How to Partially Tumble Petoskey Stones

[@scottnadzam8763]

I have been studying your videos for weeks and this was the method I decided to try. Just finished polishing my first Petoskey stone from my aunt's back yard over the 4th of July, and I couldn't be more thrilled. THANKS A (360) MILLION!!!! from San Francisco!

[@MichiganRocks]

You’re welcome, I’m glad you were pleased with the results.

[@littledabwilldoya9717]

Gorgeous! Wish I still had my old rock tumbler. Since there is virtually no snow, I looked over some of the gravel placed around the landscaping plants at a professional bldg today. Scored five Petoskey stones! 😁

[@MichiganRocks]

Woo-hoo! You win!

[@ruthsawyer3357]

Lovely Petoskey stones, I admire your patience working on your stones. Well done.

[@SamsonsamSim]

Thank you for sharing the process for Petoskey stones. Here I thought they would go thru the tumbler, glad to see some beautiful results and still have a nice sized stone.

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm glad I could help out.

[@paulcarder8032]

Living in Central Illinois, I have to purchase Petoskey stones online. I haven't tumbled any, but hand sanded and polished from start to finish. After your 220 tumble stage, I sanded with 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 2,500,and 3,000 for sand paper. Maybe over done it? I then polished with a piece of denim and medium oxide. Shined up beautiful! Wish I could post a picture. Keep up the great videos.

[@MichiganRocks]

I don't think you can over do it. That first jump is pretty big, but I don't see why you shouldn't go to 3000. Aluminum oxide works well as a polish on them.

[@thestonecraftingworkshop7490]

Thank you for this. I often polish stones using diamond pads but I would never have thought of part tumbling. I will give this a go on softer rocks. Thanks as always!

[@MichiganRocks]

The only problem you'll run into with that is if there are concave parts on the rock. You won't be able to get into those with something like a flat lap.

[@ridgerunner66]

That turned out to be a great looking stone. Thanks for sharing. Davin

[@PingerProspecting]

Those are very pretty stones. I like the way the lines come out on the finish. I will have to order some of them and see what I can do. Thanks for the lesson, Davin !!!!

[@MichiganRocks]

They're not all as nice as this one. It took me a while to be able to recognize good ones before they were tumbled.

[@charlottebeck6292]

Beautiful!! I’ve got to get a rock tumbler!!

[@MichiganRocks]

They're fun!

[@robertwoods8419]

Followed you instructions and they turned out perfect...so easy to polish

[@MichiganRocks]

Great, I'm glad it worked for you.

[@SouthernOntarioSasquatch]

I really enjoyed this, thank you! I just committed to a conference in Michigan this summer, so I will take a few days at the end to finally get a chance to look for some of these beautiful stones! Thanks so much for all you teach and share :)

[@MichiganRocks]

Southern Ontario Sasquatch I’m glad you liked it. Good luck on your hunt!

[@SouthernOntarioSasquatch]

Ah thanks so much!! This might be the impetus to start a new rock hunting channel as well :)

[@Brenda-sk6ev]

I'm going to try hand polishing like this!! Thanx for the lesson - no idea I could do that!! ❤

[@MichiganRocks]

One of my first videos was on how to hand polish a Petoskey stone, without the tumbling step. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZusnoGorLdsd9U

[@davidhile5363]

That Petoskey that you polished is indeed a beauty. I think you just sold me on getting a tumbler !!! It seems to me that it might be best to maybe power hand sand the ones with deep pits and to preshape them that way when you tumble them you wouldn’t be removing so much material from the better stones. You’ve got a real nice shop and setup there. I’m the one that said I was from northern IN. Our place in northern MI. contains an old gravel pit and we can find Petoskey there and sometimes I find them in the driveway. Kind regards, Dave.

[@MichiganRocks]

I agree on the pregrinding. I do that sometimes.

[@davidhile5363]

Michigan Rocks Thank you for the reply. I thought I was on the right track. 😀

[@tbrooks6404]

Thanks for the video. Really enjoying all of your videos. My last few had clouding/roughness on the edges so I'm going to try and follow your directions.

[@MichiganRocks]

Good luck. Petoskeys aren't very easy to tumble, but the more you do, the more you learn and improve.

[@linabaliashvili2495]

For sure hands works best!!! Thank you for shearing!

[@MichiganRocks]

You're welcome!

[@Shanelie]

Makes my hands tired just watching this! Lots of work, but they’re beautiful!

[@MichiganRocks]

It's not that bad. You don't have to do it all at once, either.

[@CityRockhounding]

A little more extra work by hand, but worth it! Thanks for should us how to work with Petoskey Stones!

[@newmexicanseeksrocks]

Thanks for the tips! I'm trying this out today. One of the Petoskey stones is huge, so we'll see how it does in the tumbler. 😬

[@MichiganRocks]

Petoskeys are really soft, so they don't require a ton of movement in the tumbler to grind down. I tend to put in more bigger rocks together than I normally would. If you have one that is really big, you could put in your smallest ones with it, so they can move around it some.

[@clancya2990]

What advice would you have for tumbling when the barrel is less than 75-80% full? For example, when only some of the stones need to be done another 3 days like in your video, or if I only have a barrel and a half of stones I want to tumble. Should that be avoided?

[@MichiganRocks]

I don't like to mix Petoskey Stones with other rocks. I'd use ceramic media to fill in the extra space.

[@pamcarter6595]

Very nice....now what do you with them ?

[@MichiganRocks]

I made this video just for you, Pam: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oIucdaGpbs6ijpo

[@pamcarter6595]

@@MichiganRocks awe thanks 😊

[@heatherlawrence1896]

Beautiful 😍! I need to get a rock tumbler.

[@karenpacker8862]

We stopped using our tumbler because we run it in the garage. Afraid the slurry will freeze. We have some to hand sand. Need to really get back to it!!!!! Yours came out beautiful!!!

[@MichiganRocks]

No basement? Winter is the best time of the year for this. Summer is the time to get outside.

[@karenpacker8862]

@@MichiganRocks Nope no basement.😣And believe me I know!!!!!

[@reneehemingway512]

Beautiful I learned a lot, thank you!

[@MichiganRocks]

You’re welcome, Renee.

[@clancya2990]

Are there issues or things to consider when tumbling larger stones assuming they are small enough to fit a few of them in the barrel? Should batches of stones done in the tumbler be of similar size?

[@MichiganRocks]

It's best to have rocks of mixed sizes in the barrel. I try not to put more than one really big one in the barrel at a time.

[@jtcowboy5518]

That's gorgeous! I have quite a few Petoskey stones and bought some sand papers but still trying to find time to sand them. If we don't have Aluminum Oxide powder, what grit sand paper would be equivalent to it?

[@MichiganRocks]

JT Cowboy aluminum oxide is about 14,000 grit. I don’t think you could substitute sandpaper for it.

[@jtcowboy5518]

@@MichiganRocks Thanks!

[@meleeyou1726]

Can you tumble the patowsky with any other rocks i know it probably should be the same mohs scale but what other rocks in michigan? Or is it best not to?

[@MichiganRocks]

No, don't tumble them with other rocks, unless they're also limestone. The other rocks will beat the puddingstones up.

[@meleeyou1726]

@@MichiganRocks ok thank you so much ! I'm working up here in michigan and have been enjoying going out and looking for them !

[@SimoneVilleneuve]

Thanks for the demonstration. At our local rock show, I found one guy that sold me a petoskey stone. It's unpolished so it wasn't that exciting. Now I can follow your tips and hopefully it will be as nice as yours. Take care, ♥️ from B.C. Canada.🐕🐾

[@MichiganRocks]

Good luck!

[@susansmith6680]

Petoskey are some of my favorite stones. Those are beauties. I'll be back up there when the weather gets nice to find some more of my own. Do you have a favorite spot for picking?

[@MichiganRocks]

Yes.

[@lisawells1064]

Nice and succinct. Haaa haaa. The sign of a true hunter!

[@reneehemingway512]

I love your pail for cleaning New to this and wondering how you dispose of slurry water. Winter is a concerning. Very silly question I know.

[@MichiganRocks]

That’s not silly at all. Don’t dump it down the drain! Sometimes I tumble Petoskey stones, which are made of limestone. For some reason that slurry acts as a flocculant, making all the rock dust settle to the bottom of my bucket leaving clear water on top. When that happens, I siphon off the clear water and it goes down the drain. Otherwise, I let the bucket settle as much as it will, leaving still cloudy water on top. I siphon the top part with the most clear water into another bucket and then either dump it in the gravel at the side of the road or into a hole in the woods behind my house. The "hole" is actually a pretty nice hole. I built a wooden box out of some old treated lumber that goes down about two feet. There's a trap door on top to keep someone from accidentally falling in. Where I live the soil is mostly sand, so the water drains out pretty well. It rarely gets much ice down in the hole even in the middle of winter. The only problem is that eventually the small rock particles in the dirty water eventually clog the sand and it doesn't drain anymore. I can dig out the bottom for a while, but eventually I have to move the box to a new hole. I have only moved it once in about 8 years though, so it's not too bad. My water often contains borax which I use in the Lot-O tumbler. Borax acts as a herbicide, so you don't want to dump it on your lawn. What's left in the buckets after siphoning off the top is left to dry out and then it goes in the trash.

[@reneehemingway512]

Michigan Rocks Thank you so much! I use lot o tumbler. I also use borax and dump on my yard I had no idea, If I use the hole idea would it be safer for all?

[@reneehemingway512]

So much to learn Thank you again!

[@MichiganRocks]

@@reneehemingway512 it would be safer for your grass.

[@marilynmullins9049]

thanks so much Rob - I'll give it a try

[@MichiganRocks]

Good luck!

[@yaboyhudson7113]

Can you do this process with a combination of petoskey and honeycomb coral?

[@MichiganRocks]

Sure. Honeycomb coral or any limestone fossil would be soft.

[@peteh241]

Have you ever tried diamond pacific nova wheels for your canning grinder? They are deff worth the extra money and put a wonderful shine on petoskey stones

[@MichiganRocks]

I have some Nova wheels on my cab machine, but I usually polish Petoskeys on a flat lap. I mostly use silicon carbide laps, but the last one is a diamond lap. Then I finish with Zam.

[@macwilson6526]

Do you know of a site where you can but pre-polished petoskey stones?? Or do you have to hand pick them?

[@MichiganRocks]

My friend sells some. Go to Etsy and search for "Drummond Island Rocks".

[@NurseMickiLea]

Just beautiful!

[@sandyvdr7688]

Could you suggest a beginner's tumbler?

[@MichiganRocks]

I'd get a Lortone 33B from The Rock Shed. If you want a bigger tumbler, I'd go with the Lortone QT66 or QT12. The Rock Shed usually has the best prices. therockshed.com

[@merlinjones6485]

As usual the Rock Meister shows his magic. The latest stone craze in the U.P. is the Yooperlite stone. I was wondering if polishing a Yooperlite would bring out more of the black light glow. When you polish a Petoskey they glow better under a black light. It's only a dull orange, but a glow none the less. With your fine work you might put 'Pet Rocks' back in fashion again.

[@MichiganRocks]

I only have a cheap U.V. light, but I found a Yooperlite among my tumbler Lake Superior rocks. It only has a few spots of fluorescence. I didn't know it was a Yooperlite when I picked it up, so I have no idea if it glows more now or not. I tried my U.V. light on my Petoskeys but they didn't fluoresce at all.

[@littledabwilldoya9717]

I’ve found that fossils glow- white, orange or purple.😀

[@MichiganRocks]

@@littledabwilldoya9717 Cool!

[@ryantimmer901]

I love Petoskey stones

[@shadowmon31]

I tried to hand polish and parts of it came out shiny after the polish and parts of mine aren’t as shiny. Did I not polish it all or should I go back to 500 grit tumbled for 24 hours and go through the sandpaper again? Some of mine have sparkles in it too and I’m not sure they’re sparkles.

[@MichiganRocks]

If you're hand polishing with grits higher than 500, then there's no reason to go back to 500. I can't say for sure why yours isn't polishing. It could be that you missed some spots, or it could be that some parts of your rock aren't as good as other parts. The backs tend to be porous. Sparkly isn't usually a good sign either, although it's not necessarily bad. Have you watched my video on how to pick a good Petoskey stone? That might be helpful. kzbin.info/www/bejne/an7CnKdnpalgopo

[@shadowmon31]

Thanks. I ordered these from Etsy, so I didn’t get a chance to pick them, but I’m giving it a shot to see if it turns out.

[@ruthchapman3847]

Very helpful, thank you. So going above the 220 grit isn't advisable? Not even for just a few hours?

[@MichiganRocks]

You might have luck with it. It is possible to do, but many times they start deteriorating at that point. I'd suggest experimenting with it.

[@markattardo]

Polish on blue jeans? Wow that really surprised me. The stone turned out great!

[@MichiganRocks]

It would probably work on other materials, that's just what has worked for me.

[@pugsmom1]

Gorgeous!

[@MichiganRocks]

I just love a good Petoskey Stone.

[@ColinS-jf2hj]

What would happen if you went from the 80 then the 220 straight to the aluminum oxide? I feel like 3 days of super fine sanding could create the same results?

[@MichiganRocks]

I think I’d rather go from 220 to 500 and skip the polish. The 500 will eventually become finer and finer and become polish. After three days, it’s already very shiny. A couple more days and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

[@stacygibson1775]

Loved your petoskey how to video. Is there a difference in YOUR vibritory tumbler and Standard vibritory tumblers that have a base under them with a dish on top? I am ready for this stage and don't know if I can use the second version tumbler my step dad has, or have to buy one like yours.

[@MichiganRocks]

I haven’t used any other vibratory tumblers, but they should all work about the same.

[@seandonnaturley5832]

I did a swap with a lady from MI she sent me Petoskey and I sent her some Crowley Ridge Agates. My question is, can I tumble the Petoskey stones to long in 80 grit? Do I risk polishing out the pattern completely or does the patter go completely through the stone?

[@MichiganRocks]

The pattern goes through the whole stone, but it can change some as you go deeper. If you tumble in 80 grit or something similar for three days at a time, you shouldn't risk too much. I wouldn't mix them with harder rocks though. If you have to mix them with something, I'd use ceramic media. I know that ceramic is very hard, but it doesn't seem to harm Petoskeys.

[@seandonnaturley5832]

@@MichiganRocks ok thanks for the info, I was concerned the pattern would only be at surface.

[@seandonnaturley5832]

@@MichiganRocks after the final polish is achieved can you rub them with mineral oil for a permanent wet look?

[@MichiganRocks]

@@seandonnaturley5832 There's no need to use oil. When they're polished, they do look wet all the time. It's not a coating, it's just sanded really smooth. It doesn't wear off.

[@tylerscott8504]

Should I tumble stromatolites this way? There’s nothing online I could find referencing how to tumble them, but as they are fossils as well, I assume that I use these same methods, but I’m far from certain…

[@MichiganRocks]

I think stromatolites can be in different sorts of rock. Kona Dolomite from Marquette, MI is a stromatolite and tumbles very much like Petoskey stone.

[@martyferrell7776]

Love your video’s. We’ve collected rocks for a years and haven’t done anything with them. Since we’re in shelter in place I stumbled across your video’s. You’ve inspired us to try it... Watched your video on hand sanding the Petosky’s and we tried it. Didn’t have any of the polish so I tried car cleaner polish wax then a wax. Turned out ok. Not as good as yours of course but not bad.... My 13 year old Daughter LOVED it, as did I, but my wife agreed it was neat but a LOT of work... 😁 So I made an Essential run to Harbor Freight and got a Rock Tumbler.... I know.... probably not the best tumbler but under the circumstances it was cheap and getting to try it... already broke one belt on it... My question is if it’s REALLY foamy, does that mean I have the wrong mixture of water to grit?? I know you said in this video there’s nothing wrong with foam but it got me nervous when I saw it....

[@MichiganRocks]

There's nothing to worry about with the foam. I'd cover the rocks with water, and maybe a little more. I use much more water with Petoskey Stones because they grind away so quickly. The dust that gets ground off makes the slurry thick like pudding if you don't add enough water. This doesn't hurt anything, but it's a pain to rinse off. In a Harbor Freight 3 lb. barrel, you don't need any more than about a teaspoon of coarse grit. I can't remember what I used in this video, but it doesn't take much at all. I haven't heard great things about the Harbor Freight tumbler. Some people have good luck, others don't get through a batch before it's not working. I've heard that Lortone belts are a good replacement for the ones that come with the Harbor Freight. The tumbler is a clone of the Lortone 33B, but is cheaply made, so the belts are interchangeable. Have fun, that tumbler should really speed things up for you.

[@martyferrell7776]

Michigan Rocks Cool! Thank you!!!

[@Abpgsetiloincawdyubkolmbrs]

Wow! I love this combination of tumbler and hand sanding to get the result you’re after! I imagine this kind of modified technique would work for other soft stones like a sandstone? We have picture stone sandstone on the beach here which breaks to show interesting landscapes and concentric patterns made by the different coloured layers.

[@MichiganRocks]

I'd be surprised if you could polish sandstone by any method. Isn't it to grainy to polish? Petoskey Stones are soft, but not grainy.

[@Abpgsetiloincawdyubkolmbrs]

Ah. I see your point. Up to now I have never tried to polish them, but you’ve inspired me to try the wet sandpaper. I’ve painted a clear coating on them in the past but it feels like cheating!

[@MichiganRocks]

@@Abpgsetiloincawdyubkolmbrs I agree that any coating is cheating. But if that's the only option you have, you might need to go with it.

[@paulcarder8032]

@@MichiganRocks I'm coating a piece of Indian Picture Stone !with ting oil to see what kind of finish I can get.

[@MichiganRocks]

@@paulcarder8032 good luck!

[@davemi00]

Nice results - great tutorial to. TY 😀

[@MichiganRocks]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@janelima4358]

Ai que lindeza que ficou, amei.Parabéns pelo seu trabalho.

[@MichiganRocks]

Obrigado!

[@debbieblick5403]

Thanks so much for this video. I can't wait to see the next one on using the tumble more. Have you ever used a vibratory tumbler to tumble petosky stones? I've been reading they are better for softer stones.

[@MichiganRocks]

Debbie Blick I have used a vibratory tumbler for the stages after this. I use it with dry corn cob media. I wouldn’t say that vibratory tumblers are necessarily better for soft stones though.

[@judispackman3616]

Beautiful. I love it.

[@wyomingadventures]

I love those stones. You do a great job polishing them. Where do you get the tumbler and polishing media that goes in the tumbler? Thank you for showing the process Rob!

[@MichiganRocks]

I bought all my tumblers from The Rock Shed. I get most of my grit there too. I buy my coarse grit from Kingsley North fifty pounds at a time. therockshed.com/tumbler4.html kingsleynorth.com/ungraded-silicon-carbide-46-70-50lb.html

[@paulcarder8032]

@@MichiganRocks that's where I get almost all my supplies.

[@wyomingadventures]

@@MichiganRocks Thank you Rob. I hope to start tumbling stones next summer.

[@berjo77]

Hey Rob, second look at this one, studying hard! Question? Would this altered recipe pertain to other Lake Huron “white-looking” fossils? I’m worried mine may be of similar composition of the Petosky stones and wear too quickly if I use the standard rock formula.

[@MichiganRocks]

Any limestone would probably work about the same. Lake Huron fossils are usually limestone. I have tumbled horn coral and favosites (Charlevoix stone) this way. Cladopora (black, not white) also works with this method.

[@anitamitchell3452]

That would make an excellent necklace.

[@MichiganRocks]

Wouldn't it be kind of heavy?

[@anitamitchell3452]

@@MichiganRocks I don't mind the clunkier ones.. I have one I made out of an old mirror piece I found in the desert ... it's not quite my fist size ... but it's pretty big size wise and it's about a half inch thick. I like it. It's an eye catcher, I get a lot of nice comments when I wear it. That stone is gorgeous.

[@morganyoubargainedfor]

Trying this as we speak. Fingers crossed. Do you ever do any burnishing with these?

[@MichiganRocks]

Burnishing is usually something people do after final polish. Since you're not doing that in a tumbler, you wouldn't burnish in a tumbler either. Personally, I think burnishing is over rated. I think of it as just washing, which I do sometimes, but I don't expect the rocks to get shinier. I do it to remove any grit left in little holes or cracks.

[@morganyoubargainedfor]

Michigan Rocks I’m so tempted to polish in the tumbler..

[@MichiganRocks]

@@morganyoubargainedfor You should give it a try. Then you won't be wondering.

[@morganyoubargainedfor]

Have you ever put the aluminum oxide in the tumbler for petoskeys instead of doing it by hand? When I use aluminum oxide by hand I can never get as great of a shine as you are! Just bought my first tumbler for tumbling Lake Huron rocks and this video was incredibly helpful for me!

[@MichiganRocks]

I have tumbled them, but it's not easy. If you just do it the same way as other rocks, they don't turn out well at all. Some day I might do a video showing a tumbling method.

[@ЛюдмилаБучельникова-к1п]

Здравствуйте, у вас камни с пятнами как леопарды как называются? Они необычные такие.

[@MichiganRocks]

Эта скала называется "камень Петоски". Это окаменелый коралл. Это очень мягкий камень, поэтому его можно отполировать вручную наждачной бумагой.

[@DenimHatDave]

It looks like you had 7 barrels running in your tumbler. Do you have a system to keep track of when to check on each one? I feel like it would be pretty easy to loose track, especially if they were started on different days and need to run for different durations.

[@MichiganRocks]

Most of the time they all get checked once a week on the weekend. With Petoskeys they get checked more often. I have a whiteboard not the top of the tumbler that I keep notes on.

[@cinciao5692]

Hi Rob! Thank you for this educational video! I am currently vacationing off of Lake Huron and FINALLY found some petoskeys in the wild :) ! Now, my question for you is, how or have you ever polished the rougher petoskeys? I am talking about those with the raised edges around the hexagon. I found a couple of those, as well as the beach smoothed ones, but I am not sure how to go about to polish the rougher ones. Thank you for your knowledge and help! Also, instead of hand-sanding, can I use my CabKing to polish it at the higher grits?

[@MichiganRocks]

Your Cab King is the way to go. I use my cab machine for Petoskeys all the time. I'd tumble those rough ones to save some time and then finish them on your cabber. Sometimes the rough ones completely lose their pattern when you smooth them out, so just be aware of that.

[@cinciao5692]

@@MichiganRocks Thank you, Rob!! My family and I are planning our next trip upper Michigan, around Rockport to get some fossils! We didn't get a chance to go this time, but are excited for our next trip!😁

[@MichiganRocks]

@@cinciao5692 Check out Partridge Point just south of Alpena too. I like it better than Rockport in some ways.

[@amberkozik7222]

What speed do you tumble them at?

[@MichiganRocks]

It depends on the diameter of the barrel I'm using. My small 3 lb barrels rotate at 38 rpm and the large 6 lb. barrels run at 28 rpm. Anything close to that should be fine.

[@amberkozik7222]

I got the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Hobby Rock Tumbler

[@amberkozik7222]

Its a one pound barrel has speeds of 1-7

[@MichiganRocks]

@@amberkozik7222 Most tumblers don't have variable speed. Sound like you have one of those National Geographic tumblers. I have no idea why it has variable speed or what speed you should set it to.

[@MichiganRocks]

@@amberkozik7222 Oh, I read the other comment first. I figured that's what you have. I have not read much good about those. If you ever decide to upgrade, consider getting a Lortone. They don't cost much more and are a much better machine.

[@mariocean808]

Do you sell any of the Petoskey stones you polish/tumble? I'd love to buy one if they are not too expensive.

[@MichiganRocks]

No, sorry.

[@beatfarmerfan]

Love your tumbler! Did you make it, or is it something that can be bought? Thanks for the great videos.

[@MichiganRocks]

I built my tumbler. I had two Lortone tumblers, and this uses the barrels from those. I have a couple videos showing more detail on the tumbler if you want to see more.

[@bluejay3333]

Beautiful stone!! Is aluminum oxide harmful to absorb into your skin?

[@MichiganRocks]

I've never heard that it is, but you should do your own research because I really don't know.

[@SteveandSusiesHomestead]

Awesome man...Thank you

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

Nice! Thanks for this! You look familiar, and I don't just mean like the guy in Vegas from Twin Peaks: The Return. Think I may recognize you from the Petoskey area. Just got my first tumbler, and will let you know in a few days how my Petoskey stones turn out. Again, thank you!

[@MichiganRocks]

I live in Alpena, but get over to Petoskey occasionally.

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

@@MichiganRocks Well, thanks for the video! The first stones I’ll ever have tumbled are Petoskey stones. On day 2. Oh by the way, did you say in this one that you interrupted stage 1 to add more water? Or am I imagining that?

[@MichiganRocks]

@@illuminotmereloaded6896 I don't remember exactly what I said in the video, but I don't interrupt to add more water. I do put in about twice the normal amount right from the beginning.

[@illuminotmereloaded6896]

@@MichiganRocks I didn’t think so, but wasn’t 100 percent. I suppose maybe it’s cuz the 3 days turned to 4, which is what I’m going to do. Thanks for the reply! Hopefully find some Isle Royale Greenstones this year. Cheers! P.S. Lake Erie is so warm right now. Just got out of the water five minutes ago. Cheers!

[@grantmooney3454]

This was helpful thanks.

[@MichiganRocks]

You're welcome.

[@teperikaetr]

How can I buy some of the polished petosky rocks from you.?

[@MichiganRocks]

I don't sell them, sorry.

[@teperikaetr]

@@MichiganRocks oh. Thanks for replying. I love your videos do. I will look into find some someday. Thanks for your videos. One of my future proyects is to buy me a tumbler and polish some of my raw stones. Blessings.

[@jimknarr]

Have you ever tried "cooking" your Petoskey Stones in a double boiler to bring out the outline of the fossils better? I understand that cuts the loss of stones down from 50 to 10 percent.

[@MichiganRocks]

Nope, I’ve never heard of that one. I’m not sure how boiling them would make them better.

[@jimknarr]

@@MichiganRocks I read this method in an old newspaper clipping from the Central Michigan Lapidary and Mineral Society so it must have some merit. I think they "cooked" it in mineral oil.

[@MichiganRocks]

@@jimknarr Oh, I have seen the mineral oil thing. That's all over the Internet, and looks like it's been copied from one place to another. I haven't tried it, andI haven't ever heard of an actual person who has. It seems like it would just cover up any flaws temporarily. It's a personal thing, but I don't really like coating my rocks in anything, including mineral oil. Many of my rocks get mineral oil on them when I slice them in my saw, but I wash off as much of that as possible.

[@ruthchapman3847]

Very helpful, thank you

[@MichiganRocks]

You're welcome.

[@sanjamicic3985]

Prekrasan je!

[@brookehoffer6826]

Could you tumble petoskey stones in just water?

[@MichiganRocks]

I don't know. I haven't tried that. I doubt it would work, but I think you should give it a try.

[@asmaravilhasdocriadoretern133]

Ok muito bom, gostei trabalho !👌👌👌sucesso sempre👏🙏👌

[@MichiganRocks]

Obrigado. Estou feliz que você gostou.

[@susanorr7535]

Unique rocks

[@taylorfinch5884]

Love the rocks! Just got the nat geo hobby tumblr put my petoskey stone in on the coarse grit should I go for 3 days as well? If you know that would be awesome! Also so surprised you found so many! Went to Traverse city dunes and only found one! Keep up the great work!

[@MichiganRocks]

I'd only go about two days since that thing rotates so fast. You'll get a feel for it with experience.

[@MTNManReviews]

Nice! We will utilize this info for some rocks we gathered at Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Even found a yooperlight in the mix and didn't know it until we got back, learned of their existence, and checked through them all to find out we had one! Just one....but we'll take it! I saw you will be going yooperlight hunting soon. I subscribed so we can see what you find. Which light did you go with? I'm on the fence between the Convoy S2 and C8. I have a 395nm UV light... But it won't be good for finding them.

[@MichiganRocks]

I haven’t decided on a light yet, but those two wer definitely on the list. The more I read about them, the more confused I get.

[@MTNManReviews]

@@MichiganRocks, I know the feeling. I had that problem and then spent a few years educating myself on lights. That's where the reviewing of them all came in! Convoy is pretty awesome because they are a host company, they make the host body and everybody puts in the components that they need. That is why the price is awesome. In all of the videos I've been watching of yooperlight hunting I've noticed the hunter is using the S2. It looks like it has good throw, which is important when you're walking along and not wanting to do a duck walk to get the rocks lit up. We won't be back up that way until the weather is nice or even next year, so, I'm pretty sure I'm ordering the S2 off of eBay. It's like $30. . I can handle the wait. Just look for the one that is Gray in color with the LG LED....it handles heat better than the Nichia LED.

[@MichiganRocks]

@@MTNManReviews What's the deal with the filters? Seems like you have to have the right filter to get good photos or video.

[@MichiganRocks]

I just went to your channel. Do you have a video on the S2?

[@MTNManReviews]

@@MichiganRocks, good question. Yes, the filter is important for pictures and to calm the amount of visible light down so you can see the glow. All of these Convoys I am seeing have the filter built in. Even a cheap UV light that I got for now has an appropriate filter that allowed us to take pictures of our one glowing rock! The 365nm is important as well.... the light quality is nice and my wife will use it for her photography....but for hunting more throw, (distance and beam), is needed. Here's the link. www.amazon.com/dp/B07SWW5FHB/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_9i1rEb2CBATZN

[@malcolmsplace]

I don't understand why you changed to using abrasive paper. Being a soft rock could you not have just tumbled 600 for a day or so instead, then go to polish?

[@MichiganRocks]

malcolmsplace Petoskey stones get really tricky to tumble in the finer grits. The rocks get worse, not better. Hard rocks are much easier to shine up than soft rocks. There are ways to do it, but that’s for another video. I thought I’d start with the methods that take the least amount of equipment.

[@johngumdoc]

I ‘ve tumbled with 600 grit for 3 days and then used Zam buffing compound on a wheel. I’ve found that I get a 90% great outcome but with little white pits on the edges if the stones. I’m trying your technique out now. Trying to figure out the least labor intensive method. I’m in TC and collect near Elk Rapids.

[@MichiganRocks]

The edges suffer the most on these. A spherical rock would tumbler better than a flat rock, but most Petoskeys are more flat. I hope this method works for you, but it does require more hand work.

[@John_Montgomery]

Live in Los Angeles but I am from Beulah MI. I spent many childhood days out looking for petoskey stones and any other that were interesting. With all of the rock hounds out over the years, the city of Petoskey city council has proposed a name change. "UsetobeSome MI".. 8)

[@MichiganRocks]

I've found them in Petoskey. I have since decided that I can find more here without the drive. Someone from that side of the state told me that Petoskey is the last place you should look since everyone else looks there.

[@John_Montgomery]

Love the glimpse of Michigan. Best of health to you

[@enricojaun2880]

Mmmmm.... cherry hut

[@John_Montgomery]

@@enricojaun2880 ... cherry hut is soooo good

[@azharkhan-nd6wy]

Hi🌹🙋

[@TeguhSusanto]

t0p👍👍

[@HeidiConanGoldProspecting]

Awesome videos m8. This is the account with my videos if you have time to check them out. 😎

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm busy enough just trying to keep up with comments here.

[@НатальяГончарова-ф9х]

👋 👍👍👍👏👏👏🥰😊

[@justinlorenz9686]

Great video, terrible shirt.

[@MichiganRocks]

You're probably not going to like most of my other shirts either then.