ROCK TUMBLING GRIT FULL

ROCK TUMBLING GRIT FULL

The barrel must always be at least half full for the tumbler to operate properly, but take care not to overload. Place your rough rocks into the barrel with coarse silicon carbide abrasive (60/90 grit) and water. Preventing contaminants from entering the process will help ensure a good polish. Remember to use the pellets with only one grit because the abrasive will become embedded in the pellets and if you reuse them in a different grit, you'll contaminate that load. This filler, which you can reuse 10 or 12 times, helps cushion the stones and reduces chipping. But you can reuse the plastic pellets that are added during the pre-polish and polish stages. Don't reuse grit because it breaks down and becomes useless after about a week. Be sure your rough is all about the same size and hardness. Most lapidaries first run a cycle with the coarsest grit, and work down to the finest grits, and then use a polish for the final stage. In general, you start with 'ugly' rocks known as tumbling rough. Be sure to following the instructions included with the specific rock tumbler you purchased when buying rock tumbler supplies. Lortone rock tumbling grit is very popular, but other rock tumbler grit kit brands will be less expensive. It's generally more cost effective to buy tumbling grit in a kit. Each level of grit will need its own stage in the tumbler. For best results in either a rotary or vibrating rock tumbler, you'll need a coarse grit as well as two or three finer grits. There is a wide selection of polishes and burnishing agents available today, and each one is ideal for use with a certain type of rock. A rock tumbler can even add a high gloss if the last step in your traditional tumbling process uses titanium dioxide- the same material used in making toothpaste. A rock tumbler recreates this natural process and transforms rough stones into beautiful, semiprecious gems much faster than Mother Nature ever could. Over the years, as stones in the river or ocean get tossed around by the waves and rolled against each other and against the sand, they lose their rough edges and become smooth.

Rock tumbling grit