Rock Tumbler Basics

There are two main types of rock tumblers, rotating tumblers and vibrating tumblers. Rotating rock tumblers are the most common type of tumbler. Rotating tumblers work by causing the rocks to fall over each other, again and again, like rocks in a river. Polishing material called 'grit' is added to further smooth the stones.

There are several different manufacturers of rotating rock tumblers. They all work basically the same, though they come in different sizes. You get what you pay for... the rotors of the more expensive tumblers can last pretty much forever if they are given proper care. Cheap tumblers may use cheap parts, which can break and be difficult to replace.

Vibrating rock tumblers polish rocks much more quickly than rotating tumblers, but they are more expensive to buy. Technically speaking, vibrating tumblers aren't tumblers since the rocks are smoothed by vibrations or bumping each other while spinning rather than by tumbling. Vibrating tumblers tend to be quieter than rotating tumblers. In addition to polishing rocks quickly, they allow you to retain the original shapes of the rocks you polish.

If you get the right tumbler for your needs, you'll enjoy rock tumbling more. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1) How big are the rocks you want to tumble?

Tumblers are sized according to the loads that they can bear. Small tumblers tumble (you guessed it) small rocks. Large tumblers can accomodate larger rocks or lots of smaller rocks. If you are tumbling small stones to use for jewelry, you probably can use a small tumbler. If you want to tumble large specimens, then you may be happier with a larger tumbler.

Also, you need to have enough rocks to fill the barrel of the tumbler. If you expect to tumble small batches of rocks, go with a smaller size. If you have mountains of pretty rocks just waiting to be polished, go with something bigger.

2) How much do you want to spend?

Bigger tumblers cost more. Vibrating tumblers typically cost more than rotating tumblers.

3) What Shape Rocks Do You Want?

Rotating tumblers produce rounded rocks. Rocks polished by a vibrational tumbler retain more of their original size and shape.