jim_de_hunter
Advanced Member
Just bought the Harbor Freight tumbler when we got back from the UP. We're on round 2 of 4 with rocks we picked up at two different places in the UP.
So I'm in between rounds ans pulled this one out of round 2 and decided to leave it out of the tumbler and finish it by hand.
It got quite a reaction in the rock group I joined. It's about an inch and a half in size
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I'm curious about buffing the rocks by hand. Been picking them up for years but have only cleaned them with soap and water. Not sure I want to polish with a tumbler because I don't want them super shiny, I like the natural looking but would like to bring out more color. I wondered if a bought a benchtop buffer and some compound if that would work for that. Is that how you finish them by hand? Thanks.
I'm pretty new at it myself but from what I'm reading you can do it by hand by using various grits of sand paper. The polishing compound goes pretty high (fine) in grit .Going up in grit by hand until you get where you want it to be.
I also read that soaking in mineral oil for 2 hrs a day repeating for 3 or 4 days. I'm going to try that with this one after it's washed well, still lots of dirt in it. It's already gone thru 2 tumbler rounds and don't want to take anything more off
Oh, interesting. So maybe just wet sanding like paint on car or gelcoat on a boat. I run those up to 4,000 grit for the final polish when I do touch ups. I'll have to give that a try. The only issue I see there is getting into the crevasses. Also interesting idea on the mineral oil. I'll also have to do more research on all this. I have seen people shellack rocks to bring out the colors but was told that it has a tendency to peel over time.
Any finished pictures? We tried this when the kids were young - just a tumbler I think we purchased at Toys-R-Us so it couldn't have been much. I used to collect rocks and sea shells everywhere I went but wound up tossing them all when relocating. Still see some interesting rocks that would look nice polished and smooth - don't know if they ever get that far for real.
here are some from round 2
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And this is round 3, slightly shinier with 1 or 2 more to go
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Marcy, those are cool - that's what I kind of imagining but the 'grain' and colors really stand out!
The rock above was finished to step 2 which is a blend of120/220 grit. Any type of paint or shellac will weather and peel as it ages on rocks. even on my wood carvings shellac will yellow. I think the mineral oil is a good way to go. At least when it ages it just needs to be redone. I have grit for the tumbler going up to 1200. I can take pics of what the 500/600 looks like (3rd round) later today. Some are shinier that others . You aren't supposed to mix hard and soft rocks and I think I did!
2 months or more of rock collecting, you'll need to rent a trailer ! Don't get caught taking rocks from Canadian provincial parks, they frown highly on that. Also at US National parks.
If you wander the Superior shore line watch out for Agates!