Baby’s First Tumble
- Batch: 001
- Status: tumbled
- Started: 2025-07-13
- Finished: 2025-08-21
- Tumbler: National Geographic Professional Rock Tumbler
- Origin: Blue Marble NG Kit
- Rocks: agate jasper sodalite quartz tiger eye amethyst petrified wood
Before Tumbling
Notes
This is my first batch ever. I didn't know about filler media, so a few dalmatian jasper pieces cracked, and some pieces were still bumpier than I would have liked. I didn't know how smooth each rock should be, so I ended up moving some pieces along prematurely. Next time, I will separate the rocks that are ready to move on from those that aren't. They don't all need to stay in the tumbler together.
Stages
Stage 1 — Coarse Grind
Observations: Ran twice (~5 days each). No filler media led to chips and cracks; should have removed smooth pieces after first run.
Decision: Repeat — I wasn't sure how smooth the rocks needed to be before moving them along to the next stage.
Stage 2 — Medium Grind
Observations: Still learning what to look for; some stones probably needed another round, but everything moved forward.
Stage 3 — Pre-Polish
Observations: Similar to medium stage; some pits remained but advanced anyway.
Stage 4 — Polish
Observations: Quartz pieces polished well; others dull or left with grit in pits.
After Tumbling