Very excited to see what they look like when they are all shined up.

I have recently gotten into rock hunting. I want to start polishing my agates and others. However I have no idea what type of tumbler to get. So I'm wondering if any of you guys had any input for a machine for a beginner. Thanks so much!

North Sea pebbles.

One week at stage three. Into polish they go. I put fresh ceramic in there thinking it was a good idea but another commenter mentioned I should use the ceramic from stage three… live and learn.

i am using 1500 aluminum oxide polish, i did 2 cycles on the lowest speed, 9 days each. my rocks are still dull unless they’re wet 😮‍💨 tried burnishing stage and that did not help. only one of the stones actually looked shiny, so i took that one out. any suggestions here? i know this is a weird mix of stones - this is my first test run with the rocks that came with the tumbler so i’ve just been following the directions of the manual that came with my tumbler but any tips would be appreciated! i am also planning on doing some agates i collected next so if anyone has tips for those too let me know!

So excited to see this pop up towards the end of stage 1. There's small chip on the top and a raised edge. This is my first batch ever... would you let it go for another week or stop now?

This is the best bath yet in my DIY Frankenstein tumbler. In one of my older posts I show a homemade tumbler based on the work of another redditor on this subreddit. After breaking springs and other modifications to make the tumbler work well, I just set it on a rug on top of the carpet. No base, no hanging vibratory tumbler, just in the ground. I’ll make another post soon showing the tumbler in action.
These stones are a mix of coastal Alabama, Lake Michigan, Utah agates. I try to get a shovel or two full of marble size stones as fill. The small stones are just as impressive as the larger ones.
I didn’t do a stage 1, right to stage 2 for 3 days. I rinsed all stones after 2 days to check in progress and ran them an extra day with fresh grit. Did 2 days at stage 3 and a day of final stage. I rinsed the stones once during stage 3 to follow the polish. I did all new grit to finish out stage 3. Borax ultrasound bath after each stage.
I had some old cups and saucers that I broke down and threw in. Compared to my other batches I got better action and no bruising of the stones.
Great thing about this hobby is that it can be so customized and there is no “best” as we all do things our own way. This post is to show you that even unusual materials can bring great results.

This guy was one of my largest picks on my last outing I’ve been trying to figure out if or how I could tumble it? I do have a 12lb barrel.

Looks like it’s a possible sandwich with sandstone outsides. They scratch quite easily with a nail screw but the banded sides do not scratch.

Found it in Middle TN
1.6lbs.
5” long
3.5” wide

My wife and I do a lot of rock hunting on our hikes so we have boxes of rocks. I finally got mayelf a 2x2 Tumble-Bee tumbler and wow this stuff is fun!

These are all from the creek on our property in Flathead County, Montana (NW Montana). I have no idea what these rocks actually are, we typically just pick up whatever we think looks cool!

Should I use ceramic with the polish? How long do folks typically do the polishing stage?

Just finished tumbling the rocks I collected on the North Washington coast. I heard them called calcite, quartzite and beach agate. I just call them chalcedony to cover all bases :)

I finished my first two batches of rocks today. I am so pleased. Some I may polish up with dremel later, but for now I’m happy. All collected from west central Indiana.

Hello all!

I have been tumbling almost a year now and recently have run into an issue.

First off, I am using one 3 pound tumbler and one 6 pound tumbler. When I finished my polish stage a few days ago, I had a batch of rocks come out somewhat shiny, but not super mirror like, as I have had in the l
Past. It’s like upon close inspection of the rocks, they have shaken, but also have scuffs all over the rock. I have a picture of two of these rocks for reference from this batch. In previous months, I’ve had similar rocks come out super shiny and reflective unlike these two.

I also noticed with the polish powder being white that when I opened up to clean them off, there was a black substance at the top. I wonder if this is what ruined the shine? I also wonder if I am not using a strong enough polish, or how to fix these rocks.

2nd, today I opened up my other tumbler to move it from stage 2 to stage 3 and also noticed the black powder like stuff floating on top of the gray stage 2 grit. I have attached a picture of this.

Do I need to buy a whole new grit kit? Also, I am going to get new tumbler media soon as I have not been using that on these last few batches. Is that the cause of the lackluster shine??

Thanks for all the help! I just want my rocks coming out glossy and mirror like with the shine.

Cat

Okay so I have been visually inspecting this batch since the 11th and did not see any indication that gas was building up so I was not actively burping the barrel. this morning when I check I have this. This is what's been going on, just a little leak if I catch it early then it's an easy cleanup sometimes I don't catch it early but it's never a huge blowout. (It's like as the mixture becomes more of a slurry it starts to seep put??)

Our most common rock here in our part of southern Mexico that’s fun to tumble is banded calcite, and I decided to do a batch of stones that are more or less evenly mixed with what I think is limestone. These first photos show after stage 1 (stones are all wet) and the final two photos are just the raw gravel before I began, for contrast.

I think it’s turning out pretty well, but the limestone matrix also has other minerals included, so while the calcite tumbles quite uniformly the rest of it is prone to pitting. Calcite also only has a mohs of around 3, so by the time I get these absolutely smooth they’ll have worn down to practically nothing. I think I’m going to have to settle for some minor pitting and just clean the crevices extremely well in between stages to prevent grit carryover. Might be time to buy that water pick!

I have several 4lb ones. I've got a stock pile of larger rocks that are too big for what I have. The next size up seems to be 17lbs? I would love one that large but they starting at over $200. Does anyone know of anything in between 4 and 17lbs that might be a little cheaper? I've also checked marketplace and craigslist pretty religiously for a while now and nothing... If I need to just quit being cheap save up a little for it then so be it.

Last month, I received a donated box of rocks from a lapidary guy who wishes to remain anonymous for my “Advocacy Rocks” project! About 16 lbs. of rough, partially tumbled rough, and lots of end slices, which were super cool! Some of these are going into final polish soon. I am so grateful!!🥹❤️

They will go to people with Parkinson’s, care partners, healthcare staff, policy makers, scientists, researchers, the general public … everywhere I go. It puts a smile on everyone’s face and opens up hearts and conversations. It’s magical, honestly.

Here’s just a few of the events I have coming as a volunteer advocate:

This week: I’ll be on a 3-person panel at a government conference discussing the patient experience in front of 70-80 scientists and researchers actively working on cures for PD, ALS, and rare cancers.

Next month: Attending a conference with about 100 people with Young Onset Parkinson’s.

February: Speaking at a fundraiser in front of about 75.

March: Leading our Maryland delegation on Capitol Hill as part of a huge forum of over 300 patients and care partners from all over the US.

If you have any rough, end cuts, scrap that you’d be willing to “donate” and ship, please DM me! I promise that they will find good homes. Thank you! ❤️🪨❤️🪨

I live up in northern MN and drive out to the UP pretty often.

I know there are a TON of rock shops on the UP. Any recommendations for a great shop?

Do any shops in the UP, northern WI, or MN sell bulk rock like the Rock Shed? I tend to pick my own rocks, but it might be fun to stock up for the winter and support a small business.

I've been going through websites one at a time, but as you might imagine, small rock shops don't tend to have great online presence.

Thanks a ton for any leads!

This is batch #5, all running concurrently in 3 pound rotary barrels. Fresh out first cycle of coarse grit. This will take 3 to 4 weeks before moving to medium grits and polish in the vibes.

Material sourced from private sale through a contact in PK. Like the Topaz and Aquamarine, it’s pretty expensive and the tumbles are very small, but OH, so pretty….

I have two large bags of beach stones that I plan to toss in the tumblers. They were part of an auction lot that I purchased for some collectible
rock specimens and fossils. I have little attachment to them and don’t plan to take the time to sort them by hardness. It won’t bother me to lose some material.
Since they are already rounded and smooth, should I put them in stages 1 and 2 for just a few days each and then move to pre-polish and polish as normal?

Thanks to those of you giving me quick advice last night about this FB Marketplace purchase. It is in my possession!! Near-mint condition!!

The seller had listed this tumbler in a lot that also included a vibratory tumbler and some supplies for $760. I asked her if she would consider selling me just the tumbler on “the first picture” in the listing. She came back with $100! I told her twice that $100 seemed too low for such an expensive machine but that I would happily pay $100 for it. I also mentioned that I don’t sell my rocks but give them away as part of my advocacy work and she seemed really happy about supporting the cause.

Anyway, hubby drives me 90 mins into the city this morning and when we get there, she brings out the VIBRATORY tumbler, not the Lortone! My heart sank as I realized we had a total miscommunication!! We came to an agreement that $200 would be fair. Both of us were happy. I gave her 5 of some of my best tumbled rocks as a thank you for such a great deal and she was floored (LOVE that!)

She said she’s owned it for years but never used it! The barrel is pristine. There are little scratches here and there from being moved around but I really don’t think it’s been used!

Now, the question… do I use it like any other rotary tumbler? 2/3-3/4 full, 20 Tbs grit? Anyone here have one of these? Thanks!!

Hi, rock hounds! My dad is an avid collector and tumbler, but his current machines are only about a 4”x5” drum size. He’d love to have a larger one, and I’m not sure if 15-17lb would be a good upgrade, or perhaps larger? Do all of the at-home tumblers take weeks, or do some of them process faster? Thank you in advance for your help!! This is going to be such a knock out gift, and I want to make sure it’s the right thing. :) Rock on!