The Hardest Rock Tumble I've Ever Done
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ต.ค. 2023
- Labradorite is a beautiful stone and when I heard it was one of the most difficult rocks to tumble, I knew I had to accept the challenge! This stone put me through the ringer and really tested my rock tumbling abilities!
I will be giving these rocks away over on my Patreon, if you are interested, be sure to check it out! / agateariel
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Thank you all so much for watching! Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe-it helps so much! 😊🙌
What do you want to see next?!
Maybe a nice batch of beautiful rose and/or black quartz?
I'd be happy to see random beach finds, unikite, chalcedony, banded chert, or just stuff you thought would be cool. I've been wanting to get up to the U.P. and find some stromatolites and see what happens with them. Starting to get cold now though. Pray for an Indian summer with a bag packed lol .
Have you worked with petrified wood? The grain adds some real variety to the stones.
@briancurtis6022 I second that! I have 2 huge pieces, one weighs around 12lb and the other around 3lb. Have always wanted to break chunks off and tumble then but....they are so perty as is, been afraid to chip pieces off!
@@briancurtis6022I have! It is really beautiful stuff!
Crystal Wisdom with Shannon Marie is my go to spot on TH-cam when I need information on tumbling certain rocks. She has tumbled just about every rock and has a segment for each rock from start to finish. Her tumbling videos are a wealth of information.
Thank you! I'm new to this hobby and need all the help I can get ❤
That’s awesome! I will check her out!
She has a lot of videos you have to scroll down to 3 years ago to get into the tumbling videos
Thanks for the reference!
I went to her page, and she has a Playlist of her rock tumbling videos. Then you don't have to do all that scrolling.
Thank you for doing this video. I didn’t know it was difficult to tumble.
When I tumble lab I like to put some chippies or pea gravel into stage 1 so it distributes the grit and smoothed all of those crevices.. I can’t believe how much better the baby oil made them look! Good job!
Great tip! Yes baby oil really helps!
A couple of suggestions might help, first: barrel was under loaded a bit. need to be about 3/4 inch from the top for softer stuff. I would also use plastic media instead of ceramics with this and see if that helps (it's a pain I know since you can't pass it on into the next stage) and also try adding some borax to every stage. That will help stop all of that material sticking to the bottom like that. If the tumbler you used has a speed setting, try using the slowest speed. That will help keep the stones from banging together so violently and could cut back on the fractures.
I've read that the barrel should be 2/3 to 3/4 full with rocks and the water should be about 1 inch below the top of the rocks.
Thank you so much for the advice! I will definitely have to try it out if I do labradorite again!
I’ve been watching your channel for about the last three weeks. And I really am enjoying it tremendously. All the info you’re giving us, and all the gorgeous rocks you come up with. Let’s just say I look forward to every single installment now. I might even get myself a rock Tumblr, thank you so much
That is so awesome! Thank you so much!!
Me too!
That’s a tough one I luck out sometimes. I don’t tumble it often. Some induct. But the potential is worth it when it works out😊
I have 5lbs of rough that have been sitting in my garage for 2 years…I always make an excuse to tumble easier rocks 😂. I have seen people dry polish their labradorite with corn cob and AO in the rotary with ok results but I think I need another 2 years to develop an effective strategy…
You do know how to bring out the beauty in the rocks 🙂
Ya I use polly plastics brand tumbling stuff too! I gave up on set time frames though, I just go by look. Stage one for a week, then check every day after a week and move to stage 2 when "im happy" haha
I really enjoy your video's.
I like the surface cracks; I think the texture is more interesting than a plain high-gloss shiny finish...
My guess is that the rocks are falling and banging against each other rather than rolling and rubbing. That's possibly because the barrel is way too empty, needing to be more like 3/4 full for soft rocks. Apparently (though I haven't tried it yet) adding something (a tablespoon of sugar supposedly works) to make the slurry more viscous also helps. Thanks for sharing!
Oh good to know! I normally tumble harder stones that don’t need as much cushion!
Ariel uses the ceramic media to make up for the lack of rocks between stages....the way she does it is spot on. The cracks In this labradorite are because it's a rock on the softer side and really takes some trial and error to dial in
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this before, but measuring the grit by weight, not volume, will give you far more consistent results.☮
😱😱😱😱😱 those are just simply gorgeous that is so beautiful❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I wonder if you can take these to a flat lap wheel and grind off the cracked surface (I do not know how deep the cracks go), then use additional wheels to polish the surfaces. If you have access yo one, might be worth the hassle if you were to wire wrap any of these specimens.
awesome!!
This video (below) from Shannon Marie suggests that labradorite can actually be "over-tumbled," especially by leaving the later stages running too long, leading to fractures. She uses a vibratory tumbler (instead of rotary) for the later stages to minimize this effect.
th-cam.com/video/FZtSbYgdbGE/w-d-xo.html
She also adds sugar to the vibratory mix to thicken the slurry and slow/soften the impacts even further; she didn't mention if that would work in a rotary tumbler.
So maybe labradorite is an exception to the general "more tumbling time = better" rule?
I really like the blue rock your working on love it and that's a good I idea with the ultra sonic cleaner🙂
Cheer up ok still like blue rock and all of them
Your so patient.
You and agate dad should do some videos together.
Plot Twist: Agate Dad is her brother!! 😊😊😉
My last few tumbles have been stressful. I only tumble rocks I find on my property and lately it seems all my rocks have stinking fractures and bruises. I have alot of red jasper and that jasper here is hard to find ones without crumbly fractures. Booo on that! Makes me wish I had a flat lapping machine, a saw, and a cabbing machine. I feel I could get way better tumbling results if I could grind out the fractures before I do my tumbling. Funny I was looking through the catalog for rock work machines and poof I could easily blow through 50,000 bucks without a single hiccup except that, of course, I don't have 50,000 bucks!
I will try to do that stone ,they are pretty cool.
Maybe try adding some mineral oil at stage one to loosen up the grit and rocks so it don't stick to the bottom of the tumbler. I guess I'll try that on my next batch of rocks.
I use pastasio shells instead of ceramics and have awesome results with tougher tumbling stones.
I was thinking plastic media and slower speeds?
How long do you have your tumbler sitting upright before you open and do your wash? This is what is causing the rocks to settle into the slurry at the bottom of the tumbler!
I've never heard of labradorite. I hope I spelled correctly, but that one at 3:28, after stage 1....is GORGEOUS! I'm gonna hafta see if I can find some online to buy!
Right! Some of them shift so beautifully!
@@AgateAriel Absolutely! Gorgeous! Rocks are very pretty too....hahaha. When is your new(est) little one gonna start tumbling or rock hounding!? Gotta get the whole fam involved in this AWESOME hobby! Have a great weekend Ariel!!
Crystal Wisdom with Shannon Marie has a video explaining issues with over tumbling of Laboridorite.
Hai, I have tried several times, and have had about the same result. Please keep trying. Thank you for sharing.
If it makes you feel better all of the labradorite I have purchased already-polished looks similar. It is just a very "crunchy" stone lol
Very nice rocks. I have had rocks that did the same as these, with sticking to the bottom and having surface cracks.( with quartz by the way) I find Vaseline very helpful.
That's a great idea!
I notice you use an ultrasonic cleaner between stages. Does that make a big difference in the final product. Great videos. Keep up the great work.
I think it does!
It looks like a beautiful moonstone
Wow, that really was hard to tumble. Yikes! I have never tumbled labradorite and I think I will put it on the back burner for now. Keep having fun and don't let those pesky rocks get you down. See ya next time.
Very fun and i got understand how to polish. May i ask you only one question. The final polish using aluminm oxide,then what grit one did you use?
Right now I'm tumbling a rock in a jar by hand to see if it works 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
you sound and look happy in life im jealous
🥰👍 I love your Content. 🥰👍 ;, Just as a suggestion::
Maybe get a dremmel set and Dimond disc... Annnd
Surface cut all the cracks out of them you could even shape them before the tumbling..... 😲😲😍💙👌💯
Enjoyed the video, they really look like a challenging stone to tumble.
Maybe try the plastic beads, they might be softer???
And add some borax to each stage, it might thicken up the slurry.
Also maybe shorter times in each stage. 😊😊😊
That was a fun experiment! Where did you get the rocks? Rock Shed or...? Also, I think the fractures are from too much room to bang around in the barrel. Interesting what some others said about lowering the tumbler speed. Great save with the baby oil!!
Do a 24 hour hounding challenge please
Lapidary's struggle to polish labradorite too... sometimes they have a piece with excellent color, but polish too much and remove the layers with color.
As with many arts, you have to know when to stop. Painters often struggle with when to call a painting finished... labradorite polishing is similar. If you tumble/ polish it too much, aside from the cracks that can be an issue, you will remove too much material and lose the color sometimes.
I think maybe more rocks and use plastic media for more cushioning. 🤷♀️ It’s a learning curve. Thanks for sharing 😊.
ok, i am at step two and got a question...when I add the mint chocolate chip, is that scoop a regular ice cream scoop? Thanks! awesome video, thanks for sharing!
I always keep my barrels on their side to prevent the grit from cementing to the bottom.
Not sure if this actually helps but I keep doing that!
That’s a great idea! I am going to have to start doing that!
The barrels are always on their side when tumbling???? Like Ariel said, if rocks are sticking between stages it's from to much grit.....Not from tumbling vertically, cuz no one does that
Maybe use plastic media instead of ceramic media. Might help prevent the cracking
You are awesome, ive just discovered you, wow 😮, whats ur favourite stone and do you sit and hold and feel energy , i wish we were neighbours 😮we ❤🤭
Just for fun, add soap to your polish stage. 😊
Lucinda
I'm new to this hobby, so please forgive my ignorance! I bought a piece of lab with one smooth surface and I just stuck it in with a load of random rocks. I put it on to polish yesterday and despite it shrinking considerably, it looked beautiful....hope the polish doesn't bugger it up.
Also a wee tip; I chop up a magic sponge into 1-2cm cubes and stick that in for a couple of days at the end and have had great results.
When do you add the magic sponge? at the end for a polishing step?
@@ratherrandombella Yes, as a final step.
I had this issue tumbling rainbow obsidian. I found tumbling less time prevents it
you ever try automotive polishing compound?
Was it perhaps the ultra sonic cleaner? Or maybe using round ceramic beads instead of the cylinders?
That could be! So many different variables
Honestly the ultrasonic cleaner is a great idea for cleaning in between stages. It won't cause any cracking or anything and cleans them nice. Imma hafta get me one!
I tried tumbling my rocks in water and turtle wax liquid carwax not a bad shine
Rocks sticking to the bottom isn't a problem. This doesn't happen during tumbling, it happens when you take the barrel off the tumbler. It's just the slurry settling at the bottom. If this had happened during tumbling you would expect rocks also sticking to the top and the sides.
If you let the rocks dry up after the first step, you can inspect them for fractures. Running the later steps is pointless if the rocks are too fractured after the first. The finer grits will not take out deep fractures.
Apparently you are not supposed to let the rocks dry in between tumbles.
Good to know thank you!
What? So you're saying in the time of removing the barrel, setting it aside, taking lid off and dumping the rocks....avg of about 10mins max....the slurry sets up like super sticky putty??? Haha ya no, it's caused from too much media for the type of rock you are tumbling
@@koreyhayden1368Totally agree. I had this happen with obsidian, another tough one to tumble!
@@CacklingChick ya obsidian is a rough rock to master as well!!
Is the sonic water bath used to remove grit in between stages? Do you add anything to the water bath in addition to the water?
Some things to try...because labradorite is soft, some people skip the coarse grit and go straight to 120-220 grit. It won't wear the stone away so fast and gives you more control of the process.
To prevent battering of the stones, fill your barrel to at least 75% and use 50% by weight of ceramic media per load. The grit sticking to the bottom of the barrel...I only ever had that problem with the 3A tumbler. When I switched to a QT-6 tumbler, it never happened again. And lastly, you'll get a better finish and use much less grit/polish with a vibratory tumbler. I use and highly recommend the Diamond Pacific Mini-Sonic.
I know, two new tumblers is expensive...but a certain holiday is coming up, no?
Thank you so much for the tips! I might have to look into those tumblers too!
@everyone Yes. This is a very hard stone to polish. Definitely not impossible.
1. Scource stones from your countertop supplier/installers. You'll get higher quality stones that most likely have been "Treated". Preasure infused with epoxy to make the more stable.
2. Do not use basic house oils to sell them. 2 weeks later, I have a dirty stone that barely looks like when I bought it. 😢
3. You can soak them in some finishing oils such as Tung oil or other natural wood finishes. But you always end up with the same results as you have here. Just takes more time to show the flaws.
In your polishing process, less rocks, less ceramic, more clean water and more attention will almost always give you better results.
Hope all this helps!❤
Was this tumble before you found out aquarium gravel makes a good substitute for ceramic media?
Yes around half way through! I already had some ceramics in so I figured I’d just finish with them!
Ok ik most if you don’t know this TH-camr Ahpmau but she sounds like someone from Ahpmau s channel
Hahaha my 7yo loves Aphmau, was not expecting to see her name on agate TH-cam!
Do you have to have an ultrasonic bath in order to clean them?
I say it is the quality of the stones.
After final stage it looked beat up,,,7 days to long,will try shorter tumble.
Maybe a vibratory tumbler instead of a rotary. It may reduce the impacts as its more of a "scrubbing" action rather than a crashing.
Mine came out just like that. I figured it was because I was a newb. Could it be a stone quality issue too?
It definitely could be! Many in the bag didn’t seem fit for tumbling!
I agree with Ariel. These are on the softer side, so its a whole new ballgame tumbling. I separate all my rocks into respective "hardness" groups before actually tumbling.
@@koreyhayden1368 that's a good idea, I do sort mine but not all of them. Fossils to be exact, I tumble them only with other fossils. I should probably do that with most stones.
Is the ultrasonic cleaner Loud
Only for one day though the wax may ruin a rubber tumbler
To me it looked like you should have had more material in the barrel. As i understand it 3/4 full is pretty much the standard. Some say 2/3 but i've seen a transparent barrel operation which was fone to show you how too much or too little in the barrel can effect how the stones tumble. Too little and they fall onto each other creating the kind of marks you got at the end. If you imagine when 3/4 full there is less room for the crashing from a hight inside the barrel as imthe stones are taken up over and eventually fall over. Have too little in barrel creates a larger fall distance, whereas 3/4 is a lesser fall and more cushioned in effect. I hope that makes sense. Also, i think because you had so much grit without the material and therefor the means to keep that grit in motion is perhaps why it sludged on the base. Tbough to be honest, the fact it accumulated on the base kinda confuses me. Them's my thought anyway. Lovely blue colour on that one you pointed out just before tumbling. Is gotta be one of the coolest hobbies 😊
What do you do with the rocks?
no borax polish?
Dont you use poly props?
Im just asking..🙈
Do you have a single place where you like to buy tumbling stones from, such as these?
Black shoe polish might have worked to hide the cracks also.
What is your favorite rock tumbler? I’m looking for a reliable one I’m not wanting to buy National Geographic! Thank you 😀
Use diamond paste
Is there anyway someone can help me. I came to my Favorite rock tumbler Angel Agate.
I have a rock from Cleopatra beach in turkey. I’ve tried Rock App. Is there anyone who could help? Xx
Agate Angel these look amazing
Thank you for your beautiful videos xxxx
Why 2 weeks that's so overkill
Restarted my spring tumbling. Labradorite is so nice 😍
♥️🌟🏆🌟♥️
Im not sure how true this is but another video i watched mentioned not to use dish soap as it messes with the process. Maybe just giving it a tumble with only water might be better?
Oh interesting! I haven’t heard that before. I haven’t had problems with it in the past but who knows!
Ya as long as you are NOT tumbling with dish soap and only using it to clean rocks between stages, it's perfectly fine. Pretty sure no one tumbles with dish soap....it'd make the barrel lid blow off or vent im sure, with all that pressure build up
@@koreyhayden1368 he actually was referring to cleaning In between some other video I watched tho she did in fact tumble with dish soap for a day and it seemed to be fine. But the other guy was saying it makes the rocks look less polished. Again not sure how true it is. I'm new at this.
@@FCUK- oh I read ya, for sure man! It's such a great hobby. I would never use dish soap. Use borax, a scoop ir so depending on tumbler fill. Works way better
try again without the polish step... i thought they looked pretty good at that step
Ultrasonic cleaners aren’t safe for animals gems other than traditional gems like diamonds and sapphires and such
Young miss your rocks are sticking to the bottom because you are leaving them to long after removing them from the tumbler(witch allows the sediment to settle and stick) remove from tumble and immediately open and rinse.
Yes
Yeah you probably shouldn't have left them in stage 2 for an extra week. I will never understand how people get so busy that they can't do their rocks for a whole other week
So sad. Try , try again!
1 week is probably alot for a step 1 grit you should start at 1 day and no one should ever use oil on a gem that's a geologist way of cheating and making a stone look better than it is
Baby oil is just mineral oil that smells better. Sorry to disappoint you, but its not made from babies.