Rock polishing revival

[Pablo]

Got the gear out when cleaning the shop. Had 10 pounds of rock that needed polishing. Collected from New Mexico, WA beaches and WA hills. The rocks are now in phase 4 final polishing- just redid the grit - might take another 2 weeks First pic is after medium grit before polish. Then after fine grit. Next picture is one week of polish phase.

 

[walterjay]

Cool

 

[Gyro Gearloose]

Take me back to being 12 years old!

 

[Olds394]

What equipment do you like? Looking for tumblers that last more than a week.

 

[ctechbob]

For most of my childhood my grandad had one just rolling away in their basement. He had some pretty neat stuff he'd found over the years and polished up. Made some into jewelry, some into grips for his various pistols. I'm lucky enough to have gotten his .357 with his custom grips. They're not comfy, but he made them so they hold a special place for me.

 

[AZjeff]

Cool. Is this what happens while cleaning out the shop? I just took a tumbler to the thrift store.

 

[Kira]

The first two pictures are joyously colorful.

 

[02SE]

Being retired you should polish each rock by hand...

 

[UncleDave]

Always wanted to do that. Never had the room.

 

[Pablo]

What equipment do you like? Looking for tumblers that last more than a week.

https://rocktumbler.com/

 

[Pablo]

Always wanted to do that. Never had the room.

Does not take much room.

Cool. Is this what happens while cleaning out the shop? I just took a tumbler to the thrift store.

yes, I cleared a table!

The first two pictures are joyously colorful.

The colors are just starting to pop. Sometimes you don't know what you have, then as the shine comes, wow.

Yeah I know kid like, but I pretty much ignore the thing. It needs two weeks running this cycle.

 

[Finklejag]

The community my parents live in had a rock and gem club. My mother was the only female and the rest men. All the old guys started kicking the bucket and my mother stopped going. They had their own special room at one of the multiple clubhouses in their park.

 

[Olds394]

https://rocktumbler.com/

Yeah, we finally got the Thumbler model B, and it’s been good.
We were burning through the Harbor Freight ones once a week.

 

[Pablo]

 

[Pablo]

This is one week with proper polish. Al oxide. Some were decent but another week should be perfect. Rinsed everything, remade. 7 more days.

This load is kicking by but, much tougher than I had in mind.

Stick with these guys: https://rocktumbler.com/questions.shtml

My tumbler: https://extremerocktumblers.com/products/extreme-tumblers-rebel-17-low-speed-rock-tumbler

I have the high speed motor as well.

As I side note, the grit I bought on Amazon was fine. The polish was terrible. I wasted weeks with that junk. I wrote a lousy review and they gave me all my money back and a 50% coupon. The most amazing thing is they actually said they figured out their polish didn't work!

Still nothing from them I want.

I bought this, because I was low and it seemed cheap: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRTYVZRT?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

 

[ctechbob]

Took a pic of grandad's grips with the polished stones. Just realized it is missing one, no telling where it went. Like I said, nothing super special, but its just about all I got of his when he passed, so it will always have a special place for me.

 

[alarmguy]

*LOL* I swear before I fully read your post. I assumed you got interested because you found your old rock polishing kit when you cleaned up your shop/

 

[supton]

Always wanted to do that. Never had the room.

It's not the room it's the noise. I tried it for a bit but in a small house it was too much for me. Even now I bet I'd find it annoying (hard to say, we have the a/c going most nights right now).

Now if I could have a shed where I could leave it out (at least in the non-winter months) I'd probably leave one running.

 

[Pablo]

*LOL* I swear before I fully read your post. I assumed you got interested because you found your old rock polishing kit when you cleaned up your shop/

I wouldn't say found, but moving the stuff stirred my juices for sure! Glad I did though. I REALLY enjoy me shop now

It's not the room it's the noise. I tried it for a bit but in a small house it was too much for me. Even now I bet I'd find it annoying (hard to say, we have the a/c going most nights right now).

Now if I could have a shed where I could leave it out (at least in the non-winter months) I'd probably leave one running.

Yes, not quiet with 10 pounds plus rock, but in my shop no worries. They make tumblers more quiet and little sound deadening houses. No idea how effective.

 

[supton]

Yes, not quiet with 10 pounds plus rock, but in my shop no worries. They make tumblers more quiet and little sound deadening houses. No idea how effective.

I only had a pound or whatever, small but cheap tumbler. I wound up finding some pressboard and then using 2" foam to line the inside, making a lid/box to drop over mine. Cut a lot of the noise, but still, in a quiet house, it was noticeable.