Rock tumbling is getting on my last nerve

The Lortone instruction book is a pretty good way to start out and if you DO follow those instructions for the most part,you should at least make it through the 1st stage.

If your grit remains after a week or so the problem is how you're loading the barrel.

One of the main problems with a "newbie" is that they try to load the barrel with as many rocks as possible and don't have a mixture of different size rocks.

You MUST have AT LEAST 1/3 of the load being small pea size rocks.

The entire load CAN NOT be more then 1/2-1/3 of the barrels capacity.

I think the reason your moms friend is waving that Lortone book in your face is that you have NOT followed the "basics" of what it is telling you to do.

I will say that the instructions can be a little vague to a newbie but the basics ARE there!!

The only real fault in the instructions is that they lead one to think that 7-10 days of tumbling in the 1st stage is sufficient to continue to the next stages.
The 1st stage (rough stage) can take as long as several months with grit changes every 7-10 days!!!

I suggest that the first thing you do is to start all over again with a load that has the correct mixture of different size rocks,grit and water.

It would be VERY helpful for us to help you if you can tell us what size you tumbler is too.

A small 1-1/2 lb barrel is much more critical to load properly then lets say a 6-15lb barrel would be.

The reason for this is that one tries to load a small barrel(1-1/2lb) with as much "good" rock as possible and only load the barrel with bigger rocks which can and WILL lead to mega frustrations.

Pump the brakes and start all over again and I am POSITIVE we here WILL get you on your way to the best polished rocks on the planet!

You mentioned how easy tumbling is,,,,,,,,,

Well MANY of us here started out LONG before the "computer age" and only had instruction books like the Lortone tumbler came with or some small book (more like a 20 page magazine) to try to get started at it.

Myself,,,,,,,,,,,,,Well after many years and tumbling between 1-2 tons of rocks (literally) I get some pretty good lookin ones but my very 1st load took me over 2 years before I could even get a shine on them that I would call a "polished rock"!

No computer,,,no Rocktumbling web site,,,,no nothin,,,just determination and a little patience,,,,

connrock

Don't give up it's too much FUN to do. Get frustrated, take a deep breath and climb back in the saddle. You will never improve if you just quit. Ed

i am using a 3 lb barrel, and my rock pieces i bought from erockshop.com already processed and ready for tumbling,
The rocks weighs about 2 pounds, The rock pieces vary from size down to a pee up to a pink eraser.


Thanks everyone, i will keep going, i was just so depressed over this whole thing and now after the words of encouragement, i feel re-energized.

THX

it really takes a bit of practice to get the system down pat and the only way to get it is to just do it!
My first attempts were not great, so I just took them back to rough grind and went back through the stages.
One problem is that impatience hits and the stages don't get their full time for the best effect on the tumbled stones.
I found out early on that I needed a individule barrel for each stage to prevent cross contamination and some sort of cushion so the stones did not spald and chip each other during the tumbling process. I also keep the cushions for each stage for that stage and do not use them for any other.
Keeping the same hardness of stones in a batch is very important as you will find that the harder stones will kill anything softer that is tumbling with them.
for the stones I tumble I run the first tumble untill there are no blemishes on any of the stones before I move to the next level.
So at the end of a two week run in first stage I take them out and save the slurry, hose off my stone and look each one over, if I see any blemishes I put them all back in for another week and repeat this process untill I get blemish free results.
I will then sort through the batch pulling any ones out that are still not blemish free and put them in a container for placing in another first stage tumble.
I do this for every stage with any stones that do not have the same finish.
Doing this I rarely get any bad eggs at the pre and polish level

You've gotten a lot of good advice above.

Even after things are running correctly, tumbling is an operation in patience. My rocks take at least a month in 60/90 grit and often longer. But once they pass that stage, it is usually no longer than a week in each subsequent stage.

Just a couple of thoughts:
1. As Mel mentioned, there is no substitute for good rough. If you're getting good tumbling action and you're still seeing pits and fractures after 2 weeks of tumbling, it may never get better. For your first load it's best to start with rock that is known to be easy to tumble, like Lake Superior Agates. Many members here shop at The Rock Shed because they have consistently good rough and low prices. I have no affiliation with The Rock Shed, other than being a satisfied customer.

2. We had a poll some time back on the most popular water level and the result was up to the bottom of the top layer of stones. Different people get good results with other levels, so it's not critical.

3. Getting the right mix of sizes is critical, as others have mentioned. Use plenty of small stuff.

4. It's also possible to use too much grit (it slows down the action), so follow the guidelines.

5. For burnishing, the most important thing is that the soap is non-foaming, like Borax, Dreft, or Tide.

6. I would continue to use the 46/70 until it's gone, but in the future with a 3 lb. barrel I would switch to 60/90.

BTW, I think Connrock meant no more than 1/2 - 2/3s of the barrel's capacity. 1/3 full would be very under loaded.

Hope this helps,
Chuck

what is the ingrediants of dreft?

is it like ivory soap?