Rock Tumbling Tutorial for Rotary Tumblers and Ceramic Media
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- Want to learn to polish rocks with a rotary tumbler? In this in depth tutorial, you'll learn to use your rotary tumbler with ceramic media to get a professional shine on your rocks.
I have another similar video that shows how to do the last stages with a vibratory tumbler. This is my favorite method of tumbling. • Tumbling Crazy Lace Ag...
If you want to tumble with a rotary tumbler with plastic pellets, check out this video: • How to Polish Rocks wi...
All measurements are for a three pound barrel. In all stages the water should be just below the top layer of rocks. I use a little less than that in the coarse grinding stage.
Coarse Grinding Stage
Run your rocks for a week at a time coarse grit to get all the imperfections out. This will take much more than a week if you want really good results.
3-4 tablespoons of coarse silicon carbide grit (80, 60/90, 46/70 or similar)
Stage 2
3 tablespoons of 120/220 or 220 silicon carbide grit
Run for one week
Stage 3
3 tablespoons of 500 grit aluminum oxide (you can use silicon carbide, but I prefer aluminum oxide)
Run for ten days
Polish Stage
3 tablespoons of aluminum oxide polish
Run for two weeks or longer
Burnishing
This is optional and can be run between stages and after polish. The idea is to clean out any grit or slurry stuck in holes and cracks. If you don't have holes or cracks, this is not as important. I think the most important time to do this is between the 500 and polish stages.
2 tablespoons of borax
Run for several hours
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- KINGSLEY NORTH -
Kingsley North is a lapidary store in Michigan's U.P. They make a great cab machine and sell many other brands too. They have a huge selection rough rock, tumblers, grit, jewelry supplies etc. at good prices. I buy most of my coarse grit from here in 45 lb. bags. It's the best price I have found. If you buy using the following link, I make a small commission.
bit.ly/3MerxdI
This is the cabbing machine I use:
kingsleynorth.com/kingsley-no...
- THE ROCK SHED -
I buy a lot of lapidary supplies from The Rock Shed. I don't make money from your purchases there, but they have good prices and good service. This is where I buy my finer grits and polish.
rockshed.com
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www.amazon.com/shop/michiganrocks
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0:00 Coarse Stage
28:09 How to Shave Off Some Time
37:17 220 Grit Stage
39:30 500 Grit Stage
42:58 Polish Stage
46:20 Finished Rocks
53:41 Slide Show - Jak na to + styl
First of all , you're hysterical. The mustache bit being performed in such dry performance, was perfect. Second, this was no simple post. You made a straight up , feature length documentary, that shares the erudition of a master-master. Reeeeeespect , clear and well explained insight like this is invaluable. I know a simple thank you doesn't reflect my level of appreciation... but thank you
You’re welcome, Michael. I’m glad you were amused and educated.
Very well said.
So do you use the ceramic media thru all the steps? Thanks and nice job on the videos.
PS: Trying to figure out what kind of tumbling rocks I can find down here in central Illinois? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Honestly I haven't tumbled in awhile. It's very serendipitous though that you messaged me five days ago , with your tumbling inquiry because I just pulled out my double barrel and was giving her some TLC. Oiling up the bearings and prepping her for a tumble with a quart container full of medium to small sapphires I've been piggy banking away when I find them every so often. For almost two years now I've been polishing one large rock a day with a sort of DIY lapidary station. I wish I could share pics on you tube. I think you would appreciate my little set up. It's basically a harbor freight bucket that I cut down the side and cut the thicker top part where the lid would snap onto. I slide my variable speed, polishing, angle grinder into to the custom cut with the angle grinder facing up then take the thick top cut and flip it over so it snugs perfectly around the the top of the bucket , locking in the angle grinder and reinforcing the bucket walls. Just the grinder head lays in the bucket which helps keep a great majority of the throw off from getting into the grinder and the bucket is tall enough that I can comfortably get in there to work with the specimen but all the throw off hits the inside walls. I secure the sides of the angle grinder from tilting with two big pieces of foam ingot at Walmart. It's makes clean up a sinch , absorbs everything and muffles the noise. I screw on a four inch hook and loop backing pad and depending on the specimen I'll start with a 50 grit or a 100 grit resin diamond pad. I use Rubi products for these pads and the backing pad. Just down the street Floor Decor carries them, Wet or Dry pads . I use the wet pads. They start at 50 and double all the way up to 3000 (50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1200, 3000 and then a final buffing pad that Noone can give me a straight answer of n it's grit but I've been told it's 6000. After that I hit the rock/gem with a finishing foam pad using a product made by Chemical Guys for polishing jewelry. It's water soluble and as it drys while your working it ( I use the Drexel versa ) it starts to look like when youre working with cerium oxide. Then clean with warm water and a little soap. Lol, this is where the OCD really starts... then I takenit to my bench grinder that I resuited on both sides with the pointy buffing wheel adapters so you can just quickly take off and put on different buffs without having to stop the machine and unscrew all the stuff Yada Yada yada...then it's tripoli compound with your standard stiff yellow buff and really depending on what im working with I'll next use the stainless steel gray compound (lots of discussions as to which should come first tripoli or stainless gray. 50% say tripoli is a harsher cut and 50% say the gray is. I say they're equal so it really comes down to to the applicator being used. And no one can deny the stainless gray is will outshine the tripoli everytime, so that's the OCD , German brain logic and reasoning I've decided on) anyway I'll use gray with either a denim buff or a cotton stitched buff. Then finally I use the chromium green compound with a cotton no-stiched buff. In between each compound I'll either wash gently with Luke warm water and soap, or use my steam gun, or if you don't proper and don't slab on a ton of compound and just kiss the rock it will each step comes off with wiping it with some old cut up jeans or a animal skin sham rag. Both of those are THE BEST thing to use. Denim and a properly oiled animal skin will just make it sparkle so nice. Lol now, on Monday I'm taking things to the next level. I ordered my diamond powders and more cerium oxide ( oh I do like to hit the specimen with a slurry of alumina oxide, using the dremel versa and a "cutting" foam applicator after the 400 grit pad . That alumina just really compliments any of element you're working with, my opinion is , it's what starts the chatiyance effect everyone loves so much. So nothing to report about the diamond powder yet. I've been studying up though preparing. It's almost about "formulation" you need a good carrier to deliver those diamond microns. Last night I prepped my slurry in to squeeze bottles. Today I experiment with some cerium , the way I'll be using the diamond powder from Diamond Tech. It's a 1% concentration. Go by wieghts is going to give you the results and for God's sakes use the metric system. Dumbass imperial system. To many remainders lol. Basicly youbtake 1% of your liquids wieght to figurenout how much xanthanan gum to use, then to find out how much of a distributot to use, its 3parts "distributor to 1part "suspender/binder". We are making a simple emuslifiction, so don't be like me and get pissy at umescarry terminology iber complicateing the cognitive process. For one cup of slurry yeilded... 1 cup water (240ml which also happens to be 240 grams 👏👏👏🫶 yay metric system, nailed it !) You will need 1% of that for your binder (which happens to be 2.40grams of xanthanan which happens to be 1 teaspoon ✋️high five metric system two for ✌. Lol) then you'll need to do tour 3parts to one part of XG. which will be 3 teaspoons of something that must meet a certain atomic criteria. In this case glycol or gliserin will work perfect. I will gladly explain why and the culinary technique to use but I've written so much , I'm lagging lol. And if you already know this, which you probably do because you are a smarter man then I am , I'm sure you have better things to do then get a science lesson from me. But you're awesome, I apologize for not leaving comments but I check your channel weekly. You are a jedi master and it would be foolish to not take advantage of the knowledge you share so openly. Thank you. Now let's see if my phone crashes when I hit send . As a matter of fact I'm selecting all and saving first because I will lose my s*** if e erring I just wrote was for nothing and dispears into under A.I.'s big toenail
there are so many reasons as to why this video is a 10/10
Glad you liked it!
For the longest time I thought you just threw some rocks and grit in your tumbler and 2 or 3 days later you had beautiful shiny treasures. Boy, was I wrong!
I'm a little obsessive about making them perfect, in case you didn't notice. It doesn't have to take this long. I did manage to shine up some rocks in three days though: czcams.com/video/zgGKE8PzAMg/video.html
Yeah! That was me too 😬
I just did my first batch. Well in the process.. I only let mine tumble 3 days for the first and second stage as i thought they were getting to small but seemed okay. Then 2 days for 3rd stage and they've been in the polish for 4 days. Hoping for a good outcome. And hope i don't regret polishing them as I enjoy the natural look
I clicked on this video thinking it was hours. I'm 41.
@@DJK6914 I am
I’m a 74 year old California Gma. I’m still new to rock tumbling and I’m not picky (yet 😉) but I love each and every one of them. Like my large family- no one is perfect but we’re all loved ❤. You’re doing a great job.
Thanks, Bethanie. I hope you're turning out some great rocks for those grandkids!
This is a hobby that teaches you to be reeeeally patient.
These rocks taught it way more than usual. I really wish I would have chosen something different for this video.
you want patientce? try carving those stones before tumbling
Especially from the looks of the beard 😂
Or you can just set a reminder on your phone and "fahgetahbowtit....." 😉
The reward for patience is patience ‘,.)
As someone who is at the VERY beginning stages of rock tumbling (researching, learning, picking up tips) this is the best video I have seen yet. So much information. Thank you so much for posting, I’ve learnt so much! 😊
You’re welcome, Tarni. I have another tumbling video coming out tonight if all goes well.
Late to the party, but had to do a video double take to rewatch the progression of the beard and removal of said beard. At that point I almost forgot about the rocks and why I was watching in the first place. Better than most movies I've paid for.
Thanks for the sly humor.
I"m glad you enjoyed that more than my wife did. I had done a tumbling video the year before and thought this would be a good way to show the passing of time.
Showed up for the lesson, stayed for the beard!
I love that Tumbler Cabinet!
I figured the tumbling might get boring. That was my best idea for spicing it up.
I loved the beard progression and disappearance, especially the halfstache! My father was a rock hound and he tumbled on a small scale. This made me want to get into it again for nostalgia's sake. I adore lace agate and am looking forward to watching some of your other vids!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. My wife didn't enjoy the beard progression nearly as much as she enjoyed its disappearance. I think you should get into tumbling. It has been a very fun hobby for me.
Oh gosh I thought I was losing my mind good someone else also saw a half stash wheeee thanks for the wonderful tutorials!!!!!
Do it.
The pyrite looks like the best kind of Carmel candy
LOL! Week 17 "I've reached my limit..." :)
Everyone has their limits.
17 weeks in he says “I’m a patient person...”. You can say that again!
It gets easier the more you tumble. It also helps to have a lot of barrels running so there's always something getting done. When I first started tumbling, my 12 year old son was every bit as patient as I was. I have also taught my 16 year old neighbor to tumble and he's super patient too.
No wonder I have trouble, mine says 4 days for each stage.
Hilarious beard progression and disappearance.
Ps, you look more youthful without it.
Yes, I look a lot younger without it. More importantly, my wife loves me more.
@@MichiganRocks She is a very smart woman. Beards are SCRATCHY.
@@KatyDidRocks and mine was really gray. My one gray sideburn should have clued me in to what was lurking below.
Yeah, haha, I think it was hilarious too :D:D:D.
LOLOL I had to rewatch because i noticed it about partway thru!!! brilliant :)
Its really cool that you kept this a "beginner level" tutorial. You could of easily used your equipment that 90% will probably never obtain or own. Super interesting. I have numerous buckets of cool rocks me & my daughters have picked up out of our creek over the past 10-12yrs. Will definitely be getting a tumbler in the near future. Thank you for all the time & effort this took. Much respect 👍
I'm glad you found the video helpful, Andy. I started with just a tumbler and had lots of fun with it. Of course as you get into this hobby a little more, there's the temptation to buy more equipment and try new things.
Thats cool iv recently been tumbeling agated and a currently a emerald in my tumbler its a lower quality emerald so thats why im not to worried about tumbeling it
A
Beyond all the great "how to tumble" advice, one thing that really made a difference to my setup was "use a magnifier". I got a $10 usb magnifier light and I could see the flaws even in rocks that had a decent polish - they've got back in a 400 barrel. Thanks for all your tips.
I have a $10 opti-visor clone that I wear when I check my rocks. I think it was out for one of the weekly checks in the video, but I for got to mention it. My eyes aren’t good enough anymore to check them without that.
Great idea!
My Daughter got a cheap starter National Geographic tumbler for Christmas and we absolutely love it! Your videos have taught us how to use it more effectively and she can't wait to try out another batch with some better grit and new techniques. Thank you for these videos.
I'm glad I could help, Gilbert!
OMG !!! I’ll never look at another polished rock in the store again with judgmental eyes😲, this takes an AMAZING effort, time and PATIENCE ♥️ Thank you so much for sharing !!!🤩 I want them ALL !!!
I really enjoy the process, not just the finished product, so I don't mind how long it takes.
Very informative, my father was a rockhound and had all of these saws and tumblers running all the time. He has since passed a number of years ago, but some of my favorite memories with him was when we would go to the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota to go rock hunting for Lakers. Wish I had grasped his talent for making rock jewelry.
It's not too late. I never dreamt of making rock jewelry and I have learned almost everything from the Internet. The Rock Tumbling Hobby forums are a great spot to learn. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com
35:35 What is happening with your facial hair? Making sure we're all paying attention? Well it definitely made me feel even more stoned. And this video gives a whole new light to tumbled gemstones! So much work, beautiful outcome.
Sammmeee!!! I thought I was tripping 🥴
He was "shaving" off time😂
Even more stoned 🤣 Also, yes I wondered if I’d smoked myself off the deep end for a minute there
@@MiniHarborStudio 😂🤣😂
3 years late. How to SHAVE OFF time??? I cackled. A lot. Love the combo of education and a little bit of humour!
I don't think this content gets stale.
I've watched (most of) this twice, along with many of your other videos. I'm from Michigan, and had never heard of a pudding stone before! Went to the river rocks around my mailbox and realized they are all through that area of my home. for the in-depth video. It is going to help a lot. Got a tumbler for Christmas!
Congrats on the new tumbler. Hopefully my video will help you have some success. Good luck!
i appreciate the last scene of all the shiny rocks together. Simply beautiful🌻🌻
Have you seen my Rocks in a Box series? I show a lot of finished rocks there and there's usually a group shot at the very end (although not always). Here's a playlist: czcams.com/play/PLqNINgwEkm-LN2s_fqo0Aa67HDDIaHWcC.html
I received a tumbler for Christmas and have been too intimidated and overwhelmed with info to start! Thank you so much for making this video…it’s so informative and thoughtful and explains everything so well! Getting started tonight!
There's nothing to be worried about, Annie. Even if your first batch doesn't turn out, you can always redo them. There's nothing too bad that could happen. The trick is to just dive in and start. Mistakes are just learning opportunities.
Im about to tumble for the first time. I seen this video was an hour-long and I knew it was the one I needed to watch. Definitely ready to give it a full send.. Thank you a bunch
Sometimes I worry that my videos are too long, but I'd prefer a longer, more in depth video myself, so that's what I make. I'm glad you like the longer ones.
Super informative! I really appreciate the time you took to put this together. Bonus beard and mustache humor. Loved that for sure. Thank you!
I'm glad you were amused, Lynelle. My wife wasn't so amused by my beard. I gave up a lot of kisses to make this video.
The finished product is absolutely incredible. I collected some fire agates here in Arizona and I borrowed a small rotary tumbler just like yours to process them. I've never done this, I had NO IDEA the process could take this long!!
The end result looks so worth it though, I'm excited to get started!
I really enjoy the process, so I don't mind spending the time. My wife kept asking when I was going to shave my beard though, so that was putting pressure on me to get this video finished.
I just got my first tumbler a few hours ago and this helped so much more then the instruction packet! Tysm!
You're welcome. The instructions pretty much always make it sound like you can get them done much quicker than you actually can. That's if you want really nice rocks. I like them as perfect as possible.
After reading all these comments I know this is the video I need to watch! Thank you for sharing I love rock tumbling and and excited to take it to the next level!
You're welcome! I have quite a few videos on tumbling. Here is a playlist of tumbling tips that you might find useful: czcams.com/play/PLqNINgwEkm-Lyn24HlhulSV4Unc00-Cuc.html
Your facial hair growth while waiting for the tumbled rocks was pretty funny, followed up by the mid- section of the video, How To Shave Off Some Time. I really had no idea rock tumbling could take so long. Thanks for this video and showing your steps and methods. I’ll be checking out some more of your videos.
My wife was not as amused as you were with my facial hair. There weren't many kisses during that time.
Not only did I enjoy watching the rocks change. I enjoyed watching your beard grow! Both turned out beautiful!
That was the plan. If you got bored with the rocks, you could always watch me age.
You just reminded me of how my dad would grow his beard for winter and the shave it in batches to make his kids laugh. So thank for that.
Oh and by the way I never get board of you showing off rocks.
OMG... I began my day grouchy, dropping everything, spilled my coffee. Sat down to stare at something and landed on this video. First, I enjoy your content and thank you for your hard work. Second:. Your editing on that facial hair had me in stitches! I was yiping out loud "trim that beard... I can't concentrate on the tumbler rocks!"
Then noticed you must have heard me. Lol
Thank you for making my bad day turnaround into a much better one!
Glad I could help, Bev. I don't know if I could hear you yelling at me over my wife yelling the same thing. Everything is better now. No one's yelling.
LOL! I had a rock tumbler when I was a kid in the late 60's- early 70's. We had it running in my Dad's wood shop (which was right under my bedroom! You could hear it at night time churning the rocks!
I can hear my tumblers upstairs too, but they're not too loud. I kind of like the sound because I know that they're grinding out some pretty rocks. f
LOL @ 35:30 I immediately noticed you taking half your moustache off- brilliant idea while discussing how to shave some time off
I thought the video needed something to spice it up.
O.O You have a magic beard!
Yup. He does. My dad used to grow a beard every winter. And when he was ready to shave it. He did it in batches. Lol
That's the most fun part.
I am thrilled to death to have found you. I recently got into Rock tumbling, in fact I am doing my first tumble on my third week and because of learning from you, I am still on first stage. I learned from you it can't be rushed and you mustn't rush through the stages. Thank you for that. I do believe my first stage may be mostly done by Sat. I have binge watched alot of your videos. You're a great teacher and I appreciate all I am learning because of it. I will also be ordering the suggested grits. I am so excited for this new hobby. Thank you Rob.
You're welcome! It's comments like yours that keep me going. I love that you've found my videos helpful.
Hi Rob! My first batch of rocks ever just finished! I learned everything from this video. I've watched it at least 5 times. Thank you for this wonderful channel
You left out some very important information. Were you happy with the results?!? Were they super shiny?
@@MichiganRocks yes, I was very happy with the agates and most of the smaller rocks. The leopard jasper and small red jasper didn't shiny enough though. But they will just go again! I received a Nat Geo tumbler for Christmas from my grandson. I'm 65 and he is 20. I love it so much I already bought a double barrel lortrone! LeRned everything from your channel. You saved me from the first big mistake, pouring the slurry down the drain. Luckily I only did that once before finding your channel. Love it, thanks so much Cathy
@@cblack619 I didn't have much luck with leopard skin jasper either. That's not really jasper.
I’ve gone down the rock tumbling rabbit hole this week and this video was PERFECTION. The end result was so worth the time it took to fully watch this tutorial. Thanks for all the the hard work! They were all so beautiful at the end…mesmerizing.
Thanks. I know it was long, but I prioritized being thorough over brevity.
Easy little trick you can do for removing pointy pieces on rocks, get pliers! Since you are putting in the force instead of kinetic energy, you will find you get no cracks. This works best for stuff like labradorite or ammolite, potch opal, moss agate, carnelian especially, also green opal, and this can work for quartz too, if you are having extra trouble, use two pliers, MAKE SURE YOU PUT A CLOTH OVER BOTH OF YOUR HANDS AND THE STONE WHEN DOING THIS, since your applying pressure, the shards will shoot hard at you if there’s no cloth over your rock your working on.
Hey, thanks for the great tip. I never thought of that.
I am calling this the Magical Beard episode.
Ok, that's fine with me.
Spectacular editing and genius ideas showing passage of time and patience and how rocks change with manipulation as does your beard. Hilarious concepts! That bright white 'sun' beard was wonderful! Crazy.
My wife wasn't as impressed as you are.
I’m brand new to tumbling. I have a tumbler and that’s it! I ended up just staying to watch the beard progress. Thanks 😊
My wife was happiest the day it came off.
Wow what a cool rock hound and just love your videos as they mean so much to all who watch, Thank You Very Much !!! Really enjoy your channel and love the great outdoors in Michigan !!!!
It's nice to know people are enjoying these. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
This is a great video! I had a rock tumbler as a kid, and I loved tumbling rocks! I have found a good assortment of agates over the past several years and I would like to shine them up! Thanks again for making this awesome video! :)
I bought a simple tumbler , followed the directions (4-5 days for each of 3 grits) and not much change. I was disappointed. Now I understand what really needs to be done. Thank you!
The directions that come with tumblers are notoriously bad. I guess they don't want to admit how long it takes and discourage people. Too bad that they are still discouraged after wasting three or four weeks doing it wrong. Hopefully you have better luck after watching my video.
Another thing to look out for is poor quality grit, especially the polish. I buy my grit from The Rock Shed. There's a link in the description to The Rock Shed and I also put their grits and polish in my Amazon storefront if that's better for you.
@@MichiganRocks there was only three grits. I just ordered new grit and am looking forward to re-tumbling the original group of stones!
the case of the reappearing disappearing facial hair was awesome...I thought i was going crazy for a bit...but the last scene finally gave it away....awesome!
I’m glad you were amused. My wife didn’t kiss me for four months.
"Want some nice rock jewelry babe? Let me just go into the Tupperware and that baking drawer really quick..."
I appreciate your willingness to teach!
now i wish i saw this before i got into this hobby. idid not repeat stages as this video shows. ive since completed 4 batches and they look so much better. thanks so much this helped alot
Better to find it late than never, I guess.
I'm crying at the Facial hair transitions!
Yes, it was pretty bad. My wife cried sometimes during that four months too.
One of the things I do to speed up the process is to double-stack the coarse grit, i.e. run the initial load for four days, then add another load of grit and run it for another three days. My observations are that the slurry is smooth after four days, which means it's no longer cutting as aggressively as I would like. Rather than doing a cleanout, I just add more grit and keep the slurry working properly.
I know a lot of people do that. I guess I'm just too lazy. Once a week is enough messing around with them for me. I don't think it's a bad idea.
You might enjoy reading this thread at Rock Tumbling Hobby. It's not exactly the same as what you do, but similar. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/68043/cleanout-recharge-experiment-final-results
@@MichiganRocks On my first try, I used the same slurry. I would rinse the rocks separately and examine, and if not done to my liking back into the slurry they went. I have done some reading further and I have noticed the use of ceramic media. SO for current batches and restart, I added some small and large media at each stage. For the gemstone mix, this has vastly improved them at each stage. My rivers are coming on nicely too. Due to the excessive heat and humidity, been hitting the one more day button and as soon as the weather DOES cooperate, will be having a look see....
@@SamsonsamSim I wouldn't use the ceramics in the first stage because it will wear them out really quickly. If you need some small pieces for the first stage, try to find some small, but hard gravel.
You can put the rocks back into the same slurry, but if the slurry has been used for a week, or even five days, you'll need to add some more grit in (at least in the first stage).
Whoa, SO many comments that I will read through, but I wanted to say thank you for your wonderful rock tumbling videos. I am working with beach stones in New England, so not nearly so hard as what you were doing and I don't want a high gloss, but I definitely need to do more tumbling than I thought I needed to do. Thank you!!
Softer rocks tumble faster, but it's also more difficult to get them to shine. I tumble a lot of beach rocks and most of them do pretty well though. If you search through my videos a bit, you'll find some "Rocks in a Box" videos showing some of my tumbled beach rocks.
I am HFA, and I became obsessed with rock tumbling out of nowhere. Rock tumbler arrives today. Eleven minutes into video and subscribed. So excited to learn. I'm not going to start mine till I have half a clue 😂 I don't want to mess anything up. I got interested in this from rocks I found outside. Eeeps it's here.... 😊
HFA? Home For Awhile? I think we're all home for awhile. Good time to get into tumbling. There are plenty of us here obsessed with tumbling.
Since the first stage takes so long, you could probably throw some rocks in with some coarse grit and get them rolling. You'll have a week to read up on tumbling before it's time to check them.
I have a couple other tumbling videos, although this is probably the best for someone with just a rotary tumbler. If you want to read a lot more about tumbling, you could check out the Rock Tumbling Hobby forums. That's where I learned almost everything I know about tumbling. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com
@@MichiganRocks Thank you so much and I like home for awhile way more than high functioning (who gets to decide?) Autistic. I think it's a good idea to go ahead and start something today since my new rocks won't get here till the 22nd . I definitely will be checking out the link too. I promised my Chihuahua Domonic that we would be rock hunting together soon too.
@@KandiAnne84 Oh, ok, High Functioning Autistic makes more sense. Is that the same as Asperger syndrome? I think you'll enjoy tumbling. I have really liked it.
@@MichiganRocks Yep yep. Asperger's but change the name to be more inclusive or something? They change the names of everything concerning autism every few years. I gave up trying to keep up.
My compliments for your patients. But it’s for sure that those months of tumbling paid of immensely good. Thank you for this overview. Greetings from Holland
I have gotten pretty patient with this hobby. I'm never disappointed when I put a lot of time in, but I am sometimes disappointed when I rush a rock through and it has a little flaw in the end. It's hard to go back and take out that flaw later.
@@MichiganRocks Thanks for your reply.
Hi Rob, I just came across your channel in my exploration of a new hobby and I want you to know how much i appreciate your passion and time spent on this. I just ordered my first tumbler and I am so so excited to begin exploring Michigan's beaches. I'll give you a wave if I see you out there!
Hi Steven. I’m glad you liked it. I have had a lot of fun with rock tumbling. It makes rock hunting that much more fun, when you think about how they’re going to look after being tumbled.
I love how your hair slowly got shaved off. It was awesome. Thanks for the video, I've been struggling with tumbling rocks and this will definitely help
It turned out way too long, but I hope it's helpful for people who actually want to learn to tumble. Glad you found it useful.
I'm learning about tumbling Rocks for the first time, first one in this playlists should be helpful for sure, I will watch more for sure ✌️ great commentary 😊 👋
I'm glad you liked it!
Thank you for taking the time to educate us newbies! Liked observing your progress. I'll be back.
Thank you so much, your advice is clear and so detailed. I have my first batch tumbling away and your videos have been such a big help. Thanks again 😊
You're welcome. It's nice to get messages like yours. It makes the effort that goes into my videos worthwhile. Good luck!
Thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos. I just started my first batch of rocks. I keep referring to this video to make sure I don't mess up.
I hope it helps!
The best part of this video is the rise and fall off the glorious beard, and the introduction of the half-stache. 10/10
My wife didn't think that was the best part, but I'm glad you liked it.
That machine on top of the cabinet, my grandfather had one and used to polish rocks and make bolo ties. I remember as a child he used to let me help him. I so miss those times. After I graduated from HS he sold all of his rock cutting and polishing equipment. I wish he would have taught me more and kept all of it. Thank you for your videos!!!
I got most of my equipment used and learned how to use it on the Rock Tumbling Hobby forums. It's not too late to learn. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/
Really enjoy watching you share your skills. Thanks I'm gonna give it a go!! I've collected rocks from all over the lower 48 in my Trucking career. 4.5 million miles, can't wait!
You should definitely do that. I've really enjoyed this hobby. You should have a pretty diverse collection after all those miles and years.
Some beautiful rocks there😍
I quit drinking and bought a rock tumbler. Im only 134 days sober, but iv already got some beautiful rocks. I really enjoy your video's. I'm in awe of your amazing collection 💖 thank you for all your help can't wait to see the future. 😊
Congratulations on 134 days sober! That seems like a really long time to me. I'm glad to be able to help you fill your time with a hobby to help keep your mind on other things.
This is epic. Wish I would have thought of this when I stopped! 😂
When you first got these stones, I was in the 11th grade and just gaining my love for geology. I've now been in the field 49 years and am about to have my 7th grand baby right about the time I retire and you finish these tumbles.
Hello there... today is my birthday. Im now 247 years old and was really hoping to see you finish great great great great grandfather started. They're telling me that my oxygen is dropping but im having them set my cryogenic chamber foranother 40 years and I hope I'll see one of you. Good luck.!
Exaggerating a bit? Yes, these took a long time.
They all turned out so well, really beautiful, great job.
Thanks Robert.
Fantastic tutorial! It's now clear what my problems were in my first batch which was a disappointment. My only suggestion is to identify the stage number you're in so my feeble brain can keep them straight. Many thanks for your dedication to teaching beginners.
Check the description of this video. I wrote out all the steps.
seriously 12 weeks? And that is the cleanest work shop I have ever seen. See a therapist, rocks are not supposed to be perfect. But all criticism aside, really nice rocks!
i can't believe all that beauty is hidden unless someone does all that work. tells us a little about life.
Nice metaphor.
@@MichiganRocks thankszzz
Learning takes time, thank you for your dedication to teach. As always, the rocks are stunning.
PS, funny face hair trick.
I had fun with that. Wish I would have noticed the sun shining in the window. I was too distracted by revealing my face.
The beard changes were hilarious! Great addition to already really good content. Thanks
I figured it might get a little boring, so I decided to do something to make it a little more interesting. Glad you liked it.
I have been watching for a month or so and love all of your informative ways of showing rock tumbling so much so that I ordered my first tumbler. I live near Lake Michigan, and I have collected a good number of rocks in my life. Now I realize that most of them are not that great for tumbling but what the heck now I can go to the beach and find the ones that will be. Thank you!!!! I recently retired so I'm looking at fun things to do.
Happy retirement, Mary! I retired a couple years ago after thirty years of teaching 8th grade math. I've been enjoying spending more time playing with rocks since then.
Don't be afraid to try different rocks in your tumbler. Petoskey stones won't do well without using some special techniques, but lots of other rocks will. By tumbling some bad ones, you'll get a feeling for what works and what doesn't.
@@MichiganRocks My rock tumbler and my rock vibrator arrived this week. It looks like I might have to wait until Spring to use them as it will be in the garage and our winter temps are not recommended. So, I will spend this winter studying rocks and hand polishing my Petoskey stones (which I find in my yard). I am not too disappointed with having to wait for warmer temperatures, it will be worth it in the end.
@@marylapalme8498 I'm lucky enough to have a basement to run my tumblers in. I do most of my lapidary stuff in the winter and spend summer outside looking for rocks (among other things).
I had no idea you got that level of shine from tumbling, it looks like waxy glass, incredible!
You know, I’ve been scrubbing away at some nice little stones, with an old Toothbrush!! Thinking “well, I can just see some nice colour & patterns here, maybe I could use sandpaper?” Can you understand how silly I feel? All I’ve done is remove some dirt!
I can’t thank you enough for your valuable tutorial. I’m going all in since I have the patience.
I loved polished rocks as a kid, watching my friends dad grinding away. I’m trying to learn how to identify different types but it’s rough when you have Q’s
Cheers, from Australia.
We have a fossilized coral here that is really popular because it's beautiful. It's made of limestone, so it's soft enough to polish with wet/dry sandpaper. Harder rock would take a really long time though. A rock tumbler is the way to go with harder rocks.
Yes! I was hoping you would do this! Your rocks always look so glossy ! Love em. Thanks for this.
Have you seen my other tumbling video? czcams.com/video/ksrmpPZrAuU/video.html
@micheganrocks I’m about too 😂 👍🏽
Wow my dear!
Great video my friend...💜
Thank you.
I'm looking at starting to tumble rocks. I've always loved rocks. I can't believe how affordable a hobby this could be on a small scale. It's slow, and kinda meditative. Neat.
Yes, it's really pretty inexpensive. If you buy your grit in bulk, especially the coarse grit, it really helps. Check out Kingsley North and the Rock Shed (links in description) when you decide to buy something. Both places have excellent service, good products (not all grit is the same) and good prices too.
Love the beard/stache edit! Had to rewind the video because I was listening in the other room and cam back to half stache! 🤣 great video! Answered so many of the questions I had about tumbling!
I'm glad I could help you with your tumbling!
Hi Rob thanks for this as it is a great resource for my tumbling journey. I hope I don't screw up the analytics too much by jumping around to various points as I have watched this in full at least once and come back several times and jump to the parts I want answers to like an encyclopaedia or wiki article. Please keep up the excellent work.
If you're rewatching, that can't be anything but good for the analytics. I wouldn't worry about it either way. Just use it as you need.
They turned out so nice worth the wait!
I sure was happy with the results.
Legend has it, this guy started his first batch before he could grow a beard and got his first polished gem with a grey beard.
That's not far from the truth!
Thank you Rob for an excellent video tutorial. I am nearing stage 4 of my first run, and this helps a boat-load!
Good, I'm glad it's helpful. That was the point after all.
Now I feel confident in buying a tumbler and trying this. Thank you Rob! Very informative video. I think I try the vibratory tumbler even if it's more expensive.
If you buy just a vibratory tumbler, your rocks won't look like this. You've probably seen it, but if not, watch my video on tumbling Lake Superior agates. That will give you a good idea of what to expect from just vibratory tumbling. I prefer starting with a rotary tumbler and finishing in my Lot-O.
❤❤❤ my father always had a rock tumbler going all the time. He never taught me how to tumble. I want to make sea glass jewelry with a tumbler. Now that I will have my own place, it is a possibility ❤👍
Here is my attempt to make fake sea glass. I wasn't totally successful trying to replicate what I find on rocky beaches, but several people told me that one of my attempts recreated pretty accurately what they find on sandy beaches. Maybe you can find something there to help you. czcams.com/video/yAt1Y5cGfWI/video.html
You are our go-to-guy for rocks and now tumbling. We have learned so much from you and are getting more into our rocks by the day. I got the rock tumbler on my birthday early May. My daughter got a complete rockhounding kit from her husband who also bought one for himself on her birthday in June. We went to our first rock/minerals show just on Sunday. We have also found a cliff wall in our state where we could find some mini garnets. We are hooked. I am now seeking a vibratory tumbler and have watched all you shared about them. What I don't like about yours is the small opening. I know I would prefer a larger opening so that's what I am going for. I'm also big into stained glass and have tumbled my first tumbler. Love it, love you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. Thanks so much!
Take a look at the Thumber's Ultra Vibes. I hear good things about them. They come in a variety of size and have huge openings on the top. Just make sure you get the model designed for rocks and not for tumbling brass. The ones for tumbling metal won't hold up to rocks.
@@MichiganRocks So appreciate your well-timed advice. I didn't realize the distinction between tumblers for rocks and then brass. We've been surfing though and my daughter knew - we are deciding and will now take a real close look at the Ultra Vibes. I thank you again. You have already shared so much with us and we are busy learning all we can - we are hooked!
Informative and hilarious!
Wow!! Thank you so much for documenting and sharing this looong process!! I love the beard touch from both a time passage standpoint and because of the funny way you shaved it off! Thanks for being so thorough with your explanations and sharing all the intricate workings of the process. You seem so warm and passionate about this stuff! I'm so glad I stumbled across your gem of a channel!
Ha! Gem of a channel, that's a good one! I'm glad you liked the beard thing. It looks like it served both purposes I intended.
@Michigan Rocks Wait, I think Jess meant to say, "tumbled across your gem of a channel!" Ha ha!!
@@enjoylifesteve3925 Ha ha!
Sorry up front for the long comment but I wanted to share. The family was going on a road trip last year and we were going to be rock hounding a bit, I got way into watching a lot of rock tumblers and hounds on youtube etc. (including tour channel). I knew the steps per most guides, I failed at my first attempt due to mismatched harness and general lack of knowledge. I thought I had the knowledge to do it right but still failed to get a nice shine on my second and third attempts and I stopped trying for a while. Anyway, your video was very timely with my renewed interest in getting this right. You tumble for many more weeks and "sessions". I have some nice jasper, I should be able to get a good polish based on everything I've seen, so I will do it again and am going to use your methods as your stuff has always been very nice. I will be successful! Thanks for sharing your videos.
No need to apologize for a long comment when the video is almost an hour long. You should do well with a batch of just jasper. This is not my normal method, through. Most of the rocks you'll see from me have done the last stages in my Lot-O tumbler. I did this video because most people don't start out with a vibratory tumbler just to show that it can be done.
I appreciate you for your time and professionalism in your videos
Thanks, Matt!
cant i do this in my moms front loading washing machine?
I could put BIG rocks in that!
im gonna try!
Let me know how it goes.
OMG this is hysterical! Try it! Comeon!! DO IT DO IT
omg did you try it?
I have another similar video that shows how to do the last stages with a vibratory tumbler. This is my favorite method of tumbling. czcams.com/video/ksrmpPZrAuU/video.html
If you want to tumble with a rotary tumbler with plastic pellets, check out this video: czcams.com/video/EnNvywwztr8/video.html
Michigan Rocks
Seen it 👍
Would you consider doing a start to finish with the vibratory tumbler? I'm just getting started bought a cheap harbor freight tumbler and am really having fun with it but would like to see a good video on the vibratory before I decide which tumbler to invest in from the beginning
Go find my recent video on tumbling Lake Superior Agates from start to finish in a vibratory tumbler. That will at least give you an idea of what to expect from a completely vibratory tumble. I think I put the steps I did in the description.
Thanks for another outstanding tutorial !!! I watched the one on finishing in the Loto earlier this week. I have toyed with the idea of buying a second double barrel tumbler and just using that for prepolish and polish. Thanks for all your help, Rob.
I'm glad you've found it helpful.
Native Detroiter living in Ohio really did tune in for a look at the rock tumbler (I want one for my birthday...and husband requires some coaching). I was thrilled to see such an extensive collection of Michigan t-shirts. This (and the beard) only added to our enjoyment. Awesome! Husband is hooked as well. Thank you so much -- I have subscribed and will be back. Go Blue!
I wore a shirt with holes in it on one of my videos. They were very small holes, but my wife bought me seven more Michigan shirts so I wouldn't do that again. I hope you have a good collection of them too to wear in that state south of here.
Love the effort you put into this, learned a lot even with all the tumbling I have done!! Thanks
That's great if I can show someone with experience something. Thanks for recognizing the effort that went into it.
Thanks for the great video, very instructional, I learned a lot! A couple of questions:
1) How do you dispose of the slurry once you're rinsed off your rocks? I've heard that pouring it down the drain is not a good idea as you'll be building up a nice concrete dam in your pipes.
2) What do you do with all the rocks that you tumble?
I'm so glad you asked those questions. So glad that I made a couple videos to answer them.
How I Dispose of Rock Tumbler Slurry czcams.com/video/j-356YqFox8/video.html
What do you do with all those tumbled rocks? czcams.com/video/jZ9Dns9ioX8/video.html
Glad I read thru these comments as I was about to ask the same thing👍🏻
You probably won't see this but, just wanted to let you know that I found your rock tumbling videos to get me started. I also called you my mentor in my latest video.
I do see it and I'm happy to mentor you.
"Shave off some time"!!! hahahahaha Thank you! I was amused.
I wonder how many people caught my corny pun?
@@MichiganRocks A few I think, if they were paying attention.
Haha, love the beard humor!
I was hoping if the rocks got boring, I could entertain you in some other way.
I made a tumbler using a 60 rpm rotisserie motor and two used rubber pinch rollers from old 3/4 inch video tape machines. I used a large coffee can for the drum. I noticed that my rocks and parts slid stationary inside the drum and didn't get polished efficiently. I found a square Tupperware container that fit snuggly inside the drum. This tumbled the abrasive media over the parts better and got the desired results faster.
It sounds like you might have needed to fill the coffee can more. About 2/3 or 3/4 full is about right. If the barrel is half full, the rocks tend to just stay on the bottom and shift back and forth. Using smooth metal as a barrel can't help either, although a lot of people make barrels out of PVC which can't be a lot different. I'm glad you got it figured out with the Tupperware. If you're going to be tumbling rocks for a long time, I would think that both the Tupperware and the coffee can would wear through fairly quickly.
Yes, Sorry to be coming to this video so late but I agree With Michael P. You do a stellar job and so clearly shown and stated. Top notch! Great vocal and video. I've said this before and am a WI neighbor. I still mean that. Super Channel! I've learned so much through you. Specific #'s and am'ts. ThanX!
I still read the comments even on older videos.
First! (Kinda). :D Marking this for future reference. Thanks, Rob!
You're welcome, Kate!
I didnt know so much time and effort was needed for this!!! I learned alot from this!! Beautiful rocks! 😊
I spend more time than most. I like to get every little imperfection out. Not everyone is as picky as I am.