newbie333
off to a rocking start
Member since June 2018
Posts: 1
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Post by newbie333 on Jun 24, 2018 17:38:56 GMT -5
Our daughter is thinking about getting a rotary tumbler for her birthday.
We were wondering what would be the easiest rock to start out with....we don't want her to start out and not have a good batch and get disappointed. She is looking at quartz, obsidian etc etc and I am not sure what would be the best to start with.
Thanks
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fishnpinball
Cave Dweller
So much to learn, so little time
Member since March 2017
Posts: 1,491
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Post by fishnpinball on Jun 24, 2018 17:42:34 GMT -5
Quartz, Jaspers and Agates are among the easiest and also easy to find.
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surreality
starting to spend too much on rocks
is picking up too many rocks at the beach again
Member since January 2012
Posts: 217
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Post by surreality on Jun 24, 2018 19:04:43 GMT -5
Some places have assortments, which might be a good option -- though you'll want to check to see if they say if they're all the same hardness or not. Some places sell assortments that are all over the map, and some are of the same general hardness; you'd want the latter (same hardness) for best results and less chance of disappointment.
Does she have favorite colors or patterns, or favorite stones that you know of? That may help narrow it down a little bit.
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Post by manofglass on Jun 25, 2018 0:01:22 GMT -5
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Post by gmitch067 on Jun 25, 2018 2:10:38 GMT -5
Quartz, Jaspers and Agates are among the easiest and also easy to find. As fishnpinball said... Agates, Jaspers, and Quartz are probably the most satisfying to a new tumbler... brilliant shines and colorful, with eye-catching complexity. I no longer can go out collecting, so I pretty much get my rough and supplies from a vendor. I recommend going to TheRockShed.com and checking out their crushed rocks for tumbling. What tumbler is she considering purchasing?
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surreality
starting to spend too much on rocks
is picking up too many rocks at the beach again
Member since January 2012
Posts: 217
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Post by surreality on Jun 25, 2018 14:03:32 GMT -5
I'll second the recommendation for The Rock Shed. I buy everything I can through them after having found them last time around. Really good prices, super helpful, lots of options (but with enough info to help figure out what works best with/for what).
They have some really pretty agate and jasper options right now, too, that I keep eyeing up myself!
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Post by aDave on Jun 25, 2018 14:29:27 GMT -5
What tumbler is she considering purchasing? Glenn, you win the internet today for that question. OP, this is a great question and something you or your daughter should seriously consider. Many new folks in the hobby end up with a "toy" tumbler of sorts, most commonly a National Geographic type tumbler. While they are seemingly attractive because they are sold as kits (tumbler, rocks, grit), they are often difficult to produce satisfactory results with. I'm not saying one won't get a polish with one, but plenty of folks come to this forum looking for assistance with their tumbles with that tumbler specifically. Frankly, I'd be looking at a Lortone rotary tumbler (the Rock Shed sells those too). The barrels are easy to seal up, they rarely, if ever, leak, and parts are readily available. Thumlers also makes rotary tumblers, but their smaller tumbler barrels can be finicky to work with. If the budget allows, a good tumbler to begin with is the two barrel Lortone 33B. The benefit of two barrels is that one barrel can be "reserved" for the polish stage, and the other barrel can be used for all other stages. A single barrel model isn't a deal breaker, but there are definite advantages to having multiple barrels. It's worth noting that Harbor Freight sells a tumbler, but they can be mechanically problematic at times. I have never owned one, but the reviews about them are mixed. Some people use them here without issue, but others aren't so lucky. Hope this helps some. Good luck.
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Post by gmitch067 on Jun 25, 2018 14:53:04 GMT -5
Before purchasing rocks to tumble, I find it helpful to go to the internet and see what the rocks look like after tumbling. Google "<name of rock> tumbled stones. (example: rose quartz tumbled stones)
Although many of the pictures shown are "specially" chosen and presented in professional showcases, there will be some pictures posted from normal rotary tumblers.
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napoleonrags
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2015
Posts: 474
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Post by napoleonrags on Jun 25, 2018 20:09:51 GMT -5
The desert jasper from The Rock Shed is easy to tumble and looks great...and it's about the least expensive on the site.
2 cents,
Gather no moss, Colin
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Post by arghvark on Jun 26, 2018 14:18:24 GMT -5
Hey Newbie333, You came to the right place - folks here are extremely helpful. One of the cool things about rock tumbling is you can make it pretty much as technical or a simple as you want to.
Beach stones (agates, jaspers, petrified wood), if you can get your hands on some, are particularly easy and satisfying to tumble because they are usually already nicely rounded.
The only thing I would add to the comments of the experts is that we have to be patient. One rarely gets gorgeous results by simply following the directions that come with a tumbler (except on softer stones which can be more challenging to get a good shine on, or on already-smooth beach stones) partially because 7-10 days in 1st stage is rarely sufficient. If we're patient, we eventually get good results.
Have fun!
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Post by johnjsgems on Jun 27, 2018 10:28:55 GMT -5
Yes on Rock Shed. Great people. When I sold small tumblers I always warned parents not to buy a tumbler for youngsters unless the parents were interested as well. A lot of enthusiastic youngsters lose enthusiasm during the weeks of watching a barrel turn. I somewhere have the one batch of rose quartz my son tumbled before he lost interest.
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