avusblue
Enlightened
I had one as a kid and I remember it was fun to transform "found rocks" into "smooth, polished rocks" in a month -- something nature would take thousands of years to do.
Now our twin boys turn 8 in a couple weeks and they love to find and collect rocks. They expressed interest in a rock tumbler to shape and polish them up. I think it would be a good present for them to share. Can anyone recommend a brand / place to look?
We like that this would teach that good results require patience and following a process. 4 one-week grinds which gradually turn a rough rock into a smooth, pretty piece.
Quick googling led me to Dad's Rock Shop which had useful info. Looks like the Lortone line of tumblers are what they recommend for lasting quality. Seems like you don't want to cheap out with something that will be running nonstop weeks at a time, a $29.99 special from Toys R Us, with a crappy motor, is false economy.
Anyway, I'm looking for any useful advice or experience from the group. Seems like there's no topic too out-of-bounds for our illustrious group of experts!
Thanks very much, I need to decide and get something ordered by end of week or so.
Cheers,
Dave
Now our twin boys turn 8 in a couple weeks and they love to find and collect rocks. They expressed interest in a rock tumbler to shape and polish them up. I think it would be a good present for them to share. Can anyone recommend a brand / place to look?
We like that this would teach that good results require patience and following a process. 4 one-week grinds which gradually turn a rough rock into a smooth, pretty piece.
Quick googling led me to Dad's Rock Shop which had useful info. Looks like the Lortone line of tumblers are what they recommend for lasting quality. Seems like you don't want to cheap out with something that will be running nonstop weeks at a time, a $29.99 special from Toys R Us, with a crappy motor, is false economy.
Anyway, I'm looking for any useful advice or experience from the group. Seems like there's no topic too out-of-bounds for our illustrious group of experts!
Thanks very much, I need to decide and get something ordered by end of week or so.
Cheers,
Dave