Hey everybody! Appreciate you all watching. I forgot to include some important info for stages 2-4...How long I roll them! Stage 2 (med) I roll for 10 days, stage 3 (pre-polish) for 12 days, and stage 4 (polish) for 14 days. If you don't have the shiny finish you want...tumble longer in polish. You're polish grit only gets better the more you use it. And this method is the best when using a rotary tumbler for all stages. Michigan Rocks uses a vibrating tumbler for his last two stages which is why he gets that remarkably spectacular finish. This is the closest I've gotten to his shine using a rotary tumbler. One day I will invest in a vibrating tumbler and produce that award-winning tumble like Michigan Rocks. Hope this helps you to produce some wonderful tumbled stones that you will cherish forever. Happy tumbling out there! 😎🐾 *UPDATE* If you want an even better look at the exact method I use... Check out my other video "How to Tumble Rocks" link here: th-cam.com/video/A5rbzqhSNE0/w-d-xo.html where I SHOW you exactly what I do step by step. Cheers!
Hi Marlaina! Thanx for a great video with some really good info. I have a question for u... If on the first stage u end up going longer like u said, do u keep using the same coarse grit as the first week or do u change the grit after a few weeks? Keep safe & happy hunting ✌💛😎🌈🤗👍
@@shereespeer1518 great question! For coarse, med, and fine...you will need new grit each time. I would never go longer than 10-14 days with each, before changing. BUT, you can reuse your polish, I WAS TOLD, up to 4 times. I roll 10 days in med, 12 in fine, and 14 in polish. I really want everyone to know that. Makes a huge difference. Wishing you the best Sheree✨🤗✨
@@j.a.langley70 you can...but you should be able to achieve a great shine tumbling. The longer you tumble in polish the better shine the stone will get. 😎🐾
I appreciate that thank you. Best wishes to you!💫 Theres a link in the description to my other tumbling video where I show you every single step and how I do it. It's even more detailed. Cheers!✨
This I'd the best video I've seen on tumbler finishing! I've watched DO many videos, read books, articles etc, you've out done them all! No babbling, straight to the point! Examples of what to do for trouble shooting. I'd about given up, could not achieve a shine, smooth but no gloss. I'll give it a go....our 10 year old will be happy to see this! God Bless!
That comment just made my day! Thank you so kindly. I'm so happy you found it so informal and I truly wish you and your kiddo the best tumble ever! Cheers✨
I am 10 minutes in and this is such an amazing how to video on tumbling, if I ever get one, this will be my reference video, this is how these kinds of videos are supposed to be made! Back to watching 😁👍👍
I just found you. You have been the best at telling how to do anything. You are not too fast and not too slow at explaining how to do things. I am a 64 year old and just found out that I like hunting rocks, tumbling them and making jewelry. I wish that I had done all this when I was younger. Thank you for all that you do.
Hi Liane! Thank you so much for that... It put the biggest smile on my face. Rocks, tumbling, and making jewelry makes me so happy inside. And to hear that someone shares the same joy is always such a treat. Best wishes to you
i run rocks through rough grit over and over, taking out those ready for next step after each rinse. i will add new rocks to keep proper fill. yeah, some rocks are definitely more stubborn
Ever since the world has been on lockdown I have been wanting to explore more about the earth and that’s when I got interested in these beautiful stones! I just think there’s something so magical about stones and crystals. I am so glad I found you channel!!! Super great video, love it!
Thank you so much... I appreciate that a lot☺ If you liked this you may like my other one even better! It's called "How to Tumble Rocks" and I actually show exactly what I do step by step...even how I clean them. I wish you the best of luck with your tumbling and I'm happy to have you aboard😎
Absolutely! My pleasure. I have an even better video that shows you literally step by step the process I use... Check out my tumbling playlist... It's the "How to Tumble Rocks" video... If you liked this one you will like that one even more😉 cheers! And thanks for watching✨ th-cam.com/video/A5rbzqhSNE0/w-d-xo.html
Finally, Someone (you) explained why you keep your rocks wet. Makes sense to me now. You did a great job with the video and I appreciate how "in depth" you describe things. This will help me in so many ways. Thank You!!!
I am super greatful for you sharing your process that you took so much time to develop. It's going to save us all a lot of time, and I hope you get it back in blessings 10 fold :)
Great video thanks for getting into detail.I’m just getting in the rock tumbling finished my first batch and definitely wasn’t satisfied with the results a few of them came out really nice and a few of them came out a little pitted. I was running agates so pitting is something that those do and I kind of like the texture of it but not all of them. I’ve got between 15 and 20 gallons of material to run so I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it soon. These are some great tips though thanks for sharing
Aw thanks! It's was a lot of trial and error...and patience. I think I've nailed it down pretty good. Sounds like you've got a lot to practice with... I hope this video really helps. I have an even more detailed video where I "show" exactly how I do it start to finish... Check it out! Here's the link if interested: th-cam.com/video/A5rbzqhSNE0/w-d-xo.html Cheers!✨
Thank you Marlania for the very informative video. My mom use to polish rocks; I never paid much attention to it. Now, however, I find I want to give it a try.
Thank you... and absolutely. I feel blessed to have these masterpieces. And to think, we are just a blink in their existence... They hold so much. I love opening a window into their beauty
You're welcome and best wishes to you! Here's a link to my other tumbling video that's even better... check it out if you want even more detailed info. Cheers th-cam.com/video/A5rbzqhSNE0/w-d-xo.html
I really like how you explained the tumbling process. You gave alot of info in this video and it really helps a newcomer like myself to rock polishing . Very appreciated. Hope to get beautiful rocks like yours.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. I hope to help everyone get that beautiful shine. I know how hard it can be to figure out the right method. I really wish you the best and most wonderful tumble! Cheers🐾 Be sure to read my extra tip in the comments! It's important😉
@@MarlainaAtkins yep i know wasted a lot of grit , messed up some rocks and every other mistake possible , but i got mine down pretty good , but still trying a few different things
Awesome video Marlaina...will definately watch it again when it's time to tumble! Thanks for sharing your tips👍 & Rookie for asking about the tumbling process😋 I agree Greg's tumbled rocks are the best too!
I'm another novice, and I see so many others who are just starting to rock tumble, it's really surprising. Looks like the hobby is getting more popular. Good video with several really good tips that I had not seen in other tutorials. So, thanks for the lesson, and I am a new subscriber.
Thanks Doug! I appreciate that. I'm happy to have you on board. Cheers and best wishes to you and your tumbling! ✨ I have noticed that its gotten more popular. Try to find a tumbler...theres not many
@@MarlainaAtkins Thanks, I jumped right out there without researching, and bought the one barrel tumbler from Harbor Freight, which was the only one readily available in a local store. But, I'm already looking to get something larger, and perhaps of a higher quality on line. Any recommendations? I come home every day, after walking my dog, with a pocket full of rocks! Luckily, my wife is into tumbling, too. I'm addicted! 😁
@@dougoverhoff7568 you are lucky my husband's already sick of me and my rocks haha. Here is a link to the best brand out there... Lortone. I also only use their grits as well. but I know they are pretty out of stock at the moment so you might want to check eBay. Link to Lortone: lortone.com/collections/tumblers Thumler is a good brand to check out too. Both are very good quality tumblers. I have two Lortone 33b, a Lortone 45c, a Lortone Qt66, and a Thumler's ultra vibe... I'd have to say that the Lortone's are my favorite. The Qt66 is great for bulk runs in stage 1 and 2...but I feel they bruise the stones in stage 3 and 4 if you don't use a ton of filler like ceramic media for example...so keep that in mind if going with the big ones...plus it's a long clean up process with more stones. If you get one with two barrels... Use one for coarse and medium stages only...and the other for pre-polish and polish only... That will help avoid cross contamination between stages. If there's any other help I can give just let me know... Best wishes!✨
@@MarlainaAtkins Wonderful advice, Marlaina, thanks very much. I will definitely check out the Lortone tumblers. And, I'm pretty well set for grits at the moment, so not a problem there. Sorry that your husband doesn't appreciate your rock collecting, I can understand. But, permit me to say, that I think he might be missing out on a wonderful hobby. And more importantly, a chance for spending quality time together. Fortunately, for me and my spouse, this hobby has come along, and it is one of the few things, in quite a while, in which we have found a mutual interest. I hope that it continues to be so. Many thanks, and I appreciate your time in responding to my queries. I look forward to your future videos. Cheers!
Great video thanks for the info I had my rocks get a lil bit cloudy when they dryed from the final polish so I'll be getting stuff to barnish them now 👍
It never hurts to run them a little longer in pre-polish AND polish stages. 10-14 days each stage. That's something I forgot to say. But thanks for watching! I hope you get that beautiful shine✨🐾
Great video! You should create an affiliate page with Amazon and list the links in the description. You could do this for the grits, media and tumblers (even the zip loc's!) and would get a cut of the purchase, if so. Nice work!
Hey Mar. I want a rock tumbler now. I've watched rock tumbling videos before and I'm being honest when I say I think this is the best. I actually feel quite confident now and I've never even seen an actual tumbler in real life before haha!
Oh thank you sis! I thought...maybe this was way too long but tumbling is not a short simple task. I have been tumbling now for MONTHS AND MONTHS with a lot of trial and error to get to where I'm at. I saw J loading his tumbler and noticed he was loading too much, so I decided to do this to share my knowledge to help him (and everyone too) out. I can't believe you've never seen a tumbler before! Just whatever you do, try to buy a quality brand like Lortone or Thumbler. They are pricey but WORTH IT! Don't waste your $$ on cheap ones...you just won't get a good result...or even make it thru all stages before the tumbler breaks. I went thru 3 Harbor Freight ones before I broke down and bought the Lortone. Best decision ever! Xo💕 😎🐾
found this video! i agree about using the ceramic in polishing stage, they should be well worn . or use the plastic. i try to weigh out my rocks and ceramic pieces to make sure I get the proper amount of rocks, water, etc. I get a much better product, like you said, too much is NOT a good thing.
Thank you so much for this informative video, I can understand now that I must learn to be patient and stop trying to put too many in the tumbler, just started this hobby about two months ago my son got me started he sent me a tumbler the grits a 3 lb. bag of gems and 25 lbs. of petrified wood from southern Nevada
What a fantastic gift from your son. Sounds like you're set! Tumbling can be so rewarding. Definitely takes patience but it's worth it. I'm currently in the middle of filming another tumble video where I show better what I do. Good luck to you and best wishes
One thing I do when I have stones with odd shapes, knicks, gouges, pits, etc that take the tumbler forever to wear down, I'll whip out my dremel to shape and file the stones down to desired shape and remove most larger flaws, and then Ill put them back in the tumbler and it seems yo save an immense amount of time so I can get started on my next batch 😂
Absolutely! Works great! I've eaten thru so many burrs...but it cuts the time down by weeks for sure. I've been using a grinding wheel mainly lately but the dremel can get into areas the wheel will not. Great tip! Cheers
@@canadiangemstones7636 I actually went an got some just got some after reading that and am absolutely loving the level of detail they can achieve 🤙 thank you for the "tips" 🤣
Excellent video tutorial! One idea that my twisted Grey Matter came up with a few years ago, that actually worked... plastic 20 oz & 2 ltr bottle caps cut into random odd shaped 1/4 x 1/2 inch pieces then added to complement the other fillers that you use. The flat pointed corners get into tight spots that most fillers can't reach, just remember to keep them separated by stage like you would with any other filler. (and cutting them gives me something to do while I watch all the Great Houndin' videos like this one) I have both a Lortone and a Harbor Freight(HF) 3 lb tumbler that I use on a regular basis. The HF tumbler gave me trouble at first, then, after I bought the Lortone, a friend told me the secret to keeping the HF relatively hassle-free. "About every 90 days they need to be cleaned and lubed". I've found that when you keep them on schedule, they will surprise you. Hope you find some of my Rocksanity as useful as I do yours. 😉😉 Good Luck, Have Fun and Keep on Houndin' Steve
Hello Marlaina what a great video. So well done. Big thumbs up for this one. Many will appreciate the step by step process. Many years ago I have seen friends and family tumble rocks and give up because they did not turn out right. They didn't do any of it the right way. There really was no videos to watch 15-20 years ago as there is now. One still collects rocks so I am trying to encourage her to try it again. I will send her the link to your video as it is laid out quite well. Thanks for sharing :)
Oh my Cherry! Thank you. For sm reason this comment as well as 17 others have been held for review and I just now saw this! I'm so glad you liked it. Tumbling is not as easy as one would think. Lots of trial and error for me to get where I'm at. I've gotten great tips, but from this video, and that video. Wanted to put them all into one. Glad to share with you. Appreciate you checking it out and sharing it too! Thanks😎🐾
@@MarlainaAtkins I get so many comments put in review. I don't like that. I would rather review them and decide. Only very often one is a bad or not right comment. I just got my grit today. So the fun begins :)
Again, this comment was held for review. This is becoming oh so often. I'm marked the allow all comments for this user so hopefully this won't happen again. It sucks! So, sorry to just now get back to you on this one. Good luck on your tumbling! Looking good so far
@@MarlainaAtkins I get this happening a lot. Some are subscribers that I have had for a year or more and make comments all the time. Not sure why it happens. I just make sure I go into creator and check comments every once in a while !
@@MarlainaAtkins ok. I have a question. When you wash your rocks in-between steps, does the water come out VERY black?? I started using a liquid dish soap instead of borax and after a few hours it is so dark!
@@stephanierocks8503 black...no. Dark...yes. But usually after the first two stages because the grit is darker... Sometimes you'll see black stuff floating around and it's usually from manganese oxides or something coming out of the stone. It could be from your barrel too. I don't know about using dish soap honestly but it might be too harsh... You probably want to only use a TINY bit with water... Run for 20-30min... Rinse and repeat till it comes out clear... Hope that helps!🐾
Great video! Some people say all you need for the 1st tumble is the grit and "maybe" a drop or two of dish detergent. They don't use the pellets. Can you explain why you use them in the 1st tumble?
@scotts1356 For the most part theyre right. I don't normally use them in the first stage. The only reason you should is... 1) you don't have enough material to fill barrel, so you can use them to add to make a full load 2) you are using softer material and need to cushion for no bruising during tumble 3) you need a variety of sizes and you only have a certain size stone(s). Adding the pellets will help that scenario for a better tumble. I can't think of any other reasons at the moment but adding them sure can't hurt anything. But I always recommend using ceramic pellets in coarse if you're going to because it will ruin plastic pellets fairly quickly. I hope that helps! Cheers
I often end up retumbling about a 1/4 of the rocks I put in but I had this moss agate that had so much host rock on it even after 18 FULL 4 STEP TUMBLES, it just wouldn’t work out, so I got a dremel and ground off the problematic spot, and it tumbled beautifully. So if you are good with your hands, you should grind each rocks imperfections before even coarse grit. This way you can run it in a 4 week period but end up with 18 week type period polished stones.
I completely agree. I'm going to start shaping and grinding off the imperfections a lot more. It will save so much hassle in the cleaning process. The last batch took me almost two hours to clean the grit out of all the cracks and pits... such a pain. And you're right...i won't have to tumble as long in coarse if I do that too. But I sure do love seeing these beauties shine in the end...no matter how long it takes✨
Could also rough grind the edges and grit out before tumbling so they are less likely to create inclusions. You can get rid of outer layers you dont want as well as save time tumbling
This was an excellent video ive been kinda mixed up on the tumble schedule glad I saw this. I'm still trying to find a contaminated video somebody had mentioned to look up Michigan rocks I've watched most of the videos but still don't see a contaminated video. Do you think someday you can make a video explaining that and what's the best method to do when it happens I'm still a newbie. But I think the community could use a video like that. For beginners trying to tumble rocks and accidentally mess up wondering what happened.
I have an even better one on my tumbling playlist that's more recent and shows step by step what I do so you don't cross contaminate and get that shine. But it seems you do a pretty fine job at what you're doing. But I would say if CT happens... start off again in the stage previous to the one you were in. Otherwise just go back to stage 2...med... and go again from there... cleaning your rocks and barrel and media super well. I show how I clean mine in the other video. Anyways, hope that helps with any questions you may have. Good luck with your tumbling. Best wishes✨
Man Marlaina! First off the thumbs down, that makes absolutely no sense at all! Seriously, this video was very well done and informative. Secondly, I was so excited because the result you showed before in a previous video was incredible so I couldn’t wait to see your methods. Thank you for doing this. I’ve started a new batch as you know, and it’s still running in the coarse grit and I’m kinda glad I recharged it and kept it going. There is massively so many good tips you’ve shown here that I’m gonna use and try out. So so many things I’ve been doing wrong!!!! Or coulda been doing better 😂 Thank you thank you thank you! Straight to the “helpful rock videos” playlist for sure!!!!!!!! Much love mar and thank you again!
What's weird about the thumbs down is that I got that 20 seconds after I uploaded. ??? Whoever did it did it immediately and couldn't even have watched it. Sabotage?🤔 idk...oh well. I'm not gonna let that thumb get ME down! Haha So as long as you like it I'm happy because I made this for you bro😄 I was going to send you an e-mail explaining My Method but I figured shoot why not just make a video would be way better for you to actually see what I'm talking about. So I'm really glad this was useful for you and hope it helps you to get that brilliant shine as well. I know how it feels to spend all that time and wait all that time to not end up with a good result. It's so disappointing! So thank you for watching and if you have any questions just ask and I'll try to help as best I can. Let me know how your tumble turns out! Best of luck to ya. Cheers🐺🐾
Marlaina Atkins I’m gonna try all of these. I wish I had started from the beginning with less in the barrel. I’ll keep you posted and I’ll be doing a video as I go so we’ll see how this one goes. But I’m excited for my next one cause I’m gonna do it exactly the same from the start haha! Again though, a full video instead of an email, that’s a massive gesture dude. Thank you. And I’m tumbling rhonddas rocks too so in a way hopefully it helps get them lookin sweeeeeeeeet! 😉👌✨
Finally, a kindred spirit. I use separate barrels for each stage. I am using 4 Lortone QT-12, so 16 barrels is VERY expensive but I do a LOT of tumbing. I also have a Lortone 3a in which I run the same kind/hardness of stone as in one of my 12 pounders. That way if I lose a lot of volume after the coarse step, I can make up for it with stones from the 3 pounder. I am getting ready to try out the ceramic media for step one and perhaps two, but always use plastic pellets for steps three and four. I go through the stones and use some diamond grinding wheels on a flex shaft to remove any pits or other perfections and it usually keeps me from having to repeat the coarse step. I use plastic pellets for every step when tumbling Apache Tears since they need to be cushioned to keep from chipping. Great stones. Did you collect those yourself?
What a setup! I see you my friend haha😄 I do find a lot of what I tumble...but I also had a huge rock collection passed on to me from my grandfather. And I've been lucky to have been blessed with many stones from others along the way. I tumble a lot too. It's so satisfying in the end✨
Nice vid. I would disagree on one thing. I have A HF timber I have used for 1 1/2 years and could not be more pleased. I did modify one thing, that being the rub bars at the end but other than that they have worked perfectly. Nice informational vid. Havagudun Gal.
You're right...and I should have said that they have worked well for many people. I think I may a percentage that has had the worst of luck. I bought 3 and dealt with holes in a barrel, bent pully, MANY belt breaks, and of course the end tabs are the worst...and then...I got a used Lortone for Christmas. It's been such a dream to use and just isn't comparable in sense of quality in my opinion...no disrespect to HF users. I have since purchased a 2nd one and couldn't be more pleased. I do appreciate your comment tho because I should be careful when addressing certain things because I by no means want to offend anyone. Thanks E. D. Take care m8🐾
Hi Marlaina, I'm a Lapidary fanatic also, over here (North Scotland) the stones aren't as pretty or as interesting as those lovely agates you were polishing in this video. The Geology is different here and you can see that in the rocks that you find, there seems to be an abundance of quartz over here that is as white as snow. Lovely video, many thanks and I subbed so that I can see more.
Hi Connor! I'm so sorry for the super late reply... I just saw this! Thanks so much for the lovely comment and I truly wish you the best in North Scotland! Quartz is beautiful too. And I certainly appreciate the sub... Thanks for joining the ride. Best wishes✨
Absolutely THE BEST tumbling video! Thank you very much. I've just recently got into the tumbling and on the first batch I got a nice shine and polish but on the second one all rocks seems a bit dull, even quartz. Borax- is a key i guess :) I especially liked your advice how to wash off the grid with short tumbling with borax - going to try it next time. I have one question: after the third stage and sometimes the final polish stage I noticed many rock got cracks in them which there not before - why this happening? I do use plastic fillers on these stages
😀Wow! Thank you so much. 🤔 my best guess is that there were internal fractures already present in the stone that finally broke in the last stages. Or if you don't have enough stones or filler there is good chance of breakage. And if you tumble stones with inclusions or mixed stones...sometimes other material will "break away" from each other leaving a chip or crack. Which will even scratch and dull the finish. Rerun the batch starting in med (unless there are sharp edges, then start again in coarse for a few days) and you'll probably be golden. I forgot to mention in the video that running up to 14 days in med stage will REALLY enhance the results in the end. It's almost as important than the coarse stage. You don't loose much material in med and it only smooths your rocks, or prepares them for the final stages. Hope that helps! 😎🐾
Thank you! Most of these were from a collection of stones I got from my grandfather who was a rockhound and collected these from all over the country. A lot of the ones you saw were from Montana, Washington and Wyoming. Some were ones I found along the shores and rivers of Washington😊
Any tips on polish and buffing? My son has a "National Geographic" tumbler and uses different packets of grits. Once through the last stage, the rocks are nicely rounded and smooth, but still hazy. How can we get that luster like what you see at a gift shop? Thanks
Really make sure you clean the stones and barrel real good in between stages.... I suggest running them thru stage 3 pre-polish for 10-12 days, then polish for 14 days. I never run less than 14 days in polish... Doing it this way has gotten me to achieve a beautiful shine. It's a long process...but worth it. Hope this helps! Cheers
So you add grits according to tumbler size basically? I have a rebel17 .. quite large. All grits say 2 tbls per pound and really it's quite costly to run a cycle. I used a pound of grit to the 12 lbs of rocks. So whole package.
Pretty much... I don't weigh my rocks to gauge. For my 3lb barrel... 3-4 TBSP. For my 6lb... 6-7 TBSP. It's really all you need really. When I first started I used 2 TBSP per pound... But when the "cycle" was done I would find grit at the bottom that was never "broke down"... which happens when too much grit was used. I think it's just a general guideline to use... But I never use that much per barrel... and I get pretty good results. Hope that helps. I know how costly it can be. Best wishes💫
Thanks! Many people use HF tumblers with no problem... So for many they are great. I've just had bad luck. I've bought 3 HF double barrel tumblers... One had a hole in the bottom of the barrel and leaked on my 1st run. How it got that hole being brand new ?? Another had a bent pulley and went thru countless belts. The belts breaking are common with these, they're cheap tho, but the bent pulley😤 Then the barrels stopped spinning because the rubber on the rods that the barrels roll on started slipping. That was likely my fault due to lubing the bearings. While spinning, the oil crept up the rod seperating the rubber from rod which made it slip. To try to get it out to clean was a nightmare and I'm just fed up at this point. Bought a Lortone and 3 years later... I'm still very pleased I've looked for borax at Walmart forever and can't find it but many other places have it
I've looked too... I hope they don't go out of business... They haven't had any in for AWHILE!!!😨 I get my grit from them too... But they seem to still have that available. Hoping you're able to find one eventually🤞
Hello Im new at tumbling ,Im your new subscriber by the way I enjoy your tips , If I have an 15 pound tumbler how much borax do you think I should use to clean up the rocks on the final polishing stage and also on step 1 to 3 as you suggested to used it ...I would really appreciate it if you can answer
Hello and welcome! I would use about 5 to 6 tablespoons per cleaning run for a 15 lb tumbler. If you do a burnish run... 6-8 Tbsp. You can even run them in just water afterwards till you see the water runs clear to make sure they're good and clean. I don't forget to use your toothbrush afterwards still especially if there's any cracks or pits. I hope this helps and best wishes to you!✨
Hi! If you know what the stone is you can always look up the hardness on Google or use the Mohs hardness scale to test ( just look up Mohs hardness scale and do a scratch test). Stones that are 6-7 in hardness are best for tumbling and you can tumble both together. Anything less than 6 may be too soft...but doable with extra care and less tumble time. Hope that helps! Best wishes to you
Great video. Can you use ceramics that you used in coarse or step 2, in with pre-polish or polish? I hear you can keep the ceramics with each stage of your rocks, but that seems like a bad idea.
Thank you so much! Indeed you can! When I made this video I had not tried ceramic in the last two stages but heard you could as well, as long as you pre tumbled them first to round the edges. I have since had the courage to try... I used the same ceramic media thru all stages and the results were just as good as using plastic beads. So I can officially say that using it will work great and not harm the stones. Best wishes
some good advice here loving it...however i do have a question.for you... are using 1and a half tablespoons of borax between stages is that because it's half of what grits you would normally run in the stages in the 3lb barrel? As i have twin 6lb barrels are you saying i should use half the amount of borax to grits to clean between stages?..example is( 10 tablespoons usually of grits to a 6lb barrel so 4-5 tablespoons of borax between stages)
The reason for the amount is because you really don't need that much Borax for it to clean... I assume you could use more but its unnecessary... As long as the water looks cloudy (it won't suds up) then you have used enough. 3-4 Tbsps should work great
Hi everyone! My girlfriend and I are new to this but we're having so much fun with it. Finished our first batch but they didn't come out as shiny as we'd like. But we're going to use this advice and I'll be sure to come back to update how it worked out. So question to everyone! Any suggestions on places in CT, Southern Massachusetts or even eastern New York where we can find our own stones to tumble? I'd love to go out hunting for our own stones!
Thanks for watching and please do tell me how they turn out! I love this video but I also recommend watching my latest "How to tumble rocks" video where I show you exactly what I do step by step. Cleaning your barrel(s) and rocks are so important for a good shiny finish. I really show you very well what to do to clean and not cross contaminate... which is the cause of most dull finishes. I really would love to hear how they turn out tho... Not many reply back on that☺ As of places in those areas to hunt... I really don't know. But looking up places to rock hound in CT should pull up some results. The best way is to find local rivers or quarries, outcrops and go and explore. Finding a local lapidary or rock club and meeting the locals might lend you some great places and knowledge of your local stones as well. I believe garnet is prevalent there. Anyway, good luck on your journey... Best wishes✨
Thanks for the very helpful video. Several other people suggest the use of ivory soap along with the borax in the final stages of tumbling. Is this not something you recommend as you only ever mention borax? Thanks again from Melbourne, Australia.
Hi Heather! You are very welcome. To be honest... I've never tried adding ivory soap along with borax to any stage so I can't say whether it works well or not. I've used ivory soap to burnish with and did not like the residue it left behind. I've done a lot of research and trial and error... I was recommended borax, tried it, and it's been the best for me😊
@@heatherconnor9769 you are so welcome. Just keep in mind that borax does not Suds up like Ivory soap so don't freak out when you see no suds. As long as the water looks cloudy you have used enough borax. 2 tablespoons seems to do the trick well. And don't be afraid to burnish overnight. It will only get better the longer you do it. Best wishes to you and happy holidays!☺
@@MarlainaAtkins I can’t believe how quickly your reply came, and that does clarify the use of the borax thank you. My tumbling barrels are much larger so it’s good to be able to judge if there’s enough borax as well as doing the maths. Most grateful. May you too have a wonderful festive season.
It acts as a thickening agent to the mix. Some people use sugar. But I prefer borax. It helps to clean the Rocks afterwards as well. Sugar will make it stickier and harder to clean after
Can I use ceramic and stainless media together for all 4 tumbling stages? I use Borax after stage 1 and 2, to clean everything. You said you used it only on stages 3 and 4. Is it hurting anything by using it on stages 1 and 2? Thank you in advance.
It probably wouldn't hurt. But I really cannot tell you if stainless is good at all because I have never used that type of media but you can definitely use ceramic in all four stages... as long as you clean it good like you do your stones
This advice is great! I did a batch once and I’m pretty sure there was some cross contamination of grit. If I don’t have any plastic filler specifically for rock tumbing, can I use poly pellets?
@@MarlainaAtkins Of course!! And one more thing about my failed batch, do I just put it in with other untumbled rocks and put it through the whole process again if they didn’t shine?
@@chopsooey4505 no... I would start in medium/stage 2 for only 1 week...and only if it's really dull. Otherwise, start in pre-polish for 10-12 days... Polish stage I never run less than 14 days. You can run the "cleaning run" a couple of times if necessary to clean stones/barrel/pellets well but always use a toothbrush still afterwards to really get into any pits or cracks. If they are somewhat shiny, then I would possibly just try throwing them in Polish for one more week. But if you ran them in Polish for 14 days and they still are dull, I would start off again at the stage 2 like I suggested. Really hope this helps! Let me know how it goes. Cheers
@@MarlainaAtkins Thank you so much! I’ll be trying this because it was in the back of my mind for a while since I tumbled them last summer, I was wondering what to do with them. I read some people saying you should just redo the whole process but I wasn’t certain
Unless it's really mild soap I would say no. Most liquid soaps like Dawn are too harsh on the barrel and will ruin them over time. Ivory bar soap is another great alternative to borax tho. Just shave tiny bits off... about 2-3 TBSP... add water... Let it run for at least 1-2 hours or more. Hope that helps... Best wishes to you✨
Hi Marlaina, I have a question but it's not about rocks. I need to polish small stainless steel tube beads to a high gloss finish, I've been using a kit (barrel, steel shots, burnishing liquid) but don't seem to get the result I need. Do you have any suggestions, advice or tricks I could try? I've been investigating this for a long time all over the place, I'm desperate to figure it out. Thank you! ❤️
Hi Judit, I wish I did but I'm not familiar with tumbling stainless steel and wouldn't want to advise you incorrectly. But I do see people using a vibratory tumbler to shine ss and it seems to do a phenomenal job... That may be the trick. Wish I could help more. I wish you the best and hope you find a method that produces the shine you need✨
@@MarlainaAtkins Thank you very much for your reply and kind words, I really appreciate it! I've tried a lot of things, I'll keep trying other ways and media, I'm not one to give up easily 😁 ❤️ xx
Hi Marlaina, thanks for making this video. I do have some questions that I think you might be able to help me with. When you tumble red jasper with hematite or quartz inclusions do they come out being pitted or undercut? Also, I have some very nice poppy jaspers about the size of quarters that are hard to tumble for the same reasons.I think that's the right term, undercut. Would you call jasper with hematite and quartz inclusions brecciated? I have a lot of red jasper like this and it is so nice and seems like it would be super cool polished, but usually, some not all of it, becomes undercut around the hematite and it shows after polishing. I've seen some of your jasper with hematite with similar issues. Some of mine come out pretty good but most don't. Just wondering if you have similar problems. Thanks a lot.
Undercut is the correct term😊 I do have the same issue but I have many that still come out beautiful. It's do to the different hardness between the two... Hematite is a little softer. Or fracture lines between the two. We also have pyrolusite and other manganese inclusions in our jasper which will do the same thing. As for the quartz included ones... I think its do to the structure of the quartz or it being fractured that "chips" (for lack of a better word) away as it tumbles. I would call most of the red and quartz ones brecciated, even the others. But the poppy I would call orbicular otherwise. I don't seem to have a big issue getting a good polish thru tumbling with any of them but if you were to face polish or try cabbing one...it could be tricky. Hope that helps! Cheers✨
Hello, I know you get beautiful results, that 's why I ask you. I really like the mix of Hematite and jasper. I will keep at it then. Stay well, stay safe, and thank you.
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Hey everybody! Appreciate you all watching. I forgot to include some important info for stages 2-4...How long I roll them! Stage 2 (med) I roll for 10 days, stage 3 (pre-polish) for 12 days, and stage 4 (polish) for 14 days. If you don't have the shiny finish you want...tumble longer in polish. You're polish grit only gets better the more you use it. And this method is the best when using a rotary tumbler for all stages. Michigan Rocks uses a vibrating tumbler for his last two stages which is why he gets that remarkably spectacular finish. This is the closest I've gotten to his shine using a rotary tumbler. One day I will invest in a vibrating tumbler and produce that award-winning tumble like Michigan Rocks.
Hope this helps you to produce some wonderful tumbled stones that you will cherish forever. Happy tumbling out there! 😎🐾
*UPDATE* If you want an even better look at the exact method I use... Check out my other video "How to Tumble Rocks" link here: th-cam.com/video/A5rbzqhSNE0/w-d-xo.html
where I SHOW you exactly what I do step by step. Cheers!
Hi Marlaina! Thanx for a great video with some really good info. I have a question for u...
If on the first stage u end up going longer like u said, do u keep using the same coarse grit as the first week or do u change the grit after a few weeks? Keep safe & happy hunting ✌💛😎🌈🤗👍
@@shereespeer1518 great question! For coarse, med, and fine...you will need new grit each time. I would never go longer than 10-14 days with each, before changing. BUT, you can reuse your polish, I WAS TOLD, up to 4 times. I roll 10 days in med, 12 in fine, and 14 in polish. I really want everyone to know that. Makes a huge difference. Wishing you the best Sheree✨🤗✨
Thank u so much.
👍💗🌈
How do you keep them shiny (wet-looking) - like you see in a rock shop? Do you spray them down with anything afterwards?
@@j.a.langley70 you can...but you should be able to achieve a great shine tumbling. The longer you tumble in polish the better shine the stone will get.
😎🐾
Seriously Mar, this is such a great video!!! The rockhounding community will be thankful for this video! Great job!
Gridding down to your happy point before tumbling saves time and money. Great video
I’ve been tumbling stones for about 8 months. You just taught me some things I didn’t know. Thank you,
My pleasure🤗
The best explanation I found on youtube so far!
I appreciate that thank you. Best wishes to you!💫
Theres a link in the description to my other tumbling video where I show you every single step and how I do it. It's even more detailed. Cheers!✨
This I'd the best video I've seen on tumbler finishing! I've watched DO many videos, read books, articles etc, you've out done them all! No babbling, straight to the point! Examples of what to do for trouble shooting. I'd about given up, could not achieve a shine, smooth but no gloss. I'll give it a go....our 10 year old will be happy to see this! God Bless!
That comment just made my day! Thank you so kindly. I'm so happy you found it so informal and I truly wish you and your kiddo the best tumble ever! Cheers✨
Barb...You need to see "Michigan Rocks" on Utube. This guy is awesome! Award winning rock tumbler.
I am 10 minutes in and this is such an amazing how to video on tumbling, if I ever get one, this will be my reference video, this is how these kinds of videos are supposed to be made! Back to watching 😁👍👍
I seriously just saw this! For sm reason it was held for review. ?? Anyways, Thank you Taylor! Much appreciated. Glad to share my secrets😁🐾
@@MarlainaAtkins haha weird! I've ok boy had one or two that I dont approve, most of the time they're normal comments lol!
@@AgateDad OMG its agatedad!!
I just found you. You have been the best at telling how to do anything. You are not too fast and not too slow at explaining how to do things. I am a 64 year old and just found out that I like hunting rocks, tumbling them and making jewelry. I wish that I had done all this when I was younger. Thank you for all that you do.
Hi Liane! Thank you so much for that... It put the biggest smile on my face. Rocks, tumbling, and making jewelry makes me so happy inside. And to hear that someone shares the same joy is always such a treat. Best wishes to you
i run rocks through rough grit over and over, taking out those ready for next step after each rinse. i will add new rocks to keep proper fill. yeah, some rocks are definitely more stubborn
Ever since the world has been on lockdown I have been wanting to explore more about the earth and that’s when I got interested in these beautiful stones! I just think there’s something so magical about stones and crystals. I am so glad I found you channel!!! Super great video, love it!
That just made my day...Thank you! I agree, they are magical... Everyone a masterpiece of greatness... Best wishes to you🤗💕
By far the best video I've seen on rock tumbling. I'm now subscribed.
Thank you so much... I appreciate that a lot☺ If you liked this you may like my other one even better! It's called "How to Tumble Rocks" and I actually show exactly what I do step by step...even how I clean them. I wish you the best of luck with your tumbling and I'm happy to have you aboard😎
@@MarlainaAtkins I will check out your other video too. Thanks.
Lots of new tidbits of information for me. Thanks for taking the time to make and share this video!
Thanks Andy! You're so very welcome. Cheers✨
A couple good tips in this video I didn't see in the 10-12 others I watched. Thank you so much for that!
Absolutely! My pleasure. I have an even better video that shows you literally step by step the process I use... Check out my tumbling playlist... It's the "How to Tumble Rocks" video... If you liked this one you will like that one even more😉 cheers! And thanks for watching✨
th-cam.com/video/A5rbzqhSNE0/w-d-xo.html
I like to have 2 barrels but once I can afford more I will probably get 4 tumblers. One polished batch a week sounds like a personal dream for me.
Finally, Someone (you) explained why you keep your rocks wet. Makes sense to me now. You did a great job with the video and I appreciate how "in depth" you describe things. This will help me in so many ways. Thank You!!!
Thanks for the compliment! I'm so glad to help. Thank you kindly🐾
I am super greatful for you sharing your process that you took so much time to develop. It's going to save us all a lot of time, and I hope you get it back in blessings 10 fold :)
Thank you Ryan!🤗✨ Best wishes to you💫
Great video thanks for getting into detail.I’m just getting in the rock tumbling finished my first batch and definitely wasn’t satisfied with the results a few of them came out really nice and a few of them came out a little pitted. I was running agates so pitting is something that those do and I kind of like the texture of it but not all of them. I’ve got between 15 and 20 gallons of material to run so I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it soon. These are some great tips though thanks for sharing
Aw thanks! It's was a lot of trial and error...and patience. I think I've nailed it down pretty good. Sounds like you've got a lot to practice with... I hope this video really helps. I have an even more detailed video where I "show" exactly how I do it start to finish... Check it out! Here's the link if interested: th-cam.com/video/A5rbzqhSNE0/w-d-xo.html
Cheers!✨
Thanks for the info I am new to rock tumblers and didn’t get good results from my first attempt but I’m definitely going to try your technique next
Thank you Marlania for the very informative video. My mom use to polish rocks; I never paid much attention to it. Now, however, I find I want to give it a try.
Thank you...That's so awesome! Best wishes for a wonderful tumble if you do decide to. It's so rewarding. Thanks for watching. Cheers🐾
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge of bringing out the beauty of minerals. Isn’t this just a fascinating aspect and privilege of life?
Thank you... and absolutely. I feel blessed to have these masterpieces. And to think, we are just a blink in their existence... They hold so much. I love opening a window into their beauty
I just got a small tumbler from Amazon and this video is amazing. Thank you
You're welcome and best wishes to you! Here's a link to my other tumbling video that's even better... check it out if you want even more detailed info. Cheers
th-cam.com/video/A5rbzqhSNE0/w-d-xo.html
I really like how you explained the tumbling process. You gave alot of info in this video and it really helps a newcomer like myself to rock polishing . Very appreciated. Hope to get beautiful rocks like yours.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. I hope to help everyone get that beautiful shine. I know how hard it can be to figure out the right method. I really wish you the best and most wonderful tumble! Cheers🐾
Be sure to read my extra tip in the comments! It's important😉
Appreciate you taking the time to explain everything simply! Picking up some borax today 👏
This was one of the very BEST instructional videos! I’m ready to get back on that horse again (can’t seem to get that shine!)
@@helenofmusic thank you! Best wishes to you💫
Nice day for a walk to collect rocks in the old Oroville dredge tailings.
Yes! I love Michigan Rocks too. He's very helpful.
good info , this will help a lot of rock tumblers , lot of good tips
Thanks Wil! it's been a lot of trial-and-error to get to this point. I appreciate your comment
@@MarlainaAtkins yep i know wasted a lot of grit , messed up some rocks and every other mistake possible , but i got mine down pretty good , but still trying a few different things
Excellent info here. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Best wishes✨
Thank for all the tips!😘
You bet! Cheers🤗
fantastic tips, right to the point. great video! thank you.
Much appreciated...thank you✨
Thanks for making this video. I just got a tumbler and I've been learning the process and looking for rocks. Your rocks look fantastic.
Thank you...i appreciate that... and you are so welcome. I wish you the best of luck.
Thanks for the video. Working on my first batch of rocks in my tumbler. Almost done with the pre-polish stage.
😯oooooooo.... rubbing hands together... Thats awesome! Let me know how they turn out... I'd LOVE to hear! Cheers😎
Awesome video Marlaina...will definately watch it again when it's time to tumble! Thanks for sharing your tips👍 & Rookie for asking about the tumbling process😋 I agree Greg's tumbled rocks are the best too!
Thanks Katherine! It means a lot. Best wishes for the best tumble ever✨
I'm another novice, and I see so many others who are just starting to rock tumble, it's really surprising. Looks like the hobby is getting more popular. Good video with several really good tips that I had not seen in other tutorials. So, thanks for the lesson, and I am a new subscriber.
Thanks Doug! I appreciate that. I'm happy to have you on board. Cheers and best wishes to you and your tumbling! ✨
I have noticed that its gotten more popular. Try to find a tumbler...theres not many
@@MarlainaAtkins Thanks, I jumped right out there without researching, and bought the one barrel tumbler from Harbor Freight, which was the only one readily available in a local store. But, I'm already looking to get something larger, and perhaps of a higher quality on line. Any recommendations?
I come home every day, after walking my dog, with a pocket full of rocks! Luckily, my wife is into tumbling, too. I'm addicted! 😁
@@dougoverhoff7568 you are lucky my husband's already sick of me and my rocks haha. Here is a link to the best brand out there... Lortone. I also only use their grits as well. but I know they are pretty out of stock at the moment so you might want to check eBay.
Link to Lortone: lortone.com/collections/tumblers
Thumler is a good brand to check out too. Both are very good quality tumblers. I have two Lortone 33b, a Lortone 45c, a Lortone Qt66, and a Thumler's ultra vibe... I'd have to say that the Lortone's are my favorite. The Qt66 is great for bulk runs in stage 1 and 2...but I feel they bruise the stones in stage 3 and 4 if you don't use a ton of filler like ceramic media for example...so keep that in mind if going with the big ones...plus it's a long clean up process with more stones. If you get one with two barrels... Use one for coarse and medium stages only...and the other for pre-polish and polish only... That will help avoid cross contamination between stages.
If there's any other help I can give just let me know... Best wishes!✨
@@MarlainaAtkins Wonderful advice, Marlaina, thanks very much. I will definitely check out the Lortone tumblers. And, I'm pretty well set for grits at the moment, so not a problem there.
Sorry that your husband doesn't appreciate your rock collecting, I can understand. But, permit me to say, that I think he might be missing out on a wonderful hobby. And more importantly, a chance for spending quality time together. Fortunately, for me and my spouse, this hobby has come along, and it is one of the few things, in quite a while, in which we have found a mutual interest. I hope that it continues to be so.
Many thanks, and I appreciate your time in responding to my queries. I look forward to your future videos. Cheers!
Thanks for the great video my friend
You bet my friend. Thanks for watching😎🐾
Great video thanks for the info I had my rocks get a lil bit cloudy when they dryed from the final polish so I'll be getting stuff to barnish them now 👍
It never hurts to run them a little longer in pre-polish AND polish stages. 10-14 days each stage. That's something I forgot to say. But thanks for watching! I hope you get that beautiful shine✨🐾
@@MarlainaAtkins Ok thanks very much and keep on hounding👍
Great video! You should create an affiliate page with Amazon and list the links in the description. You could do this for the grits, media and tumblers (even the zip loc's!) and would get a cut of the purchase, if so. Nice work!
Not a bad idea! Thank you😎
Vety nice instructional video. Some things I did not know like using Borax. I will for sure do that. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Thank you. You are so very welcome. Best wishes
Excellent advice! Thanks!
My pleasure Hal😎🐾
Wonderfully informative video..... Thank you for taking the time to do this...just wish I had seen it last year before running so many rocks. 💗
Hey Mar. I want a rock tumbler now. I've watched rock tumbling videos before and I'm being honest when I say I think this is the best. I actually feel quite confident now and I've never even seen an actual tumbler in real life before haha!
Oh thank you sis! I thought...maybe this was way too long but tumbling is not a short simple task. I have been tumbling now for MONTHS AND MONTHS with a lot of trial and error to get to where I'm at. I saw J loading his tumbler and noticed he was loading too much, so I decided to do this to share my knowledge to help him (and everyone too) out. I can't believe you've never seen a tumbler before! Just whatever you do, try to buy a quality brand like Lortone or Thumbler. They are pricey but WORTH IT! Don't waste your $$ on cheap ones...you just won't get a good result...or even make it thru all stages before the tumbler breaks. I went thru 3 Harbor Freight ones before I broke down and bought the Lortone. Best decision ever! Xo💕
😎🐾
Just the info I've been looking for. Thanks for being so specific.
You are so very welcome. Happy Tumbling😎🐾
You’re the best Thx for caring
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found this video! i agree about using the ceramic in polishing stage, they should be well worn . or use the plastic.
i try to weigh out my rocks and ceramic pieces to make sure I get the proper amount of rocks, water, etc. I get a much better product, like you said, too much is NOT a good thing.
thank you for the great video and the polishing tips, btw i watch michigan rocks as well.👍👍
That was a great video!! Thanks for sharing - great tips!!!!!
You're so welcome! Thanks😎🐾
Thank you so much for this informative video, I can understand now that I must learn to be patient and stop trying to put too many in the tumbler, just started this hobby about two months ago my son got me started he sent me a tumbler the grits a 3 lb. bag of gems and 25 lbs. of petrified wood from southern Nevada
What a fantastic gift from your son. Sounds like you're set! Tumbling can be so rewarding. Definitely takes patience but it's worth it. I'm currently in the middle of filming another tumble video where I show better what I do. Good luck to you and best wishes
One thing I do when I have stones with odd shapes, knicks, gouges, pits, etc that take the tumbler forever to wear down, I'll whip out my dremel to shape and file the stones down to desired shape and remove most larger flaws, and then Ill put them back in the tumbler and it seems yo save an immense amount of time so I can get started on my next batch 😂
Absolutely! Works great! I've eaten thru so many burrs...but it cuts the time down by weeks for sure. I've been using a grinding wheel mainly lately but the dremel can get into areas the wheel will not. Great tip! Cheers
Try a carbide-tipped tile nipper. Removes the cracks, knife-edges, and excessively pointy bits with the greatest of ease.
@@canadiangemstones7636 I actually went an got some just got some after reading that and am absolutely loving the level of detail they can achieve 🤙 thank you for the "tips" 🤣
Thank you so much your video was so helpful
My pleasure. Best wishes to you!✨
Excellent video tutorial!
One idea that my twisted Grey Matter came up with a few years ago, that actually worked... plastic 20 oz & 2 ltr bottle caps cut into random odd shaped 1/4 x 1/2 inch pieces then added to complement the other fillers that you use. The flat pointed corners get into tight spots that most fillers can't reach, just remember to keep them separated by stage like you would with any other filler. (and cutting them gives me something to do while I watch all the Great Houndin' videos like this one)
I have both a Lortone and a Harbor Freight(HF) 3 lb tumbler that I use on a regular basis. The HF tumbler gave me trouble at first, then, after I bought the Lortone, a friend told me the secret to keeping the HF relatively hassle-free. "About every 90 days they need to be cleaned and lubed". I've found that when you keep them on schedule, they will surprise you.
Hope you find some of my Rocksanity as useful as I do yours. 😉😉
Good Luck, Have Fun and Keep on Houndin'
Steve
Thanks for tip Steve! I will definitely try that out. Appreciate you watching😎🐾
Hello Marlaina what a great video. So well done. Big thumbs up for this one. Many will appreciate the step by step process. Many years ago I have seen friends and family tumble rocks and give up because they did not turn out right. They didn't do any of it the right way. There really was no videos to watch 15-20 years ago as there is now. One still collects rocks so I am trying to encourage her to try it again. I will send her the link to your video as it is laid out quite well. Thanks for sharing :)
Oh my Cherry! Thank you. For sm reason this comment as well as 17 others have been held for review and I just now saw this! I'm so glad you liked it. Tumbling is not as easy as one would think. Lots of trial and error for me to get where I'm at. I've gotten great tips, but from this video, and that video. Wanted to put them all into one. Glad to share with you. Appreciate you checking it out and sharing it too! Thanks😎🐾
@@MarlainaAtkins I get so many comments put in review. I don't like that. I would rather review them and decide. Only very often one is a bad or not right comment. I just got my grit today. So the fun begins :)
Again, this comment was held for review. This is becoming oh so often. I'm marked the allow all comments for this user so hopefully this won't happen again. It sucks! So, sorry to just now get back to you on this one. Good luck on your tumbling! Looking good so far
@@MarlainaAtkins I get this happening a lot. Some are subscribers that I have had for a year or more and make comments all the time. Not sure why it happens. I just make sure I go into creator and check comments every once in a while !
Thank you, very good info to help us all..
You're welcome! Glad to help😊
Oh geez! Now I know what those metallic scratches are! Buying me a plastic colander!
No joke! You're going to be so happy... Took me awhile to figure that one out. HT🐾
@@MarlainaAtkins ok. I have a question. When you wash your rocks in-between steps, does the water come out VERY black?? I started using a liquid dish soap instead of borax and after a few hours it is so dark!
@@stephanierocks8503 black...no. Dark...yes. But usually after the first two stages because the grit is darker... Sometimes you'll see black stuff floating around and it's usually from manganese oxides or something coming out of the stone. It could be from your barrel too. I don't know about using dish soap honestly but it might be too harsh... You probably want to only use a TINY bit with water... Run for 20-30min... Rinse and repeat till it comes out clear...
Hope that helps!🐾
Hey M! Didn't see this till now! Nice tutorial!
Thanks G!😊🐾
Holy crap! We get it already...no more than 2/3 full only, not any fuller! Got it thanks! Lol...
Thank you. That is a great video with many great tips. 👍
Thank you so much Alexander! Happy tumbling🐾
😊👍
Great video! Some people say all you need for the 1st tumble is the grit and "maybe" a drop or two of dish detergent. They don't use the pellets. Can you explain why you use them in the 1st tumble?
@scotts1356 For the most part theyre right. I don't normally use them in the first stage. The only reason you should is...
1) you don't have enough material to fill barrel, so you can use them to add to make a full load
2) you are using softer material and need to cushion for no bruising during tumble
3) you need a variety of sizes and you only have a certain size stone(s). Adding the pellets will help that scenario for a better tumble.
I can't think of any other reasons at the moment but adding them sure can't hurt anything. But I always recommend using ceramic pellets in coarse if you're going to because it will ruin plastic pellets fairly quickly. I hope that helps! Cheers
@@MarlainaAtkins I'm new at tumbling, so thank you so much for answering my question.
Great video. Thank you for the advice :)
Absolutely my pleasure😎🐾
I love it!!
I often end up retumbling about a 1/4 of the rocks I put in but I had this moss agate that had so much host rock on it even after 18 FULL 4 STEP TUMBLES, it just wouldn’t work out, so I got a dremel and ground off the problematic spot, and it tumbled beautifully. So if you are good with your hands, you should grind each rocks imperfections before even coarse grit. This way you can run it in a 4 week period but end up with 18 week type period polished stones.
I completely agree. I'm going to start shaping and grinding off the imperfections a lot more. It will save so much hassle in the cleaning process. The last batch took me almost two hours to clean the grit out of all the cracks and pits... such a pain. And you're right...i won't have to tumble as long in coarse if I do that too. But I sure do love seeing these beauties shine in the end...no matter how long it takes✨
fantastic vidoe! thank you!!
Nice. Thank you.
👊😎
Could also rough grind the edges and grit out before tumbling so they are less likely to create inclusions. You can get rid of outer layers you dont want as well as save time tumbling
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This was an excellent video ive been kinda mixed up on the tumble schedule glad I saw this.
I'm still trying to find a contaminated video somebody had mentioned to look up Michigan rocks I've watched most of the videos but still don't see a contaminated video.
Do you think someday you can make a video explaining that and what's the best method to do when it happens I'm still a newbie. But I think the community could use a video like that. For beginners trying to tumble rocks and accidentally mess up wondering what happened.
I have an even better one on my tumbling playlist that's more recent and shows step by step what I do so you don't cross contaminate and get that shine. But it seems you do a pretty fine job at what you're doing. But I would say if CT happens... start off again in the stage previous to the one you were in. Otherwise just go back to stage 2...med... and go again from there... cleaning your rocks and barrel and media super well. I show how I clean mine in the other video. Anyways, hope that helps with any questions you may have. Good luck with your tumbling. Best wishes✨
great tips,thank you. new at tumbling gems,jeweler jolene
You are so welcome! Best wishes for shiny beauties✨
Awesome video! Thx for the great tips. Making me very excited to start tumbling. Sweet rocks too! That green slab @17:33 is very pretty!
Thanks😊 You are so welcome! Glad to help. That one of the most colorful pieces I own. It's Purple Cow! ❤😎
Marlaina Atkins super cool! 👍I had never seen one like that
@@whattherock1964 If you look up Purple Cow agate or jasper on Google...you'll fall in love❤🔥
Marlaina Atkins just did this and you are absolutely right! Gorgeous stuff!! Hope I can find some someday!
Hi Marlaina,
Thank you for the video and the recipe. I'm a beginer and I found a lot of good information.
Hi Luc! So glad to share. Best wishes to you✨
Спасибо за столь подробное изложение!
Man Marlaina! First off the thumbs down, that makes absolutely no sense at all! Seriously, this video was very well done and informative. Secondly, I was so excited because the result you showed before in a previous video was incredible so I couldn’t wait to see your methods. Thank you for doing this. I’ve started a new batch as you know, and it’s still running in the coarse grit and I’m kinda glad I recharged it and kept it going. There is massively so many good tips you’ve shown here that I’m gonna use and try out. So so many things I’ve been doing wrong!!!! Or coulda been doing better 😂
Thank you thank you thank you! Straight to the “helpful rock videos” playlist for sure!!!!!!!!
Much love mar and thank you again!
What's weird about the thumbs down is that I got that 20 seconds after I uploaded. ??? Whoever did it did it immediately and couldn't even have watched it. Sabotage?🤔 idk...oh well. I'm not gonna let that thumb get ME down! Haha So as long as you like it I'm happy because I made this for you bro😄 I was going to send you an e-mail explaining My Method but I figured shoot why not just make a video would be way better for you to actually see what I'm talking about. So I'm really glad this was useful for you and hope it helps you to get that brilliant shine as well. I know how it feels to spend all that time and wait all that time to not end up with a good result. It's so disappointing! So thank you for watching and if you have any questions just ask and I'll try to help as best I can. Let me know how your tumble turns out! Best of luck to ya. Cheers🐺🐾
I agree, thumbs down?? Ridiculous. This is helpful, I know NOTHING about tumbling and this is insanely helpful! MARLAINA YOU ROCK!!!
Marlaina Atkins
I’m gonna try all of these. I wish I had started from the beginning with less in the barrel. I’ll keep you posted and I’ll be doing a video as I go so we’ll see how this one goes. But I’m excited for my next one cause I’m gonna do it exactly the same from the start haha! Again though, a full video instead of an email, that’s a massive gesture dude. Thank you. And I’m tumbling rhonddas rocks too so in a way hopefully it helps get them lookin sweeeeeeeeet! 😉👌✨
@@Rookie_Rockounding it was my pleasure! Happy Tumbling my friend🐾
Finally, a kindred spirit. I use separate barrels for each stage. I am using 4 Lortone QT-12, so 16 barrels is VERY expensive but I do a LOT of tumbing. I also have a Lortone 3a in which I run the same kind/hardness of stone as in one of my 12 pounders. That way if I lose a lot of volume after the coarse step, I can make up for it with stones from the 3 pounder. I am getting ready to try out the ceramic media for step one and perhaps two, but always use plastic pellets for steps three and four. I go through the stones and use some diamond grinding wheels on a flex shaft to remove any pits or other perfections and it usually keeps me from having to repeat the coarse step. I use plastic pellets for every step when tumbling Apache Tears since they need to be cushioned to keep from chipping. Great stones. Did you collect those yourself?
What a setup! I see you my friend haha😄
I do find a lot of what I tumble...but I also had a huge rock collection passed on to me from my grandfather. And I've been lucky to have been blessed with many stones from others along the way. I tumble a lot too. It's so satisfying in the end✨
Nice vid. I would disagree on one thing. I have A HF timber I have used for 1 1/2 years and could not be more pleased. I did modify one thing, that being the rub bars at the end but other than that they have worked perfectly. Nice informational vid. Havagudun Gal.
You're right...and I should have said that they have worked well for many people. I think I may a percentage that has had the worst of luck. I bought 3 and dealt with holes in a barrel, bent pully, MANY belt breaks, and of course the end tabs are the worst...and then...I got a used Lortone for Christmas. It's been such a dream to use and just isn't comparable in sense of quality in my opinion...no disrespect to HF users. I have since purchased a 2nd one and couldn't be more pleased. I do appreciate your comment tho because I should be careful when addressing certain things because I by no means want to offend anyone. Thanks E. D. Take care m8🐾
Do you have your method in writing or text. This is an awesome video. I wish i had enough time to sit and watch this entirely.
Hi Marlaina, I'm a Lapidary fanatic also, over here (North Scotland) the stones aren't as pretty or as interesting as those lovely agates you were polishing in this video. The Geology is different here and you can see that in the rocks that you find, there seems to be an abundance of quartz over here that is as white as snow. Lovely video, many thanks and I subbed so that I can see more.
Hi Connor! I'm so sorry for the super late reply... I just saw this! Thanks so much for the lovely comment and I truly wish you the best in North Scotland! Quartz is beautiful too. And I certainly appreciate the sub... Thanks for joining the ride. Best wishes✨
Great informative yet concise video! Glad I found you! Question, do you add borax in the polish stage?
Thank you so very much! Welcome and happy tumbling! I do add borax to my polish AND my pre-polish stages... About 1/2 Tbsp😊
Thank u hugs
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Absolutely THE BEST tumbling video! Thank you very much. I've just recently got into the tumbling and on the first batch I got a nice shine and polish but on the second one all rocks seems a bit dull, even quartz. Borax- is a key i guess :) I especially liked your advice how to wash off the grid with short tumbling with borax - going to try it next time. I have one question: after the third stage and sometimes the final polish stage I noticed many rock got cracks in them which there not before - why this happening? I do use plastic fillers on these stages
😀Wow! Thank you so much. 🤔 my best guess is that there were internal fractures already present in the stone that finally broke in the last stages. Or if you don't have enough stones or filler there is good chance of breakage. And if you tumble stones with inclusions or mixed stones...sometimes other material will "break away" from each other leaving a chip or crack. Which will even scratch and dull the finish. Rerun the batch starting in med (unless there are sharp edges, then start again in coarse for a few days) and you'll probably be golden. I forgot to mention in the video that running up to 14 days in med stage will REALLY enhance the results in the end. It's almost as important than the coarse stage. You don't loose much material in med and it only smooths your rocks, or prepares them for the final stages. Hope that helps!
😎🐾
Low key jealous of those stones, how beautiful they are. Where did u get them, night I ask?
Thank you! Most of these were from a collection of stones I got from my grandfather who was a rockhound and collected these from all over the country. A lot of the ones you saw were from Montana, Washington and Wyoming. Some were ones I found along the shores and rivers of Washington😊
Thank you!
✨😉👍✨
Any tips on polish and buffing? My son has a "National Geographic" tumbler and uses different packets of grits. Once through the last stage, the rocks are nicely rounded and smooth, but still hazy. How can we get that luster like what you see at a gift shop? Thanks
Really make sure you clean the stones and barrel real good in between stages.... I suggest running them thru stage 3 pre-polish for 10-12 days, then polish for 14 days. I never run less than 14 days in polish... Doing it this way has gotten me to achieve a beautiful shine. It's a long process...but worth it. Hope this helps! Cheers
@@MarlainaAtkins he said he runs the polish stage for 5 days...says he will let it go for 14 days. Thank you so much!
So you add grits according to tumbler size basically? I have a rebel17 .. quite large. All grits say 2 tbls per pound and really it's quite costly to run a cycle. I used a pound of grit to the 12 lbs of rocks. So whole package.
Pretty much... I don't weigh my rocks to gauge. For my 3lb barrel... 3-4 TBSP. For my 6lb... 6-7 TBSP. It's really all you need really. When I first started I used 2 TBSP per pound... But when the "cycle" was done I would find grit at the bottom that was never "broke down"... which happens when too much grit was used. I think it's just a general guideline to use... But I never use that much per barrel... and I get pretty good results. Hope that helps. I know how costly it can be. Best wishes💫
I do add an extra TBSP to my polish stage tho! And the longer it runs in polish the better shine you'll get... 2 weeks minimum in polish😉 Cheers
I use tile spacers they work great
Tile spacers? The smalls 1/16" wedges?
Thank you very helpful
You are very welcome🤗
Great tutorial! Whats your beef with Harbor Freight tumblers? (asking for a friend) lol Also does your Walmart still carry Borax? Thanks
Thanks! Many people use HF tumblers with no problem... So for many they are great. I've just had bad luck. I've bought 3 HF double barrel tumblers... One had a hole in the bottom of the barrel and leaked on my 1st run. How it got that hole being brand new ?? Another had a bent pulley and went thru countless belts. The belts breaking are common with these, they're cheap tho, but the bent pulley😤 Then the barrels stopped spinning because the rubber on the rods that the barrels roll on started slipping. That was likely my fault due to lubing the bearings. While spinning, the oil crept up the rod seperating the rubber from rod which made it slip. To try to get it out to clean was a nightmare and I'm just fed up at this point. Bought a Lortone and 3 years later... I'm still very pleased
I've looked for borax at Walmart forever and can't find it but many other places have it
Trying to get my hands on another Lortone 33B... It's dang near impossible haha
I've looked too... I hope they don't go out of business... They haven't had any in for AWHILE!!!😨 I get my grit from them too... But they seem to still have that available. Hoping you're able to find one eventually🤞
Hello Im new at tumbling ,Im your new subscriber by the way I enjoy your tips , If I have an 15 pound tumbler how much borax do you think I should use to clean up the rocks on the final polishing stage and also on step 1 to 3 as you suggested to used it ...I would really appreciate it if you can answer
Hello and welcome! I would use about 5 to 6 tablespoons per cleaning run for a 15 lb tumbler. If you do a burnish run... 6-8 Tbsp. You can even run them in just water afterwards till you see the water runs clear to make sure they're good and clean. I don't forget to use your toothbrush afterwards still especially if there's any cracks or pits. I hope this helps and best wishes to you!✨
Thanks for the reply ,will do, and hopefully they will come out nice and shine ,blessings
Hey Marlain
I a question? How do you tell the equal hardness of Stones?
Hi! If you know what the stone is you can always look up the hardness on Google or use the Mohs hardness scale to test ( just look up Mohs hardness scale and do a scratch test). Stones that are 6-7 in hardness are best for tumbling and you can tumble both together. Anything less than 6 may be too soft...but doable with extra care and less tumble time.
Hope that helps! Best wishes to you
Oh Ok Thank You Mariana much appreciated 👍😃👋 and Yes it helps more than you know 👍😃👋
Great video. Can you use ceramics that you used in coarse or step 2, in with pre-polish or polish? I hear you can keep the ceramics with each stage of your rocks, but that seems like a bad idea.
Thank you so much! Indeed you can! When I made this video I had not tried ceramic in the last two stages but heard you could as well, as long as you pre tumbled them first to round the edges. I have since had the courage to try... I used the same ceramic media thru all stages and the results were just as good as using plastic beads. So I can officially say that using it will work great and not harm the stones. Best wishes
some good advice here loving it...however i do have a question.for you... are using 1and a half tablespoons of borax between stages is that because it's half of what grits you would normally run in the stages in the 3lb barrel? As i have twin 6lb barrels are you saying i should use half the amount of borax to grits to clean between stages?..example is( 10 tablespoons usually of grits to a 6lb barrel so 4-5 tablespoons of borax between stages)
The reason for the amount is because you really don't need that much Borax for it to clean... I assume you could use more but its unnecessary... As long as the water looks cloudy (it won't suds up) then you have used enough. 3-4 Tbsps should work great
I am using a 3lb barrel... But I use the 6lb barrel too... I have 4 tumblers😄
Hi everyone! My girlfriend and I are new to this but we're having so much fun with it. Finished our first batch but they didn't come out as shiny as we'd like. But we're going to use this advice and I'll be sure to come back to update how it worked out.
So question to everyone! Any suggestions on places in CT, Southern Massachusetts or even eastern New York where we can find our own stones to tumble? I'd love to go out hunting for our own stones!
Thanks for watching and please do tell me how they turn out! I love this video but I also recommend watching my latest "How to tumble rocks" video where I show you exactly what I do step by step. Cleaning your barrel(s) and rocks are so important for a good shiny finish. I really show you very well what to do to clean and not cross contaminate... which is the cause of most dull finishes. I really would love to hear how they turn out tho... Not many reply back on that☺
As of places in those areas to hunt... I really don't know. But looking up places to rock hound in CT should pull up some results. The best way is to find local rivers or quarries, outcrops and go and explore. Finding a local lapidary or rock club and meeting the locals might lend you some great places and knowledge of your local stones as well. I believe garnet is prevalent there. Anyway, good luck on your journey... Best wishes✨
I love Michigan Rocks i just wish he'd sell some of his rocks. Lol
Thank you
@@RebeccaMittner-c1p You are welcome. Best wishes to you ✨️
nice video
Thanks for the very helpful video. Several other people suggest the use of ivory soap along with the borax in the final stages of tumbling. Is this not something you recommend as you only ever mention borax? Thanks again from Melbourne, Australia.
Hi Heather! You are very welcome. To be honest... I've never tried adding ivory soap along with borax to any stage so I can't say whether it works well or not. I've used ivory soap to burnish with and did not like the residue it left behind. I've done a lot of research and trial and error... I was recommended borax, tried it, and it's been the best for me😊
Wow, thanks for the speedy reply. Happy with that idea and will act on that. Keep well!
@@heatherconnor9769 you are so welcome. Just keep in mind that borax does not Suds up like Ivory soap so don't freak out when you see no suds. As long as the water looks cloudy you have used enough borax. 2 tablespoons seems to do the trick well. And don't be afraid to burnish overnight. It will only get better the longer you do it. Best wishes to you and happy holidays!☺
@@MarlainaAtkins I can’t believe how quickly your reply came, and that does clarify the use of the borax thank you. My tumbling barrels are much larger so it’s good to be able to judge if there’s enough borax as well as doing the maths. Most grateful. May you too have a wonderful festive season.
I may have missed it but what is the reason for adding Borax to the tumble?
It acts as a thickening agent to the mix. Some people use sugar. But I prefer borax. It helps to clean the Rocks afterwards as well. Sugar will make it stickier and harder to clean after
@@MarlainaAtkins And the reason for thickening would be? To slow the mixture and minimize scratching?
@@Critical.Thinker and bruising. Banging around each other.
Can I use ceramic and stainless media together for all 4 tumbling stages? I use Borax after stage 1 and 2, to clean everything. You said you used it only on stages 3 and 4. Is it hurting anything by using it on stages 1 and 2? Thank you in advance.
It probably wouldn't hurt. But I really cannot tell you if stainless is good at all because I have never used that type of media but you can definitely use ceramic in all four stages... as long as you clean it good like you do your stones
This advice is great! I did a batch once and I’m pretty sure there was some cross contamination of grit. If I don’t have any plastic filler specifically for rock tumbing, can I use poly pellets?
Absolutely! And thank you😊 Best wishes
@@MarlainaAtkins Of course!! And one more thing about my failed batch, do I just put it in with other untumbled rocks and put it through the whole process again if they didn’t shine?
@@chopsooey4505 no... I would start in medium/stage 2 for only 1 week...and only if it's really dull. Otherwise, start in pre-polish for 10-12 days... Polish stage I never run less than 14 days. You can run the "cleaning run" a couple of times if necessary to clean stones/barrel/pellets well but always use a toothbrush still afterwards to really get into any pits or cracks.
If they are somewhat shiny, then I would possibly just try throwing them in Polish for one more week. But if you ran them in Polish for 14 days and they still are dull, I would start off again at the stage 2 like I suggested. Really hope this helps! Let me know how it goes. Cheers
@@MarlainaAtkins Thank you so much! I’ll be trying this because it was in the back of my mind for a while since I tumbled them last summer, I was wondering what to do with them. I read some people saying you should just redo the whole process but I wasn’t certain
How long did you allow the stages to run for?
The 1st stage I check every 7 days till I'm happy with how rounded they are...
2nd stage- 10 days
3rd stage- 12 days
4th stage- 14 days
can you use liquid soap in place of borax powder for a cleaning run?
Unless it's really mild soap I would say no. Most liquid soaps like Dawn are too harsh on the barrel and will ruin them over time. Ivory bar soap is another great alternative to borax tho. Just shave tiny bits off... about 2-3 TBSP... add water... Let it run for at least 1-2 hours or more.
Hope that helps... Best wishes to you✨
Hi Marlaina, I have a question but it's not about rocks. I need to polish small stainless steel tube beads to a high gloss finish, I've been using a kit (barrel, steel shots, burnishing liquid) but don't seem to get the result I need. Do you have any suggestions, advice or tricks I could try? I've been investigating this for a long time all over the place, I'm desperate to figure it out. Thank you! ❤️
Hi Judit, I wish I did but I'm not familiar with tumbling stainless steel and wouldn't want to advise you incorrectly. But I do see people using a vibratory tumbler to shine ss and it seems to do a phenomenal job... That may be the trick. Wish I could help more. I wish you the best and hope you find a method that produces the shine you need✨
@@MarlainaAtkins Thank you very much for your reply and kind words, I really appreciate it! I've tried a lot of things, I'll keep trying other ways and media, I'm not one to give up easily 😁 ❤️ xx
Hi Marlaina, thanks for making this video. I do have some questions that I think you might be able to help me with. When you tumble red jasper with hematite or quartz inclusions do they come out being pitted or undercut? Also, I have some very nice poppy jaspers about the size of quarters that are hard to tumble for the same reasons.I think that's the right term, undercut. Would you call jasper with hematite and quartz inclusions brecciated? I have a lot of red jasper like this and it is so nice and seems like it would be super cool polished, but usually, some not all of it, becomes undercut around the hematite and it shows after polishing. I've seen some of your jasper with hematite with similar issues. Some of mine come out pretty good but most don't. Just wondering if you have similar problems. Thanks a lot.
Undercut is the correct term😊 I do have the same issue but I have many that still come out beautiful. It's do to the different hardness between the two... Hematite is a little softer. Or fracture lines between the two. We also have pyrolusite and other manganese inclusions in our jasper which will do the same thing. As for the quartz included ones... I think its do to the structure of the quartz or it being fractured that "chips" (for lack of a better word) away as it tumbles. I would call most of the red and quartz ones brecciated, even the others. But the poppy I would call orbicular otherwise. I don't seem to have a big issue getting a good polish thru tumbling with any of them but if you were to face polish or try cabbing one...it could be tricky. Hope that helps! Cheers✨
Hello, I know you get beautiful results, that 's why I ask you. I really like the mix of Hematite and jasper. I will keep at it then. Stay well, stay safe, and thank you.