"My rock tumbling trophy, that's not allowed upstairs"... made me chuckle just a bit... I feel your pain my friend!!! Thank you for the tour! Have a great weekend!
You cannot believe how many of my questions you answered with this video. Thank you! I've always wanted to see the "Inner Sanctum". Much appreciated....
Wow no wonder all you stones look so good. You have done well in accumulated the right tools for the right job. You pick what you need instead of what others think you need. I like all the videos you produce please keep them coming. Be safe and stay healthy 😷⚒
It was until I got greedy. I had it all polished up and then I thought I'd try to tumble it to get a little better shine. That destroyed the shine I already had on any high spots. I just haven't taken the time to fix it.
Thanks for the great tour. This may sound weird as I am older than you, but you remind me so much of my 89 year old dad. His setup was similar. He was an engineer, so he invented many things for his own use. He even faceted gemstones. They had more facets than the regular ones, so they really sparkle. Faceting is very time consuming and intricate. He still has everything,, but rarely uses it anymore because of his age. Your cabinets are really organized. There’s nothing wrong with buying stuff used and dollar store items. It’s a great way to save money. I recognized the glass cutter in the cabinet because my dad was doing stained glass for a while too. Pottery too. Lol. He had a lot of hobbies when he was younger.
hi Rob! a few days ago I bought my first lortone 3a! I love! fantastic machine! it's already working and I can't wait to admire the final result. thanks for giving me the passion for rock tumbling! I really admire your videos, and your advice is invaluable
So organized and clean! You could teach my husband a thing or two on how to be that way. He doesn't listen to me! Anything he touches turns to dirt! LOL
Absolutely love your setup. Jealous of you equipment. LOL someday I will have more and better equipment and set up. It's just a hobby so it's a slow build up. I so want a larger saw for cutting and slabing bigger rocks. I have just a tile saw for now. But im just starting out in this adventure of lapidary. I have 2 tumblers that have stopped running and wish I knew someone that could look at them and help me fix them ,if they are able to be fixed. I love how organized you are too. Can't wait to set up my new workshop in an older camper I am getting soon. That will be a project in its self. Pretty much going to gut it and remodel it for my workshop. Running out of space in my little home. LOL. You were the first rockhounder I started watching and I just fell in love with the whole world of lapidary because of you. You are an inspiration. I now have several around the world I watch and I have learned so much from all of them. Thank you for the tour of your workshop. Awesome video.
I'm glad I'm so inspirational! This shop didn't happen overnight. Used equipment is pretty hard to find around here, so I took at least five years to find all of this. Plus, when I first started out, I didn't expect to have a shop like this. It's the sort of thing that just gradually happened.
@@MichiganRocks , I fully understand that. I do have plans for a much nicer set up then I have now. I have more then I thought I would at this time but there is a lot more I would like. It's gonna take me a while to get it all. I work hard for my money so I don't want to just use it all on equipment. I save up and buy when I can. I still want a cabinet like you have for your tumblers. I do have the plans so I can make it just have to start getting all the parts for it. And I do want a couple bigger barrels too. Only have 3 pound ones right now. Some day, some day.
Hello Donna, I may be able to help you troubleshoot your tumblers and hopefully get them running. If you have to the skills to remodel your camper I’m pretty sure we can get your tumblers going.
Awesome magnificent set very organized and clean sure is nice to see some one really take of their stuff great variety of tools awesome awesome thank you
@@MichiganRocks You're so right...I broke my cheap tile saw yesterday cutting (well, trying to cut) some nice Brazilian agate nodules, and now a Covington 10" trim saw is headed my way. Total time in the hobby...13 months. It started with just a simple little 3A...
@@r.awilliams9815 I started with a 33B and now I have four saws. Kind of like when I started juggling. Next thing I know, I'm riding a unicycle and juggling fire.
Now I need to confess that I'm a bit envious of your space dedicated to rocks. One of these days I'm going to get a shed for my equipment, which is pretty minimal compared to what you have, but I think it would be so nice to go there and escape sometimes. Just surround myself in rock stuff. Thanks for the great tour!
Yes, this is a nice place to go play for a few hours. I keep looking at ways to sound proof the ceiling because the tools are fairly loud. I feel bad that my wife has to listen to them, but she never complains. The ceiling down there has a lot of ducts and stuff that will make putting a drop ceiling in pretty complicated.
Thanks for the behind the scenes video it was Awesome! Judging by your videos I thought it was bigger but totally perfect 👌 With that being said I have to assume the rest of your basement is finished and you have some sweet movie theater set up.
I'd say that the finished part is a little less than half the basement. It does not have a sweet theater set up, but there is a TV in there. I never watch that TV though. We have a nice TV upstairs, but not anything you'd call a theater. Down the hall behind my tumbler are three large walk in storage closets with shelves. At the end of the hall is my wood shop. I'm not really into woodworking, but I do an occasional project. I have a table saw and compound miter saw in there, along with a router table and a band saw. Mostly basic things good enough for building things like the cabinets in my rock shop.
Hey, I just found an old comment that you left with a link to pictures of blue glass that you tumbled. It was in my spam folder, probably because you had a link in it. In trying to mark it as not being spam, I accidentally deleted it. Anyhow, that glass was awesome and I think you did a great job tumbling it.
My wife has the same problem with the Thumblers lid leaking in the center. I had a local hardware store cut new lid out of plexiglass and no problem since...and cheap.
I have a couple glass lids that I used to make a short video on how the rocks move around at different fill levels. I haven't used them long term because I wanted them to remain unscratched in case I want to make another video like that. Plexiglas holds up well, huh? Maybe I need to invest in a few of those. Thanks for the tip.
I have a refrigerator and range in my basement too. It’s so handy for large family dinners. In fact I think we used to have a green range just like yours. I spied the camera next to the basement window even before you mentioned it. I have a workbench/ table and it’s been in a heap for weeks. Ha Ha !!! I’ve been eyeing the Thumlers model B tumbler. It looks like it would be really easy to pop the top off and check your stones without making a big mess. I have one of the gold classifiers it is so handy. I need to get additional colanders instead of just one and ditto for the measuring spoons. I did buy a new set of spoons but my wife confiscated them and gave me her old ones. Before I knew it the old ones got confiscated too. Does your wife mind going downstairs to get her toothbrush ? Thanks for the tour Rob, nice set up !!!
I put her toothbrush back before she realizes it was gone. My four sets of measuring spoons are also dollar store buys. everyone can have their own spoons at those prices.
Great video, thanks for sharing. I started with a slant cabber for Petoskey stones because took to long with a dremel. Then wanted to polish other types of stones and bought a lot o tumbler. I quickly bought a lortone after watching some of your videos where you explained the reasons why you use each or in some cases both.
I was speaking with my grandmother about you; I told her you.must be a teacher! I've really enjoyed watching your videos. Would you consider creating a tutorial showing how to make a multi tumbler cabinet like you have?
Hi Shannie. My friend designed this cabinet and asked me not to share the plans. I imagine he didn't want to answer a million questions from people like he did for me. I also don't need another huge tumbler and this one took me a long time to build. There are lots of ideas on the Rock Tumbling Hobby forums and people there who are willing to answer questions if you decide to build your own. forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/page/diy-projects
as for cameras: you could look into a Panasonic G7 second hand. they're a few hundred dollars. fantastic 4k recording capability which means if you only want to do 1080p videos to youtube, you can crop in digitally in editing(as long as you dont go less than what a 1080p image would be), a lot without sacrificing image quality (think of that as a secondary zoom) it is a micro 4/3 camera, which means it has a removable lens system that is compatable with Panasonic lenses and Olympus lenses. This opens up a wide array of opportunities for different lenses and tasks. I am a content creator and educator in scale modelling techniques so im flinging paint everywhere and working at really tiny scales so our use cases are pretty similar. As any photographer/videographer will tell you, invest in glass (lenses) over cameras. With that said, i'd heavily consider a micro4/3 camera and be looking at 2nd hand for either a panasonic G7 (very cheap punches well above its weight but has poor autofocus - which as a video creator in the studio shouldnt matter as you'll be setting focus at your hands or the rocks and you'll want it to stay there. or on you and stay there. Or its bigger brother the Panasonic GH4 (also second hand) the GH4 is much more capable. With that said, - the invest in glass i could recommend a pair of lenses or a few options at least. Firstly, There's a Panasonic 30mm 2.8 Macro lens. this can get extremely close up and has cinema quality. this lens costs around 300ish dollars. its a big chunk, i know but you can use that lens on the G7, GH4, the cinema quality GH5 and the heavily rumoured to be announced GH6. However if you're really serious about upgrading to something tank-like i'd be looking at a GH4 camera (it has weather sealing) with a pro level Panasonic 12-35mm which is around 1000bucks on amazon. This also has weather sealing. grab a UV filter for the front to protect the front of the lens and you dont need to really worry about spashes or water etc. I'll drop you a follow on Instagram from SoulwayStudios, if you ever want to pick my brains on camera set ups or see examples of what i can get from my G7 and GH cameras please just pop me a message. it'd be the least i could do for all the hours of entertainment and knowledge.
@Nicky Proniewicz I'm sorry I'm a little slow in responding. My son just graduated from college, so I have been out of town the past two days getting him moved. I read your message the other nigh, but wanted to take my time and read it a little more carefully. I will definitely be taking a look at both of the cameras you suggested. I'm guessing that they'll also improve the shifting colors of my close ups like in my Rocks in a Box videos? I'll go look for your Instagram message and continue this conversation there. Thanks for taking the time to give me a hand.
Great video! I'm just starting to rockhound in retirement. I live in the Austin, TX area. Not much here that's good for finding cool rocks in the wild, but I'm just starting. What is the best rock saw and a polisher to buy now that's not real expensive? I bought one on Amazon but it's broken. I don't want a wet saw for tiles because they do get messy. You're a great teacher, so I look forward to your advice.
I wish I could recommend a saw, but I only have experience with saws that are no longer being made. When you say "polisher", do you mean a cab machine or a tumbler? If you mean a tumbler, I like Lortone rotary tumblers. If you mean a cab machine, I have a Kingsley North Cabber 6. Here are some links to my cab machine: Cabber 6 Review: th-cam.com/video/n30aBTu9OkY/w-d-xo.html Cabber 6 with upgraded wheels (the one in this video): kingsleynorth.com/kingsley-north-cabber-6-nova.html?ref=robertabram1& (affiliate link) Standard Cabber 6: kingsleynorth.com/kingsley-north-cabber-6.html?ref=robertabram1& (affiliate link) The Rock Shed and Kingsley North are both great place to buy lapidary equipment. There are links in the description.
I am not being critical but have a suggestion. On my computer (which is old) when you shoot a shop vid it seems to me that the light off the walls shines brighter than the light on the rocks you are showing. If you put a temporary darl cloth behind it might help. Again, this may just be my screen so if no one else has mentioned it just forget it lol. I admoire your shop. I work in my carport which badly needs to be reorganized and it is a mess. LOve your vids and have learned a great deal about tumbling from you. Havagudun Rob and keep em coming.
Thanks for the suggestion E.D. Although I have nice lights, I'm not always happy with the lighting in my shop vides either. Sometimes my face is blown out in the wide shots. I need to spend some time experimenting with different lights on or off. I kind of like the counter behind be to be lit up to some extent, but those LED shop lights are too bright. For close ups of my rocks, I think the camera is more of the problem than the lighting, but I could be wrong. Thanks for the nudge to play around with the lights one of these days.
@@MichiganRocks I want to get a saw, I would like to get both a 6" trim and a 10" Slab, but I can't do both right now. In your opinion, should I do the 6" now and purchase slabs from a rock shop, or should I get the 10". Can trim work be done with a 10" saw? Thanks for the input.
@@azdigger4843 That's a tough question. I started with an 8 inch trim saw and I did slab a few rocks by hand with it. Trim saws typically use water as a coolant. Slab saws usually use oil. I run mineral oil in mine. Because slab saws use oil, they aren't good for trimming. They also usually have a moving vice and a cover so they'd be very hard to use as a trim saw. Trim saws are easier to use as slab saws. I have an old Frantom saw that is supposed to do both trimming and slabbing but I have never been able to get the slabbing function to work. It has a vice with a cable attached. You put weight on the end of the cable and that drags the vice with the rock through. My vice always rides up on the blade and then gets jammed. I hand slab a lot of Petoskey stones on this saw because they're hard to clamp into a vice. It would probably be a good machine for what you're looking for. Two of my trim saws are 10 inch saws, by the way. Take a look at these three videos, I think they might help you. Shop tour: th-cam.com/video/_kgta1BLOkY/w-d-xo.html Start this one at 2:45: th-cam.com/video/VDoZL4MiPgQ/w-d-xo.html Petoskey slabbing in this one. This saw works great as a trim saw too. th-cam.com/video/DIOBskqTRDc/w-d-xo.html
@@MichiganRocks I think it's just best to have the trim saw for trim work and a Slab saw for Slab work. I ordered the Hi Tech Diamond 6" trim saw for now, and will get the 10 inch saw not to far off. I will support my local rock shop to get slabs for now. Thanks for the great answer.
Other than disagreeing with your tumblers assessment I love the video. I run thumlers and have zero issues (other than the lid design which I fix with acrylic liners and super glue.) Anytime you want to seel those thumlers machines just let me know.
Could you please tell me more about how you do the acrylic liners on the Thumler's lids? The lids are the main complaint I have with them, but leaking barrels is a pretty big problem. I'd love to be able to use these barrels without worrying about them making a mess.
Love your tumbler cabinet , love your set up awesome 😊💙, oh wow I got a thumbler tumbler too it’s a single barrel only spent a couple bucks on it at a gold show awesome 😊
Great setup there, Rob; very useful, but not too much equipment that you're constantly tripping over. I like the idea of enclosing in the area under the stairs for the tumblers. Unfortunately, we can't have basements here as there would be a constant 2+ ft. of standing water in it. I don't know your budget, but you may want to look into getting a good used/refurbished SLR camera, something that you can replace the lenses on. There are ones out there that won't break the bank and would likely be better than the Sony you're using now. Oh, and sadly, TC is not in our future..... :/
I'm discussing a possible camera to look for with someone else who knows a bit about cameras. I'm definitely looking for something used. I just can't bear to put a brand new camera in this environment. Bummer about TC.
Really nice setup. Did you ever get an answer on your camera? If your Sony camera has interchangeable lenses, you would not need a different camera. For a very inexpensive cost, you can buya set of three extension tubes. The tube would attach to the camera, and the lens would attach to the tube. These tubes drastically shorten the minimum focus distance (MFD). They will operate as a "macro" lens, so that you can do some really close up shots. Just make sure that you get tubes that have the electrical connections running through them, such that the camera can automatically control the lens.
Thanks for taking the time to help me with my camera. No one suggested this fix, but I don't have interchangeable lenses on my camera. I just bought my first cell phone last year. I didn't feel like I needed one before, but one reason I bought it was for video. I now have my phone set up just over my GoPro. I film the table in 4k so I can crop to zoom. It's working pretty well. Next thing I need to do is replace my GoPro for my inside videos. It's not great for that.
@@MichiganRocks here's something that would work with your camera - a close-up filter - , as long as there are threads for a filter. Also very inexpensive. th-cam.com/video/HT2IIijxwFs/w-d-xo.html
Awesome work space! Glad you mentioned the problem with Thumler's. I was considering going that way eventually because they look easier to maintain than my Harbor freight which I assume is similar to Loritone. I'm not up to speed on budget friendly cameras, but you might want to look at Markus Pix on the tube. He likes compact, budget friendly stuff and does some comparisons. He also shows how to get the best bang for your buck with said gear. If you time it right you might even get lucky in one of his giveaways.
After seeing this video, I was surprised at how similar our tumbling origins are. I bought a Lortone 3A for my grandson (who lost interest pretty quick), but my interest was piqued! Next came the 33B, 66QT, Ultravibe UV-10, and Thumbler model B. I really like your setup and have had better polishing results from watching your videos. My next piece of equipment will be a trim saw. To cut up a fist size rock, what size would you recommend? Right now, I just want to cut big pretty rock down to a more manageable size for tumbling and polishing only. When you find time, could you give me a recommendation? Thank you much!
I can't recommend a specific saw since none of the saws I own are currently being made. I'd suggest that you get a ten inch saw if you can. Fist sized rocks are about perfect for that size.
Did you brew any particular type of beer? Stouts? Ales? There are traps you can put under the sink to capture bits and pieces and particulate matter (I would still not rinse out tumblers in the sink). Greco, trap-eze, some others. Cool setup, and very interesting.
I like most types of beer, with the exception of wheat beers. At that time, I was mostly into stouts and porters. One of my favorites was a blackberry wheat beer, even thought I don't like wheat beer. I used five quarts of hand picked wild blackberries. It was an awesome beer. I tried to make it two more times and I could never get it to taste good. I think I may have messed something up the first time and could never recreate it. Thanks for the tip on the sink traps. I'll look those up.
Great area to work on rocks. When I get a tumbler I was thinking about putting in my storage room in the basement. I live in an apartment building with 6 apartments. Am just a little worried about noise from the tumbler. Why I haven't bought one yet. And I'm not sure if I should get a rotary or vibratory tumbler. I probably won't be doing a whole lot of tumbling. All I do know is I want a good tumbler. Don't mind spending money on a good one. So is one more quiet then another. Rotary vs. vibratory? I really like how you put them under the stairs. And thanks for telling us not to put a box over the tumbler because I was wondering about that. You really have some neat equipment. I need to go back and watch your tumbling videos again. Just got the tumbling media from the Rock shop last week. The ones you recommended. Used the link you provided. So I guess it's time to buy the tumbler. Cool to see where you make those shiny rocks!
The larger diameter the barrel, the louder it is. The Lortone 33B is not too loud, but the larger QT66 or QT12 is quite a bit louder. They make a thumping sound as the rocks fall in the barrel. My Lot-O was pretty quiet for a few years. Instead of making a thumping sound, it just hummed. As the years went on, the motor got louder. I just replaced the motor, so it seems like the noise was the bearings wearing out. I have heard the Lot-O is quieter than the Thumlers ultravibe.
@@MichiganRocks Thank you Rob! I really appreciate your advice and information. One more thing I like about your channel is you are always interacting with your subscribers!
@@wyomingadventures Ok, I think you were telling me, you and your mom were coming to Lake Michigan this summer. That’s a long drive. There’s a Wyoming, Mi. Which is a suburb of Grand Rapids.
Very impressive system! Looking at all those tumblers you have, I was wondering if you also have some sort of a tracking system for the different loads in each barrel. We made a tracking sheet recently, but if you have a system that is proven, it will be great if you can share it. Maybe an idea for a video if you haven't done one already?
I don't have much of a system. The barrels in the big cabinet are almost always all doing just the first stage. I recently tumbled a really big rock that wouldn't fit in my Lot-O vibratory tumbler, so I tumbled it in a big barrel. I just put a piece of masking tape on the lid and write down what's in the barrel and what state I'm on. I check those barrels once a week, so there's not much to keep track of normally. I got a second Lot-O this year and those run 2-3 days between clean outs. Those are the ones that can get confusing. I have a white board on top of my big cabinet tumbler where I write down my schedule for that. I just jot down when the next clean out is and which grit I'm moving to at that time. Half the time I forget to write anything down, so it's not all the effective. The good thing is, running them longer rarely causes any sort of problem.
Yes, I put water in a little Rubbermaid container, either the sandwich size or deeper, depending on the rock. Then I pump the drill bit up and down to keep it cool.
My dad used to use extension tubes on his camera to do close-up photography. They are less expensive than a new lens. There are some drawbacks (flattening of subject).
I'll have to look into that. Since making this video, I bought an iPhone and I have been using that for close ups. I mount it just over the GoPro that I use for wide shots and shoot in 4K. That allows me to crop the image to zoom. It's been working pretty well.
Great video, I love seeing all the different tools and hardware you’ve acquired through the years with this hobby. I have a question I hope you, or someone else in the comments, might be able to help with. I have a Lortone Double barrel Tumbler like you featured in the video, I have a problem with the barrels shifting to one side during use and rubbing on the plastic washer. I have yet to come up with a fix for this other than changing out the static plastic washer and adding one that can spin, hopefully reducing the friction. Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks!
I used to worry about that, but I don't anymore. Well, I'm not using that machine, but when I was, I just let it push against one side and there was never a problem. The nylon washer eventually wears down, but I just spin it a little and let another side wear down. It never seemed to impede the rotation of the barrel.
@@MichiganRocks Good to know. I was concerned that it might put too much extra strain on the motor. Thanks for the speedy and thoughtful response! I love your videos, they are what got me into tumbling. Keep up the good work!
Great setup, Rob! I’m really curious about your tumbler cabinet-how did you set it up? Is there a motor for each row? I’m not there yet, but that’s a pretty great idea, since you can cut down on a lot of noise if you insulate the cabinet...
My cabinet is well insulated and the machine is very quiet. After I built it, I went back and added insulation. First, I added more plywood to all the inside surfaces I could. I used something called "Green Glue" between the initial 1/4" plywood and the 1/2" plywood I added. Then I put that sound absorbing stuff that you can see on the doors on most of the inside too. My friend designed this cabinet, but didn't want me to share the plans. Most basic questions are answered if you read the comments on the following two videos. There is only one motor on top that drives the whole thing. It's outside the box so it doesn't overheat. Homemade Tumbler: th-cam.com/video/6qIcK2ZohGM/w-d-xo.html Tumbler Update: th-cam.com/video/PAMOCc2BNJM/w-d-xo.html
Howdy from Texas! I recently got into rocks. So much fun to see what a rock can be if given a little love. Have a couple sizes of the NatGeo tumblers and have a few Dremels, what would you recommend as the next “essential” tool, or two, to obtain? Great videos btw.
Let's be honest, none of this is essential. It's just good fun. I'd get a single barrel Lot-O tumbler next. That will do all but the first stage in one week. Plus it uses 2 tablespoons of 220 and then just 1/2 TEAspoon of AO 500 and AO polish. I also find that it's much easier to get a really good shine with that machine. After that, I'd be looking for a used saw of some sort. I started with a trim saw and managed to cut a few small rocks into slabs with it. It's also nice for trimming off some bad spots on the rocks in your tumbler. Some people go with a tile saw instead. Those get you really wet while using them from what I've seen, but they're cheaper than lapidary saws.
Thanks for the tour, you have a great space there and well organised. My next project is to make a tumbling cabinet like you've got, it's a great idea. Do have any hints on the building of it? I was wondering if I should buy all the barrels first so I get the dimensions of the rollers right. I'd like to be able to run different sized barrels at the same time.
The barrels are pretty expensive, so I'd only buy one of each size to try it out. I'll link two videos below that show some more details. I have answered some basic questions about it in the comments, so take a minute and read through those. I can give you some very basic measurements, like the distance between the shafts. Homemade Tumbler: th-cam.com/video/6qIcK2ZohGM/w-d-xo.html Tumbler Update: th-cam.com/video/PAMOCc2BNJM/w-d-xo.html
THANK YOU! I FOUND IT! I just queried you on another video because I couldn't find this one in your video library. 1 caveat, you didn't show your safety wear...respirator, goggles etc. How about an update???
I don't think a respirator and safety glasses are interesting enough for an update. The only new thing in my shop is my cab machine and I did a full review of that. I just added the respirator I use to my Amazon storefront for you.
I'm looking for one of those classifying screens that fit on a bucket. The rock shed is out of the 1/8". Would you recommend I wait, or got to 1/4" or 1/12" ?
I like organization, I'm just not always disciplined enough to keep organized. Your shop is pretty impressive too. I should talk to you about what to upgrade my cab machine to. I'd like to get a new one because this one has a vibration that causes the wheels to wear unevenly. I really need to fix that issue, but a second machine would be nice so I'd have a couple more wheels with finer diamonds.
So actually the sound quality in your basement is not too bad. If you want to improve it, you can try three things this would be in order of expense. The issue is the concrete walls that will reflect all the sound waves and produce echos. If you tack up sheets or tapestries, would be the cheapest solution. The next is hang rockwool. The are two flavors, exterior walls and interior walls. Either will work. I think though the interior will give you more bang for your buck. If you bought a bale for about $30ish dollars would go a long way to deading sound. Finally is the professional foam with the egg crate texture. IDK how much that could cost, you might be able to find some cheap stuff on Amazon. I'd start with the cheapest easiest solution first. Before you put up anything. snap your fingers and listen for the return. Then go and put up the sound mitigation and snap your fingers and see what the difference is.
I put a lot of thought into those solutions at the time I was looking for a better microphone. I was leaning toward the egg crate foam things. The other thing I'd really like to do is insulate the ceiling so that my wifed didn't need to listen to my tools upstairs. The finished part of the basement has fiberglass insulation between the floor joists which didn't do much to stop the sound, but hanging a suspended ceiling really helped a lot. I have looked at doing that in my shop, but it would be lot more difficult. There is a lot of ductwork and other obstacles in that area. Plus, I have a lot of lights and camera mounts hanging from the ceiling. Every time I look it over, I decide not to do it. I also considered hanging 4x8 sheets of 1/4 inch plywood covered in that egg crate foam to help with both problems. For now, I'm happy with the sound from my new microphone. That helped a lot. I'm going to continue to think about how to insulate for my wife's sake, even though she never complains about it.
Thanks for your great content. I am coincidentally about to begin the same journey with my son and a 33a. Thinking a vibratory is in our future so he doesn’t lose patience, but I’m really afraid that it would be too loud in the basement. Any advice? Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this positive hobby.
The 33B is not too loud. The QT66 is considerably louder. In the larger barrels, you can hear the rocks falling a longer distance and it was quite noticeable upstairs. The Lot-O has a smoother sound, it’s more of a hum. When it was new, it was pretty quiet. As it got older, it developed more of a buzz. I finally figured out what the noise was when the motor died a few months ago. I had gotten ten years out of it, so I couldn’t complain. The new motor is really quiet.
@@MichiganRocks thank you so much. Now I’m less scared of a vibratory. Your comments on the 33b and review of the discovery tumbler agree with the article below. I got some crazy lace to start us out (yours turned out amazing) and are now going to begin attempting rockhounding in SE Wisconsin. The adventure begins! rocktumbler.com/tips/how-much-noise-does-a-tumbler-make/
The focal length is the issue with your camera, you need a macro lens, you can get them pretty cheap, but they will give you the zoom at a much closer space.
A much cheaper option is to get close-up filters. These come in a set of three diopters: +1, +2, and +3. They simply screw on to the front of the lens. You'll need to know the size filter screw; this is indicated on the lens front. Find the symbol that looks like an "o" with a vertical line through it and the number next to it is the filter size in millimeters ("mm"). The filters can be purchased on line from any photography store.
Do you suggest getting a saw or some type of grinder to aid in your tumbling? I have a 12lb lortone and a lot o tumbler and am getting good results but I am starting to see why you grind and or cut some of your tumbles during the first stage of tumbling. I have been trying to decide which would be best next purchase. Thanks for sharing!
That's a tough call. I think I use my saw more for that. It works much faster than the flat lap. I can use the edge of the blade as a grinder. Other people tend to use their grinders more, I think. A cab machine works faster than a flat lap, but it's a lot more expensive machine and the wheels are much more expensive too. If it was me, I'd get some sort of trim saw. Tile saws are another, cheaper option, but they get you wet while using them, so they're more of an outside tool.
I started my little once, small work bench with my Dremel, tile saw and home made tumbler converted from a mug spinner for now. I really like you tumbler cabinets great build.
I just picked up two tile saws from my parents house yesterday...(why my dad needed two I can't fathom, but he also had two really nice miter saws which I think he only used on one project. They're all in my garage now so no complaints.) Is there any reason you couldn't use the tile saws to cut rocks? Also, a few years ago, I got my father's reloading equipment. In it was a Thumler's tumbler. It must be the "Model B" (18:33) because it has a single big, all-metal drum with a metal lid. He used it to clean and polish empty cartridges...but is there any reason I couldn't fill it with rocks and grit instead of spent brass and sawdust? I did buy a few pieces of real lapidary equipment at a going out of business sale once. A "Star Diamond Industries 10" gem making trim-slab saw model #TS-10"...but it didn't come with a motor (or the plastic cover), and I'm not sure what motor to use to power it, and I really haven't had a place to mount it *and* a motor. I also got a weird polishing wheel set up...it's a pedestal with two wheel off either side, powered by a belt running out the back of the stand. The aluminum wheels are covered in foam, and take a specific size sanding belt. I tried to buy the store owner's 4-place wet grinding set up, but he said this dry system was better, and proceeded to buzz through a piece of scrap rock with a similar set up he had on his bench. It was cheap, but like the Star Diamond saw, it didn't come with a motor, and I'd need to dedicate a place to bolt it down and mount a motor too. I have so many rocks I brought home from gold panning, which I wanted to polish or slab...finding this channel has made me want to finally get to it.
A lot of people use tile saws to cut rocks. I haven't used one myself, but I hear that they get you really wet. Some people stand behind the saw to stay drier. There are tumblers made for tumbling brass that won't hold up to tumbling rocks. I think most of those are vibratory tumblers. I would think that a Model B would work for tumbling rocks though. I'm not aware of them making a Model B just for tumbling brass. I don't know everything though, so I could be wrong. I'm not sure what to tell you about your trim saw or grinder. Usually a 1/4 or 1/3 hp motor will work fine. They usually run at about 1725 rpm.
@@MichiganRocks I planned to get a dishwasher's apron to wear when using the saws anyway, but the warning is welcome. The tumbler tub is stout...really stout...All solid metal, including the lid, which goes on over a thick rubber gasket and tightens with a bunch of wingnuts. After looking earlier for the brand name on the trim saw, I found that I forgot buying what I think is a swamp cooler motor. Now all I have to do is machine a pulley wheel to fit the V-belt one on the saw.
Thats a good idea to use a steel lid on the Thumler’s. How did you cut the circle? My son, daughter, and I all ride unicycles. I was really into juggling and my son is really good at unicycling. Here are a couple videos you might enjoy. th-cam.com/video/78k7ZL05Fao/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/z5mtL4Wp0qc/w-d-xo.html
@@MichiganRocks I went to The Metal Supermarket and got piece of steel from scrap area. They cut it down to a square of roughly the size of the lid, then I used angle to make an octagon, and a bench grinder to complete the circle.
Just love your setup! Do you sell the end products? Or is it just for your pleasure? All this equipment can be expensive otherwise I would copy your setup and it would be just for my pleasure!!!
I loved the tour! Thank you. I do have a question though. Your large tumbler in the cabinet, how does that work? Did you buy it or create it? Is it noisy? Thanks! Looking forward to learning about its mechanics! It looks amazing!
I have a couple videos showing it better. Since making those videos, I did quite a bit to make it a lot quieter. I originally covered it with 1/4 inch plywood, plus some thin tongue and groove to make it look nice. It was louder than I wanted, so I added some 5/8 plywood to most inside surfaces with something called Green Glue between. Green Glue is a product used for sound reduction. Then I lined the inside with a sound absorbing material that is about an inch thick. Now it's much quieter. Here are the other videos: Homemade Tumbler: th-cam.com/video/6qIcK2ZohGM/w-d-xo.html Tumbler Update: th-cam.com/video/PAMOCc2BNJM/w-d-xo.html
@@MichiganRocks Oh you are the best! Thank you! Who would have thought there would be a sound absorbing glue? Well I really enjoy all your videos! Looking forward to watching those you just sent to me. My husband and I are in 2 year process of moving, so in the meantime I can only collect rocks. When I get settled I want to build a extra large rock tumbler like yours. No. I've never tumbled even one rock before but I've LOVED ROCKS my entire life! i'm one of those "Go big, or go home" type of people. So, I'm going to go big at home! Thank you for taking your time to share this info with me! I have one more question for you though. I absolutely LOVE your pudding rocks! I love the red in them and, well, just the entire rock brings joy to my soul. Lol. One of God's amazing little gifts to some of us! Anyway i love your heart pendants, but I also heard you talk about making crosses. Do you make crosses out of pudding stone? And do you sell these? I would SO love one of them! They are absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing and for the information.
@@cmajors4596 Once in awhile I make crosses out of puddingstone, but it's usually the part with very little red jaspers. If the inclusions were bigger, the cross would likely break because they're a little weak where the red jasper and matrix attach.
Hey Rob just wondering what the wife thought when she found out where her missing kitchen containers and colanders went to :) lol , great set up and vid thank you cheers from Australia
My mom wouldn't let my stepdad's walleye mount hung upstairs. So he hung it on the wall going down the steps. It didn't fit in with her decore upstairs. He didn't mind. But I use to tease her about. 😁Some women are into decorating their homes. I have rocks all over my place. And I have no talent for decorating. I'm not a gal with decorating skills. 😄
@Stacey Sakkinen, I think @Wyoming Adventures pretty much nailed it. It was displayed not the bay windowsill in the kitchen for a month or so when I first won it but that was enough for my wife.
Hey Rob! I've been following your channel for a little bit now and was wondering if you could recommend some public spots in michigan? I've only been rockhounding on lake Michigan near betsie point lighthouse. And would like to expand and try a new place. I really love eunakyte and any kinds of quartz and have quite a bit of those. Anyways I hope you're having a good week!
There are a lot of places I could recommend. I have done videos on quite a few different beaches. Are you interested in Lake Michigan or one of the other lakes? I have videos from Lake Huron and Lake Superior too. Give me an approximate location and I'll give you some information.
No, I have a couple videos showing it better, but not anything on building it. A friend designed it and I built it. He asked me to not share the plans with anyone. Homemade Tumbler: th-cam.com/video/6qIcK2ZohGM/w-d-xo.html Tumbler Update: th-cam.com/video/PAMOCc2BNJM/w-d-xo.html
I have heard people complain about it, but I like it. I think there's too much play in it for some people, but it works great for what I'm doing. I'd buy it again.
Which camera to get? Get a Sony A6000 and the 18-105mm lens. It'll cover everything you need. They just discontinued it this year since they have so many newer models (a6300, a65000, a6600, etc). If you have a little more money to spend you may want to consider the a6600. I have both and the 6600 is much nicer if you ask me. The bigger battery is why I bought it but then I discovered that it if you connect it to the WIFI remote control app on your phone...you can actually control the zoom wirelessly that way. I don't think my a6000 did that. Though I'm not sure off the top of my head. The 6600 also shoots in 4k while the a6000 does not. The 6600 also has more memory modes. I use memory modes addictively. They are one of the best things God has allowed man to design. Get your settings dialed in for a specific purpose...then "lock" them into a memory mode. Once you have a few you can just flip through them quickly and be ready to go in an instant instead of fiddling with camera settings.
Whoa... go back to the sink! Is that a giant Petoskey Stone on the right side of the sink? That should be talked about, if so, eh? At the risk of asking before watching further, is your sink plumbed to the outside, or does it drain into the house plumbing?
If you want to see the Petoskey Stone and hear more about it, it's in this video: th-cam.com/video/NooDZx0r3sQ/w-d-xo.html That drain goes into my house's plumbing. I try not to get too much rock slurry into it, but I do get some in there, which scares me.
No, I don't tumble other peoples' rocks. I have done that a few times and it's a huge pain. It's really difficult to keep my rocks separate from the other person's rocks. In the first stage, I take out rocks as they get done, so eventually I need to add in my own rocks to keep the barrel full as the last few rocks get finished up. I know it doesn't sound like it would be difficult, but it really is.
I retired, now all the fun stuff, right. I also try my luck at playing the native American flute. And what happens. My gets one (flute) and is a natural. I'm still on the same tune. It is amazing how things happen. I enjoy listening to your posts.
@@redroad53 I am not musical at all. I learned to juggle in college and one of the books I bought was "Juggling for the Complete Klutz". I liked the book, so later I bought "Harmonica for the Musically Hopeless". I learned to play a couple songs after a lot of practice. I went home one weekend and showed my mom my new harmonica and played her a little song. She then took it, and without any practice, played something that sounded half decent. That's when I decided to stick with juggling or anything but music. I'm just not wired for it.
I still think you are very clean and organized! You sure have a lot of equipment! Very interesting telling us what everything is used for in your lab! Thanks for sharing! 😊
I don't sell anything online. I do sell a few things in a local shop, but nothing that is naturally shaped. I sell crosses, guitar picks, heart shaped pendants, and beads that fit a Pandora bracelet. They don't have an online store, but they do send things out to people. olivetbookandgift.com
How vampiric of you (the window). As for a camera, I recommend the Canon EOS M series. They are small, mirrorless cameras that use interchangeable lenses and large, high quality image sensors like their DSLR big brothers. I have the first generation and the third generation. Both take top quality photos and videos if you learn how to use a few of the settings. They use the same sensors as Canon's DSLR cameras, so there is no reason they can't take as good of quality photos and videos as cameras costing 3 or 4 times more. You should be able to get a good deal on one of the models from a few years ago like the EOS M3 (the one I have) or the M10. If you have never owned an interchangeable lens camera it will open a world of opportunity to you. You can get a macro lens which will allow you to focus down to 1 inch or so (my favorite lens for these cameras), and they also have many prime and zoom lenses. You can get a waterproof case and a screw on lens cover if you are worried about water and grit splashing on it. The M3 also has an articulating screen, so you can flip it up and see the screen as it is recording you. A nice feature for making youtube videos. I own a full size Canon DSRL (6d mk II) and I rarely use it. I use the EOS M series almost exclusively, for work and play. There is Canon software that allows you to control the camera remotely via Wifi using a tablet, smartphone, or computer. Could be useful for your purposes also. I can tell you more if interested, or I could just loan you one to play around with if you'd like to try before you buy.
Thanks Jonathan. Someone else recommended a similar Panasonic camera. I just have to get serious about shopping around and finding something. It's about time I upgraded. I like the idea of being able to control the camera with an iPad. That would beat climbing up on the table every time I want to turn it on or off. Ok, I'm off to look at Canon cameras on eBay.
"My rock tumbling trophy, that's not allowed upstairs"... made me chuckle just a bit... I feel your pain my friend!!! Thank you for the tour! Have a great weekend!
It was displayed proudly on the kitchen bay windowsill for a couple months, and then that was enough.
My, my, so impressive. You are possibly the most organized human being I have ever seen.
Deep respect for your system.
Well clearly I have you fooled and you haven't met my wife.
How lovely of you Rob taking us on a tour of your neat and well organised workshop ! 👍😍
Yeah, I'm a lovely guy.
@@MichiganRocks you are indeed
Really quite clean. A well loved area of your life. But needs posters, like ,"New Zealand Rocks". Ready for anything, you rock!
I will consider some wall art. I don’t think “New Zealand Rocks” will make the cut though.
You cannot believe how many of my questions you answered with this video. Thank you! I've always wanted to see the "Inner Sanctum". Much appreciated....
That's great to hear. That's why I did this video. I'm really glad it was helpful.
Wow no wonder all you stones look so good. You have done well in accumulated the right tools for the right job. You pick what you need instead of what others think you need. I like all the videos you produce please keep them coming. Be safe and stay healthy 😷⚒
He really does have great videos. I'm always learning something new about rocks. Feel confident to start tumbling now.
Thanks @Sand Maker and @Wyoming Adventures. It took a few years to find all these tools, but I'm pretty well equipped now.
Fun! Very nice rock cave!😉😆
I like it!
The petoskey stone beside the sink is magnificent!
It was until I got greedy. I had it all polished up and then I thought I'd try to tumble it to get a little better shine. That destroyed the shine I already had on any high spots. I just haven't taken the time to fix it.
@@MichiganRocks it’s still beautiful none the less.
Thanks for the great tour. This may sound weird as I am older than you, but you remind me so much of my 89 year old dad. His setup was similar. He was an engineer, so he invented many things for his own use. He even faceted gemstones. They had more facets than the regular ones, so they really sparkle. Faceting is very time consuming and intricate. He still has everything,, but rarely uses it anymore because of his age.
Your cabinets are really organized. There’s nothing wrong with buying stuff used and dollar store items. It’s a great way to save money. I recognized the glass cutter in the cabinet because my dad was doing stained glass for a while too. Pottery too. Lol. He had a lot of hobbies when he was younger.
I wish I could find my grandmother's glass cutter. When I saw Robs it was a blast from the past when she was doing glass cutting.
Faceting takes more patience than I have. I respect anyone who can do that.
@@MichiganRocks Very time consuming too. I watched him do it. I have some of the things that he made and I treasure them.
Thanks for sharing your awesome and amazing rock studio.
Very nice.
You're welcome, Pam.
Great breakdown of your space, it's impressively clean and nicely put together. Thanks for showing us around.
Thanks. It's much cleaner that usual in this video, but it's alway pretty well organized. I'm happy with it.
Love the Flatlap! Looks so homemade goodness♥️
It works well, homemade or not.
Wow, cool setup 😎. 😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for the tour!
You’re welcome!
Nice antler effects at the atart!
I saw that too. I didn’t do it on purpose, but I thought it was kind of funny.
Thanks Rob, for telling us your dirty little secret about your clutter. I don't feel so bad now--lol!
I felt bad misleading everyone. I have admitted that in comments before, but I thought it was time to come clean more publicly.
hi Rob! a few days ago I bought my first lortone 3a! I love! fantastic machine! it's already working and I can't wait to admire the final result. thanks for giving me the passion for rock tumbling! I really admire your videos, and your advice is invaluable
That's a great machine, I think you'll enjoy it. Good luck with your first batch!
Class operation, class guy, we love the channel. Chris & Lisa
Thanks Lisa and Chris!
Awesome setup! 😎
Thanks!
I love lapidary
So organized and clean! You could teach my husband a thing or two on how to be that way. He doesn't listen to me! Anything he touches turns to dirt! LOL
As I said in the video, it's not usually this clean. My wife isn't happy with the way I keep it clean either.
Absolutely love your setup. Jealous of you equipment. LOL someday I will have more and better equipment and set up. It's just a hobby so it's a slow build up. I so want a larger saw for cutting and slabing bigger rocks. I have just a tile saw for now. But im just starting out in this adventure of lapidary. I have 2 tumblers that have stopped running and wish I knew someone that could look at them and help me fix them ,if they are able to be fixed. I love how organized you are too. Can't wait to set up my new workshop in an older camper I am getting soon. That will be a project in its self. Pretty much going to gut it and remodel it for my workshop. Running out of space in my little home. LOL. You were the first rockhounder I started watching and I just fell in love with the whole world of lapidary because of you. You are an inspiration. I now have several around the world I watch and I have learned so much from all of them. Thank you for the tour of your workshop. Awesome video.
I'm glad I'm so inspirational! This shop didn't happen overnight. Used equipment is pretty hard to find around here, so I took at least five years to find all of this. Plus, when I first started out, I didn't expect to have a shop like this. It's the sort of thing that just gradually happened.
@@MichiganRocks , I fully understand that. I do have plans for a much nicer set up then I have now. I have more then I thought I would at this time but there is a lot more I would like. It's gonna take me a while to get it all. I work hard for my money so I don't want to just use it all on equipment. I save up and buy when I can. I still want a cabinet like you have for your tumblers. I do have the plans so I can make it just have to start getting all the parts for it. And I do want a couple bigger barrels too. Only have 3 pound ones right now. Some day, some day.
@@donnalantz7981 It wouldn't be as much fun if you got everything at once. Enjoy the process.
@@MichiganRocks very true.
Hello Donna, I may be able to help you troubleshoot your tumblers and hopefully get them running. If you have to the skills to remodel your camper I’m pretty sure we can get your tumblers going.
Really interesting video, thank you for sharing!
You're welcome, Marc!
Thank you for giving the tour. I’ve started putting my own together and your video was immensely helpful.
I'm sure it's not the perfect set up, but it's where my shop is right now. I'm pretty happy with it.
Awesome video and incredible set up. Thanks for sharing and identifying a lot of the equipment and supplies
You're welcome!
Awesome magnificent set very organized and clean sure is nice to see some one really take of their stuff great variety of tools awesome awesome thank you
You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed my little tour.
Love your setup! New to tumbling...one day I want to cut rocks!
Tumbling is where it usually starts, then that leads to saws, and then cab machines. It gets out of control fairly quickly.
@@MichiganRocks You're so right...I broke my cheap tile saw yesterday cutting (well, trying to cut) some nice Brazilian agate nodules, and now a Covington 10" trim saw is headed my way. Total time in the hobby...13 months. It started with just a simple little 3A...
@@r.awilliams9815 I started with a 33B and now I have four saws. Kind of like when I started juggling. Next thing I know, I'm riding a unicycle and juggling fire.
Now I need to confess that I'm a bit envious of your space dedicated to rocks. One of these days I'm going to get a shed for my equipment, which is pretty minimal compared to what you have, but I think it would be so nice to go there and escape sometimes. Just surround myself in rock stuff. Thanks for the great tour!
Yes, this is a nice place to go play for a few hours. I keep looking at ways to sound proof the ceiling because the tools are fairly loud. I feel bad that my wife has to listen to them, but she never complains. The ceiling down there has a lot of ducts and stuff that will make putting a drop ceiling in pretty complicated.
Very cool set up.
Thanks, Ruth.
Thanks for the behind the scenes video it was Awesome! Judging by your videos I thought it was bigger but totally perfect 👌 With that being said I have to assume the rest of your basement is finished and you have some sweet movie theater set up.
I'd say that the finished part is a little less than half the basement. It does not have a sweet theater set up, but there is a TV in there. I never watch that TV though. We have a nice TV upstairs, but not anything you'd call a theater.
Down the hall behind my tumbler are three large walk in storage closets with shelves. At the end of the hall is my wood shop. I'm not really into woodworking, but I do an occasional project. I have a table saw and compound miter saw in there, along with a router table and a band saw. Mostly basic things good enough for building things like the cabinets in my rock shop.
Hey, I just found an old comment that you left with a link to pictures of blue glass that you tumbled. It was in my spam folder, probably because you had a link in it. In trying to mark it as not being spam, I accidentally deleted it. Anyhow, that glass was awesome and I think you did a great job tumbling it.
@@MichiganRocks thanks I really appreciate it Rob
My wife has the same problem with the Thumblers lid leaking in the center. I had a local hardware store cut new lid out of plexiglass and no problem since...and cheap.
I have a couple glass lids that I used to make a short video on how the rocks move around at different fill levels. I haven't used them long term because I wanted them to remain unscratched in case I want to make another video like that. Plexiglas holds up well, huh? Maybe I need to invest in a few of those. Thanks for the tip.
WOW.....WOW........WOW, thank you for the great information.
You're welcome.
I have a refrigerator and range in my basement too. It’s so handy for large family dinners. In fact I think we used to have a green range just like yours. I spied the camera next to the basement window even before you mentioned it. I have a workbench/ table and it’s been in a heap for weeks. Ha Ha !!! I’ve been eyeing the Thumlers model B tumbler. It looks like it would be really easy to pop the top off and check your stones without making a big mess. I have one of the gold classifiers it is so handy. I need to get additional colanders instead of just one and ditto for the measuring spoons. I did buy a new set of spoons but my wife confiscated them and gave me her old ones. Before I knew it the old ones got confiscated too. Does your wife mind going downstairs to get her toothbrush ? Thanks for the tour Rob, nice set up !!!
I put her toothbrush back before she realizes it was gone. My four sets of measuring spoons are also dollar store buys. everyone can have their own spoons at those prices.
Great video, thanks for sharing. I started with a slant cabber for Petoskey stones because took to long with a dremel. Then wanted to polish other types of stones and bought a lot o tumbler. I quickly bought a lortone after watching some of your videos where you explained the reasons why you use each or in some cases both.
Sounds like you have a pretty good shop started too. It seems like there's always something else you can buy with this hobby.
I was speaking with my grandmother about you; I told her you.must be a teacher! I've really enjoyed watching your videos. Would you consider creating a tutorial showing how to make a multi tumbler cabinet like you have?
Hi Shannie. My friend designed this cabinet and asked me not to share the plans. I imagine he didn't want to answer a million questions from people like he did for me. I also don't need another huge tumbler and this one took me a long time to build. There are lots of ideas on the Rock Tumbling Hobby forums and people there who are willing to answer questions if you decide to build your own.
forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/page/diy-projects
Thank you for sharing. It give me ideas to organize my shop.
Good, that was the idea.
as for cameras: you could look into a Panasonic G7 second hand. they're a few hundred dollars. fantastic 4k recording capability which means if you only want to do 1080p videos to youtube, you can crop in digitally in editing(as long as you dont go less than what a 1080p image would be), a lot without sacrificing image quality (think of that as a secondary zoom) it is a micro 4/3 camera, which means it has a removable lens system that is compatable with Panasonic lenses and Olympus lenses. This opens up a wide array of opportunities for different lenses and tasks. I am a content creator and educator in scale modelling techniques so im flinging paint everywhere and working at really tiny scales so our use cases are pretty similar. As any photographer/videographer will tell you, invest in glass (lenses) over cameras. With that said, i'd heavily consider a micro4/3 camera and be looking at 2nd hand for either a panasonic G7 (very cheap punches well above its weight but has poor autofocus - which as a video creator in the studio shouldnt matter as you'll be setting focus at your hands or the rocks and you'll want it to stay there. or on you and stay there. Or its bigger brother the Panasonic GH4 (also second hand) the GH4 is much more capable. With that said, - the invest in glass i could recommend a pair of lenses or a few options at least. Firstly, There's a Panasonic 30mm 2.8 Macro lens. this can get extremely close up and has cinema quality. this lens costs around 300ish dollars. its a big chunk, i know but you can use that lens on the G7, GH4, the cinema quality GH5 and the heavily rumoured to be announced GH6. However if you're really serious about upgrading to something tank-like i'd be looking at a GH4 camera (it has weather sealing) with a pro level Panasonic 12-35mm which is around 1000bucks on amazon. This also has weather sealing. grab a UV filter for the front to protect the front of the lens and you dont need to really worry about spashes or water etc. I'll drop you a follow on Instagram from SoulwayStudios, if you ever want to pick my brains on camera set ups or see examples of what i can get from my G7 and GH cameras please just pop me a message. it'd be the least i could do for all the hours of entertainment and knowledge.
@Nicky Proniewicz I'm sorry I'm a little slow in responding. My son just graduated from college, so I have been out of town the past two days getting him moved. I read your message the other nigh, but wanted to take my time and read it a little more carefully. I will definitely be taking a look at both of the cameras you suggested. I'm guessing that they'll also improve the shifting colors of my close ups like in my Rocks in a Box videos? I'll go look for your Instagram message and continue this conversation there. Thanks for taking the time to give me a hand.
My dream is to create a tumbling cabinet like you've made, it's so amazing!
Thanks. It's been working really well for me. A friend of mine designed it.
Really impressed with your shop. I really like your organization. Someday, I’ll have a “she shed” and I’ll use some of your ideas.
Good luck! It's nice to have a place to set everything up just the way you want it.
Great video! I'm just starting to rockhound in retirement. I live in the Austin, TX area. Not much here that's good for finding cool rocks in the wild, but I'm just starting. What is the best rock saw and a polisher to buy now that's not real expensive? I bought one on Amazon but it's broken. I don't want a wet saw for tiles because they do get messy. You're a great teacher, so I look forward to your advice.
I wish I could recommend a saw, but I only have experience with saws that are no longer being made. When you say "polisher", do you mean a cab machine or a tumbler? If you mean a tumbler, I like Lortone rotary tumblers. If you mean a cab machine, I have a Kingsley North Cabber 6.
Here are some links to my cab machine:
Cabber 6 Review: th-cam.com/video/n30aBTu9OkY/w-d-xo.html
Cabber 6 with upgraded wheels (the one in this video):
kingsleynorth.com/kingsley-north-cabber-6-nova.html?ref=robertabram1& (affiliate link)
Standard Cabber 6:
kingsleynorth.com/kingsley-north-cabber-6.html?ref=robertabram1& (affiliate link)
The Rock Shed and Kingsley North are both great place to buy lapidary equipment. There are links in the description.
Your organization is admirable!!!
Thanks!
Love the work shop great idea 😄
Thanks.
Que belas pedras amigo. Great video
I am not being critical but have a suggestion. On my computer (which is old) when you shoot a shop vid it seems to me that the light off the walls shines brighter than the light on the rocks you are showing. If you put a temporary darl cloth behind it might help. Again, this may just be my screen so if no one else has mentioned it just forget it lol. I admoire your shop. I work in my carport which badly needs to be reorganized and it is a mess. LOve your vids and have learned a great deal about tumbling from you. Havagudun Rob and keep em coming.
Thanks for the suggestion E.D. Although I have nice lights, I'm not always happy with the lighting in my shop vides either. Sometimes my face is blown out in the wide shots. I need to spend some time experimenting with different lights on or off. I kind of like the counter behind be to be lit up to some extent, but those LED shop lights are too bright.
For close ups of my rocks, I think the camera is more of the problem than the lighting, but I could be wrong.
Thanks for the nudge to play around with the lights one of these days.
Sweet set up Rob!
Thanks.
This is awesome. WOWOWOWOW!
Nice shop. I am just starting. Just ordered the Hi-Tech Diamond all you need flat lap. Can't wait for it to come in.
That will be fun!
@@MichiganRocks I want to get a saw, I would like to get both a 6" trim and a 10" Slab, but I can't do both right now. In your opinion, should I do the 6" now and purchase slabs from a rock shop, or should I get the 10". Can trim work be done with a 10" saw?
Thanks for the input.
@@azdigger4843 That's a tough question. I started with an 8 inch trim saw and I did slab a few rocks by hand with it.
Trim saws typically use water as a coolant. Slab saws usually use oil. I run mineral oil in mine. Because slab saws use oil, they aren't good for trimming. They also usually have a moving vice and a cover so they'd be very hard to use as a trim saw. Trim saws are easier to use as slab saws.
I have an old Frantom saw that is supposed to do both trimming and slabbing but I have never been able to get the slabbing function to work. It has a vice with a cable attached. You put weight on the end of the cable and that drags the vice with the rock through. My vice always rides up on the blade and then gets jammed. I hand slab a lot of Petoskey stones on this saw because they're hard to clamp into a vice. It would probably be a good machine for what you're looking for.
Two of my trim saws are 10 inch saws, by the way.
Take a look at these three videos, I think they might help you.
Shop tour: th-cam.com/video/_kgta1BLOkY/w-d-xo.html
Start this one at 2:45: th-cam.com/video/VDoZL4MiPgQ/w-d-xo.html
Petoskey slabbing in this one. This saw works great as a trim saw too. th-cam.com/video/DIOBskqTRDc/w-d-xo.html
@@MichiganRocks I think it's just best to have the trim saw for trim work and a Slab saw for Slab work. I ordered the Hi Tech Diamond 6" trim saw for now, and will get the 10 inch saw not to far off. I will support my local rock shop to get slabs for now. Thanks for the great answer.
Other than disagreeing with your tumblers assessment I love the video. I run thumlers and have zero issues (other than the lid design which
I fix with acrylic liners and super glue.) Anytime you want to seel those thumlers machines just let me know.
Could you please tell me more about how you do the acrylic liners on the Thumler's lids? The lids are the main complaint I have with them, but leaking barrels is a pretty big problem. I'd love to be able to use these barrels without worrying about them making a mess.
Love your tumbler cabinet , love your set up awesome 😊💙, oh wow I got a thumbler tumbler too it’s a single barrel only spent a couple bucks on it at a gold show awesome 😊
I like that tumbler cabinet too! He built it too.
For a couple bucks, that tumbler would be a good buy. If I was buying new, I'd buy a Lortone since they're about the same price.
True I got a couple other tumblers but for a couple bucks it was worth it thank you 😊
Great setup there, Rob; very useful, but not too much equipment that you're constantly tripping over. I like the idea of enclosing in the area under the stairs for the tumblers. Unfortunately, we can't have basements here as there would be a constant 2+ ft. of standing water in it. I don't know your budget, but you may want to look into getting a good used/refurbished SLR camera, something that you can replace the lenses on. There are ones out there that won't break the bank and would likely be better than the Sony you're using now. Oh, and sadly, TC is not in our future..... :/
I'm discussing a possible camera to look for with someone else who knows a bit about cameras. I'm definitely looking for something used. I just can't bear to put a brand new camera in this environment. Bummer about TC.
Awesome!!!
Really nice setup. Did you ever get an answer on your camera? If your Sony camera has interchangeable lenses, you would not need a different camera. For a very inexpensive cost, you can buya set of three extension tubes. The tube would attach to the camera, and the lens would attach to the tube. These tubes drastically shorten the minimum focus distance (MFD). They will operate as a "macro" lens, so that you can do some really close up shots. Just make sure that you get tubes that have the electrical connections running through them, such that the camera can automatically control the lens.
Thanks for taking the time to help me with my camera. No one suggested this fix, but I don't have interchangeable lenses on my camera. I just bought my first cell phone last year. I didn't feel like I needed one before, but one reason I bought it was for video. I now have my phone set up just over my GoPro. I film the table in 4k so I can crop to zoom. It's working pretty well. Next thing I need to do is replace my GoPro for my inside videos. It's not great for that.
@@MichiganRocks Keep up the good work! I'm enjoying your videos. Your teaching style is excellent - easy to understand and remember.
@@MichiganRocks here's something that would work with your camera - a close-up filter - , as long as there are threads for a filter. Also very inexpensive. th-cam.com/video/HT2IIijxwFs/w-d-xo.html
Awesome work space! Glad you mentioned the problem with Thumler's. I was considering going that way eventually because they look easier to maintain than my Harbor freight which I assume is similar to Loritone.
I'm not up to speed on budget friendly cameras, but you might want to look at Markus Pix on the tube. He likes compact, budget friendly stuff and does some comparisons. He also shows how to get the best bang for your buck with said gear. If you time it right you might even get lucky in one of his giveaways.
Thanks Mark, I'll look him up.
After seeing this video, I was surprised at how similar our tumbling origins are. I bought a Lortone 3A for my grandson (who lost interest pretty quick), but my interest was piqued! Next came the 33B, 66QT, Ultravibe UV-10, and Thumbler model B. I really like your setup and have had better polishing results from watching your videos. My next piece of equipment will be a trim saw. To cut up a fist size rock, what size would you recommend? Right now, I just want to cut big pretty rock down to a more manageable size for tumbling and polishing only. When you find time, could you give me a recommendation? Thank you much!
I can't recommend a specific saw since none of the saws I own are currently being made. I'd suggest that you get a ten inch saw if you can. Fist sized rocks are about perfect for that size.
Did you brew any particular type of beer? Stouts? Ales? There are traps you can put under the sink to capture bits and pieces and particulate matter (I would still not rinse out tumblers in the sink). Greco, trap-eze, some others. Cool setup, and very interesting.
I like most types of beer, with the exception of wheat beers. At that time, I was mostly into stouts and porters. One of my favorites was a blackberry wheat beer, even thought I don't like wheat beer. I used five quarts of hand picked wild blackberries. It was an awesome beer. I tried to make it two more times and I could never get it to taste good. I think I may have messed something up the first time and could never recreate it.
Thanks for the tip on the sink traps. I'll look those up.
Great area to work on rocks. When I get a tumbler I was thinking about putting in my storage room in the basement. I live in an apartment building with 6 apartments. Am just a little worried about noise from the tumbler. Why I haven't bought one yet. And I'm not sure if I should get a rotary or vibratory tumbler. I probably won't be doing a whole lot of tumbling. All I do know is I want a good tumbler. Don't mind spending money on a good one. So is one more quiet then another. Rotary vs. vibratory? I really like how you put them under the stairs. And thanks for telling us not to put a box over the tumbler because I was wondering about that. You really have some neat equipment. I need to go back and watch your tumbling videos again. Just got the tumbling media from the Rock shop last week. The ones you recommended. Used the link you provided. So I guess it's time to buy the tumbler. Cool to see where you make those shiny rocks!
The larger diameter the barrel, the louder it is. The Lortone 33B is not too loud, but the larger QT66 or QT12 is quite a bit louder. They make a thumping sound as the rocks fall in the barrel. My Lot-O was pretty quiet for a few years. Instead of making a thumping sound, it just hummed. As the years went on, the motor got louder. I just replaced the motor, so it seems like the noise was the bearings wearing out. I have heard the Lot-O is quieter than the Thumlers ultravibe.
@@MichiganRocks Thank you Rob! I really appreciate your advice and information. One more thing I like about your channel is you are always interacting with your subscribers!
@@wyomingadventures Just curious, are you located in the state of Wyoming or are you in Wyoming Michigan ?
@@davidhile5363 I'm in the state of Wyoming. Buffalo by the Big Horn mountains.
@@wyomingadventures Ok, I think you were telling me, you and your mom were coming to Lake Michigan this summer. That’s a long drive. There’s a Wyoming, Mi. Which is a suburb of Grand Rapids.
Very impressive system! Looking at all those tumblers you have, I was wondering if you also have some sort of a tracking system for the different loads in each barrel. We made a tracking sheet recently, but if you have a system that is proven, it will be great if you can share it. Maybe an idea for a video if you haven't done one already?
I don't have much of a system. The barrels in the big cabinet are almost always all doing just the first stage. I recently tumbled a really big rock that wouldn't fit in my Lot-O vibratory tumbler, so I tumbled it in a big barrel. I just put a piece of masking tape on the lid and write down what's in the barrel and what state I'm on. I check those barrels once a week, so there's not much to keep track of normally.
I got a second Lot-O this year and those run 2-3 days between clean outs. Those are the ones that can get confusing. I have a white board on top of my big cabinet tumbler where I write down my schedule for that. I just jot down when the next clean out is and which grit I'm moving to at that time. Half the time I forget to write anything down, so it's not all the effective. The good thing is, running them longer rarely causes any sort of problem.
@@MichiganRocks thanks! A whiteboard sounds like a good way to track everything that needs tracking, perhaps we are overcomplicating things a bit :)
Question: Do you use water when drilling holes with dremel drill press?? Thank you for your great videos: so helpful for us.
Yes, I put water in a little Rubbermaid container, either the sandwich size or deeper, depending on the rock. Then I pump the drill bit up and down to keep it cool.
My dad used to use extension tubes on his camera to do close-up photography. They are less expensive than a new lens. There are some drawbacks (flattening of subject).
I'll have to look into that. Since making this video, I bought an iPhone and I have been using that for close ups. I mount it just over the GoPro that I use for wide shots and shoot in 4K. That allows me to crop the image to zoom. It's been working pretty well.
@@MichiganRocks No matter what you do, just keep doing these wonderful videos!
@@onefidget Ok, will do!
Great video, I love seeing all the different tools and hardware you’ve acquired through the years with this hobby.
I have a question I hope you, or someone else in the comments, might be able to help with. I have a Lortone Double barrel Tumbler like you featured in the video, I have a problem with the barrels shifting to one side during use and rubbing on the plastic washer. I have yet to come up with a fix for this other than changing out the static plastic washer and adding one that can spin, hopefully reducing the friction. Any advice would be much appreciated, thanks!
I used to worry about that, but I don't anymore. Well, I'm not using that machine, but when I was, I just let it push against one side and there was never a problem. The nylon washer eventually wears down, but I just spin it a little and let another side wear down. It never seemed to impede the rotation of the barrel.
@@MichiganRocks Good to know. I was concerned that it might put too much extra strain on the motor. Thanks for the speedy and thoughtful response! I love your videos, they are what got me into tumbling. Keep up the good work!
Nice tour of the shop. Looks great. Question: where do you dump the used slurry after a tumble?
Here’s a short video I did on that topic: th-cam.com/video/j-356YqFox8/w-d-xo.html
Very nice interesting video thanks for showing
You're welcome, William.
Great setup, Rob! I’m really curious about your tumbler cabinet-how did you set it up? Is there a motor for each row? I’m not there yet, but that’s a pretty great idea, since you can cut down on a lot of noise if you insulate the cabinet...
My cabinet is well insulated and the machine is very quiet. After I built it, I went back and added insulation. First, I added more plywood to all the inside surfaces I could. I used something called "Green Glue" between the initial 1/4" plywood and the 1/2" plywood I added. Then I put that sound absorbing stuff that you can see on the doors on most of the inside too.
My friend designed this cabinet, but didn't want me to share the plans. Most basic questions are answered if you read the comments on the following two videos. There is only one motor on top that drives the whole thing. It's outside the box so it doesn't overheat.
Homemade Tumbler: th-cam.com/video/6qIcK2ZohGM/w-d-xo.html
Tumbler Update: th-cam.com/video/PAMOCc2BNJM/w-d-xo.html
Todos Muy bonito limpia las piedras 👌la guarda buenas noches felíz día del niños
No estoy seguro de qué es el día de los niños, ¡pero espero que tengas un buen día!
Ok bien buena noche
Very Nice.
Locked away in its own containment unit, just where the NatGeo tumbler belongs!
It’s in almost solitary confinement.
Howdy from Texas! I recently got into rocks. So much fun to see what a rock can be if given a little love. Have a couple sizes of the NatGeo tumblers and have a few Dremels, what would you recommend as the next “essential” tool, or two, to obtain? Great videos btw.
Let's be honest, none of this is essential. It's just good fun. I'd get a single barrel Lot-O tumbler next. That will do all but the first stage in one week. Plus it uses 2 tablespoons of 220 and then just 1/2 TEAspoon of AO 500 and AO polish. I also find that it's much easier to get a really good shine with that machine. After that, I'd be looking for a used saw of some sort. I started with a trim saw and managed to cut a few small rocks into slabs with it. It's also nice for trimming off some bad spots on the rocks in your tumbler. Some people go with a tile saw instead. Those get you really wet while using them from what I've seen, but they're cheaper than lapidary saws.
Thanks for the tour, you have a great space there and well organised.
My next project is to make a tumbling cabinet like you've got, it's a great idea.
Do have any hints on the building of it? I was wondering if I should buy all the barrels first so I get the dimensions of the rollers right. I'd like to be able to run different sized barrels at the same time.
The barrels are pretty expensive, so I'd only buy one of each size to try it out. I'll link two videos below that show some more details. I have answered some basic questions about it in the comments, so take a minute and read through those. I can give you some very basic measurements, like the distance between the shafts.
Homemade Tumbler: th-cam.com/video/6qIcK2ZohGM/w-d-xo.html
Tumbler Update: th-cam.com/video/PAMOCc2BNJM/w-d-xo.html
@@MichiganRocks thanks for that Rob, I've just watched 👍
A very simple layout. Going to turn my Garage into a workshop
Good luck! This has been a fun project. I've been improving this area for about ten years now.
THANK YOU! I FOUND IT! I just queried you on another video because I couldn't find this one in your video library. 1 caveat, you didn't show your safety wear...respirator, goggles etc. How about an update???
I don't think a respirator and safety glasses are interesting enough for an update. The only new thing in my shop is my cab machine and I did a full review of that. I just added the respirator I use to my Amazon storefront for you.
I'm looking for one of those classifying screens that fit on a bucket. The rock shed is out of the 1/8". Would you recommend I wait, or got to 1/4" or 1/12" ?
Look in the description of this video and you'll find a link to my Amazon storefront. They seem to be available there.
I enjoyed this video :)
You're cabinets are WAY more organized than mine!
I like organization, I'm just not always disciplined enough to keep organized. Your shop is pretty impressive too. I should talk to you about what to upgrade my cab machine to. I'd like to get a new one because this one has a vibration that causes the wheels to wear unevenly. I really need to fix that issue, but a second machine would be nice so I'd have a couple more wheels with finer diamonds.
Great tour
So actually the sound quality in your basement is not too bad. If you want to improve it, you can try three things this would be in order of expense. The issue is the concrete walls that will reflect all the sound waves and produce echos. If you tack up sheets or tapestries, would be the cheapest solution. The next is hang rockwool. The are two flavors, exterior walls and interior walls. Either will work. I think though the interior will give you more bang for your buck. If you bought a bale for about $30ish dollars would go a long way to deading sound. Finally is the professional foam with the egg crate texture. IDK how much that could cost, you might be able to find some cheap stuff on Amazon.
I'd start with the cheapest easiest solution first. Before you put up anything. snap your fingers and listen for the return. Then go and put up the sound mitigation and snap your fingers and see what the difference is.
I put a lot of thought into those solutions at the time I was looking for a better microphone. I was leaning toward the egg crate foam things. The other thing I'd really like to do is insulate the ceiling so that my wifed didn't need to listen to my tools upstairs. The finished part of the basement has fiberglass insulation between the floor joists which didn't do much to stop the sound, but hanging a suspended ceiling really helped a lot. I have looked at doing that in my shop, but it would be lot more difficult. There is a lot of ductwork and other obstacles in that area. Plus, I have a lot of lights and camera mounts hanging from the ceiling. Every time I look it over, I decide not to do it. I also considered hanging 4x8 sheets of 1/4 inch plywood covered in that egg crate foam to help with both problems.
For now, I'm happy with the sound from my new microphone. That helped a lot. I'm going to continue to think about how to insulate for my wife's sake, even though she never complains about it.
So interesting!
Thanks for your great content. I am coincidentally about to begin the same journey with my son and a 33a. Thinking a vibratory is in our future so he doesn’t lose patience, but I’m really afraid that it would be too loud in the basement. Any advice? Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this positive hobby.
The 33B is not too loud. The QT66 is considerably louder. In the larger barrels, you can hear the rocks falling a longer distance and it was quite noticeable upstairs. The Lot-O has a smoother sound, it’s more of a hum. When it was new, it was pretty quiet. As it got older, it developed more of a buzz. I finally figured out what the noise was when the motor died a few months ago. I had gotten ten years out of it, so I couldn’t complain. The new motor is really quiet.
@@MichiganRocks thank you so much. Now I’m less scared of a vibratory. Your comments on the 33b and review of the discovery tumbler agree with the article below. I got some crazy lace to start us out (yours turned out amazing) and are now going to begin attempting rockhounding in SE Wisconsin. The adventure begins! rocktumbler.com/tips/how-much-noise-does-a-tumbler-make/
The focal length is the issue with your camera, you need a macro lens, you can get them pretty cheap, but they will give you the zoom at a much closer space.
A much cheaper option is to get close-up filters. These come in a set of three diopters: +1, +2, and +3. They simply screw on to the front of the lens. You'll need to know the size filter screw; this is indicated on the lens front. Find the symbol that looks like an "o" with a vertical line through it and the number next to it is the filter size in millimeters ("mm"). The filters can be purchased on line from any photography store.
Thanks to both of you. This camera doesn’t have a removable lens, but I may be able to get a close up filter. I’ll look into that.
Do you suggest getting a saw or some type of grinder to aid in your tumbling? I have a 12lb lortone and a lot o tumbler and am getting good results but I am starting to see why you grind and or cut some of your tumbles during the first stage of tumbling. I have been trying to decide which would be best next purchase. Thanks for sharing!
That's a tough call. I think I use my saw more for that. It works much faster than the flat lap. I can use the edge of the blade as a grinder. Other people tend to use their grinders more, I think. A cab machine works faster than a flat lap, but it's a lot more expensive machine and the wheels are much more expensive too. If it was me, I'd get some sort of trim saw. Tile saws are another, cheaper option, but they get you wet while using them, so they're more of an outside tool.
@@MichiganRocks thank you. I am leaning towards the saw but I keep questioning my logic!
Cool setup, I'm jealous! A goal to work towards.
This shop didn't happen overnight. It's mostly used equipment, except for the tumblers and that takes time to find.
I started my little once, small work bench with my Dremel, tile saw and home made tumbler converted from a mug spinner for now. I really like you tumbler cabinets great build.
I just picked up two tile saws from my parents house yesterday...(why my dad needed two I can't fathom, but he also had two really nice miter saws which I think he only used on one project. They're all in my garage now so no complaints.)
Is there any reason you couldn't use the tile saws to cut rocks?
Also, a few years ago, I got my father's reloading equipment. In it was a Thumler's tumbler. It must be the "Model B" (18:33) because it has a single big, all-metal drum with a metal lid. He used it to clean and polish empty cartridges...but is there any reason I couldn't fill it with rocks and grit instead of spent brass and sawdust?
I did buy a few pieces of real lapidary equipment at a going out of business sale once. A "Star Diamond Industries 10" gem making trim-slab saw model #TS-10"...but it didn't come with a motor (or the plastic cover), and I'm not sure what motor to use to power it, and I really haven't had a place to mount it *and* a motor.
I also got a weird polishing wheel set up...it's a pedestal with two wheel off either side, powered by a belt running out the back of the stand. The aluminum wheels are covered in foam, and take a specific size sanding belt. I tried to buy the store owner's 4-place wet grinding set up, but he said this dry system was better, and proceeded to buzz through a piece of scrap rock with a similar set up he had on his bench. It was cheap, but like the Star Diamond saw, it didn't come with a motor, and I'd need to dedicate a place to bolt it down and mount a motor too.
I have so many rocks I brought home from gold panning, which I wanted to polish or slab...finding this channel has made me want to finally get to it.
A lot of people use tile saws to cut rocks. I haven't used one myself, but I hear that they get you really wet. Some people stand behind the saw to stay drier.
There are tumblers made for tumbling brass that won't hold up to tumbling rocks. I think most of those are vibratory tumblers. I would think that a Model B would work for tumbling rocks though. I'm not aware of them making a Model B just for tumbling brass. I don't know everything though, so I could be wrong.
I'm not sure what to tell you about your trim saw or grinder. Usually a 1/4 or 1/3 hp motor will work fine. They usually run at about 1725 rpm.
@@MichiganRocks I planned to get a dishwasher's apron to wear when using the saws anyway, but the warning is welcome.
The tumbler tub is stout...really stout...All solid metal, including the lid, which goes on over a thick rubber gasket and tightens with a bunch of wingnuts.
After looking earlier for the brand name on the trim saw, I found that I forgot buying what I think is a swamp cooler motor.
Now all I have to do is machine a pulley wheel to fit the V-belt one on the saw.
@@nevyen149 Good luck!
Nice tour. Wish I had direct access from basement to garage. I replaced my Thumbler's lid with one made out of 1/8" steel. Who rides the unicycle?
Thats a good idea to use a steel lid on the Thumler’s. How did you cut the circle?
My son, daughter, and I all ride unicycles. I was really into juggling and my son is really good at unicycling. Here are a couple videos you might enjoy.
th-cam.com/video/78k7ZL05Fao/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/z5mtL4Wp0qc/w-d-xo.html
@@MichiganRocks I went to The Metal Supermarket and got piece of steel from scrap area. They cut it down to a square of roughly the size of the lid, then I used angle to make an octagon, and a bench grinder to complete the circle.
@@powerlinekid4296 That sounds like a lot of work. I would think it would be difficult to get it round enough to not leak.
Greetings Michigan, You are so very, very lapidary. That's a good thing! btw
Thanks, I took that as a good thing.
Just love your setup! Do you sell the end products? Or is it just for your pleasure? All this equipment can be expensive otherwise I would copy your setup and it would be just for my pleasure!!!
I don’t sell anything online, but I sell a few things in a local shop. Mostly I do this for fun.
I loved the tour! Thank you. I do have a question though. Your large tumbler in the cabinet, how does that work? Did you buy it or create it? Is it noisy? Thanks! Looking forward to learning about its mechanics! It looks amazing!
I have a couple videos showing it better. Since making those videos, I did quite a bit to make it a lot quieter. I originally covered it with 1/4 inch plywood, plus some thin tongue and groove to make it look nice. It was louder than I wanted, so I added some 5/8 plywood to most inside surfaces with something called Green Glue between. Green Glue is a product used for sound reduction. Then I lined the inside with a sound absorbing material that is about an inch thick. Now it's much quieter.
Here are the other videos:
Homemade Tumbler: th-cam.com/video/6qIcK2ZohGM/w-d-xo.html
Tumbler Update: th-cam.com/video/PAMOCc2BNJM/w-d-xo.html
@@MichiganRocks Oh you are the best! Thank you! Who would have thought there would be a sound absorbing glue? Well I really enjoy all your videos! Looking forward to watching those you just sent to me. My husband and I are in 2 year process of moving, so in the meantime I can only collect rocks. When I get settled I want to build a extra large rock tumbler like yours. No. I've never tumbled even one rock before but I've LOVED ROCKS my entire life! i'm one of those "Go big, or go home" type of people. So, I'm going to go big at home! Thank you for taking your time to share this info with me! I have one more question for you though. I absolutely LOVE your pudding rocks! I love the red in them and, well, just the entire rock brings joy to my soul. Lol. One of God's amazing little gifts to some of us! Anyway i love your heart pendants, but I also heard you talk about making crosses. Do you make crosses out of pudding stone? And do you sell these? I would SO love one of them! They are absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing and for the information.
@@cmajors4596 Once in awhile I make crosses out of puddingstone, but it's usually the part with very little red jaspers. If the inclusions were bigger, the cross would likely break because they're a little weak where the red jasper and matrix attach.
@@MichiganRocks ok. Thank you. Maybe I need to discover a different type of rock that's structurally more sound with similar coloring? Thanks.
Hey Rob just wondering what the wife thought when she found out where her missing kitchen containers and colanders went to :) lol , great set up and vid thank you cheers from Australia
You know how food packages say that they contain certain vitamins and minerals? I figure this just adds more minerals to the foods we rinse in them.
Nice video. Why is your trophy not allowed upstairs?? If you don't mind me asking.
My mom wouldn't let my stepdad's walleye mount hung upstairs. So he hung it on the wall going down the steps. It didn't fit in with her decore upstairs. He didn't mind. But I use to tease her about. 😁Some women are into decorating their homes. I have rocks all over my place. And I have no talent for decorating. I'm not a gal with decorating skills. 😄
@Stacey Sakkinen, I think @Wyoming Adventures pretty much nailed it. It was displayed not the bay windowsill in the kitchen for a month or so when I first won it but that was enough for my wife.
Hey Rob! I've been following your channel for a little bit now and was wondering if you could recommend some public spots in michigan? I've only been rockhounding on lake Michigan near betsie point lighthouse. And would like to expand and try a new place. I really love eunakyte and any kinds of quartz and have quite a bit of those. Anyways I hope you're having a good week!
There are a lot of places I could recommend. I have done videos on quite a few different beaches. Are you interested in Lake Michigan or one of the other lakes? I have videos from Lake Huron and Lake Superior too. Give me an approximate location and I'll give you some information.
@@MichiganRocks I think I'd like to try Lake Huron. Thank you for any reccomends!
@@raylani21qz Here you go:
@@MichiganRocks um...I'm sorry but I can't see anything on my end. Did you mean to post a link or something? 😅😅
Do you have a video on the build of your big tumbler cabinet?
No, I have a couple videos showing it better, but not anything on building it. A friend designed it and I built it. He asked me to not share the plans with anyone.
Homemade Tumbler: th-cam.com/video/6qIcK2ZohGM/w-d-xo.html
Tumbler Update: th-cam.com/video/PAMOCc2BNJM/w-d-xo.html
@@MichiganRocks your videos here give quite enough info to go off of if someone were to want to build something similar, very nice setup.
I was thinking about getting that same dremel drill press. Would you buy it again or do you recommend something else?
I have heard people complain about it, but I like it. I think there's too much play in it for some people, but it works great for what I'm doing. I'd buy it again.
Which camera to get? Get a Sony A6000 and the 18-105mm lens. It'll cover everything you need. They just discontinued it this year since they have so many newer models (a6300, a65000, a6600, etc). If you have a little more money to spend you may want to consider the a6600. I have both and the 6600 is much nicer if you ask me. The bigger battery is why I bought it but then I discovered that it if you connect it to the WIFI remote control app on your phone...you can actually control the zoom wirelessly that way. I don't think my a6000 did that. Though I'm not sure off the top of my head.
The 6600 also shoots in 4k while the a6000 does not. The 6600 also has more memory modes. I use memory modes addictively. They are one of the best things God has allowed man to design. Get your settings dialed in for a specific purpose...then "lock" them into a memory mode. Once you have a few you can just flip through them quickly and be ready to go in an instant instead of fiddling with camera settings.
Thanks a lot, Brian. I'll check those out. I'll probably put it off until fall when I do more inside videos. I have a list of several to consider now.
Whoa... go back to the sink! Is that a giant Petoskey Stone on the right side of the sink? That should be talked about, if so, eh?
At the risk of asking before watching further, is your sink plumbed to the outside, or does it drain into the house plumbing?
If you want to see the Petoskey Stone and hear more about it, it's in this video: th-cam.com/video/NooDZx0r3sQ/w-d-xo.html
That drain goes into my house's plumbing. I try not to get too much rock slurry into it, but I do get some in there, which scares me.
Nice workshop! Is it okay to ask you where do you get your rock tumbling grit from?
Sure. I buy it from The Rock Shed. There's a link to their website in the description of this video and it's also in my Amazon storefront.
@@MichiganRocks Thank you, we enjoy your videos.
Nice! I've been watching for a years now and really enjoyed this. Do you do tumbling for a fee? I have rocks from CA that I need tumbling.
No, I don't tumble other peoples' rocks. I have done that a few times and it's a huge pain. It's really difficult to keep my rocks separate from the other person's rocks. In the first stage, I take out rocks as they get done, so eventually I need to add in my own rocks to keep the barrel full as the last few rocks get finished up. I know it doesn't sound like it would be difficult, but it really is.
Thanks, do you want to sell that old gemlap saw? I would love to buy it.
Nope. One of my GemLaps is my favorite saw and the other one I'm keeping as a collectors item.
Started with the son. Great. Now dad has it :)
I have heard of a lot of other people, mainly dads, who have gotten into this hobby in the exact same way.
I retired, now all the fun stuff, right. I also try my luck at playing the native American flute. And what happens. My gets one (flute) and is a natural. I'm still on the same tune. It is amazing how things happen. I enjoy listening to your posts.
@@redroad53 I am not musical at all. I learned to juggle in college and one of the books I bought was "Juggling for the Complete Klutz". I liked the book, so later I bought "Harmonica for the Musically Hopeless". I learned to play a couple songs after a lot of practice. I went home one weekend and showed my mom my new harmonica and played her a little song. She then took it, and without any practice, played something that sounded half decent. That's when I decided to stick with juggling or anything but music. I'm just not wired for it.
I still think you are very clean and organized! You sure have a lot of equipment! Very interesting telling us what everything is used for in your lab! Thanks for sharing! 😊
I figured that it was important to say a little something about each machine or it would have been a very quick video. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
So do you sell your stones?
I don't sell anything online. I do sell a few things in a local shop, but nothing that is naturally shaped. I sell crosses, guitar picks, heart shaped pendants, and beads that fit a Pandora bracelet. They don't have an online store, but they do send things out to people. olivetbookandgift.com
You sound so much like the guy who did the voice of Ernie on Sesame Street.
Gee, thanks. With my large eyebrows I look more like Bert though.
Great setup. Thanks, it gives me some great ideas.
You're welcome!
How vampiric of you (the window). As for a camera, I recommend the Canon EOS M series. They are small, mirrorless cameras that use interchangeable lenses and large, high quality image sensors like their DSLR big brothers. I have the first generation and the third generation. Both take top quality photos and videos if you learn how to use a few of the settings. They use the same sensors as Canon's DSLR cameras, so there is no reason they can't take as good of quality photos and videos as cameras costing 3 or 4 times more. You should be able to get a good deal on one of the models from a few years ago like the EOS M3 (the one I have) or the M10. If you have never owned an interchangeable lens camera it will open a world of opportunity to you. You can get a macro lens which will allow you to focus down to 1 inch or so (my favorite lens for these cameras), and they also have many prime and zoom lenses. You can get a waterproof case and a screw on lens cover if you are worried about water and grit splashing on it. The M3 also has an articulating screen, so you can flip it up and see the screen as it is recording you. A nice feature for making youtube videos. I own a full size Canon DSRL (6d mk II) and I rarely use it. I use the EOS M series almost exclusively, for work and play. There is Canon software that allows you to control the camera remotely via Wifi using a tablet, smartphone, or computer. Could be useful for your purposes also. I can tell you more if interested, or I could just loan you one to play around with if you'd like to try before you buy.
Thanks Jonathan. Someone else recommended a similar Panasonic camera. I just have to get serious about shopping around and finding something. It's about time I upgraded. I like the idea of being able to control the camera with an iPad. That would beat climbing up on the table every time I want to turn it on or off. Ok, I'm off to look at Canon cameras on eBay.