Say it with us now: “Rock Tumbler Revolution.” For years, rock tumbling has run on the same four-pack of grit and polish. It works, but it treats every rock, every tumbler and every goal the same. It’s time for the tide to turn, with new variations and creative re-engineering of grit blends and polish specifications.
Beyond the four-pack
The classic sequence is coarse, medium/fine, pre-polish and polish. Small changes to that recipe can make a big difference to how fast you get there and how good the finish looks.
- Coarse grits matched to your rock: 36 extra coarse for very rough, angular rock, 46/70 for fast shaping of hard rough rock, and 60/90 as the standard first step for agate, jasper and quartz.
- Kits for hard or soft stones: softer stones need a gentler sequence than agate. A six-pack kit gives you more control over each step.
- A finer final polish: extra fine aluminum oxide (1200F) brings up a brighter shine on hard stones.
- Media made for your tumbler: refill kits made for Lortone, Thumler’s, Harbor Freight, National Geographic and Smithsonian barrels.
Smarter fillers
What you put in the barrel besides rock matters too.
- Plastic pellets: cushion the load in the pre-polish and polish steps so stones don’t chip as they get smoother.
- Ceramic cylinders: fill out a light load, carry grit into small crevices, and help keep the barrel turning evenly.
Our commitment
We are committed to bringing you the best, most effective rock tumbling supplies: graded silicon carbide and aluminum oxide, measured for your barrel and shipped within the USA. If you have an idea for a blend you would like us to try, or a rock that just won’t cooperate, tell us about it.
Explore our grit kits, or learn how each stage works in our grit stages guide.