Project

First Try With the Rock Tumbler

Build Date: June 21, 2022

During COVID, with everything closed, I picked up a Harbor Freight rock tumbler and tried polishing rocks from the yard. I still do not know what types of rocks they were, but the experiment was a fun excuse to see what ordinary backyard stones would do.

Starting Point

Harbor Freight dual drum rotary rock tumbler box and grit pack. — Tumbler kit before the first run.

Rough yard rocks laid out on concrete before going into the tumbler. — Yard rocks before tumbling.

Partly polished rocks rinsed on a paper plate during the tumbling process. — Rinsed rocks during an early cycle.

The tumbler did a good job while it was running. After a few cycles, the rocks started showing color and shine that was not obvious when they were sitting rough on the concrete.

Polish Checks

A dark polished rock held in hand after tumbling. — Checking the first glossy surfaces.

A reddish brown polished rock held in hand after tumbling. — Another stone starting to shine.

Yellow and translucent polished rocks held in hand after tumbling. — Yellow stones after polishing.

The final batch shined up better than expected. The only downside was that the motor eventually died after about three months of use, so the little project ended with a small mechanical autopsy.

Finished Batch

Glossy polished yard rocks in a white colander after tumbling. — Final shine on the yard rocks.

Close-up of the rock tumbler motor area after the failure point. — Motor area after it quit.

Resources:

Tools

CENTRAL MACHINERY 6 lb. Dual-Drum Rotary Rock Tumbler

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