hobie
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2009
Posts: 3
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Post by hobie on Nov 17, 2009 17:30:56 GMT -5
Hi! I just got a rock tumbler for my birthday, and I really have no clue as to how to use it best. I hope you folks can help, and don't even know what questions to ask. Please bear with me since I do not know the rock tumbling lingo!
The machine I have is not a very expensive one. I know that that may be a mistake, but done is done. Anyway, it is a Chicago Electric vibrating tumbler. When I read the manual, it keeps saying to only use DRY media, and do not add water. This seems to be different than what I am reading on this forum. (Although I can't search on "dry" since it is too short a word...) So, first question: How am I supposed to use this tumbler? Is dampening the stones with water to make the grit stick considered "dry"?
Second, the main purpose of this tumbler is to polish stones that have already been rounded and smoothed by Lake Erie. I would just like the surface to go from matte to shiny, like they are wet. What grit do I need to start with, and for how long?
Thanks.
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Post by Toad on Nov 17, 2009 17:42:41 GMT -5
Generally, dry tumblers are used to finish jewelry and shine shell casings - metal finishing. If it can't handle water, it probably won't be good for rocks.
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hobie
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2009
Posts: 3
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Post by hobie on Nov 18, 2009 16:56:14 GMT -5
Okay, Guess I need to exchange it.
But when I do, what grit should I start with for lake-rounded stones? I'm thinking I may be able to skip a step or two because Mother Nature has done it for me. These stones are currently rounded and smooth, but just don't have that shiny polished surface.
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Post by Toad on Nov 18, 2009 17:09:20 GMT -5
Depends on how smooth they already are. If they're coming directly from mother nature, I'd still start with the rough grind for at least one cycle. But this will vary from person to person. Depends on the stone and how shiny you want it.
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Post by Bikerrandy on Nov 18, 2009 17:22:56 GMT -5
Yep, I'd start with coarse grit 60/90 for a week, then go from there. I'm really picky, I don't even like the tiniest pits in my tumbles. Be sure to post plenty of pics!!
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Post by Toad on Nov 18, 2009 17:38:04 GMT -5
Oh yes, and 60/90 will not work in a vibe - that is usually for a rotary. Keep in mind while exchanging.
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hobie
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2009
Posts: 3
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Post by hobie on Nov 19, 2009 8:49:31 GMT -5
I'll post pics, but I'm afraid my lake rocks are not nearly as beautiful as some of the agates I've seen here! Stones are mostly quartz, in whites and yellows and pinks. I've got one that is iridescent, even unpolished. I think I will save that one until after I learn more about tumbling.
I also have some nice banded sandstone, which I assume will never polish to a shine and may be best left as it is.
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Post by Toad on Nov 19, 2009 9:04:14 GMT -5
Not only do you need the right tumbler, but also the right rocks. Something too grainy like a sandstone will likely disintegrate. Some jaspers only shine to a matte finish and that's okay too.
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Post by johnjsgems on Nov 19, 2009 11:46:58 GMT -5
I'd return the CE tumbler and buy either a used or new Lortone or Thumler's rotary tumbler. There are many posts regarding the CE tumblers and you may have time and patience to rework them to be usable. I tumbled a lot of beach rocks and always ran them at least a few days in 60/90 no matter how nice they looked. Vibe tumblers are much faster, will maintain shapes but are really tricky to learn on. Better to learn on a rotary then get a vibe and use for later steps and polish.
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Post by rocklicker on Nov 20, 2009 19:32:50 GMT -5
I agree. I've got a row of used Lortones that are going strong. I even found an old sears model tumbler (metal base) that is holding up surprisingly well. I went through two Chicago electric tumblers, the rotary type. The belts broke, they made all kinds of funny noises and needed constant upkeep. I eventually gave them away.
Beach rocks are nice but watch for pits. You want to select rocks with no pits or tumbler them in rough to get the pits out. Other than that, once you are happy with the shape, you can go to 120/220, 600, etc. The main page of this site has exelent tumbling instructions to help you get going. Welcome to the world of tumbling!
Steve
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eggwodd
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2009
Posts: 2 
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Post by eggwodd on Nov 23, 2009 18:04:59 GMT -5
I too just got a very basic tumbler for my birthday. We're talking the kind the teachers buy from Michael's for the classroom. I wanted one to polish the rocks my son and I collect from the shores of Lake Michigan. The tumbler came with the standard packet of really rough rocks that look like you could find at the local building site. I compared them to the LMich rocks before I followed the directions (w/water). It was obvious that the LMich rocks looked like they already went through the first grit stage. After I did the 2nd grit stage, I compared them again. At this point I thought that I would toss in one LMich rock to the polish cycle only (stage 3). I will pull them out this weekend. I will do only a batch of LM rocks next with just a few days of stage 2 and then right to the polish. All 3 stages call for water. This doesn't help you, but at least you know that others think the same way. If I can figure it out, I'll post before/after pics once done.
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