rockymom
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2015
Posts: 118 
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Post by rockymom on Mar 5, 2015 10:17:05 GMT -5
Hi Everyone,
I am new to rock tumbling and have my first batch vibrating away in the basement. I bought the tumbler and assorted rocks through the rock shed, they did a great job.
Now I am hooked!! The only way I am not going to overbuy is to set limitation on what I can buy. So....I only want to buy rough agates from the USA for tumbling (for now of course).
Has anyone used www.agate-beach.com/. He seems to have a good selection. Any other recommendations??
Thank you,
Natalie |
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 5, 2015 10:32:19 GMT -5
Tony,Roy and a few others on here,sell rough agate too..........
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 5, 2015 10:55:43 GMT -5
What state do you live in Natalie ? You might be able to collect your own agate. I live in N.E. South Dakota. Not much to find up here, but I managed to feed my tumblers with agate and pet wood pieces collected from our country gravel roads. Each time I took my dog for a walk, I'd come home with my pockets bulging with fresh tumble nix.
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rockymom
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2015
Posts: 118
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Post by rockymom on Mar 5, 2015 11:15:34 GMT -5
What state do you live in Natalie ? You might be able to collect your own agate. I live in N.E. South Dakota. Not much to find up here, but I managed to feed my tumblers with agate and pet wood pieces collected from our country gravel roads. Each time I took my dog for a walk, I'd come home with my pockets bulging with fresh tumble nix.
Hi Jake, I visited South Dakota this summer and spent a lot of time searching the badlands for agates, now I am an official rock hound! You are lucky to be so close to such great rocks.
I live in New England, not much going on here for the tumbler except some garnets and quartz.
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Post by jakesrocks on Mar 5, 2015 11:50:48 GMT -5
What state do you live in Natalie ? You might be able to collect your own agate. I live in N.E. South Dakota. Not much to find up here, but I managed to feed my tumblers with agate and pet wood pieces collected from our country gravel roads. Each time I took my dog for a walk, I'd come home with my pockets bulging with fresh tumble nix.
Hi Jake, I visited South Dakota this summer and spent a lot of time searching the badlands for agates, now I am an official rock hound! You are lucky to be so close to such great rocks.
I live in New England, not much going on here for the tumbler except some garnets and quartz.
Actually Natalie, I live clear across the state in the N.E. corner. This whole area was swept clean by the last ice age. I've lived here since 96, and the only agate of cutting size that I've found would fit in the palm of your hand. Lots of tumbler size material comes from our gravel pits, but not much else. |
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 5, 2015 11:57:02 GMT -5
maybe tumble a batch of Montana agate
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Mar 5, 2015 18:17:21 GMT -5
I'm helping the neighbor kids sell MFR boxes of Rio Grande agate for tumbling . It will have to be broken up further for the tumbler or you can use a trimsaw to cut little slabettes. Very colorful stuff, mostly multicolored moss agate. $43 delivered in the US for 20+ pounds. Here's a pic of my last tumble and this is not as good as what I sell for the kids. PM me if you are interested...Mel  |
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rockymom
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2015
Posts: 118
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Post by rockymom on Mar 6, 2015 9:50:48 GMT -5
Hi Mel,,
Thank you of the offer!! I am not ready to order 20 pounds of stone yet. I was thinking more like five.
I'm helping the neighbor kids sell MFR boxes of Rio Grande agate for tumbling . It will have to be broken up further for the tumbler or you can use a trimsaw to cut little slabettes. Very colorful stuff, mostly multicolored moss agate. $43 delivered in the US for 20+ pounds. Here's a pic of my last tumble and this is not as good as what I sell for the kids. PM me if you are interested...Mel |
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 6, 2015 11:01:12 GMT -5
20 pounds sounds like a lot, but Mel's price is so cheap it is comparable to 5lbs in cost. And you can cherry pick. The 20lb box is working out to $1.60/lb. Commercial sellers will be charging $3 to $4/lb.
That said, you can look at therockshed.com where a few of the rocks are US origin. The Terr (shell) agate is out of stock right now, but it will be form Utah. The apache tears will be from southwest. They also have prairie agate which is from US prairie. Finally they have Arizona petrified wood.
One advantage of the rockshed is that they usually offer a size small enough for small rotary tumblers. (a lot of tumble rough is 1" to 3" pieces you need to break/cut up).
But the cost of 5lbs could be about $32 if it needs MFRB.
You might find someone selling ukanite from the east coast, but I don't know a vendor. A lot of picture jasper is US. Picasso Marble is going to be US. Missouri lace agate would be nice, and many people tumble the ohio flintridge flint. Also, You can get various corals that are from Florida, but will need to make the small pieces. James here could sell you some.
Sometimes you can find rock from Cady Mth area, or michigan dolomite. Tony on this board has lots of western state agate and jaspers, but you will need to be able to cut it up or crush it.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Mar 6, 2015 12:54:26 GMT -5
Yep, I have bought tumble material from foreign countries from the Rockshed and have been very satisfied.
I don't like to sell less than a full MFR box for the kids as the shipping costs vs selling price simply don't make it efficient. I pay the shipping for the kids myself so they get the full payment amount. If I sold ten pounds, I'd be spending $13 to ship $15 worth of agate. It simply does not make sense. Believe me, the Rio Grande agate I'm selling for them is well worth the small per pound asking price. It's easy to tumble, of uniform hardness, takes a glassy polish and is full of different colors and patterns....Mel
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rockymom
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2015
Posts: 118
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Post by rockymom on Mar 6, 2015 13:24:03 GMT -5
Thank you all for replies!
I bought a bunch of foreign agate when I purchased the UV 10MB tumbler, botswanna, Bahia and trias. I also have lots of South Dakota agate.
Is the Rio Grande different than the SD agate? I know it is a good price......
When researching American agates the ones that looked the most different to the South Dakota agate were Oregon, Montana and Lake Superior. I am trying to get a variety and the Rockshed does not sell Oregon, Montana or Lake Superior in the crushed rock section.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 6, 2015 14:49:54 GMT -5
Rio Grande is top dog for being agate!!!! Worth the buy!!! Thumbs up
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723
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Post by Fossilman on Mar 6, 2015 14:51:25 GMT -5
If I had more Oregon agate I would deal with you-I just sold a 30 pound box..Have to wait till summers end now...
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 6, 2015 16:00:54 GMT -5
except for beach agate, the oregon agates like maury mtn and polka dot are sold in fist size chunks or larger. commercial rock crushers are expensive. most miners or small shops wont have one.
unless someone here has accumulated some small pieces and/or trimmings you might have too many options. There are not going to be many commercial outlets that have northwest tumble rough.
good luck
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Post by orrum on Mar 7, 2015 10:10:26 GMT -5
Pm Tony, he has sacks of small tumble mix and he just got home this week. The guys who regular sell rock on the forum sell great quality at great prices. Plus the quality is way above what is usually out there on a commercial basis. Not to be repitious but Mel's box is a great deal. He is the resident go to guy for ID and quality check.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,497
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Post by Sabre52 on Mar 7, 2015 10:59:04 GMT -5
Rockymom: Most South Dakota agate I have is either fortification, banded cherts, or sort of blotchy cloudy types. Rio Grande agate has, in ancient times, washed in from northern Mexico and west Texas. Rios are mainly colorful moss agate, colorful agatized brecciated agate and jasper, and a fair amount of plume or fortification with moss moss mixed in. Much different from South Dakota material......Mel
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rockymom
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2015
Posts: 118
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Post by rockymom on Mar 7, 2015 12:59:23 GMT -5
LOL! OK, I will PM Mel and Tony. I have just started this hobby and already feeling like I have to hide rocks from my husband. My kids really liked how the tigers eye turned out, anyone here with multi colored tigers eye...................
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 7, 2015 13:42:03 GMT -5
no US tiger eye, except maybe/sorta Binghamite. are you letting go of US-only?
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rockymom
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2015
Posts: 118
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Post by rockymom on Mar 7, 2015 13:56:40 GMT -5
yes for the tigers eye, I bought gold from the rockshed but they do not have any of the other colors/types. Which tony may have agates to sell, there are several different screen names? Thank you!
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Post by orrum on Mar 7, 2015 15:56:57 GMT -5
Tony/Catmandew
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