Ultimate rotary polish comparison test?

Bada$$! What's the filler material?

I like the test. I'm bookmarking this thread and am going to watch with interest. Awesome tumbler! Are those 3 6lb Lortone barrels? That thing is huge!

In the interest of being super open and accurate about this test, I had only enough new and unused plastic pellets for about half what was needed. I used plastic pellets used only in burnish runs for the rest.

As evidence of how super fast KN can ship: I took all these photos on Sat, and the barrels started rolling that day. That morning I had done an online order for 90lbs of 60 grit. Before going to bed, I realized that I had used virtually all the new tin ox I had in stock and would need more for the 2nd week of polish. So I made a note to call KN early Mon morning to get it added to the order as ordering only 1lb of tin ox by itself would trigger another shipping charge if it was a separate order. I was blown away when they told me the grit had shipped out on Sat morning an order or two after I submitted it! So, I bought it for less on Amazon--due to aggressive pricing and shipping--from an outfit called Fundamental Rockhound Products.

Even though I do a 2nd week polish run in polish not used in 1st week, for this test, I guess I will examine each after the 1st week and before the 2nd one starts. If I ought to ID the rocks that are all lined up in order, let me know and I can.

I was worried about whether or not the assortment would fit okay in a 6lb barrel. I had not tested it until doing this and taking the photos. As it was, I had plenty of room left over and could have included: the green Healerite (instead of just the yellow); and the high quality almost completely pink Rhodonite that had almost no black manganese oxide (instead of just the typical pink/black mix).

Could not include these as only had 1 piece small enough: Novaculite; Garnet; Indigo gabbro; dinosaur bone; Frogskin jasper; Alexandrite (lab grown); Psilomelane. Ditto due to only 2 pieces: Nacre; Maw sit sit. Lastly Charoite due to only 3 pieces.

Of those, the ones I would have enjoyed the most being included: Frogskin jasper due to it's weird texture which reminds me of a rhyolite; Psilomelane because I'm very attracted to the look of this rock but have tumbled very little of it; Charoite.

I expect the Calcite to be a disaster due to softness and probably same had Nacre and Maw sit sit been included. My Maw sit sit may be very low quality as it seems to almost disappear in one week of 600 or 1,000 and the surface is kind of porous and cruddy even though very colorful and striking. The Charoite is weird stuff and I've got a 4th piece somewhere but could not find it in time to get it ready and my patience on this project was wearing thin.  It's kind of soft but I think might have made it and wish it could have been included.  I very nearly kept postponing this just for it but can't seem to find the 4th piece which I thought was in 600 or 1,000.


Here's a pic of these that didn't make it.

I think when I read this when you posted, I mistakenly read tin ox instead of what you actually wrote. Maybe I could take one set of rocks from this test, knock the polish off with 1,000 SC, then do a run in titanium ? (did you really mean diox not ox?) too. If it's decently available and not exorbitant. Someone mentioned trying diamond dust too which I know nothing about.

They are dry now.

I studied polishes a few years ago and want to paste a pdf in here.  I tried Cloudinary and it didn't work.  Do you know if there is a way to do it?

Not entirely sure what you mean by that as a route to posting here.