It's hard to know what to use, what to try first, or what may work the best. Here we have listed the items we use with any thoughts about them we may have. We may earn commission from some links.
Come back as we will update the list with new items as we use them!
Grit and Media:
Grit: I order my grit from Kingsley North or the Rock Shed. Which place depends on how much shipping is at that time or if there is something else either place has that I want or need at the moment.
Ceramic media: We like this larger size because it eventually will wear down anyway. Starting with the smaller diameter media just meant that we had to buy new media more often.
Plastic pellets: We don't love using these as much because you have to keep the pellets used for each stage separate, but they do have their uses and are a good thing to have on hand if trying softer stones
Corn cob media: Great for dry polishing stones
Granulated sugar: We use this for softer stones during the 1000 grit and polish steps. Equal amounts sugar to grit. Any granulated sugar from your local grocery store would do
Borax: I use this in rotary tumblers for a burnishing step, and occasionally in a vibratory tumbler bowl. You can get this at your local grocery or even home improvement stores, typically in the laundry aisle.
Rock Tumbling Equipment:
Bucket Strainer/Sieve: We like these because they fit on a 5 gallon bucket and capture all your stones to allow for easy washing. The only annoying part is that once the ceramic media gets too small, it can get stuck in the tiny holes.
Vibratory tumblers: If you are just starting and not sure about how often you will use, I think the Raytech tumblers are a great place to start. The TV-5 is easy to manage for a beginner, and the TV-10 allows for a higher production. I don't care for the tubing/drain on the TV-10 so I usually silicone or superglue it shut. I also don't love the shape of the bowl for the TV-5, but it get's the job done. The bowls can wear through quickly with heavy use, so be aware you may need to replace them, or might even want a replacement handy.
Other Polishing Equipment
Flat Lap: We use the Hi-Tech 8" slant cabber. I like the slant because I am short so I can sit or stand and still see my work easily. Things I don't love about this include that the water reservoir at the top easily gets contaminated with spray from the discs as you work and is quite small. Rigging a larger reservoir is an easy enough fix. The drain also gets clogged pretty easily.
Wet Polisher: This is a great alternative for a flat lap, or can be used if you are working on a piece that is too large for your flat lap. This particular one comes with polishing pads, but we also purchased additional grit pads.
PPE (Personal Protection Equipment)
Respirator mask: I have used several types of masks. You can get these at your local home improvement store also, typically near the paint section.
Rubber/vinyl apron: I use this when I'm on the tile saw, flat lap, or when using the wet polisher
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