How to Choose a Rock Polisher

Rock Polishing is perhaps one of the oldest process on earth. Long before man came along it was done by the oceans and was a gradual process that took years.

Nowadays we're able to get in on the fun and with the use of the right type of Rock Polisher / tumbler it can be done in a matter of days or weeks.

At first it can be very daunting trying to get to grips with the different terminology associated with the rock polisher, but it needn't be - there are actually only two main types of Rock Polisher (also commonly known as Rock Tumblers) on the market - Rotary and Vibratory. Before you choose your equipment and spend any money there are just a few factors you should consider:

1) Cost

Rotary rock Polishers / tumblers are generally cheaper and start from around $50 and can range anywhere up to $800 for heavy-duty commercial machines. For a decent Vibratory tumbler you can expect to pay upwards of $150.

2) Observation

Once set-up, rotary rock Polishers require very little, if any observation and as such you can effectively 'set it and forget it' whereas Vibratory tumblers should really be checked at least once a day.

3) Time

Vibratory rock polishers are far quicker that their rotary counterparts - typically 7-10 days versus the 30-45 days you could expect to run the rotary rock polisher.

4) Rounded or Natural?

Another key difference between the different types of rock polisher is the end result. Rotary Rock Tumblers will leave you with a more rounded stone, whereas the vibratory rock polisher will polish without much alteration to the overall shape of the rock. For the purposes of jewelry making (Lapidary) most people prefer rounded rocks, however for displaying that raw amethyst you found whilst out Rockhounding you may want to keep the natural shape but polish it up to a shine.

5) Capacity

There are varying sized barrels for the Rock Polisher, measured in lbs and the more you're planning to do at any given time the bigger barrel you'll need to do it - you may even want to consider one of the double-barreled tumblers on the market, available from companies such as Lortone.

6) Rock Types

The final consideration when choosing your rock polisher comes down to what rocks you're thinking of polishing. For smoothing out rough rocks you're going to want to use a rotary tumbler. If your main focus is going to be fragile rocks which and you don't want to alter their shape too much, then you'll need a Vibratory rock polisher.

Once you've all of the above into account, you're ready to head off and make an informed decision.

In the long run, if you get really serious about rocks you may find yourself (like so many lapidaries) with more than one Rock Polisher - A rotary for rounding and then a vibratory rock polisher for the final stage of polishing.

More articles on this subject can be found on my blog, as detailed below.

Further Reading:
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