Rocks to Avoid Tumbling

[@gjackson6569]

It was funny that as I watched you reveal the tumbled rocks, I thought that even with the pitting and undercutting, that many of them looked great to me. Then when you pulled in the ones you showed as examples of great tumbling results, it was clear what you look for in your final product and the other ones clearly didn't measure up. Great video.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yeah, I like my rocks REALLY shiny.

[@guard13007]

Exact same reaction. I was like "Okay, he's just too picky." until I saw the good rocks.

[@Silvercanth]

That's how people that get into art and stuff fall for the Dunning-Kruger effect (if you don't know what that is I'd very much suggest looking it up. It's fascinating and I'd be surprised if it doesn't make you recall people you've met in your life) but you are clearly too smart for that, good job. I had the exact same reaction you did. :P

[@MichiganRocks]

@@Silvercanth I had to look that one up. I can think of many things in my life where as soon as I started learning about it, I realized that the subject was much, much deeper than I realized before.

[@Silvercanth]

@@MichiganRocks Any day where you learn something is a successful day. I'm glad to have played a part in you learning something neat.

[@samh1403]

I thought those rocks were looking pretty great out of the lot-o... until you compared them to your typical insanely perfect rocks. It really helped back up you're reasoning for being so picky about the rocks you start with and you're entire process. I'm a big time believer in your methods. You've really helped me out a lot in my first year of tumbling. Thanks for all the help you've been in your videos and on the forum.

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm glad you find the videos helpful, Sam. Until you start tumbling, I think it's hard to understand that some rocks polish up great and others don't. Hopefully this helped clear that up.

[@t2gunner]

@@MichiganRocks I've heard the advice, but the visual drives it to understanding... #RockOn

[@kokosnood]

I based my whole tumbling method on Rob's videos. THANKS ROB!

[@paigey-poo4235]

Fir me the allure of tumbling has never been about making the rocks look “perfect” but to just see the potential of the rock’s character, to see what unique qualities you can bring out of a piece! And a lot of the rocks here are perfect examples! Sure, everybody and their brother has shiny rocks, but finding and working something into a one of a kind palmful of art? That’s my goal! There’s certain qualities of the rock you can’t see unless you break it, tumble it, etc!

[@MichiganRocks]

I enjoy the process of tumbling more than the finished product. But for me, the challenge is to make them look as perfect as I can. I realize that not everyone has the same goal as I do. The problem is that I tend to show only those perfect examples on my channel. I thought people should know that not all rocks turn out perfect.

[@blackcat14077]

Sums up my thoughts perfectly!

[@teijaflink2226]

Right like I think granit looks absolutely beautiful and so different tumbled even you can't get the same shine and perfection like with jasper as example but it definitely looks different from the original stone, so depends what your after, he seems to be mostly after the shine and perfection, while others might be curious how the stone changes.

[@desertflamingos]

Even though I have been picking rocks up my entire life, I am brand new to the tumbling world. I have seen so many of the “perfect tumble” videos it is hard to picture a bad tumble. This was very educational. Thank you!

[@MichiganRocks]

Good, I’m glad my failure has been helpful.

[@Rocking-SLC]

Hey Rob, what a great demonstration showing some rocks are just not tumble-worthy. Some are perfect just they way they are such as the brachiopods. Others just turn out really disappointing in the end. Thanks for helping your viewers avoid tumbling pitfalls and have a happy and prosperous new year.

[@MichiganRocks]

Happy New Year, Earl. I think you have to tumble a few bad rocks yourself to really get the feel for which ones to pick up, but hopefully this speeds up the learning process a little.

[@nikkilovesrocks]

I'm stuck in a condo in Southern CA & I'm loving these vids! I have a 5lb bucket with my collection of raw crystal rocks which I would love to tumble. I hope my year ends more like your year begun! 💖✨

[@R.M.MacFru]

Well, I have just learned I'm not as much of a magpie as I thought. 😆 While the batch is not as shiny as your usual, I still think the tumbling was worth it for the color and patterns, particularly the one with the crystal pockets. (This is probably why I love geodes so much.) I was happily shocked that the specular hematite stayed intact. I was expecting glittery slurry. And on the one with the big hole...I like the contrast that tumbling created. The hole is the most interesting part of that rock, and the contrast makes it pop out, so to speak.

[@MichiganRocks]

I generally don't like holes of any kind, but I do like a large hole if it's full of crystals. I have seen some spheres that have half the rock missing completely that look really cool. I also like crystal hole in a cab sometimes.

[@gwynnfarrell1856]

Sometimes a rockhound has just got to see what happens in the tumbler. You never know what might become an unexpected gem! Thank you for showing each rock as it progressed. I like that you included the Christmas ornaments as controls. Very educational! Happy New Year! 🎉

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm hoping this helps a few people. I get a lot of questions about what rocks should be picked up on the beach.

[@ethankoh6851]

Having the attention span of a slanted kitchen shelf, I'm amazed that I went through the whole video, great narration

[@MichiganRocks]

I had never thought too much about the attention span of shelves, slanted or not.

[@thomasnaas2813]

Love your casual, experimental approach. I've run into rocks that don't tumble well, I sometimes use a dremel with buffing wheels and diamond grit to good effect. For the porous stones I mix stone powder of similar hardness with slow drying epoxy, submerge the rocks and stick them in a vacuum pump container for thirty minutes and remove them before it hardens. Tumble on!

[@MichiganRocks]

I've never tried stabilizing rocks with epoxy (or anything else). I do realize that some of these could be worked on a cab machine or some other sort of grinder with better results. There's more than one way to polish a rock!

[@sparband]

I think that my favorite was the sparkly hematite. I liked the stink stone because it was different. They came out better than I thought too. I love the colors of the granite. It’s too bad that it undercuts.

[@MichiganRocks]

I think granite is probably the most collected rock by beginner rock hunters. There's nothing wrong with that. I did the same thing. But after tumbling a few batches of it, I stopped picking it up.

[@salishseaquest7952]

Rob, this was actually very informative. I appreciate all the time you devoted to getting us through the process on all the underrated rocks. It's many weeks of tumbling. I think for the most part you were right because you know what you like -- beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder and the one who is running the tumblers. Happy New Year to you and Nancy!

[@MichiganRocks]

Happy New Year!

[@leolamcconnell9872]

I'm new to tumbling and I count on you and your methods to receive a "good education". I think you're a natural teacher, I've learned, tumbled and practiced my happy dance. Thank you (a million times) for your efforts.

[@MichiganRocks]

Wow, I'm glad you've found my videos so helpful! Thanks for the nice comment!

[@adamschaafsma5839]

I'm so glad you did this, it makes me feel like it's harder to mess up, and I feel more encouraged to just dive in and tumble.

[@MichiganRocks]

It's hard to mess up tumbling too bad. Even if you have a batch that doesn't turn out like you'd like, you can always run them over again. Think of any mistakes you make along the way as learning experiences. I've learned a lot in the past ten years or so.

[@clwbchbabycakes]

That first fossil - I would have oiled that like I do seashells. It brings out the color without damaging the piece since those don't need to be shiny. Things that look good wet but not dry - like Petosky stones - can be oiled. The holes with the druzy crystal are awesome!!

[@MichiganRocks]

Yes, I have some rough Lake Superior agates that I keep oiled. I don't oil my Petokseys though, I like those just polished.

[@KristiStClair64]

What kind of oil do you use? They don't go rancid?

[@clwbchbabycakes]

@@KristiStClair64 baby oil. You can also use lighter fluid, which is a thinner form of oil.

[@katherinehanna3968]

Loved seeing the before During and after tumbling. I haved collected some smaller pieces that I want to use as wearables, pendants and dangling accessories including earrings, belts, and ties or lacing, many of these are small peanuts or jelly bean sizes in colors from icy white, cool blues/grays, and warm orange/ peachy colors, flattering against skin

[@MichiganRocks]

Sounds like you're going to make some nice stuff!

[@midlifetravelers6151]

I love this tutorial, Professor, I am learning the names of the rocks because of you taking the time to identify them in their raw form. Sometimes my rock and mineral identification books don't give a good picture example. Your video definitely does!

[@MichiganRocks]

I wish I knew how to identify more of them, but I do what I can. I'm glad it's helping you out.

[@txwaterbird6115]

Just catching up on rock tumbling videos and your stink stone caught my eye. I actually like it. Those holes give it an interesting look. If I were tumbling it, I would use my water pic to blast out those holes. That's much quicker than a sewing needle. This process only works because my husband and I each have our own water pic. He would not appreciate it if I used a shared tooth implement on rocks.

[@MichiganRocks]

I lot of people have suggested both Waterpiks and ultrasonic cleaners. I might need to get one or the other.

[@WagonPilotAdventures]

Great video for beginning tumblers to show how different rocks turn out. I think a lot of people start with very high expectations due to rock tumbler advertising pictures. I still tumble a lot of granite since it's plentiful near my house, which makes it easy to experiment and fine tune my methods. Keep up the good work!

[@MichiganRocks]

Have you figured out a way to stop the undercutting?

[@WagonPilotAdventures]

​@@MichiganRocks Not yet. Granite patterns are so random. I'm just getting back into tumbling after several months off, but I do have two 1lb Nat Geo tumblers now. Going to run some days/grit tests as soon as I finish some pudding stones. Starting to film too.

[@johnsopko24]

I live in Michigan. I found a dirt road that the city laid gravel on and it's loaded with every color quarts Greenstone and about every gem Michigan has. I also have found alot of emeralds in gravel around here. I love rock collecting in Michigan.

[@MichiganRocks]

Wow, that sounds like some unbelievable gravel.

[@elenap15227]

A fellow gravel enthusiast! Your Michigan gravel sounds amazing. i only find agate here.

[@orirune3079]

Wait did you just say you found emeralds in gravel? What 🤯?? I need to start searching gravel more I guess.

[@SustenanceNCovering]

Love them all. They obviously are not up to the quality of your regular stones, but they are all still beautiful.

[@MichiganRocks]

You can still love them. They're just not going to shine up like the others.

[@katiewood6036]

The sandstone may not polish but big pieces look great in an aquarium. Cherry shrimp love picking microfauna off the rough surface. It was interesting to see how they tumbled.

[@MichiganRocks]

That one came out of the tumbler pretty much how it went it, but smaller. I agree that some rocks can look great even if they don't tumble well.

[@Shadowhurtz]

I do admire someone who's not afraid of admitting he can be wrong. Plus pretty rocks. You got yourself a subscriber.

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm wrong a lot. No point in pretending I know everything.

[@staceysakkinen1270]

I thought they came out great. I really liked the Omar rock, with the contrast from the shine to the dull hole. Thanks for showing us.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yeah, that one was pretty neat.

[@staceysakkinen1270]

@@MichiganRocks although you were right about those rocks not doing as well as the other batch you showed us which was absolutely gorgeous.

[@mlroeder]

That is my favourite as well, I think because the rest of it shined up so well that the hole comes across to me like it's deliberate. A feature, not a bug, as it were.

[@oldhaggys]

I love stones with contrasts on them. Different textures, different colors, different angles and so on. Therefore i love the granit, the stinkstone, the omar. Also I would probably love the granits if they are bigger so I can use them for sensory / fidget stones. The undercutting gives that contrast when you fidget with them

[@MichiganRocks]

It's not that I don't like these rocks. It's that they don't polish the same as the beach rocks that I usually show here. I wanted to do a video showing that not every rock on the beach will tumble the same way.

[@CroneFingrCraft]

That shiny grey stone with the big rough indent is gorgeous with the two different textures! I would use it as a stress stone😁

[@kotabear0172]

8:23 you cut it in kind of the shape of a cloud. It really matches with the coloring of the rock too. Really pretty

[@MichiganRocks]

That's a super pretty rock. Too bad it's so soft.

[@joannmay-anthony1076]

as a rock enthusiast, i like the imperfections. shiny is really nice, but the imperfections are a great looking contrast!

[@leannesutter9429]

Thank you, Rob for taking the time to demonstrate this. It gave me a better understanding and will help me to make the decisions with how I clean and polish my Great Lakes finds. I appreciate your explanations on why you prefer polishing certain rocks, how you grade the finished rock/fossil at each stage of the process and the challenges you had with some of them.

[@MichiganRocks]

I get questions fairly often about what rocks should be picked up. The short answer is that you should pick up whatever looks good to you. But that answer doesn't help too much if you're planning to tumble them. I'm glad you found this useful, that's what I was going for.

[@richardbidinger2577]

I think the Omar turned out awesome. The contrast gives it a cool look. After seeing your well polished stones, I can understand you being a little biased. You do great tumbling work.

[@MichiganRocks]

Thanks, Richard. I figure if I'm going to spend a ton of time tumbling rocks, I want them to look as good as possible. I'd rather be picky before tumbling than disappointed after.

[@rikspector]

Rob, Agate Dad led me to your site. I completely understand why you are picky. Nothing's perfect ,but by setting your goals as high as possible, your work is a "cut" or "polish above the rest. I was a picture framer for many years and sometimes the glass, or plexi, after completing the job ,ended up with specks of dirt or dust on the inside. It would have been easy to ignore them, but my boss said "Would you want that in your house?" We always re did ones like that. Your results are a reflection (literallY:) of what you do, so over time people will know that you strive for great results. Keep that attitude, it sets you apart from many others. Cheers, Frederick" Rik" Spector

[@MichiganRocks]

Thanks, Rik. It's more fun to strive for the best possible shine I can get. I like the challenge. I used to mow a lot of lawns in high school. I worked for a friend. The two of us mowed about 70 lawns with LawnBoy push mowers. We both tried to make the lawns look as good as possible. Straight lines, good trimming, and rolling up garden hoses that the home owner left out were all things that we did to be proud of the work when we were done. I guess I'm just wired that way.

[@KatyDidRocks]

Thank you for the excellent explanation of the difference between porphyry and amygdaloidal crystals!

[@MichiganRocks]

I always get those mixed up.

[@CityRockhounding]

I agree, very helpful and cool to know.

[@ohhadivist]

I got a beginner tumbler last year and I’m really excited to go down to the river and see what rocks I can find once the weather warms up. I don’t think I’ll be so picky but this video gave me a lot to think about when choosing rocks.

[@MichiganRocks]

You don't have to be so picky. I didn't start out that way. The thing is, I show a lot of rocks that are much more perfect than these. I thought I should show examples of rocks that don't turn out the same as what I usually show here.

[@kylaabegglen1275]

You crack me up Rob! I was 😂 pretty hard when you asked if it was weird that you were disappointed that those turned out better than you thought.😆 You really do an excellent job of tumbling, probably the best results I've seen. So being picky makes a positive difference for sure. I love that beautiful banded chert you polished, wow!🤩 Thank you for an awesome explanation and demonstration on what rocks not to tumble and why. I hope you and your family have a very happy and amazing New Year!✌🤠

[@MichiganRocks]

I was afraid that this video got a little long, but without talking about why they didn't do well, there wouldn't be much point. I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@kylaabegglen1275]

@@MichiganRocks I liked it and didn't even notice it was a bit longer because I was really paying attention to the info. It was full of great information! I love learning from you KZbin Rock Stars! Thanks!😊

[@insp7]

Thank younsomjuch for taking the time to demonstrate the difference between good quality and low quality rock type Your teaching chops shine!

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm glad to help, Curtis!

[@Indyanas_ocean_view]

Super awesome video! On quite a few of those rocks the imperfections are hard to notice unless they are pointed out. I was surprised that the crumbling gray hematite rock got as shiny as it did .😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@MichiganRocks]

I was really surprised by the hematite too. I'm not sure how something that crumbly doesn't just fall apart.

[@Indyanas_ocean_view]

@@MichiganRocks I thought it would just turn to dust and disintegrate. 😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@blinderb1032]

My daughter and I are learning a lot from your videos. Thank you!!

[@MichiganRocks]

You're welcome!

[@denisemurray412]

Great explanation, teacher. You've still got the touch. I have always gotten much information from your videos. I wonder if the 'iffy batch' would transform more with a polish up from the wheel. Could you take them one step further and show us that?

[@segamble1679]

I learned so much from this video!!! Just starting tumbling, and just learning what most of the rocks I've been collecting are called was super helpful!

[@MichiganRocks]

That's great! You might like this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYCmiJSQgaaJnqM Be sure to watch the follow up video with the answers.

[@erinharrington4232]

I'm really excited to watch this when I get a minute! I've been sorting my collection lately so I can finally try tumbling my first batch - definitely going to be rewatching your older videos!

[@MichiganRocks]

I hope this is helpful. I learned by trial and error and I might be able to save you a little of the error. However, I think that tumbling a few bad rocks is the way you'll really learn the best, so don't feel bad if they don't all turn out great.

[@marybethprinkey2635]

These are all very lovely I believe that the hematite would make a beautiful statement piece as a necklace

[@tinacluff2793]

I like the omar one, the flat one I can see turned into a pendant, the red one with the crystals was cool, love the yellow one, the black one looked like a galaxy (you said it was kind of crumbly), the big black and crystal one was my second favorite. Still love your Christmas ornaments.

[@MichiganRocks]

Wow, it seems like you liked almost all of them!

[@tinacluff2793]

@@MichiganRocks hehe, what can I say I love rocks

[@lucisue53]

I'm a first-time viewer of your channel and wanted to thank you for the detailed information about your process. I am a geologist by training, though it has been many years since I worked in that profession. May I share a tip for cleaning grit out of the pits and holes that you had in some of the rocks? A dedicated WaterPik will help blast into the holes to loosen and remove the grit efficiently. That particular brand (maybe other brands too) can be fitted with different nozzles that focus the spray for different spray intensities, and the flow volume can adjust as well. Thanks again for the informative video - so much fun to watch. It brings back great memories of the rock tumbler we had in school.

[@MichiganRocks]

It's kind of funny how many people have suggested that recently. Probably a couple a day for the past week. I participate in an online lapidary forum where some people have suggested a fabric spot cleaning gun. It sounds like they have more pressure than a Waterpik. I think I'll have to try one or the other. Thanks for the tip.

[@mr.ramjangles5165]

Any tips for tumbling labradorite? I have a rock tumbler in my classroom. The second graders love it! Just found you today…great video! ✅👍🏻

[@MichiganRocks]

I haven't tried it, but I have some ordered. I have only read about people failing at tumbling it, I haven't found any success stories. Maybe I'll have some advice at some point.

[@SmallWonda]

So many pretty rocks - thanks for taking the time to show why some could be disappointing when tumbled - bearing in mind they take so much time & energy to polish... Happy New Year!

[@MichiganRocks]

Happy New Year!

[@azdigger4843]

Your crazy? BWAHAHAHAHA! We are all crazy, after all we walk around looking at rocks all the time.

[@benjilee5279]

Wait! What?!? It turned out so, so good! And your editing was Magical!!! Great job!

[@tashacano3324]

This was definitely an interesting watch. I only used a rock tumbler once when I was a teenager. I dumped the slurry down the drain😅 Let's just say my parents never let me get rocks to do more than the one batch😂

[@MichiganRocks]

Oops, that could be a costly mistake.

[@tashacano3324]

@@MichiganRocks It was lol they had to redo the plumbing in our bathroom. Luckily we were living in a trailer house at the time and at least it was easier to get to🤣

[@MichiganRocks]

You should have watched this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oF6WZmmPpquirpo

[@tashacano3324]

@@MichiganRocks I was in high school so it was a while back lol definitely pre youtube😂

[@lindenbug]

Thanks for the demonstration! Someone who really likes granite or other rocks that undercut in later stages could just stop at 220 in a vibratory tumbler and do the rest by hand or treat with mineral oil to enhance the color like I do. I try to be picky about the granite I pick up and only take home more unusual pieces I feel are worth spending a little extra time on. My guess is that coarser grits still work in the tumbler because they’re enough to cancel out the undercutting whereas the finer ones don’t impact the shape enough.

[@MichiganRocks]

I don't think I'd want to hand sand granite, but doing them on a cab machine or flat lap would be another option. Sometimes undercutting is much less with techniques other than tumbling. Thanks for the tip.

[@katiedid713926]

You know what, I really like how you gave every single rock the benefit of the doubt. I'm serious, you had me rooting for all the rocks. A very fair breakdown of those beauties. And i like it you're a perfectionist so we can appreciate the contrast. Thanks. Happy New Year!!

[@MichiganRocks]

I felt sorry for some of those rocks, so I had to be nice to them.

[@katiedid713926]

@@MichiganRocks you're hilarious🤣🤣

[@carolinesmith1971]

I just started tumbling rocks and your videos have been so helpful! I’m curious about what would happen if you were to skip the grit stages with petoskey stones and went straight to the polishing stage. Would they just look the same as they do when they’re wet?

[@MichiganRocks]

No, the polish stage is what usually damages Petoskeys more than any other stage (except maybe the 500 stage). It's really hard to tumble Petoskey stones. I have a couple methods that work pretty well. I'll put a link to one here, and the other one will be shown in a future video. Actually, here are four ways to do it: How to Hand Polish a Petoskey Stone: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZusnoGorLdsd9U How to Partially Tumble a Petoskey Stone: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3O1omqahaljgs0 Petoskey Stones in Corn Cob Media: kzbin.info/www/bejne/naO2nY1uaJqJetE Polishing Petoskeys on a cabbing machine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIi5mpeNqp5_j7s

[@tonys.5940]

So based on the results, are you more likely to try tumbling questionable rocks or stick with your previous hunches?

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm comfortable with the decisions I've been making. I guess if I find something really cool, I might be a bit more likely to take it home and give it a try. Overall, I think I predicted pretty well here.

[@stevezozuk9622]

I can see why you don't tumble most of them , and there is definitely some good ones from that batch. Lesson for us all . Very cool , judging by the cabinet you can do a lot of tumbling at a time , smart using a cabinet to muffle the sounds. Thanks for the great tutorial Rob . Cheers

[@MichiganRocks]

Glad you enjoyed it, Steve!

[@dylan-cv9il]

hey rob, so i’m a beginner for tumbling completely, i’m gonna order one of the national geographic tumblers the hobby edition one, as you said in your review the polish is really bad, so i figured i’d get that separately. i found one that looks okay and i wanted your take on it, for step one it’s silicon carbide F80, step two is silicon carbide F220, step 3 is silicon carbide F400, and finally instead of aluminium oxide is ‘pumice powder’, i remember you saying that aluminium oxide is really good for step 3 and 4 so should i go for a different one?

[@MichiganRocks]

I have never heard of using pumice powder for a polish. I also strongly recommend that you use aluminum oxide as your prepolish. I have a link to the Rock Shed in the description. That’s where I buy my stuff. i also buy from Kingsley North for coarse grit. That link is also in the description.

[@KatyDidRocks]

Haha. Rob, I clicked through right away because I love your thumbnail! Can’t wait to see what rocks to avoid….

[@MichiganRocks]

You have lots of experience, so I probably won’t teach you too much.

[@txwaterbird6115]

My bete noir is ruby in zoisite. I know there's a way to tumble it and get a shine. My brother-in-law who is a geologist collects spheres and has a beautiful shiny one. The problem for me is that I keep trying to polish it (ruby in zoisite) over and over again. So if you have any ideas, I hope someone out there might have a hint or 2. 🙏 Thanks for the video. As always, yours are fun and informative.

[@MichiganRocks]

I have only seen pictures of that, never tumbled it myself. I just looked up the two minerals and found that zoisite is 6-7 and ruby is 9 on the Mohs scale. I think that's your problem. Silicon carbide and aluminum oxide are both 9 also, so they're going to have a hard time with the ruby, but will easily wear the zoisite. That's going to cause undercutting, or uneven wear on the two different minerals. Your brother in law's sphere was not tumbled. It was probably ground with diamond grinding cups. Some rocks will turn out much better on a cabbing machine or some sort of grinder than they will in a tumbler.

[@SherryAustinMcginley]

What a good video! We all draw our line in the sand at different places so what’s good for some won’t be good for others. I tend to agree with you and like the smoother, shiny rocks the best.

[@MichiganRocks]

Welcome to team smooth and shiny!

[@The_red_finger]

The algorithim strikes again who else found themselves here by accident lol

[@davidhile5363]

Occasionally the black stuff will surprise you. Thanks for the excellent demonstration. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE ! 🎉🍷🎆🎉

[@MichiganRocks]

Yep, it even surprised me in this video.

[@easterazali9237]

You were absolutely right master there is a huge difference between hard rocks and soft ones ! You know your rocks for sure ! 🥰👍 Happy new year to you and the family ! 🥳🎉

[@MichiganRocks]

Happy New Year, Easter!

[@easterazali9237]

@@MichiganRocks thank you Rob 💗💐🙏🏻

[@jneihart2]

Excellent way to finish off the year.... with a video from the rock tumbler extraordinaire! Thank you for a great year of fantastic viewing pleasure! Happy New Year to you and all your family!

[@MichiganRocks]

You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoy my videos. I appreciate all the comments too. Happy New Year!

[@reneematlock9657]

I'm impressed the hematite turned out as well as it did. I half expected it to completely disappear. The stinkstone turned out better than I thought it would too. The one petoskey stone can be saved but the other wasn't worth the time to pick it up in the first place let alone put it though the tumbler. Granites don't normally polish very well so. while there is pitting in the ones you polished, they are better than I thought they would turn out.

[@MichiganRocks]

I agree with all of that!

[@storytimewithunclebill1998]

I see your point. Some of them were ok, but not like you get the others you have done. Was fun to watch. Great video

[@MichiganRocks]

If I'm going to spend weeks or months tumbling a rock, I want to be really happy with it when it's done.

[@UncertainEarth]

Thank you for the great video! I love your demeaner and the way you explain everything, no filler, just information.

[@MichiganRocks]

Thanks. I don't like a bunch of fluff most of the time either.

[@99Rockhounding]

That was a fun video. I don't think I could devote a barrel just for rocks that probably won't turn out. My favorite rock was the gowganda tillite. I thought it would've been really funny if the rocks turned out really well.

[@MichiganRocks]

You probably wouldn't have seen the video if they all turned out great.

[@valkyrie1066]

I can see that the tumbling erases the fine topographical detail, and unless the type of rock is thru and thru (not relying on topographical detail) The combined rocks with softer and harder minerals could pit out the softer elements. Can't wait to see the results! Later: How gorgeous! I love the banded one especially. The polish really brings out the color and body detail of the different minerals. Thanks for the demonstration! There was a collection of polished stones in my storage from my youthful exploration of Magical stones, found by my young daughter. They instantly became her favorite toys. I'm considering buying her a tumbler. Now, on to videos on tumbler brands! I'm now much more interested in the color details, btw. Later in life, she told me that she was disappointed that they didn't glow or release little rock sprites or something like that. She knew they were "special". Too many Disney movies LOL.

[@MichiganRocks]

I really like Lortone tumblers. The 33B was what I started with and the one I recommend for other beginners. I have links to the Rock Shed and Kingsley North in the description of this video. Those are my two go--to places to buy lapidary stuff. I got into this when I bought a tumbler for my son for Christmas. He always liked shiny rocks in gift shops. It was a really great activity to do together, especially because it got us outside together looking for rocks.

[@nobodysbaby5048]

You should get her some Yuperlites.

[@gyroscope915]

Really informative. I like that you explain your reasoning every step of the way, it makes it very easy to understand even if, like me you don't know much about rocks.

[@MichiganRocks]

That's how I like to learn, so that's how I tend to teach.

[@gyroscope915]

@@MichiganRocks if you don't mind me asking, what if any, is the down side of putting to much water in when you tumble? You always talk about how much to fill it with water and I'm curious what affect that has

[@MichiganRocks]

@@gyroscope915 I'm not 100% sure. I think more water will slow down the rocks, and maybe wash off the grit more. With less water, the slurry gets a little thicker, carrying the grit around better.

[@unclebillsoutdoorandwildli8489]

Good thing that stink rock didnt stink the lot up. Seems like you got a good understanding on how the rocks will tumble. Sometimes you never know. Got a new subscriber. This is my other channel Im about to do some things with. Will be watching your videos again or letting it run while Im out. Was fun to watch. Awesome video

[@MichiganRocks]

Thanks, Bill!

[@santadam]

Great to see this, thank you! It helped explain some of my more dull batches. Loved seeing your favs at the end!

[@MichiganRocks]

Glad you liked it!

[@immaculateconnection]

I just love your channel. I've been a rock nerd since I was a kid, and now I've gotten into rockhounding, and find myself eyeing lapidary as the next piece of the hobby. :D Your videos are interesting and educational without being intimidating at all! Thanks so much for all the work you put in and the information you share!

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm glad you're enjoying the videos, Mike. I started with a tumbler and now I have six rock saws, a huge tumbler, a cab machine, two flat laps and other stuff too. Be careful! The good news is, a lot of this stuff can be found used. All of my saws are used.

[@katherinehanna3968]

Really love speckled pups, the more spots the better, esp. Pink and bright blues and greens

[@ZE308AC]

Don't get angry that he will tumble fossil that are 300+ years old. You should thank him because he is doing it in the name of science. Thank you ❤

[@sumitaghosh615]

I didn’t know what you were talking about until you showed us what good rocks looked like. Thanks for that! Great video.

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm glad I thought to do that at the end, especially for new viewers who don't know what my tumbled rocks usually look like.

[@ashb3496]

I really appreciate you making this video. It is helpful to know what to look for and avoid when beach combing. Thank you for doing the trial and error so that we can have better shines! Happy new year!

[@MichiganRocks]

I have done a lot of the trial and error more unintentionally in the past. I get questions about what to pick up, so I thought this might be helpful.

[@jacquelinejones823]

We just got a tumbler for the kids and I to work with! I’m excited to get started. We do NOT know enough about rocks yet. But we will learn as we go!

[@MichiganRocks]

You don't need to know too much, just get started and see what happens. If the rocks don't get shiny, you can run them again and you will have learned something. I have several videos on how to tumble, just in case you missed them. Pick the one that most closely matches your situation: Rotary tumbler followed by vibratory tumbler: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oaTVnqOGj9d0q7c Rotary tumbler with ceramics: kzbin.info/www/bejne/moqqd5SiZcpkjbs Rotary tumbler with plastic pellets: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5-xp6ytrN-nqJo How to use a Nat Geo Tumbler: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaS3lGShjbqohtE Tumbling beach rocks in a Nat Geo tumbler: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYfQnmVqe8hqoJY

[@reebee4237]

Great video, excellent good, better, best examples. Love your tumbling cabinet.

[@MichiganRocks]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@oldgamerchick]

Thank you for this video. Now I know which of my rocks to avoid tumbling. Happy holidays to y'all

[@MichiganRocks]

Merry Christmas, Old Gamer Chick!

[@lynnjasen9727]

In terms of visual perfection, I see your point regarding tumble-ability. But, using the “not awful” ones as my example, the others are great because you can see how beautiful the colours and patterns are without wetting them down. Especially the granite. So, the objective will for me determine whether to tumble. On a cold winter night, a bowlful of gorgeous coloured and/or patterned rocks that have been tumbled is a calming and cheering thing to spend an hour or two with. Ditto for a stressed-out me at any time of year. Love your videos; it’s a bit like listening to my own mental commentary.

[@MichiganRocks]

Yes, many of these did improve by tumbling, even if they aren't perfect. I have a lot of videos showing rocks that are much closer to perfect. For people picking their own rocks, I didn't want to give the impression that all rocks from the beach will tumble equally well.

[@cynthiahappel3697]

I completely agree with you about the tumbling of certain rocks. Nice demo. Thanks

[@MichiganRocks]

Sure, no problem, Cynthia.

[@communitypark2313]

What an enjoyable & informative way to spend New Year's Eve! Thanks so much for sharing, Rob. Here's to a Happy, Healthy New Year🎉🎆 & many more Rocky Shores to traverse!!

[@MichiganRocks]

Happy New Year! I'm glad you liked the video.

[@fantasystaplesuwu1554]

I love that stone you called stink stone! It looks SO cool!

[@MichiganRocks]

Those are pretty cool. I find them fairly often, but I don't usually bring them home.

[@CityRockhounding]

Really cool video Rob. It's nice to see a video like this. Thanks for sharing the journey. I know how long it takes to polish rocks, and planning a video ahead of time through the process, it's takes some work for sure, I appreciate it.

[@MichiganRocks]

I had to plan ahead to collect all these crumby rocks!

[@rockreader4298]

Thanks for this demo, Rob. This gem of a video is bound to save a lot of us from making the same mistakes. You were pretty much spot on with what you initially thought or knew. Surprise, surprise Lol. Wishing You and Yours a prosperous New Year ahead and the most Spectacular rock and or whatever desirable finds available to you. The same to Everyone else too. Love and Blessings from Nor Cali.

[@MichiganRocks]

Thanks! I hope I speed up the process, but everyone has to tumble some of their own local duds to get a feel for what works and what doesn't.

[@rockreader4298]

@@MichiganRocks True enough. Nothing like hands on experience.

[@debivort]

Awesome video - great to see that infamous old quartzite once again. Happy New Year!

[@MichiganRocks]

That's a famous rock. It's really not my favorite tumble, but it's still setting on my counter. I'm not sure what to do with it.

[@debivort]

@@MichiganRocks start a rogue's gallery box of rocks?

[@kimfrommn7162]

Very interesting!! I'm starting to catch on!! It was neat to see how they turned out!! I like the rocks real shiny and perfect like you do. But all the rocks that were just tumbled, I liked them also!!! Thanks for taking out the time to show us!! Happy Happy New Year!! May the two of you have only good things coming your way!! 🤗❤️❤️🙏🏼🎄

[@MichiganRocks]

Some of this stuff is best learned by actually trying things yourself. I think making your own mistakes is one of the best ways to learn. Hopefully this helps out just a little. Happy New Year, Kim!

[@AlchemyOfTheFourthKind]

I like using dremal tools. They have polishing tools in the right dremal kits.

[@speedwaychaser]

The defects give the stones/rocks character and uniqueness

[@MichiganRocks]

Lots of people feel that way. I post lots of videos of much more perfect rocks that I picked up myself and tumbled. I thought it was a good idea to show that not all rocks end up looking like what I show on this channel a lot.

[@Magicwhitespot]

They may not be perfect like you want but they have character! Looks good. I really like that flat rocks coloring even though it’s not completely shiny.

[@MichiganRocks]

I have a lot of videos showing rocks that tumble better than these, and I thought I should show other rocks that don't come out the same way. Personally, I like my rocks more perfect than these, but I also understand that there are a lot of people who prefer rocks with more character. This video shows the difference.

[@reiki11]

Great video! Such character!!! Loved it 💕

[@tommelinn4268]

That banded chert towards the end of your video is a really pretty stone and pattern! I have tumbled some it as well and always like the results.

[@MichiganRocks]

That's one of my favorite tumbles ever.

[@ranchodelasirena7485]

BTW, I love your channel. I am a certified rock hound, can't walk anywhere without looking for rocks. You have me wanting to buy a rock tumbler.

[@MichiganRocks]

Seems like a must have if you're certified.

[@erebusmint]

I love it when youtube recommends me things like this… it’s fascinating!

[@MichiganRocks]

I love that too.

[@yoopermann7942]

some of those supprised me some didnt, i found if you polish some granites on a cab machine they turn out great,, thank you for the tips

[@MichiganRocks]

Yep, a cab machine is a different story. Puddingstones are another good example of something that does way better on a cab machine.

[@lynettepavelich7540]

Rob, you’re so funny! Learned there are many factors to polishing. Amazing how much mass gets polished away. Finally able to stop in and checked out your great craftsmanship this week. Hard decision but then I saw a petoskey bead…happy girl!💖

[@MichiganRocks]

Oh you went to Olivet? Thanks!

[@lynettepavelich7540]

@@MichiganRocks yes! Great store with a good variety of items. Staff super nice and helpful!

[@MichiganRocks]

@@lynettepavelich7540 I really like the people there. Mary is great.

[@wyomingadventures]

I appreciate your educational tumbling videos! Thanks Rob.

[@theyxaj]

KZbin decided I needed to see this video. I love that I can just happen upon a person talking about rocks and shining them up, this is great :)

[@MichiganRocks]

If you liked this, you would probably enjoy the videos where I polish much nicer rocks.

[@theyxaj]

@Michigan Rocks The comparison rocks at the end are so beautiful! Especially the banded chert, like you said. I definitely plan to enjoy other polishings as a treat when I need something chill in my life. And thank you for the captions! Rock on!

[@MichiganRocks]

@@theyxaj One of the subscribers here (Christina) is doing the captions. It's something I don't have time to do myself and she volunteered to help by doing them.

[@jamestaylor3805]

I wish more people understood this, the easiest learning is learning from the mistakes of others.

[@berjo77]

Good Morning Rob, and Happy New Year! Yet another great teaching piece of work, most appreciated! I’m watching the H. F. sales for their vibratory tumbler, the 18 pound unit is the only one in stock but that’s too much machine. I now have their “medium” wet saw, so I’ll gain a bit more control prepping wonkie rocks. Thanks again, until the next one!

[@MichiganRocks]

I don't think Harbor Freight sells a vibratory tumbler for rocks. I'm pretty sure they're all designed for metal and dry media. If so, the barrels and/or motors won't hold up to the weight of rocks.

[@berjo77]

@@MichiganRocks Yes, after I mentioned it, I read more, they don’t easily perform well, some leak and seldom hold up. I’ll keep looking and studying. Wait till I can pick up a real rock unit.

[@bettycoffin4206]

Rob, here's hoping you get the rock of your dreams and great beach days ahead in the new year. And let's hope Michigan wins their game tonight! Go BLUE!

[@MichiganRocks]

I'm just happy to be on a beach, the rocks are just a bonus. Go blue!

[@BonnieLegion]

Really enjoyed seeing the contrast between the not so good rocks and the really nice ones, really showed your point well. bless love your videos, they are helping

[@MichiganRocks]

Good, that's what I was hoping for. I didn't want people thinking that just any rocks they pick up on the beach were going to tumble equally well.

[@katecarpenter7366]

Thanks Rob, always learn something new from you.