Rock Tumbling Hobby - Tumbler Enthusiasts

WELCOME TO THE ALL FREE ROCK TUMBLING HOBBY SITE
(The World Famous Rock Hobby Domain!)

Use this site to learn everything you need to know about rock tumbling and lapidary arts in general. We hope that both the beginner and experienced rock tumbling enthusiast will find the information herein useful, making your hobby more rewarding as time goes on. Over the last 14 Years - this website and forum has become the ultimate resource for gemstone hobbyists from all over the world - rest assured - you are in the official site!!!

Whats New at Rock Tumbling Hobby?

We now have the Rock Tumbling Hobby Newsletter.
To get the latest information (monthly or once every two months) on equipment and rough rock (stupifying cheap deals) - Subscribe below - you can unsubscribe at any time and we NEVER sell your details on.


	Enter Your Email Address Below to Join Our Informal, No Hassle Newsletter and become a part of our huge and friendly community!


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We Go Back a Long Way - Established 2002

5th February 2016 - There's now over 7200 members on the tumbling enthusiasts forum and a wealth of knowledge in OVER EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND MESSAGES which is unsurpassed on the internet in this area. If you are interested in talking about specifics - then there is definitely someone there you can chat with.


		Click To Visit Our Huge Rock Tumbler Forum!

Updates.
A new place for members and visitors to trade the items they produce in their hobby. Visit the Rock Tumblers Trading Section for current items on show. If you would like to add your own items to this list - then please visit the message board (forum above) to learn more - its free to advertise.

There is now a growing archive of member photos containing over 100 HQ images of our favorite rocks. Click here to visit the Samples Photo Section

Due to the popularity of the forum / message board, we now have quite a collection of fantastic pics from fellow tumbling enthusiasts from around the globe. The rock tumbling visitors section has now been completely restructured to bring some initial order to the growing collection of images - they have been separated onto different pages for better downloading.

Keep on Tumbling!!!! - and don't forget to bookmark so you can carry on sharing tips with other enthusiasts from around the world!

Thanks - Mark.


	INTRODUCTION. What is rock tumbling all about? Rock tumbling is a process whereby rough stone is taken as a raw material, and rotated inside a barrel with a selection of harder "grits", until all the rough edges have been removed. Once the stone has been shaped, it is polished in a final phase until perfectly smooth, creating a beautiful finished article which can be used for gifts, ornamental/decorative purposes or simply added to your personal ever growing collection..... Who can find enjoyment from tumbling rocks? This kind of hobby is suitable for anybody who has an interest in exposing the natural shine and color of various types of semi-precious gemstones. It takes a lot of care and a lot of patience - but can provide years of enjoyment and the rewards in the form of the finished stones well worth the effort.

We STRIVE and keep on going to make Rock Tumbling Hobby grow in popularity on an ongoing almost daily basis - if you have a facebook or other social account - please give us a Like - it really helps our cause!!!! Lets see those numbers grow :)

A Rock Tumbler is a very original present to give on birthdays - for kids or adults - they would never guess whats in the box - but the surprise is amazing - and the results of the hobby mean the tumbler is appreciated again and again and again! Click below to view a great range of tumblers and purchase from perhaps the most well known online seller! Click below to purchase a rock tumbler and get your hobby up and running. They make fantastic birthday presents for kids - plus you are giving the gift of a hobby as well!!

Where do I begin? What do I need?

This section explains what equipment you will need like a tumbler and accessories, along with the materials you will be using.

Choosing your stones.

Here are some examples of finished stones which may help you decide which type you would like to polish.

A complete 4 Phase Cycle or Project.

Here I explain the process of a single "cycle" from start to finish - from rough cut rock through to the shining completed article.

Pitfalls to watch out for!

There are many things which can go wrong - and you need to keep a sharp eye on each project as it progresses!!

Top Tips

A few tips and tricks to help you through the process - some are more speculative than others!

Visit our Message Board.

See what others are posting about, what works, what doesn't. There are some real experts on there giving tips on everything concerning Rock Tumbling. Feel free to join in and ask a question - there are over 6700 members in there and it's free to join in.

Rock Tumblers Trading Section

A place for fellow tumblers to sell some of the items they have made.

Rock Tumbling Photos.

Pictures which show how the rocks look at various stages - so that you know what to expect as the cycle progresses.

Rock Tumbling Visitor Section

Why not send in some pictures to the email address below and I will be happy to publish them on the site. Here are some sent in so far.

Sample Photos From Visitors - Large Archive

Identify your samples and see how they turn out if you do them correctly. Also use this section to choose rocks which you might like to add to your collection.

Links Page

Other sites related to rock tumbling.

Link to Us

How to link to this website from your site.

Visitor Comments :-

I started out not expecting such interest, here are a few of the many responses I have had to date.

"...... 4 Phase Cycle is excellent, it's a comprehensive lesson I couldn't have got by without. Until I read it my gems were more like coal, I've printed it and double take when I start a new load ...." Harvey K - Sydney.

Thanks Harvey - It's great to know that people from as far away as Australia read my site. Thanks for your comments.

"...... My son Jake gives me this present - a bit of polished rose quartz. He thinks I know everything (but it's thanks to the Net and this site!) ...." Phil - UK.

Thanks Phil - keep him at it - I don't have kids but many people I know often ask for items from my collection that they can give to theirs!!

"...... I was using the same barrel for the lot. Oooooops - thanks ...." J. Croon - Ontario.

Thanks J. Croon - Yes - you can't get away with it for long .......................... :)


				Why not send in your comments, questions or tips so that I can put them on this site - more rock tumbling comments. Just send them to andrew@rocktumblinghobby.com and I will reply.

			Feel free to use my pictures, just give me a link back and give me a shout to show me what you have done with them.