miaclaire
off to a rocking start
too many rocks are keepers..
Member since March 2024
Posts: 5
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Post by miaclaire on May 23, 2024 14:16:41 GMT -5
hello fellow rock lovers, i've been "lurking" here awhile trying to learn about rock tumbling but it's past time i say hi (& thank you bc these threads are SO useful) & also start asking for specific help. got a rebel 17 tumbler (it's HUGE) and didn't realize how difficult it would be to learn with such a big one... any tips much appreciated! i think i need to fill it welllll beyond 3/4 full to stop impact damage... haven't gotten through a full cycle yet, mostly keep restarting a new load of coarse. first load was mix of quartzite + granite + gravel / random things you "shouldn't" polish (i didn't have enough to fill it & also didnt want to ruin rocks i care about) that got to stage 3 before i didn't have enough to continue & realized maybe this is a waste of grit (also didn't realize how much i'd need per barrel, this thing is a monster but i wanted to do some big rocks eventually... trying not to regret getting such a huge one but uuyyyyy) now i've done one coarse stage of quartz, chalcedony & jaspers but still seeing white lines / chips & unsure how much of that will go away in the following stages... hard to know when things are ready to move on or not? i've been using ceramic media as filler. born & raised in Whitehorse, Yukon. always been a collector but as of this year (learning geology in school + 1st ever rock tumbler), straight up obsessed mia (miaclaire)
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 2,664
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Post by rockbrain on May 23, 2024 15:13:52 GMT -5
Welcome from Central California!
Did you get the Rebel made for rocks? They have a high speed for brass and metal and a low speed for rocks.
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chris1956
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2022
Posts: 1,442
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Post by chris1956 on May 23, 2024 16:31:42 GMT -5
Welcome from Missouri.
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Post by vegasjames on May 23, 2024 17:26:02 GMT -5
Welcome Mia from Southern Nevada.
If you search some of my posts, I tumble the majority of my rocks without grit or polish. Grit speeds up the process, and rounds the rocks, but it not always necessary. Some types of rocks do better with my process than others, especially the candy rhyolite. Jaspers and other chalcedonies work pretty good, but being harder take a lot more to get a smoother surface to get a good polish. The quartz crystals I have been running did pretty well also, but did get some bruising despite adding what I thought was plenty of chips for cushioning.
In short, my process is simply putting a mix of stone sizes, including lots of chips from breaking the rocks up, in the barrel filing it most the way to allow some, but not a lot of movement so they are not banging around. I empty out the barrel about once a week to wash out all the mud and add more chips or rock as needed. After a month I throw them in the UV-18 vibe tumbler with just water for a week. That is it.
I have been thinking about trying a batch with grit for a week or so on the harder stones just to get an initial smoother surface, then go to water only since as I pointed out, water tumbling or harder stones like chalcedonies will take a polish, but not as great as the rhyolite since it takes longer to get a smooth surface for polishing without grit.
The other thing I have been trying is I have been running really rough chalcedonies in a cement mixer, which due to the extra weight rapidly grinds the surface of the stones down. When the stones are smoothed out sufficiently, I am pulling them, then adding them to the 17 pound barrels using the same process as above. I have my first batch being done this way going right now.
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Post by opalpyrexia on May 23, 2024 17:56:35 GMT -5
Welcome from Washington.
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titaniumkid
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2023
Posts: 320
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Post by titaniumkid on May 23, 2024 18:28:37 GMT -5
Hi from Australia You might regret the bigger tumbler now while you're starting out, but as you get more into the hobby and start stockpiling rocks you will probably be pretty happy to have it. The white lines and chipping probably won't go away in later tumbling stages. If you keep tumbling them in the first stage, they might be worn away (if they aren't too deep). If you don't mind how they look and they aren't at risk of falling apart or are so rough they'll scratch other rocks, it should be fine to move them on (just make sure they are cleaned well to avoid grit contamination).
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Post by 1dave on May 23, 2024 20:20:21 GMT -5
You may be interested in my book available at: Payhip.com/DaveCrosby I explain how all that gold got on the mountain tops.
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rocknrob
noticing nice landscape pebbles
No matter what AI thinks, I do not in any way resemble John Malkovich
Member since May 2024
Posts: 85
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Post by rocknrob on May 24, 2024 9:38:20 GMT -5
Welcome from Washington State! I've been pretty content with my 2 barrel 3 pounder tumbler after starting with one of those National Geographic tumblers. I use the smaller one to finish cabochons and polish the softer stuff I have although I still have tons to learn. One thing for example is how quickly rocks like malachite round off. I had no idea and earlier and a bunch of chips turned into pretty green slurry.
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Post by jasoninsd on May 26, 2024 9:13:25 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from South Dakota! ...of course if you've been "lurking"...then you've been here awhile! LOL
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miaclaire
off to a rocking start
too many rocks are keepers..
Member since March 2024
Posts: 5
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Post by miaclaire on May 28, 2024 15:36:17 GMT -5
Welcome from Central California! Did you get the Rebel made for rocks? They have a high speed for brass and metal and a low speed for rocks. Yes, I got the 20 RPM low speed one for rocks!
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miaclaire
off to a rocking start
too many rocks are keepers..
Member since March 2024
Posts: 5
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Post by miaclaire on May 28, 2024 15:39:18 GMT -5
Hi from Australia You might regret the bigger tumbler now while you're starting out, but as you get more into the hobby and start stockpiling rocks you will probably be pretty happy to have it. The white lines and chipping probably won't go away in later tumbling stages. If you keep tumbling them in the first stage, they might be worn away (if they aren't too deep). If you don't mind how they look and they aren't at risk of falling apart or are so rough they'll scratch other rocks, it should be fine to move them on (just make sure they are cleaned well to avoid grit contamination). Hmm, OK thanks that's good to know! The chipped ones will probably be re-run in maybe a shorter coarse stage again, but the white lines I think might be worn away because they don't look deep. And yes I've been scrubbing them between stages. One thing I'm not so sure of is how to tell if they're at risk of falling apart, like some of the cracks look like they're internal only somehow if that makes sense? But still smooth outside?
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miaclaire
off to a rocking start
too many rocks are keepers..
Member since March 2024
Posts: 5
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Post by miaclaire on May 28, 2024 15:45:33 GMT -5
Welcome Mia from Southern Nevada. If you search some of my posts, I tumble the majority of my rocks without grit or polish. Grit speeds up the process, and rounds the rocks, but it not always necessary. Some types of rocks do better with my process than others, especially the candy rhyolite. Jaspers and other chalcedonies work pretty good, but being harder take a lot more to get a smoother surface to get a good polish. The quartz crystals I have been running did pretty well also, but did get some bruising despite adding what I thought was plenty of chips for cushioning. In short, my process is simply putting a mix of stone sizes, including lots of chips from breaking the rocks up, in the barrel filing it most the way to allow some, but not a lot of movement so they are not banging around. I empty out the barrel about once a week to wash out all the mud and add more chips or rock as needed. After a month I throw them in the UV-18 vibe tumbler with just water for a week. That is it. I have been thinking about trying a batch with grit for a week or so on the harder stones just to get an initial smoother surface, then go to water only since as I pointed out, water tumbling or harder stones like chalcedonies will take a polish, but not as great as the rhyolite since it takes longer to get a smooth surface for polishing without grit. The other thing I have been trying is I have been running really rough chalcedonies in a cement mixer, which due to the extra weight rapidly grinds the surface of the stones down. When the stones are smoothed out sufficiently, I am pulling them, then adding them to the 17 pound barrels using the same process as above. I have my first batch being done this way going right now. That's awesome!! I am actually doing a "test run" right now of a big mostly already smooth piece of jasper + mostly filler/random things + only 2 tbsp fresh grit + a few ladels of old coarse slurry. Figured I'd leave it in for 3 weeks because I was only home a week between work & I'm leaving tomorrow for 2 weeks. Also filled it more like 7/8ths full this time. That's actually another question I had and couldn't seem to find a clear answer - about if it's normal/recommended to add more rocks/chips to the barrel DURING a single stage, rather than just between stages. Because I was wondering if that was also why I'd end up with smooth but chipped rocks, maybe once the volume goes down they start hitting eachother more. I have seen a few people tumble agates with water only & I thought the results were great. Even if I could lessen grit until just the polish stages, that would be a $$ win. I'm also happy with a few imperfections and don't need the shiniest rocks out there, I like a natural look as well but got into all of this because I wanted my rocks to look wet all the time. I'll definitely search some of your posts and photos if you have them! Thank you for commenting!
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miaclaire
off to a rocking start
too many rocks are keepers..
Member since March 2024
Posts: 5
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Post by miaclaire on May 28, 2024 15:50:41 GMT -5
Hi from Australia You might regret the bigger tumbler now while you're starting out, but as you get more into the hobby and start stockpiling rocks you will probably be pretty happy to have it. The white lines and chipping probably won't go away in later tumbling stages. If you keep tumbling them in the first stage, they might be worn away (if they aren't too deep). If you don't mind how they look and they aren't at risk of falling apart or are so rough they'll scratch other rocks, it should be fine to move them on (just make sure they are cleaned well to avoid grit contamination). Also you're right about the stockpiling - even since I got the tumbler I am shocked how many rocks I've brought home & how quickly I'm running out of space XD It will be great once I know what I'm doing & stop the breaking
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titaniumkid
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2023
Posts: 320
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Post by titaniumkid on May 28, 2024 18:19:32 GMT -5
Hi from Australia You might regret the bigger tumbler now while you're starting out, but as you get more into the hobby and start stockpiling rocks you will probably be pretty happy to have it. The white lines and chipping probably won't go away in later tumbling stages. If you keep tumbling them in the first stage, they might be worn away (if they aren't too deep). If you don't mind how they look and they aren't at risk of falling apart or are so rough they'll scratch other rocks, it should be fine to move them on (just make sure they are cleaned well to avoid grit contamination). Hmm, OK thanks that's good to know! The chipped ones will probably be re-run in maybe a shorter coarse stage again, but the white lines I think might be worn away because they don't look deep. And yes I've been scrubbing them between stages. One thing I'm not so sure of is how to tell if they're at risk of falling apart, like some of the cracks look like they're internal only somehow if that makes sense? But still smooth outside? I don't know how to tell unless it's a very obvious fracture. Sometimes I find a rock will break apart where there was no visible sign of a fracture. Other very fractured rocks survive tumbling just fine. I try to trust that the rough experience the rocks have in the coarsest tumbling stage will be enough to make any that are going to break fall apart, and then the small broken rocks can be tumbled. If rocks survive coarse but look fragile and I feel very attached to, I try to make sure they aren't tumbled with any big rough rocks, but are cushioned with similar sized or smaller rocks and ceramic media. Your current tumbler should be very good at making rocks fall apart when you first tumble them because it's so big (so they will do a lot more falling and tumbling in a smaller tumbler). That should help you make sure they don't fall apart in later stages, and if in the future you get a smaller tumbler or a vibe, then you reduce the risk of further breaking at later stages.
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titaniumkid
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2023
Posts: 320
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Post by titaniumkid on May 28, 2024 18:23:39 GMT -5
Hi from Australia You might regret the bigger tumbler now while you're starting out, but as you get more into the hobby and start stockpiling rocks you will probably be pretty happy to have it. The white lines and chipping probably won't go away in later tumbling stages. If you keep tumbling them in the first stage, they might be worn away (if they aren't too deep). If you don't mind how they look and they aren't at risk of falling apart or are so rough they'll scratch other rocks, it should be fine to move them on (just make sure they are cleaned well to avoid grit contamination). Also you're right about the stockpiling - even since I got the tumbler I am shocked how many rocks I've brought home & how quickly I'm running out of space XD It will be great once I know what I'm doing & stop the breaking Rock tumbling is really about stockpiling rocks. People think it's about making rough rocks smooth and shiny, but it's also about making rocks smaller so you can fit more of them in your house
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Post by vegasjames on May 28, 2024 19:04:04 GMT -5
Welcome Mia from Southern Nevada. If you search some of my posts, I tumble the majority of my rocks without grit or polish. Grit speeds up the process, and rounds the rocks, but it not always necessary. Some types of rocks do better with my process than others, especially the candy rhyolite. Jaspers and other chalcedonies work pretty good, but being harder take a lot more to get a smoother surface to get a good polish. The quartz crystals I have been running did pretty well also, but did get some bruising despite adding what I thought was plenty of chips for cushioning. In short, my process is simply putting a mix of stone sizes, including lots of chips from breaking the rocks up, in the barrel filing it most the way to allow some, but not a lot of movement so they are not banging around. I empty out the barrel about once a week to wash out all the mud and add more chips or rock as needed. After a month I throw them in the UV-18 vibe tumbler with just water for a week. That is it. I have been thinking about trying a batch with grit for a week or so on the harder stones just to get an initial smoother surface, then go to water only since as I pointed out, water tumbling or harder stones like chalcedonies will take a polish, but not as great as the rhyolite since it takes longer to get a smooth surface for polishing without grit. The other thing I have been trying is I have been running really rough chalcedonies in a cement mixer, which due to the extra weight rapidly grinds the surface of the stones down. When the stones are smoothed out sufficiently, I am pulling them, then adding them to the 17 pound barrels using the same process as above. I have my first batch being done this way going right now. That's awesome!! I am actually doing a "test run" right now of a big mostly already smooth piece of jasper + mostly filler/random things + only 2 tbsp fresh grit + a few ladels of old coarse slurry. Figured I'd leave it in for 3 weeks because I was only home a week between work & I'm leaving tomorrow for 2 weeks. Also filled it more like 7/8ths full this time. That's actually another question I had and couldn't seem to find a clear answer - about if it's normal/recommended to add more rocks/chips to the barrel DURING a single stage, rather than just between stages. Because I was wondering if that was also why I'd end up with smooth but chipped rocks, maybe once the volume goes down they start hitting eachother more. I have seen a few people tumble agates with water only & I thought the results were great. Even if I could lessen grit until just the polish stages, that would be a $$ win. I'm also happy with a few imperfections and don't need the shiniest rocks out there, I like a natural look as well but got into all of this because I wanted my rocks to look wet all the time. I'll definitely search some of your posts and photos if you have them! Thank you for commenting! I don't really do stages. I just add various size stones to the barrel mixed with chips from breaking the stones up. Then water. About once a week, I open the barrels and dump everything out in a classifier to wash off all the mud, which is also an indicator that the rocks are grinding even without grit. I get rid of the mud for a couple of reasons. One is that if there is too much mud in the barrel, it can "cement" stones preventing them from rolling in the barrel. Secondly, I want the chips to act as my "grit" also to help clean out nooks and crannies. I don't want the mud acting as a cushion or lubricant decreasing the grinding power.
When I reload the stones, I add more fresh chips to maintain my volume. I have had no problems with the chips affecting the shine as they are the same hardness as the other stones. I run these for about a month, then pull stones that look pretty done, and put them in the vibe tumbler with just water for a week.
When done, the chips are also glossy, and I separate those out for crafts.
If you are going to be away for a couple of weeks, I highly recommend that you get some large aluminum or other metal pans to put the tumbler in. This is in case the barrels happen to blow out, or if the motor jams up and overheats.
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Post by drocknut on Jun 3, 2024 9:07:04 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from NW Arizona.
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