Hobbies And Interests
The Coffee Can Method and the Sanding Method
The coffee can method takes a lot longer than most methods because it is done at a relaxing pace. You just need a coffee can and some sand. You place the rock and some sand into the can and roll it around. Doing this even inconsistently for a month will get you a smooth rock at the end.
You can also choose to sand your rock. You will need to start with a coarse grit before gradually switch to other sandpapers. Between each different type you have to clean the rock and make sure there is no dirt on the sandpaper because it could damage the rock.
An Actual Tumbler
You can make an actual tumbler that will work faster than either of the previous methods. You will need a piece of wood for the baseboard. On the baseboard you need to mount a set of wheels--furniture wheels will work--or you will need to attach a pulley system. Before doing this, choose the proper container to use as the cylinder--it could be a coffee can, plastic round storage tub or anything else of the sort that you can drill a couple of holes into.
Put the cylinder on its side on top of the baseboard. Mount the pulleys in a way that the cylinder fits evenly between the two sides and is a few inches above the board.
At the other side of the board you will need to mount a small rotary motor. You will have to hook the drive belt around the cylinder and back to the motor. When you turn the motor on, the belt will start to turn with the help of the wheels. You can add sand in with the rock if you wish before turning the motor on.
The speed at which the cylinder turns depends on the power of the motor. Before purchasing one make sure that it can be used for this purpose and check out its running speed. There are more advanced rock tumblers that can be made if you are more technologically advanced. These are found on the Internet with free instructions.