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How to Make a Stone Tumbler

Stone tumblers, or rock tumblers, are used to sand and polish stones to give them a smooth and attractive finish. Most commercial stone tumblers are expensive, but you can create your own stone tumbler using materials you may already have on hand. Using an electric drill will give the tumbler more power and faster speeds than you could achieve by shaking and rolling by hand, providing quicker results and polishing your stones more completely.

Things You'll Need

Electric drill
Metal coffee can
Turnbuckle
Spade bit

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the lid from the coffee can and drill two holes about 1 inch down from the open end and directly across from each other.
- 2
  Remove the two bolts from the turnbuckle and insert one into each hole. Screw the bolts partially into the turnbuckle so that it is located right at the edge of the can.
- 3
  Insert the large, flat portion of the spade bit into the turnbuckle and tighten the bolts until the spade bit is tightly secured, with the small end sticking out away from the can.
- 4
  Loosen the chuck on the drill and insert the small end of the spade bit into the chuck and tighten the chuck until the bit is secure.
- 5
  Place your stones into the coffee can along with some sand and a small amount of water.
- 6
  Plug in the drill and press the trigger to spin the can and tumble the stones. Experiment with different angles to find the best method for polishing the stones without allowing them to fall out of the can.

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