The Hardest Rock Tumble I've Ever Done

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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.

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!

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.☮

Crystal Wisdom with Shannon Marie is my go to spot on YouTube 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 for doing this video. I didn’t know it was difficult to tumble.

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.

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’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

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!

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?

These rocks were beautiful! My favorite so far.

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…

As a new subscriber , I’m seeing the rocks from eyes of most. Before the baby oil they’re beautiful. I wouldn’t notice anything but.. For those who know what they’re supposed to look like may would be disappointed. You’re very patient and do a great job. Love watching you videos and enjoy how you explain things.

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

You do know how to bring out the beauty in the rocks 🙂

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 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.

I think maybe more rocks and use plastic media for more cushioning. 🤷‍♀️ It’s a learning curve. Thanks for sharing 😊.

Hai, I have tried several times, and have had about the same result. Please keep trying. Thank you for sharing.