might be realrockhound |
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Post by Starguy on Feb 2, 2022 20:13:01 GMT -5
There is one thing i have to say to all the rock hounds here though in this discussion . He Who dies with the most rocks wins That’s exactly what I keep telling my wife. She’s not buying it though. |
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realrockhound
Cave Dweller
Chucking leaverite at tweekers
Member since June 2020
Posts: 4,459
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Post by realrockhound on Feb 2, 2022 20:24:24 GMT -5
brybry funny you mention that. jasoninsd and I were just having the conversation yesterday about being buried with all the material if no one in my family wants to inherit it 😂
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brybry
Cave Dweller
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Member since October 2021
Posts: 1,221
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Post by brybry on Feb 2, 2022 20:38:21 GMT -5
brybry funny you mention that. jasoninsd and I were just having the conversation yesterday about being buried with all the material if no one in my family wants to inherit it 😂 Lol, I'll take care of it for ya. Probably be cheaper than buying the acreage to bury you and your rocks. 😋 |
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vwfence
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2013
Posts: 566
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Post by vwfence on Feb 2, 2022 21:28:32 GMT -5
my rock piles are the reason i will die here where im at unless someone wants my house bad enough to move me
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Post by parfive on Feb 3, 2022 1:11:08 GMT -5
There is one thing i have to say to all the rock hounds here though in this discussion . He Who dies with the most rocks wins Maybe, but He Who Dies With The Most Rocks certainly ain’t doin’ She Who Shall Not Be Named any favors. Be a sport and leave her Catmandewe’s number and enough to pay for his mileage. |
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Post by Rockoonz on Feb 3, 2022 7:55:20 GMT -5
There is one thing i have to say to all the rock hounds here though in this discussion . He Who dies with the most rocks wins Maybe, but He Who Dies With The Most Rocks certainly ain’t doin’ She Who Shall Not Be Named any favors. Be a sport and leave her Catmandewe’s number and enough to pay for his mileage. Those who have met Elizabeth, who is frequently mentioned, know that my passing won't cool her love of all things rock related. Burn out, in our case, really isn't such an issue since we haven't ever slowed down at the same time. Our primary issue is probably lifes distractions and our other interests. It is still amazing to me that we managed to pare down our piles enough to move them 1400 miles (in 3 trips). It did look a bit like that Lucy and Desi movie, I decided not knowing what it all weighed would be less stressful. We will indeed someday need someone to clear it out for us. If Tony has reached the age where he is looking for a Tony to help him out, it looks like we'll have options. My friend who for years was my main competition in getting to estate equipment first may soon be within an our of us. He will be buying multiple Conex containers for his move, and is a bit younger. |
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vwfence
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2013
Posts: 566
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Post by vwfence on Feb 3, 2022 10:25:41 GMT -5
I dont see where my answer to before went so ill repeat it
my going rockhounding id never a problem as when i get the truck ready my wife and 2 dogs are right there climbing in to go along .
As for the comment about getting Tony / catmandewe to come by and pick things up , 3 yrs ago when we found out about my cancer we talked to Tony about comming and buying all my equipment and loading out 20 ton of rock or so , so its all good .
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Post by parfive on Feb 3, 2022 14:13:34 GMT -5
vwfence I wasn’t picking on you, Wayne. Sorry if it seemed that way. My fault for quoting you by name.
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vwfence
has rocks in the head
Member since January 2013
Posts: 566
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Post by vwfence on Feb 3, 2022 14:47:07 GMT -5
Not at all , I didnt take it badly and if i came across that way im sorry .
when we found out about my health issues though we did start making plans and having known Tony for a long time we did talk to him . For those who havent met him if you get the chance be sure to stop and say hello to him be it Quartzite or up in Idaho
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Post by Rockindad on Feb 3, 2022 18:47:32 GMT -5
Rockindad It’s not unusual to get burned out with any hobby. I’ve gone years without touching a tumbler. Now I’m running four barrels. Through it all, my love of rocks has remained strong. I kind of diversified my abilities in lapidary art. Now if I get bored with one aspect, I switch out for another. I think you are doing everything right. If you’re not enjoying it, you should do something else. It’s a great topic to bring up because others have been there too. Just remember that any hobby should strengthen your soul. If life is throwing you curve balls, you should be able lose yourself in the hobby of the moment. Pocket rocks are good! I really like this part  . All kidding aside though we still enjoy the hobby but it was definitely time to switch to a more relaxed pace for a while. |
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Tommy
Administrator 
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,957
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Post by Tommy on Feb 3, 2022 23:37:20 GMT -5
... definitely time to switch to a more relaxed pace for a while. This. I've been following closely and appreciating this thread immensely because it's a topic that is very important to me. I don't seem to have a "just enjoy it as a hobby" switch that I can turn on and leave on. Seems like every hobby I get into ends up getting out of control and becoming an obsession until it crashes and burn. Before rocks it was tropical fish - one tank when I was 10 years old came back to divorced/adult Tommy as a massive amount of tanks in a (too) small space and breeding fish for sales. It was an extremely toxic relationship that brought that 'hobby' to an end and left me hating the thought of ever doing it again even thought I love aquariums and always have. I don't know if this will make sense but when it came to the rock hobby this forum community is what allowed me to reach the breaking point, explode into health problems and burnout, yet stay engaged. I'm literally trying every day to understand "just enjoy it as a hobby" and I think I'm starting to get it. |
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Post by Son Of Beach on Feb 4, 2022 8:53:00 GMT -5
I started tumbling back in March of last year and I was curious if this hobby would stick with me. So far so good, but I think I've found the right balance so I'm not over or underwhelmed. I've learned that I was hoarding way too many rocks this summer so I cut back and got organized. On the other end of the spectrum I was growing really impatient with waiting a week at a time, so picking up a couple more tumblers has taken most of the down time away. Now, every other day, I'm spending 30-45 minutes going thru what I want to. What I'm finding is how much I miss hunting for rocks instead of just tumbling nonstop. I love the new material that I'm getting introduced to on this site and at different shops, but after tumbling for 10 months or so now, I'm learning that I really enjoy the stones I find more than anything. I think for now that is what will keep me interested. Gifting stones to others has also been beneficial, feel like its a creation that I have to give away. I don't want it to become burdensome, to the point where I can't remember where each stone came from if that makes any sense.
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