| Original Message: Re: Thank you all, and now I have to buy a tumbler. |
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You do not want a rotary tumbler they are too rough on the stones. I have used vibes for decades and run a lapidary form so I keep on top of what is available and whether the brand has had a recent decline in quality which is all too common.I just looked on the Kinsley north vibe tumbler page and they have a very small Raytec which would suit your purposes.I buy a lot from Kinsley north and they are ok. Thumbler tumblers are now considered very good quality and are what i would buy in a standard sized tumbler. Ceramic media is what you use in the tumbler to do the actual grinding. The media come in various shapes and are made of alumina mostly. 600 or 1,000 grit are good for producing matt finishes. The higher grit for soft stones like you are talking about.A very small amount of grit is used , a tea spoon is where i start on a full sized vibe. The crucial part is the water. It should also be added by the tea spoon as too much water washes the grit to the bottom of the bowl and simply wears out the bowl in that spot.Add a little water and wait 3 or 4 minutes and allow it to spread around the bowl before you add more if needed. The bowl should be 2/3 full of media. The grit is broken down in a vibe in about 3 hours , they are fast. 600 grit puts a nice matt surface on quartz stones.
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