It's a wonderful hobby! It is teaching me a lot about patience. I wasn't getting the results I wanted after 4 weeks so I have been running it for about 6...some people run it for 16+ weeks but I just can't handle that much waiting!I bought a small rock tumbler for my kid and niece. They loved it.
I love that you still have it!!!I still have the one rock the kids gave me.
Pro tip;
For adults like us;
Get more than one tumbler, 4 is a good number. (We don't need the stress)
For the kids
Use 1 tumbler, the things they learn will have nothing to do with rocks but will serve them far longer!
Give me a break, I'm under a lot of pressure right now....................lol
Yes, I actually tumble.....have a set of North Carolina gems stones to go in. I don't need "perfect" though, my eyes can't see perfect.................
It's kind of like this; "Who needs 8K when they only have 720P eyes?
jeff
Well, the rubber barrels aren't TOO loud. And I don't really mind the white noise! I put furniture pads under all 4 corners and it quiets the tumbler a little bit. Plastic pellets are definitely quieter than ceramic media. I move it from my bedroom to the living room every morning and night...its kind of a pain!! I always need more amethyst and gemstones!The NOISE....ok....couple of ways to reduce the noise, how are you doing it? In one of the dresser drawers? if you don't put 20 dryer sheets in the drawer, it will make your clothes stink....that i a "learned experience" LOL
I don't like "searching". I had this epiphany when I bought a couple of metal detectors........thankfully the expensive one was able to to be sold for even money......so if we are "searching", I look for the motherload, not onesy's-twosy's. It's just my personality
No, no, we are very casual about it here....I took my youngest daughter on a Geologic vacation a few years ago. We drove and went gem mining in NC, panned for gold in GA and searched for Diamonds in TN on the way.....so we ended up with a ton of pretty nice amethyst's and other gem stones....need some?
Collecting is just as fun! Then you don't have to spend hours soaking them in assorted chemicals and scrubbing them with a toothbrush until you realize your crystal will NEVER be completely clean ?I never went finding them myself but I do have a good sized crystal collection.
That is so awesome!!! Do you have any pics of rocks you've worked on? One day your kids will be older and you will have time again...unless you can just get them into rocks now!Yep I’m into rocks too. I had a tumbler as a kid… then a cabbing machine, then a faceting machine. Now I have kids and no time to do any of it.
Haha I always wonder about those surprise bags!! Any good sapphires at all??WOW! I have a tumbler and a bag of Sapphire gravel that I got as a gift almost 20 years ago. Finaaly started going through the gravel and yep its mostly gravel! Yeah so I have a tumbler for fun stones I find digging in my own old yard!
None so far. Lots of red sandstone that has snuck into the first tumble and turns to sludgeHaha I always wonder about those surprise bags!! Any good sapphires at all??