fliesonly
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2020
Posts: 13
|
Post by fliesonly on Sept 1, 2020 11:07:22 GMT -5
Good afternoon. I'm new to the forum and thought I'd introduce myself. I have a variety of hobbies, of which rock collecting and tumbling is probably my newest and the one the know the least about. My hope is to learn a great deal more about tumbling so I can get better results. My other hobbies include Mountain Bike riding/racing; Gravel Road riding/racing; Metal Detecting; Fly Fishing; and Golf (at which I am terrible, but still have fun).
|
|
|
|
Post by jasoninsd on Sept 1, 2020 12:32:10 GMT -5
Welcome from South Dakota!
I'm not all that great at most of my hobbies...that's why they're hobbies, and not a way to make a living! LOL
|
|
|
|
Post by stonemon on Sept 1, 2020 13:20:40 GMT -5
Howdy from western Oregon!
|
|
fliesonly
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2020
Posts: 13
|
Post by fliesonly on Sept 1, 2020 16:29:31 GMT -5
To be honest, I'm not sure where to even begin here. I have so many questions that I don't really know what questions to ask. Let me start with a question that's not really directly tied to tumbling itself. Do most people collect the rocks they want to tumble themselves, or do people purchase rocks for tumbling purposes? Personally, I much prefer collecting my own rocks, but I also realize that there are some rocks found in only certain geographic locations which I will never visit, so I guess if I want a few rocks from that area, buying them is perhaps my only option. I guess my second question would be suggestions for learning about the different types of rocks out there. I know just enough to confuse myself and make collecting more stressful than it probably has to be. Are there are preferred general reference books that every rock collector should own? Is there a sub-forum here that addresses these sorts of questions, since I'm pretty sure I'm not the first person to ask these sorts of questions and don;t really want to beat a dead horse, so to speak? Thanks for any help/hints you may have.
|
|
lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 896
|
Post by lordsorril on Sept 1, 2020 17:29:59 GMT -5
Do most people collect the rocks they want to tumble themselves, or do people purchase rocks for tumbling purposes? Welcome to the RT Forums,  To answer your question: Usually people tumble both bought and found material. There are some die-hard tumblers who only tumble what they find. I personally get bored tumbling the same material for too many weeks--so I like to keep a library of varied stuff to keep me occupied. I remember starting out I took handfuls of rocks from my area and put them in my tumbler and ended up with a pile of mud. If you are just starting out: The harder rocks are usually the easiest to tumble. Once you know what you are doing you can adjust grit/slurry/cushioning levels to compensate for softer rocks. Tip: Following other peoples tumbling recipes for a specific type of material is a good starting place, but, material can vary in composition: so plan on deviating from the recipe at some point. Tip 2: Stage 1 coarse grind lasts as long as it needs to: It can be 1 week or it can be 1 year+ Question: What is the 'best' thing you have found metal detecting? |
|
|
|
Post by hummingbirdstones on Sept 1, 2020 20:50:01 GMT -5
Welcome from Northern Arizona!
The two boards that will probably interest you the most are:
You could probably spend a couple of years just reading all the stuff in those two boards. Hope you have a really comfy chair!
|
|
quartzilla
Cave Dweller 
Member since April 2020
Posts: 1,238
|
Post by quartzilla on Sept 1, 2020 21:50:54 GMT -5
Welcome from So Cal. I tumble what I collect and also buy tumbling rough. My greatest satisfaction with the hobby though is tumbling my finds. I’m a field tripper at heart and also collect crystal and mineral specimens. Find your niche and have fun.
|
|
fliesonly
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2020
Posts: 13
|
Post by fliesonly on Sept 2, 2020 8:15:21 GMT -5
Do most people collect the rocks they want to tumble themselves, or do people purchase rocks for tumbling purposes? Question: What is the 'best' thing you have found metal detecting? That's a tough question to answer. I've only been detecting for a couple years and have not yet really detected in any locations that might result in a "great" find. However, I am currently trying to get permission to detect in a location that once housed an old hotel located right next to an old train station (mid 1800s). My hope is to find some fun stuff there. I've skirted the edges of the property and found an 1892 Indian Head penny, which is my oldest fund to date, along with a 1906 Indian Head and lots of old rail track artifacts. Though, on my own property I have found quite a few old shotgun brasses (called Headstamps) from the late 1800s and early 1900s. I find or pretty cool to think that over a 100 years ago, some dude was walking around in "my" woods hunting rabbits (most likely). |
|
lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 896
|
Post by lordsorril on Sept 2, 2020 14:08:16 GMT -5
Question: What is the 'best' thing you have found metal detecting? I've skirted the edges of the property and found an 1892 Indian Head penny, which is my oldest fund to date, along with a 1906 Indian Head and lots of old rail track artifacts. That is cool! Metal detecting is a 'big thing' in my area because there are a lot of old ruins in a large conservation area. I feel bad for new metal detectorists I see in the area because it is heavily scoured on a regular basis...I do occasionally leave a piece of tumbled carnelian agate here and there in the ruins...just to keep things interesting.  |
|
|
|
Post by opalpyrexia on Sept 2, 2020 19:42:01 GMT -5
Welcome from Washington.
|
|
|
|
Post by taylor on Sept 2, 2020 20:47:56 GMT -5
Welcome! We started out tumbling what we hounded. Moved into sawing, cabbing, and silver smithing. The tumbler still rolls, but with saw scraps added to the mix.
|
|
|
|
Post by drocknut on Sept 7, 2020 12:13:16 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum from central Arizona.
|
|
|
|
Post by TheRock on Sept 21, 2020 18:33:44 GMT -5
Welcome from sw/Michigan  . |
|
.
