mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 15, 2020 18:10:10 GMT -5
I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas on "when I first started tumbling, I wish I..." For instance, if you could go back in time to your "newbie" rock-tumbling selves, what advice would you give yourself? What tumbler(s) would you buy to start with? What grit would you buy to start with? What size barrels? Anything!!! Share your, "if I were just starting today, I would... " .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Motive: I have read hundreds of posts with so much amazing advice, and now I am more confused than ever! I want to buy my first tumbler(s) and I want to save on electricity, and I can't mount anything to my garage floor, as we have small flex-space needs. I can spend some money up front (for quality), but I want affordable maintenance over time (electric bill and filler). So, I am seriously overwhelmed. I collect rocks in the Mojave desert (BLM) and they range in size from pebble to fist-sized rocks. I want them to round up like they've been in a river for 100 years and then I want to polish them up to jewelry quality! I am okay with two tumblers, but I can't leave them running 24/7 since I will eventually go back to working at my school's campus from 7am to 5pm with nobody home. I'd love to run them overnight & weekends (and can run them 24/7 for now, while I am home during COVID19 orders). I have some stimulus money to spend right now, but I won't have funds for high electric bills in the future (teacher salary). So, share your advice to your younger selves, and I'll peer into your mind for a bit and make a decision!
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Post by joshuamcduffie on Apr 15, 2020 19:52:02 GMT -5
Go ahead and invest in a vibratory tumbler, once you know you will stick with the hobby.
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Post by knave on Apr 15, 2020 19:55:37 GMT -5
Lot-O is the best purchase I made so far.
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Post by Pat on Apr 15, 2020 20:08:13 GMT -5
I wish I had realized the batch would not be done by 5:00pm.
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Apr 15, 2020 21:13:01 GMT -5
I wish I had realized the batch would not be done by 5:00pm.
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,578
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Apr 15, 2020 22:13:53 GMT -5
Wish I started with 6 or 12 lb barrels instead of nat geo 1lb and then homemade 3lb barrels (2) And bought a lot o tumbler with rotary. Wish I had more barrels running than the 4 I currently have. Wish I didn't waste so much time on rocks that werent going to ever be worth tumbling. Wish I had known what an obsession this hobby would become and started saving to buy the right tools for the job. Wish I did a better job of keeping notes on my tumbles and replicate what works best so dont waste weeks of time with too thick slurry, too much water, etc.
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Post by knave on Apr 15, 2020 23:08:44 GMT -5
I wish I had realized the batch would not be done by 5:00pm. Run it until at least 6:30, it’s worth the wait! 😆
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Post by Pat on Apr 15, 2020 23:11:07 GMT -5
I wish I had realized the batch would not be done by 5:00pm. Run it until at least 6:30, it’s worth the wait! 😆 That is sooo funny!!😄
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mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 16, 2020 0:49:03 GMT -5
I love these! Keep 'em coming!
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 16, 2020 10:06:32 GMT -5
Wish I had more room for my tumblers, as they keep showing up..LOL I wish people would buy quality equipment the first time out the gate, for a better experience for them..
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JBe
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2019
Posts: 103
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Post by JBe on Apr 16, 2020 12:11:54 GMT -5
I wish I had started out with a larger rotary.
I went from a Thumler's A-R1 to a Lortone 33B and then to a Lortone QT12 with 6 and 12 lb barrels. I'm happy with the QT12 and a Lot-O now.
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Post by RocksInNJ on Apr 16, 2020 18:41:38 GMT -5
I wish I had more money to spend on rocks, of which I have no idea what I’ll ever do with once they’re polished.
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mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 16, 2020 20:24:46 GMT -5
I wish I had more money to spend on rocks, of which I have no idea what I’ll ever do with once they’re polished. Maybe you could wrap them with wire? My husband does this, and I want to make rocks for him to wrap!
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Post by RocksInNJ on Apr 16, 2020 20:41:05 GMT -5
I wish I had more money to spend on rocks, of which I have no idea what I’ll ever do with once they’re polished. Maybe you could wrap them with wire? My husband does this, and I want to make rocks for him to wrap! Yea, the whole jewelry thing hasn’t appealed to me. Well not yet anyway.
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mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 16, 2020 21:32:20 GMT -5
Maybe you could wrap them with wire? My husband does this, and I want to make rocks for him to wrap! Yea, the whole jewelry thing hasn’t appealed to me. Well not yet anyway. It's not for everyone. Maybe you could put them all around your yard, or start making holiday ornaments with them and give them away as gifts. My sister has her stones all over her yard Living in a dry climate, we have rock yards mostly, so putting pretty stones all over a grey rock yard looks really nice! Hide them around town with a note that says a compliment to a stranger!
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,432
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Post by Wooferhound on Apr 17, 2020 8:55:40 GMT -5
I wish I had more money to spend on rocks, of which I have no idea what I’ll ever do with once they’re polished. Maybe you could wrap them with wire? My husband does this, and I want to make rocks for him to wrap! You will definitely want to visit the Wire Wrapping portion of this forum .
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gatorflash1
spending too much on rocks
Active in Delaware Mineralogical Society, Cabchon Grinding and Polishing, 2 Thumlers B's and a UV-18
Member since October 2018
Posts: 375
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Post by gatorflash1 on Apr 17, 2020 10:39:10 GMT -5
"Motive: I have read hundreds of posts with so much amazing advice, and now I am more confused than ever! I want to buy my first tumbler(s) and I want to save on electricity, and I can't mount anything to my garage floor, as we have small flex-space needs. I can spend some money up front (for quality), but I want affordable maintenance over time (electric bill and filler). So, I am seriously overwhelmed. I collect rocks in the Mojave desert (BLM) and they range in size from pebble to fist-sized rocks. I want them to round up like they've been in a river for 100 years and then I want to polish them up to jewelry quality! I am okay with two tumblers, but I can't leave them running 24/7 since I will eventually go back to working at my school's campus from 7am to 5pm with nobody home. I'd love to run them overnight & weekends (and can run them 24/7 for now, while I am home during COVID19 orders). I have some stimulus money to spend right now, but I won't have funds for high electric bills in the future (teacher salary). So, share your advice to your younger selves, and I'll peer into your mind for a bit and make a decision!" Hi - I implore you to please read this book before you start the hobby. It explains a great deal in detail about successful rock tumbling and will eliminate most of your confusion I'm sure. This website has lots of good, proven info about how to be a successful tumbler. rocktumbler.com/book.shtmlAs far as the economics only you can decide what you can afford. I have a three tumblers, large ones that hold lots of rocks. Two are rotary 15 lb tumblers used for stages 1 and 2. The other is a Vibratory 18 lb for Steps 3,4 and 5, prepolishing, final polishing, and burnishing. These tumblers are Thumler Tumblers. rocktumbler.com/compare-rock-tumblers.shtmlI only tumble hard rocks, agates and jasper are my favorites. A big fist-sized rock would probably get broken up into 1-2" pieces unless it is a very special display type of piece. My two rotary tumblers run 24/7 (whether I'm home or not) with weekly checks to see if they are tumbled good enough to move to the next tumbling stage. They don't move unless I'm happy with them. I buy grit, polish, and ceramic media in large quantities because I'm cheap and I have big tumblers. I don't follow anyone's recipe. I move the rock along when I think it is ready, not because it has spent a certain amount of time in the tumbler. After doing tumbling for a while most tumbling folks let the rocks talk to them and tell them they are ready to move to the next stage. Only once I'm happy with the rotary tumbler results on the rocks do I then move them to the Vib tumbler. I found out when I started that patience and cleanliness of equipment and rocks go a long way to being successful. It is a fun hobby. I have two granddaughters who live in Seattle and I sent them a double barrel tumbler. They like to hunt around and find rocks suitable for tumbling, and they have found some great stuff in Washington and Oregon, much better than I can find in my neck of the woods. Please read that book, it is the cheapest thing you will ever do in the tumbling hobby and will pay you back many times by avoiding some of the goofs associated with tumbling.
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brubble
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2020
Posts: 23
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Post by brubble on Apr 17, 2020 10:42:30 GMT -5
I wish I had watched more YT vids to see how the pros tumble, cut and clean their rocks.
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mirdonamy
starting to shine!
Don't step on the momeraths!
Member since March 2020
Posts: 31
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Post by mirdonamy on Apr 17, 2020 13:24:54 GMT -5
Hi - I implore you to please read this book before you start the hobby. It explains a great deal in detail about successful rock tumbling and will eliminate most of your confusion I'm sure. This website has lots of good, proven info about how to be a successful tumbler. rocktumbler.com/book.shtmlBuying the book now!!! Thank you so much!
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Post by rockhoundingwithkids on Apr 17, 2020 13:47:48 GMT -5
Our Lortone tumbler just stopped tumbling out of the blue yesterday and can't figure out what the problem is.. so of course my hubs was like "well I wanted a bigger one anyway" so he didn't bother researching how to fix it Glad I found this thread now I know what to get this go around. I also wish we would do before and after pictures because by the time it's done I can't remember what we put in there/where it's from etc. Wish I started with 6 or 12 lb barrels instead of nat geo 1lb and then homemade 3lb barrels (2) And bought a lot o tumbler with rotary. Wish I had more barrels running than the 4 I currently have. Wish I didn't waste so much time on rocks that werent going to ever be worth tumbling. Wish I had known what an obsession this hobby would become and started saving to buy the right tools for the job. Wish I did a better job of keeping notes on my tumbles and replicate what works best so dont waste weeks of time with too thick slurry, too much water, etc.
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