I took a picture at night on harvest moon in October 2016

Hello,

Would I have success using a Dremel to polish out points on my rocks that the tumbler did not get. Like on a bunch of my opal and obsidian and jade they have points on them that appear stuffed and unpolished after 1 months in the tumbler. I'd like to know if I could polish them out with a Dremel tool and hand shine them and what's the best way of doing it ?

Heya 👋 I'm getting into carving more and more but I do have a question. Should I tumble up to the pre polish stage (3), then carve my design, THEN polish in the tumbler?? If not. What process do you have for when you decide to carve? Is it different for 2D vs 3D designs?

Not sure yet if I want to attempt at a rounded back of the skull or make it more of a decorative piece and cut it flat in the back. Hmm

I’ve been rock tumbling for a few months and recently started using a rotary tool to do some pre-shaping before putting my stones into the tumbler.

I have an old, corded Sears rotary tool that I use. It works great, but I haven’t been able to find any attachable guards to help control the water spray from getting everywhere when wet grinding and shaping. Any suggestions for standalone splash guards, or hacks that I could look into purchasing (ideally) or building (if necessary)?

I use a Kingsley North water drip system that works great, just trying to reduce the mess and the risk of spreading wet dust around that dries and becomes an issue all over again. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Stoked to find this sub!! I’m just getting started after years of holding back, and looking forward to learning and sharing.

That is all….for now 😅

Hello! I was suggested to come over to this subreddit about polishing questions. Excited to find some Reddit groups like this!!

For many years I’ve been collecting rocks up at my parents cabin. This weekend I’ve decided to try using my dremel and attempt to clean and polish some of my finds. I believe I already have all of the accessories for my dremel I will need. But, I am struggling with what sort of polishing compound I should try? Google has such conflicting information. Some sources say cerium oxide, others say glass polish, some say to just simply use mineral oil or baby oil. I am hoping to find someone with a bit more experience who could help guide me the right direction.

Hey All, firstly want to say what a great group you all have going! I'm excited to get started and give it all a go. (Attached is one of my finds which I think is a quartz or similar)

I have just started rock hounding/finding gems etc. I have a pretty cheap rotary tool (Aldi) unit. I have purchased a few diamond cutting bits and also some sanding bits (links below).

Are there any tips and trips that you all recommend when getting started? any tips would be greatly appreciated. E.g. should I be worried about mohs to what I should be using for cutting/sanding etc.

I've watched some videos and found drip systems are a must and have setup something to get started with.

The sanding bits I purchased unfortunately don't fit the rotary tool so currently using my drill for it. Is it worth just fitting to the rotary tool with a little hole? Guessing the RPM on the rotary makes it much faster than a drill.

Diamond bits - https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/aw/d/B09CT231VJ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Sanding bits - https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/aw/d/B07QXXYY3S?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I use a foredom flex shaft and mostly ufo wheels to make wave patterns

Can anyone give any guidance on tips on how to remove these scratches?

Ive had better luck doing it by hand. I’ve worked up to 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, and it’s had some improvement. But I don’t know if I just need just keep going, moving up in grit, or do I need to start over at a lower grit?

How do i get the actual polish done with the rotary tool? The bits I could find locally were not labeled and were just ‘medium’ or ‘fine’ grit or whatever. Working on some laguna lace agate, i have it quite flat on the surface but i cannot get a shine. I found some polishing paste on amazon but jt’s pretty expensive. I wonder if I can polish using the actual polish grit for tumbling but applied with a fine grit bit? I checked locally and the rock shops have weird hours. I have a ton of the loose grit for tumbling though so i mean, why not?

Just like the title says. Winter is setting in and it's too cold to work in my garage anymore.

Obviously I'd drill in water and keep anything I'm carving wet. Been using an N95 outside, but would get a full respirator for indoors, but I'm worried that the dust would hurt my furnace long term. Anyone else have experience with this and want to weigh in? My house is small and my basement is too. Only one room.

Thanks for any guidance on this!

I have searched and searched this question and, either I don't know the magic Google words or it's a trade secret or something...

How fast should my tool be turning?

I know that it's variable for the hardness of the rock and the bit you're using. So. A more detailed question:

For a soft stone (like opal) and a hard stone (like quartz or agate), what's the range of rpms for:

1. Diamond bits
2. Sintered diamond bits
3. Sandpaper drums
4. Resin points (like Nova points)
5. Diamond paste with buffing wheels

Assume I am using so much water my fingers are permanently pruned and I always always always wear eye protection and a mask. (Which is the only consistent advice I can find anywhere...)

Hi! A Mod over at r/rockhounds recommended this sub when I asked if anyone uses a rotary tool for lapidary work. Little did I know it's 'a whole thing'! I'm really happy to find this sub and learn. I've been collecting rocks and gemstones for decades but never did any lapidary work. I looked at rock tumblers online and wondered "Couldn't I do this with my rotary tool and have more fun?". I then found a Youtube video of someone doing it and immediately came to Reddit to learn more.

I welcome any advice for beginners. I will be starting out on a small, simple basis with various rocks I find on my hikes, nothing large or fancy; just cabochons to start. Most of what I find is various quartz and some agates.

Some general questions I have are:

1. Safety: I would wear gloves, safety glasses and a mask. Do you all wear cloth masks or respirators? I'm thinking my respirator is probably needed?
2. Dust: As a follow-up, what do you do with the dust? I played around with my rotary tool and a smoky quartz last night outside, but I quickly realized dust will be an issue indoors, where I would normally prefer to work. Do you have exhaust fans or are you working in dedicated workspaces or what?
3. Wet or dry? What's the difference and when would I do each?
4. Equipment: I already own a cordless Dremel, a second corded offbrand Rotary tool, a flex-shaft, a Dremel Press/Workstation (for fixed-point work), safety stuff and a worktable. Anything else?
5. Bits/Tips: This is probably my biggest question, what do I need for bits to cut, grind and polish? Any links or names of specific bits would be appreciated.

Thanks so much!