5 ms·
Rock Tumbler Instructions
- YZF 1y agoI had a rock hounding phase in my life ... It was something fun to do with the family and we have a lot of interesting rocks in BC. I built my own rock tumbler using some wood, hardware store bits, and an old geared DC motor... I also used commercial rock tumblers. Those worked better ;) It takes a really long time to tumble rocks, you have to go through the grits like a week or two at a time, and they sort of come out without a lot of character. Hand polishing them (with power grinders and polishers) is a lot more satisfying and you can make them into your own. That does require more equipment though.
- debo_ 1y agoMy first tumbler was built from a lawnmower my dad discarded when I was around 11 years old. I buried it in the forest and topped up the gas whenever I had time. It really did not work at all.
- noman-land 1y agoLoved the twist ending.
- DonHopkins 1y agoDo not fall into the trap of anthropomorphizing Larry Ellison! https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15886728 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15886728
- zahlman 1y agoWhat does that have to do with attempts at DIY rock tumblers?
- clort 1y agothe lawnmower is the link
- DonHopkins 1y ago...You need to think of Larry Ellison the way you think of a lawnmower.
- zahlman 1y ago... and your thinking is that because someone else mentioned a lawnmower, you should bring up that meme about Ellison, even though it's clearly nothing to do with the OP?
- DonHopkins 1y agoYes, the first thing that pops into my head whenever anyone mentions lawnmowers is Larry Ellison, and the other way around too. Just like couches and JD Vance.
- debo_ 1y agoTime for a remake of Lawnmower Man. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lawnmower_Man_(film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lawnmower_Man_(film)
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- pavel_lishin 1y agoI have a rock tumbler that I got as a present. It's neat, but this page is right - it takes a long time, and you end up using a lot of grit as well, and it must be done in order. Oh, and did I mention that it's noisy? Definitely not a hobby for ... me. But! One thing I have found interesting is that you can make your own "sea glass", by breaking wine or beer bottles, and tumbling the big-ish chunks. The thicker the glass, the better, of course. I'm experimenting with just using some sand as the grit material; the glass doesn't come out shiny and smooth, but it definitely wears down the sharp edges. (And I run the tumbler thing in our detached garage.)
- debo_ 1y agoI add ceramic fillers to make sure the barrel is at least 3/4 full. It makes very little noise that way; I can't hear it when standing outside the door of the room I'm running it in. I like the glass idea, that sounds fun.
- dylan604 1y ago> ceramic fillers Thanks for this tip. I'm planning on buying a friend a tumbler for xmas, and if this works as advertised, I feel this would be a must have as part of the gift. Edit: of course, TFA mentions this as well for those willing to click the link <facepalm>
- debo_ 1y agoIt's a long article :)
- Mistletoe 1y agoMy girlfriend loves sea glass and has a rock tumbler. I think we will try this, thanks!
- zafka 1y agoYou can pick up Silicon Carbide grit pretty cheap online ( impure moissanite ). I have several tumblers, but have yet to finish the process of making polished gems- but it is still on my bucket list :). I have made lots of "sea glass: though. I have taken quite a bit to the local beach ( about 40 miles north of Palm Beach Fl. ) I toss it into the surf, figuring it will make some beachcombers happy. My logic is that once it has been in the ocean a few days, it will actually be sea glass. I would not make that claim for any of the glass that comes straight out of the tumbler though. Next time you visit a craft show and see folks with "Sea glass" Jewelry, note if they have separate displays for "real" sea glass, and man made.
- teiferer 1y agoThat's cool and all but ... what's the point? What do you do with these rocks afterwords?
- debo_ 1y agoI have several children in my life who are going through a shiny objects phase. I ask them to give me rocks that they like, and then I tumble those rocks for them. They really seem to like it.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- photonthug 1y agoMost people do this so that they can eat the rocks afterward. They are shiny and very nutritious, and it strengthens the teeth. It's normal for some teeth to break off during this phase, but a) you already have colorful rocks to replace the teeth with, and b) old broken teeth can now be placed inside the tumbler for smoothing. 9/10 geologists agree that unsmoothed teeth that aren't made of rock are the number one cause of oral hygiene problems
- lossyalgo 1y ago+1 can confirm. Also the best rock candy is made with actual rocks.
- DonHopkins 1y agoYou can train the smart ones [1], and even wirelessly remotely control them with a mobile app [2], as long as you restrict yourself to commanding them to do things they were going to do anyway, just like cats. Kudos to the Stoned Republicans of the High Frontier Panel and The Heritage Foundation for their groundbreaking earth shattering work on Smart Rocks! [1] Brilliant Pebbles: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brilliant_Pebbles#Smart_Rocks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brilliant_Pebbles#Smart_Rocks >In March 1988, Teller and Wood were able to directly brief President Reagan on the concept, taking the model pebble with them and theatrically hiding it under a black cloth when reporters were allowed to take pictures. Teller reiterated that the price for the system would be on the order of $10 billion. Photographic proof (not AI generated): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brilliant_Pebbles_presentation.png https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brilliant_Pebbles_present... [2] Pet Rock Remote Control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG0FAKkaisg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG0FAKkaisg Featuring my Finger Flicking Pocket PC Pie Menus!
- jackbeck 1y agoI have strongly negative connotations with rock tumblers. When I was about 8 I saw one in a store and thought it would turn regular rocks into precious stones. One of the biggest disappointments of my childhood.
- JKCalhoun 1y agoI hope you didn't buy Sea Monkeys next.
- throwup238 1y agoOr XRay Specs
- Tempat1 1y agoFun fact: Both were invented by the same guy, Harold Nathan Braunhut.
- JKCalhoun 1y agoWow, that guy is a piece of work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_von_Braunhut https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_von_Braunhut
- homeonthemtn 1y agoRather abrupt shift in topic in that article
- aitchnyu 1y agoWhile we are on the topic of famous and bad inventions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Midgley_Jr https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Midgley_Jr.
- IAmBroom 1y agoNothing compared to the 6-foot glow-in-the-dark skeleton (actually a folded plastic poster) or the Submarine! (ditto).
- JKCalhoun 1y agoI think I like this post because, simpler things, simpler times.
- kyrofa 1y agoLoved this as a kid. But as a parent, even putting it in the garage is just too much noise for my household, haha!
- EvanAnderson 1y agoLots of comments are talking about how loud rock tumbling is. I have an interest and space in my basement but I'm reticent to pull the trigger without knowing if it's going to be intolerably loud upstairs. Does anybody know how many dB the process actually generated? Edit: Finally got to a PC to do some search-engine investigation and found this: https://rocktumbler.com/tips/how-much-noise-does-a-tumbler-make/ https://rocktumbler.com/tips/how-much-noise-does-a-tumbler-m...
- thangalin 1y agoRock tumbler enclosure, soundproofing box.
- EvanAnderson 1y agoI worry about heat dissipation, but maybe that's considered. When I printed my "underground newspaper" on a dot matrix printer, back in high school, I thought I'd get away with so much printing without my dad knowing by putting a cardboard box over the printer to deaden the sound. It worked until it didn't. Luckily the printer had a thermistor on the printhead and just stopped versus continuing to brainlessly grind until seizing-up.
- japhyr 1y agoWe had a largish cooler for fishing. I ended up putting a towel in the bottom of the cooler to absorb vibrations, closed the lid over the power cord. I checked the temperature a bunch at first to check for overheating, but it wasn't an issue. We didn't keep at it long, but that kept the noise from being an issue. It was a slow, messy process and we were too busy to pay attention to it over long periods of time.
- IAmBroom 1y agoThe motor has a power rating. Compare that to a similar light bulb. Done.
- bongodongobob 1y agoIt's not that bad. Put a box over it with a blanket or two and you'll be fine.
- jimnotgym 1y agoI have favorited this thread. It has the best comments I have read in 10 years of hn. I want to go and build a tumbler now. I'm imagining it is another good use for an old sewing machine (I hoard a few for projects)
- juris 1y agoI’m making one out of a treadmill that I snagged over Covid (and subsequently never used)! Idea is to make a jig to hold the tumbler in place. Maybe make it removable so I can still choose to not use the treadmill.
- ascorbic 1y agoYou did see how long it takes, right?
- juris 1y agonnno, I did not see that. 7 days is an awful long time to run a treadmill; not worth the energy for that use case. I had mistook the tumbling mill for the ball mill, which is used in shorter durations for cast sterling silver polishing… I have been into lost wax casting of late
- IAmBroom 1y agoSpindle wheel and belt to adjust speed. Rigid hold-down for motor. Slideable positioning of bucket to accommodate the belt setting. Plywood base. On/Off switch with shielded wires. Done.
- juris 1y agoYou are… broom! This isn’t me but here’s the idea: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/nOVFA7Kt44M https://m.youtube.com/shorts/nOVFA7Kt44M If I make a broom the spindle I will immortalize your username onto the wood base with a soldering iron.
- nsxwolf 1y agoWe had one last year and followed the directions exactly. The stones came out very smooth but cloudy and dull. Not sure what went wrong.
- debo_ 1y agoIf you want a cheap trick, take the cloudy stones and put them in a clear glass jar with water. They are usually lustrous when wet, and the jar can serve as a decorative item in a bathroom or something. I've thought of coloring the water, too, to see how that turns out.
- IAmBroom 1y agoRubbing with oil works, too.
- sejje 1y agoJust read the whole page, they have a section (with white soap) about exactly that.
- sunrunner 1y agoI see a missed opportunity to use the domain rocktumblr.com.
- thom 1y agoMy mum spent much of our youth, upon return from yearly holidays to her small seaside home town, tumbling rocks. We were kinda cluttered people growing up, so among other things (an extensive sci-fi collection, hundreds of kitchen gadgets, every microcomputer under the sun) we always had little piles and containers of beautiful shiny rocks strewn around the place. I never had the patience for the tumbling process, but on every beach I considered it my responsibility to find the most intriguing shapes and colours of rocks, fill my pockets, and bring them home. She died this year. We were supposed to scatter her ashes on that beach but my dad refused for inscrutable reasons. And I have a big pile of boring, dull rocks, that neither my mum, nor the relentless sea, is ever going to transform.
- collingreen 1y agoSorry for your loss. I hope you find good closure when you're ready - your rock collection is a great treasure and might serve as either a memento for you or a surrogate for ashes if you wanted to spread them on your nearby beach. Kind of a nice metaphor for a life well lived; collected from the chaos of the beach, polished up, and eventually returned, hopefully leaving things a little bit better.
- technothrasher 1y agoYour mum sounds very much like someone I would have liked.
- mslt 1y agoSorry you lost your mum, I’m in that club too. The relentless sea may not transform them the way she did, but it will transform them nonetheless. Might be a worthwhile ritual taking a handful to the shore and launching them out into earth’s great rock tumbler in her honor. Or not; grief wears a new mask for each of us.
- 01100011 1y agoFunny, was just thinking about this the other day as my daughter is currently obsessed with rocks. Did some research and.. nah, I'll just buy polished rocks off the jungle store. A long time ago I had a brief rock-hounding phase and found some cool rocks. Polished them on a friend's polishing setup. That was pretty fun. I'd rather get back into that vs tumbling.
- jglamine 1y agoWhat's the difference between a polisher and a tumbler?
- 01100011 1y agoIIRC the setup my friend had included a diamond wet saw and various polishing and grinding wheels. For instance I used some wax to stick a rock on the end of a stick and shaped it into a cabochon and, using the various polishing wheels, got it to shine. A tumbler is just a bunch of rocks and polish bouncing around for a week and you never know what you'll get.
- orliesaurus 1y agoI've been tumbling rocks with my kids for about a year now. Two tips that made it actually sustainable: (1) ceramic media is a must-have, not optional - cuts the noise by 80% and you can run it indoors, and (2) skip the "perfect rocks" hunt and just tumble broken glass bottles instead. Takes 2-3 weeks vs 2-3 months, looks amazing, and my kids can actually see results before they lose interest. We keep a jar of the sea glass pieces on the kitchen counter and it's become a surprisingly nice conversation starter when guests visit.
- fainpul 1y agoSimilar tumblers (just a little bigger) are used to deburr and finish metal parts after fabrication. https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2020/10/parts-tumblers/ https://www.enginebuildermag.com/2020/10/parts-tumblers/
- mikestew 1y agoOr polish brass bullet casings for those that reload their own ammo.
- topspin 1y agoI've done this, extensively. Produces beautiful, spotless, polished brass. Nothing else comes close. For the high quality of the result, there is no easier or more cost effective way. It's also fast, quiet and produces no lead/nickel/copper/etc. laden dust: quality of life things that make a real difference. Things to know: Get magnetic stainless steel rod type media. It's not free, but lasts a long time. Use a good surfactant and soften the water, or use distilled water in the tumbler, and rinse with the same. Very important: thoroughly inspect for stuck media in the brass; it will stick inside due to water tension, and primer holes are eager to cling. The clean brass will oxidize because the process removes whatever protection the factory used and exposes unoxidized brass: figure out some coating that works for your use case.
- zimpenfish 1y agoI'm reasonably sure I've seen at least one of the "restore old things" channels using a kind of vibrating bath with abrasive material for getting rust off and/or polishing old pieces of metal. Like a static sand blaster, I guess. [0] isn't one of them but at least I'm not entirely mad - it does happen. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VyRGoq5EnQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VyRGoq5EnQ "The Secret Shine: How Vibration Polishing Perfects Stainless Steel"
- gclawes 1y agoSmall pieces of the old world still exist, if you can find them
- skobes 1y agoThe only thing I know about rock tumblers is that Steve Jobs thinks they're like teams of people building software... Apple must have been a noisy, violent place :P
- Aboutplants 1y agoMy family (wife and 2nd grade daughter) have taken to coming home with numerous rocks from every vacation we have taken in the past few years. I purchased a double barrel tumbler and we have a nice little ritual each weekend of being able to move two batches of rocks at different stages along their polishing journey, admiring the changes and characteristics of the batches as they move along the process and then their ultimate result. We now have quite the collection of wonderfully polished rocks of all kinds from the places we have been. I do the cleaning and preparing each weekend but have it down to a quick 10-15 minutes in total time. It’s simple yet magical and I’m slowly seeing how my house is going to look come retirement
- shakna 1y agoI'm having fun putting garbage into mine right now. [0] Glass is pretty hard to go wrong with. Not so fun when particular rocks crumble into clay, and eat all the nice ones into concrete, but it happens. [0] https://mastodon.social/@shaknais/115432438259932708 https://mastodon.social/@shaknais/115432438259932708
- anfractuosity 1y agoHas anyone bought un-cracked geodes before? I've not had much luck with those so far.