Rock tumbling.....

[jeff kushner]

While I have plenty of real projects to get done, I make plenty of time for "play" too, I need to....Spock told us all this in '67.
(some will get that reference in this group I'm guessing)


I had asked Santa for a rock tumbler for Christmas.....and he came through.

I got one of the 3lb machines with the rubber drum/insert, so it won't leak. I have rocks that I've picked up, sometimes against the rules(shocker) from Alcatraz , Grand Canyon, to Diamond Crater Park(not diamonds) to Plymouth Ma. I've done a pretty good job about labeling each bag over the years too.

This is my first batch @ the end of Stage 1.....they are from a gem mine Kerry & I went to in NC. They are common stones that allow me to learn without damaging the "good stuff". I will keep out the bigs on the left and label them as being complete#1, for another time.




Just one of those cool little hobby things that can work in the background as life goes on....


PS, this is a belt driven machine that comes in a completely enclosed chamber with a front door and control panel. It's a very nice machine......yet there is NO WAY most folks would ever let it run in their homes!!!! Thank God for the garage, or it would be running in the SHED! They are loud, even when they say they aren't!! LOL

I'm going to eat lunch then "go move stuff" in the garage this afternoon. I need to layout a location for a big whirlpool here! LOL

 

[Yvonne G]

what does one do with the end product?

 

[wellington]

I love stones and rocks. I always want to do the rock polishing.
Keep us updated on the ones you do.

 

[jaizei]

I've had a few videos/shorts pop up in the feed on Youtube and I've been tempted to get a tumbler also.

 

[Megatron's Mom]

My youngest got a rock tumbler for Christmas too. It's not a fancy one like yours and we have it in the front spare room with the door close. It is so very loud. Today is the last day for stage 1. We shall see what his produced.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I had a rock tumbler when I was a kid.
I guess my mother must've set it up and changed the media. Etc.
The stones came out unbelievably beautiful. Especially considering the way they looked when they went in.
I've always wanted to make a few more. I've had the one from HARBOR FREIGHT in my cart more than once.
I suppose it would be noisy. It's a can of rocks

 

[wellington]

I had a rock tumbler when I was a kid.
I guess my mother must've set it up and changed the media. Etc.
The stones came out unbelievably beautiful. Especially considering the way they looked when they went in.
I've always wanted to make a few more. I've had the one from HARBOR FREIGHT in my cart more than once.
I suppose it would be noisy. It's a can of rocks

Check out that cart next time you put it in. Go for it.

 

[TammyJ]

That's great. I love rocks. Love rocks. You rock too, Jeff. Keep on rocking and rolling those rocks.

 

[zolasmum]

Some of the rocks would look pretty good in an aquarium , or in a glass water jug with flowers in.
Lucky you -Santa obviously thinks highly of you to give you a present like that !
Angie

 

[mark1]

i always liked rocks , i've bought rock tumblers as presents for every kid i knew , grandkids , nieces and nephews........ i bought my daughter one when she was 5-6yrs old , today she is a geological engineer.......

 

[jeff kushner]

I knew we'd have some closet hounds here! Love it!

Y asks a valid question.....hmmm, don't know for sure but I may setup cups in a shadow-boxed wall unit...dunno yet. I like Angie's aquarium idea, but don't know yet.

I would like to see them but I don't wear jewelry and Kerry would break anything like that so we'll figure it out.


Z, FWIW I bought the HF unit 15 years ago, the red one. The oring seal for the cap did not last to the end of the very first stage of the very first batch. What a mess. I have all sizes of orings so I replaced it but the plastic thread/seal combo just don't work without a lot of snot. You may be smart to avoid it. W doesn't know "HF quality"....LOL....forgiven for an honest mistake!

 

[Blackdog1714]

Mine lives in my shed since it sounds like a mini dryer with shoes clunking. So far all I got from my sapphire gravel is fancy gravel that tumbles nice but no sapphires.

 

[wellington]

I knew we'd have some closet hounds here! Love it!

Y asks a valid question.....hmmm, don't know for sure but I may setup cups in a shadow-boxed wall unit...dunno yet. I like Angie's aquarium idea, but don't know yet.

I would like to see them but I don't wear jewelry and Kerry would break anything like that so we'll figure it out.


Z, FWIW I bought the HF unit 15 years ago, the red one. The oring seal for the cap did not last to the end of the very first stage of the very first batch. What a mess. I have all sizes of orings so I replaced it but the plastic thread/seal combo just don't work without a lot of snot. You may be smart to avoid it. W doesn't know "HF quality"....LOL....forgiven for an honest mistake!

No I don't. Never bought from them, HF. Always seemed like lesser quality and have been told by a couple people not to buy power tools from them. I won't buy anything electrical/power from Menards either.

 

[jeff kushner]

I won't buy anything electrical/power

Yup, that's my HF motto.....generally, nothing that has electricity. Other that that...for grinding wheels, drill bits, sandpaper etc, they can't be beat

 

[Nairamu]

Learning with common stones first is a smart move; practice makes perfect, right? Keeping track and labeling your batches is a neat way to organize things.

 

[Nairamu]

Learning with common stones first is a smart move; practice makes perfect, right? Keeping track and labeling your batches is a neat way to organize things.

Sounds like you're off to a great start with your first batch from NC! If you ever want to explore more about rock types for tumbling, check out https://rockstumbling.com/types-of-rocks-for-tumbling.

 

[jeff kushner]

My 1st batch was less than impressive. I made a lot of mistakes.

I don't let go of something just because it doesn't work the 1st time though so I'll get better.

I should have used more rocks of similar hardness.

I think my final polish was just slugging itself in a circle and not getting mixed. They are very dull.