christyg
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2010
Posts: 2
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Post by christyg on Jul 25, 2010 14:51:00 GMT -5
Hi, I am new and have beautiful beach rocks from Washington that I want to polish. I am wondering which polisher would be best. This would be my first one and I can't seem figure out which would be best. I like that the rotary is easier but I like that the vibe is quicker. Any advice?  ? Christy |
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Post by Toad on Jul 25, 2010 15:46:13 GMT -5
In general, my thought is - both. A rotary for the rough grind, and a vibe for the subsequesnt steps... But beach rocks are usually almost done with the rough stage and can go right to step 2. Do you have pics of your rocks?
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revco
starting to spend too much on rocks
Another Victim Of The Rockcycle
Member since February 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by revco on Jul 25, 2010 22:55:08 GMT -5
In general, I think it's best to get started with a rotary tumbler. A dual barrel rotary tumbler, such as the Lortone 33B, is an excellent place to start. Like Toad eluded to, the course stage can only be performed in rotary...and for a beginner, it's best to start with a machine that will easily allow you to do all the steps from day one. Like many hobbies, once you understand why you need a particular piece of gear, then and only then should you consider getting another piece of equipment.
The biggest differences between vibes and rotary: Vibes are very quick in pre-polish and polish, with a couple days required for each step, but they also require a lot of regular upkeep every few hours while running. Rotary takes much longer (weeks for the course stage & a week+ for each subsequent stage), but they generally just run with no regular upkeep. I personally like the time that rotary affords me due to my busy schedule - I just don't have the time to check in 2-3 times a day to run a vibe. Rotary machines also have a lesser learning curve, in my opinion.
With your hounded rocks, you'll want to make sure they have a certain hardness for you to be successful. Not every rock can be polished, and in general, it's good to start with rocks that are relatively hard. For the most part, if you can scratch the rocks with a steel knife blade, they won't tumble as easily/well without special attention. If they do not take a scratch, there is a very good chance they will polish quite well.
On another note, if you can afford it, it's also good to pick up a spare barrel to perform just the polish step. This stage is so sensitive that the slightest contamination can cause poor results. While excellent cleaning is a remedy, it really does require meticulous cleaning between pre-polish and polish that often we just decide a fresh, dedicated barrel is the way to go.
Anyhow, these are the basics for tumbler selection and some things to look out for. I'm sure others will chip in as well. Good luck and hope you decide to start tumbling! It's a fun background hobby and when you get good at it, it's a lot of fun to see hounded rocks turn into prized gemstones! Cheers and welcome to RTH!
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Post by johnjsgems on Jul 26, 2010 9:05:18 GMT -5
Always best to start/master a rotary. With beach rocks if you run well rounded rocks without major flaws the rough grind can be as short as a few days.
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Post by deb193redux on Jul 28, 2010 7:26:53 GMT -5
either way, make sure there are enough small ones in there
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