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