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Rock Tumbling Book


Modern Rock Tumbling is the only complete and up-to-date guide to tumble polishing rocks and stones.

Rock tumbling book
Only $24.99
We have read every book about tumbling that we could find. From that reading we have found that there are only a few books that explain tumbling with great clarity and genuine knowledge. Of those, we believe that Steve Hart has produced the best one. It explains the tumbling process completely and provides enough detail that you should produce excellent results if you follow his instructions.

There are very few places where you can learn how to tumble polish rocks from an expert. Without that, you will make a lot of mistakes and spend lots of time and money producing less-than-excellent results. If you are just getting started, read this book and you will be off to a great start. If you already know a lot, you will probably still learn many valuable things. The price might seem a bit high for a 96-page book, but we found it well worth the cost. Format: 9" x 6", paperback.


Table of Contents

Part 1: The Basics

  Chapter 1: History of Rock Tumbling & the Lapidary Arts-Plus Some Free Advice

  Chapter 2: Setting up your Tumbling Corner and Tumbling Your First Batch of Rocks

  Chapter 3: Theory & Practice of Rotary Rock Tumbling

    A. Issues Preparatory to Rock Tumbling:
          1. The Sizing Process - Breaking Big Rocks into Tumbling Rocks
          2. The Loading Process - Barrel Filling, Consumables, Media & Water
          3. The Grading Process - Letting the Rocks Talk
          4. The Cleanup Process - Avoiding Contamination
          5. The Recording Process - The Importance of Keeping Track

    B. Understanding the 4-Stage Rock Tumbling Process:
          Stage 1: Rough Grind (Shaping) with 80-Mesh Silicon Carbide
          Stage 2: Medium Grind (Sanding) with 220-Mesh Silicon Carbide
          Stage 3: Fine Grind (Pre-Polish) with 600-Mesh Silicon Carbide
          Stage 4: The Polishing Stage

    C. The 5-Stage Rock Tumbling Process for Softer (or More Valuable) Stones:
          Stage 1: Rough Grind (Shaping) with 80-Mesh Silicon Carbide
          Stage 2: Medium Grind (Sanding) with 220-Mesh Silicon Carbide
          Stage 3: Fine Grind with 600-Mesh Silicon Carbide
          Stage 4: Extra Fine Grind (Pre-Polish) with 1000-Mesh Silicon Carbide
          Stage 5: The Polishing Stage

    D. Burnishing

    E. Equipment Maintenance Issues


Part 2: Rock Tumbling Properties, Materials, and Techniques

  Chapter 4: Fun Facts and Solutions
      A. Particle Size
      B. Rock Hardness
      C. Toughness
      D. Quantity of Abrasives and Polish to Use

  Chapter 5: The Materials We Use Inside the Barrel - Compounds and Media
      A. Silicon Carbide Compounds
      B. Polishing Compounds
      C. Ceramic Shaped Media
      D. Plastic Pellet Media
      E. Soap
      F. Burnishing Powders

  Chapter 6: Tumble-Polishing Specific Rocks + Hobbies
      A. Quartz, Agates & Jaspers
      B. Obsidian & Apache Tears
      C. Jade & Jadeite
      D. Banded Rhyolite (Wonderstone)
      E. Abalone Shells
      F. Colored Glass
      G. Candles
      H. Jewelry Making

  Chapter 7: Introduction to Vibratory Polishing

  Chapter 8: Getting the Slurry Right

  Chapter 9: Vibratory Cycle Times

  Chapter 7: Introduction to Vibratory Polishing

  Finale

  Appendix
      Table 1 - Particle Size Chart
      Table 2 - Rock Hardness Chart
      Table 3 - Rock Toughness Chart
      Table 4 - Quantity of Abrasives & Polish to Use
      Do Rocks Really Have Secret Powers
      Sources
      My Favorite Internet Places
      Glossary of Terms
      Bibliography
      Attributes of a Rockhound
      Rock Tumbling Record
      Rock Tumbling Record Form
      Index