Post by dtcmor on Jun 12, 2006 23:48:53 GMT -5
Living in Northern Ohio, there are not too many places to find good rocks. I'm always looking for new ways to add to my collections.
I happen to do landscaping and outdoor construction on the side from my regular factory job for extra money. One of my customers wanted a brick patio installed, so I went to a certain direct stone supplier in the area that I have bought from for many years. They sell everything from preformed concrete stuff to large bulk rocks of almost every kind. The place has acres of rocks.
As I was looking at the pavers, it stuck me that I could find just about anything I could dream of as far as rocks for the hobby. All this time I had been going there and never gave it a thought. I explained my newfound interests in tumbling and such to the lady at the counter as she checked me out, and they were more than willing to let me buy in small quantities (5 or 6 pieces instead of tons) at very reasonable prices(depending on size). The best pile so far has been the one with the smooth river rock for landscape beds. The pieces are just the right size for tumbling and even a cut or two.
Another good thing I have found (by accident) are the bags of stones that are usually stocked with the concrete supplies at the local home improvement places (like Home Depot or Lowe's and such). They are mostly used for adding decorative top coatings when mixed with concrete for a pebble effect on the surface. My 3yr old son knocked one of my bags over and as I was picking up the mess, I noticed there was some pretty cool stuff in the mix. It is time consuming to go though a whole bag as there is alot of rinsing off of the dust, and much of it is not worth tumbling. The small sizes are perfect for the tumbler just the way they are. The 60-100lb bags usually sell for around five dollars which makes it pretty cheap if you have the time!
Thought I would pass this on to those who are not as fortunate like me and don't live in an area that has much potential for rock hunting. Its always good to have options.
Dave
I happen to do landscaping and outdoor construction on the side from my regular factory job for extra money. One of my customers wanted a brick patio installed, so I went to a certain direct stone supplier in the area that I have bought from for many years. They sell everything from preformed concrete stuff to large bulk rocks of almost every kind. The place has acres of rocks.
As I was looking at the pavers, it stuck me that I could find just about anything I could dream of as far as rocks for the hobby. All this time I had been going there and never gave it a thought. I explained my newfound interests in tumbling and such to the lady at the counter as she checked me out, and they were more than willing to let me buy in small quantities (5 or 6 pieces instead of tons) at very reasonable prices(depending on size). The best pile so far has been the one with the smooth river rock for landscape beds. The pieces are just the right size for tumbling and even a cut or two.
Another good thing I have found (by accident) are the bags of stones that are usually stocked with the concrete supplies at the local home improvement places (like Home Depot or Lowe's and such). They are mostly used for adding decorative top coatings when mixed with concrete for a pebble effect on the surface. My 3yr old son knocked one of my bags over and as I was picking up the mess, I noticed there was some pretty cool stuff in the mix. It is time consuming to go though a whole bag as there is alot of rinsing off of the dust, and much of it is not worth tumbling. The small sizes are perfect for the tumbler just the way they are. The 60-100lb bags usually sell for around five dollars which makes it pretty cheap if you have the time!
Thought I would pass this on to those who are not as fortunate like me and don't live in an area that has much potential for rock hunting. Its always good to have options.
Dave
