Buying a Rock Tumbler for Kids

People often wonder if buying a rock tumbler for kids is a good idea.
Short answer is YES. 

With appropriate adult supervision, rock tumbling is a fantastic hobby for children.  But there are some things to consider to please see some information below to help you make an informed decision.

Kids generally love picking up interesting rocks so rock tumbling is a natural next step.  Any rocky beach or river is a great place to collect suitable rocks and gets them really keen to be outdoors interacting with nature.  Rock tumbling can lead into an interest in geology or gemmology or jewellery making so tumbling is a hobby that can grow with them.  Tumbling is a simple process so as long as they get a bit of help from an adult where needed, it is not too complex.

Rermember that tumbling is a relatively slow process though so make sure your child doest expect overnight results.  Although it usually takes 4 to 6 week (sometimes longer) to finish a batch, it usually fits in well with school and other activities to let the tumbler roll away during the week and do the stage changes at the weekend.  In this fast-paced world, not a bad idea to teach kids that patience is a good thing and some things are worth waiting for.

Tumbling is safe - grinding is done with silicon carbide and an oxide polish.  These products are not toxic and can be disposed off by leaving the slurry to dry in a bucket and throwing out with the rubbish.  Washing the rocks between stages does not require any special precautions although DONT wash the slurry down the sink (it will block drains) and wash hands afterwards. Make sure to keep long hair away from any moving parts (drive belts or moving shafts).

If you have decided that a rock tumbler would be a great Christmas or birthday present, now you need to choose the right one.

The first consideration is budget.  Very cheap tumblers are available and if you are not completely certain that the hobby will be long-term, some of these cheaper options are worth a try.  Some people start cheap and then upgrade down the track when resources permit.  Note that all of the cheaper options will have a tiny starter kit of grit/polish but these are of poor quality and unlikely to product a fully polished stone.

 If you think the hobby will stick, then we do recommend considering a better quality tumbler that will last many years and has good technical support.

There are some cheap tumblers we DONT recommend - these are the very cheap "toy" tumblers with plastic barrels.  Cheap to buy but you will be lucky to get through your first batch.

Steer clear of anything that look like these - the plastic barrels are very noisy and the units tend to be very unreliable with no spare parts or customer support. They all run way too fast for optimal results. WASTE OF MONEY.  We do NOT reommend.

 

Cheap tumblers with a rubber barrel should run quieter than those shown above.  Note that the motors tend to be quite underpowered and it can sometimes be a challenge to run an optimal load in the barrel.  All tumblers we have seen with variable speed options run way too fast - this is a gimmick and excessive speed will make it hard to achieve a good polish.  The rocks that are included in the kit are usually insuffient to load the barrel correctly (2/3 full) but sometimes tumblers struggle with extra weight added. 

If you want to try a cheaper tumbler, then we probably suggest that the National Geographic Professional Tumbler Kit is probably the best of a bad bunch.  It still run too fast- the motor is small but did run the barrel ok during our test.  Some people manage to get a run out of these - when it gives up the ghost, you can then think about upgrading to a more reliable model.

The grit/polish that are indluded in the kit is not great and will be enough for one batch only.  The 4th stage is only #1200 grit and should not be regarded as a final polish (particularly the polish) so you will need to allow for this.

 

 

Why spend more on a quality tumbler?
Buying a good quality tumbler is an investment - you are paying for long-term reliability, a proven design that allows for repairs to keep it working for years and customer support from the supplier.  If you research which brand to get, you will often hear the name Lortone being mentioned - an American brand which has earned a reputation for quality in rock tumbling.  We have been a Lortone dealer for many years now but we can now go one step better with our own Auscut Smooth Tumblers which have taken a proven design and improved it.

The Smooth tumblers from Aussie Sapphire are designed to last with all parts being replaceable and spares kept in stock.  No built-in obsolescence - we believe your tumbler should work for years.  The tumblers are affordable and designed to run quietly with powerful motors, improved drive system, sealed roller bearings and improved ventilation. No gimmicky variable speed or timers - you dont need them and it complicates things for future repair.  Just a tumbler that works and keeps working.  These do cost more than the cheap options but the benefits are worth the extra investment.  And Aussie Sapphire can provide all the advice, extras, consumables and support you need through the process.