Hey Atomic Shrimp (I don’t know your actual name, sorry), a couple of my subscribers told me about your video so I had to come watch it. Thanks for mentioning my channel several times! Those little white tabs at the ends of the frame are supposed to be turned toward the inside of the machine so that the barrels rub against them. This cuts down on the friction between the barrel and the frame. It will prevent the scuffing you’re seeing on the ends of your barrels. I’m not sure about the one on the rubber end. I’d just turn the barrel so that the metal lid is up against an end with the white tab. Your sea glass should work pretty well in place of ceramic media. The only problem I see with it is that it will wear out pretty quickly compared to ceramic. The reason that you had left over grit is because you probably had a bit too much sea glass in the barrel. Too many small pieces of rock or ceramic will have that effect. The bulging barrel is because you were tumbling glass. Glass and obsidian (natural glass). Those are the only two material I have ever tumbled that let off gas and and increase the pressure on the inside. If you see the barrel bulging, you can just crack the seal of the lid to let off a little pressure. Your granites tumbled exactly like mine always do. That’s called “undercutting” when one mineral is softer than the others and wear away more. They also don’t shine up. They always do well at first and then start going bad as you get to the finer grits or polish. I run my pre-polish stage for ten days, without opening the barrel. Then I go a full two weeks in the polish stage. Changing grit is necessary in the first stage because you’re trying to grind away a lot of rock. The grit wears out over time. But in later stages, you want the grit to get smaller over time. As it gets smaller, it’s just like moving on to a finer grit. It was really fun watching you learn my favorite hobby. Thanks for the video. I know how long those videos take to make.
Hey, awesome to see you here (my name's Mike BTW) - your videos are an inspiration for me! Really appreciate your detailed advice on this batch and I am looking forward to doing it better next time! From other comments, I think we figured out that the little plastic tab at the other end of the tumbler is there because this machine probably shares a common parts manufacturing process with larger/longer machines that accommodate two barrels back to back - so there would be metal at both ends on those machines.
Only just started watching...but I've been wanting to do this for quite some time 😅. It just never occurred to me, that the equipment could be had for a reasonable amount of money. Very much looking forward to seeing , how it all turned out!
I'm totally the same, that's why the channel is a great fit. I might not be the best at any particular thing or in it for decades, but I really like making my own experiences with all kinds of topics. I even took a look at rock tumbling before, but for a specific use in other projects
Can I just say, I don't give a flying toss about rocks, I didn't even know tumbling was a thing, or anything about how they're polished. I just watched an hour video about it and was thoroughly entertained and learned a bit about what different types of rocks look like, and how this process works. Watching your channel feels a lot like being in the scouts, where I'd turn up every week, have fun and leave having learned a bit more about an area that I wouldn't have otherwise thought to investigate. Thank you Mr Shrimp.
I was recommended this channel on reddit and thought I'd give it a go. This should be an intensely boring hour but I really enjoyed it. Watching you test the earth and fix the machine at the start was interesting and something most would have left out. Then just coming along for the ride as you learn was really interesting. I'll have to watch more of your videos as I have a real interest in learning about random things like rock tumbling. Cheers.
This man's videos are a wild eclectic mix of randomness. I have absolutely no interest in forreging but have watched many hours of him picking berry's and mushrooms and then cooking meals with those ingredients. It's the perfect youtube channel in my opinion
As you said, the chamber expanded, There is a thing in rock tumbling called barrel burping. Not all rocks give off gasses, and sometimes its simply due to the air in the barrel heating up and expanding.
Haven't finished the video, so forgive me if this has been talked about, but at 38:54 the bulging that happens is probably because of the seaglass, glass and obsidian tend to release gases when tumbled which can cause this. Michigan Rocks has made a video talking about this, very interesting. Great video as always, it is always harder to find UK based rock tumbling videos!
I was told that the reason these amazon and ali express brands have gibberish names in english is because all brands that want to sell in the US have to go through a verificaton to make sure their name is not already copyrighted. And gibberish names get approved almost immediately because no one else would have copyrighted it. Not 100% sure this is true but it does indeed make sense. Much easier to prove that Kyngty has never been copyrighted than for example "Rocksy" or something.
IIRC Clay particles, microscopically speaking, are saucer-shaped and have a negative charge, which is what gives them their ceramic properties. Your ground rocks are essentially an ultrafine silt, which generally has round particles and no charge.
I have had a bad run of illness and I really want to thank you for your channel as it has been like a calm and reassuring - if a little eccentric - friend keeping me company. I really appreciate it Shrimp! You’re a gem
A wild guess as to why the slurry doesn't work as clay: any adhesion between the now round particles would be minimal, there are no sharp edges to fit or even hook together, the edges easily slide off each other, causing the "clay" to crumble and break.
It indeed has to do with particle shapes, but not necessarily with them being jagged. A defining feature of all clays is that they exist of platelets - small 2dmensional structures - which allow for a lot of adhesion through Vanderwaals forces. This is also why clay can swell so much, there is plenty of space for water to migrate into! If the particles would hook on each other clays wouldn't be maleable. This would also cause any material to toughen up as you work it - work hardening. If you've ever seen images of blacksmiths hammering away at a sword this is why! My 1st year geology elective is finally paying off 😜
Having absolutely no knowledge about geology whatsoever, my first thought would have been to agree with that "no hooks" theory. Because Dubai and the UAE import a lot of sand from everywhere in the world, to build their artificial islands and sky scrapers, even though they should have enough sand of their own. But the grains of desert sands have are too round to make concrete out of them.
Ace! This is great saturday morning telly. I assumed I had no interest in rock tumbling at the start of the video but I was rapt by the time the mystery bonus rock made it's appearance. For me, this video falls in to the sweet spot midway between the slow TV and your mission oriented challenge stuff. Great stuff. From Arola in London, Age 43 and 3/4
If Jenny is the accessory-using type, it might be nice, both for her and us, to see you go through the process of turning a rocks on the flatter side into a necklace
Very good point to check for continuity and shorting when buying Chinese appliances. It’s quite common to find unearthed metal housing. Also if they do have UK plugs, check they meet BS1363 standards. Found many explosive fuses, wrong pin lengths and pin insulation. Often you will also find a quite common death adapter included that has no built in shutters so you can see the live terminals when it is plugged in.
Saw a coworker getting shocked by a power adapter when trying to plug in an EU plug in while pushing the earth socket in with a key. Usually that shouldn't do anything but this adapter was probably wired incorrectly and shorted with the earth pin. Good idea testing these things especially when they are made in another country that doesn't have the same safety standards.
Where can I buy appliances that aren't made in China? Aside from power tools, I can't find any products not made in China. Sure, Japan makes some (expensive) stuff, but all I see is Taiwan and China. Mostly China. That being said, the last 2 products I've bought (China) have wall warts that spark when I plug them in.
@@Boogie_the_cat It’s not just the fact that it’s made in China, it’s the fact that it’s designed in China to Chinese quality and safety standards, which are practically non-existent.
@@Boogie_the_cat There’s nothing wrong with buying cheaper Chinese appliances as long as you check they are safe. There are higher quality non Chinese brands but you get what you pay for. Bosch make a lot of affordable home appliances. I have a few appliances from British Brand Tower.
I found this experiment really fascinating. My two grandsons (5&7) love collecting rocks and are very fussy which ones are good enough to keep. I think a tumbler is very easy to use and would be a great addition to their hobby- so thanks for putting an idea for a Christmas gift in my mind. I am sure there are some beauties here in the Welsh valleys ❤
Pretty sure the part you called quartz is the calcite. The crystal shape (parallelepiped) gives it away. If you are interested, I can get you a shorter belt. My employer makes these, and a short lenght like this is just pennies, I can configure it to your specifications. I have a very similar rock to that green and red you showed as a token in a game, and IIRC this was named a breccia of jasper. AFAIK the brown agates you can buy are made by boiling grey agates in a caramel solution. Might be something to consider when you find it "dull and grey".
I can only hope to be as lucky as you to have a special person in their life to challenge to a sea glass hunting competition. Thats peak relationship goals right there.
You might like to try a 600 or 800 grit step after the 300 grit before moving on to the ceria. When I used to polish rocks with my kids we found that this really flattened the surface and made the polishing step faster and gave a more even finish. (You could run the also-rans from your current batch as a test)
It's certainly a nice bit of kit, but knowing how these things work, I was a bit surprised that you hadn't fabricated one yourself, with a far higher spec. and better finish, than any you could buy. You're really good at creating useful and beautiful things from odds and sods. It's a skill I'm rather envious of, if I'm honest. I was going to the shops, but the sight of over an hour of Atomic Shrimp, persuaded me that it can wait. 👍👍👍
I have an Evans Lapidary rock tumbler from the 1970s (Cost £7 for 15lb model), and although a bit of a Trigger's broom it still works well to this day with minimal maintenance
While it wasn't intended to be a big deal, huge fan of the honeycomb censor. It was very satisfying and blended better with the surrounding environment.
I must say, this is the most "well read", if not "Renaissance Man" RU-vid channel I've come across. You make videos on so many different subjects, yet they all seem to fit together as though they were jigsaw puzzle pieces. The topics are both interesting and mesmerizing as well. Keep up the good work!
@@technoman9000 unclear but I hope there is peace in the "otter favorite rock finding process" After all they like to sleep holding hands. Which is otterly adorable.
Granite wont polish nicely because the black parts are mica which is about hardness 3 mixed with hardness 6 feldspar and 7 quartz. your stripey boi/obsidian looks like quartzite to me
I definitely feel like you're on the right track with varying hardnesses of the rocks being a factor. I noticed that the rocks that performed the worst were the ones that were aggregates and/or had varying hardnesses within the rock, like the black-and-white ones and the granitey ones. I think the density of the crystalline structure is a variable that can make for better or worse outcomes and the granitey ones have variably dense crystals within. I love how the nodule of quartz shined up and protruded from the black matrix of the otherwise plain aggregate. If you don't already have one on the way, I'd recommend getting a hardness testing kit, like with the scratchers, so you can put together batches of rocks with similar hardnesses. Absolutely loved this video and couldn't tear myself away for the entire hour
Did I just watch an hour long video about rock tumbling??? Mike you are so good at what you do. I've been watching you for almost 5 years I believe and nobody else could get me to watch a video about something as obscure (to me anyway) as rock tumbling. I didn't even know there was such a thing 90 minutes ago. Great job!!
The pinkish rocks that you said look like some kind of feldspar appear to be Potassium Feldspar rich granites. Michigan Rocks is a great RU-vid channel, good to hear you watch his videos!
A whole hour long video on rocks, without hardly any input from the Shrimp Cottage rock expert Eva? 😲 Do tell me, have she barked on them yet? Have you ever considered attending a Geology or Petrology course? Many Universities have them online, so you don't even need to leave the comfort of your own home.
My only previous encounter with these was when I was about 7 and my friend's uncle had one. I asked what it was and was told it was "fulla really shinin' stones". I thought he had diamonds or something in there.
This brought a massive smile to my face. Me & my partner informally call Atomic Shrimp "shrimpy boy". We're fully aware he isn't a boy but it fits somehow, maybe Shrimp age slower.
What a great video, took me back to my childhood. The tumbler I used then has been gathering dust in the spare room for decades, might be time to pull it out and see if it's still working!
Rocks look so exciting on the beach when they're wet and shiny and your child is collecting them, in contrast to how they appear when you get home with a bucket of dull stones.
@@raraavis7782 I confess I do too. And am just about to suffer the September version - fresh conkers - waxy and shiny out of the case, dry and dull a day later.
Lovely video Mike, that took me right back to the 1970s when it was my mum's hobby and the tumbler was on a lot. I remember she used little plastic beads to cushion the rocks during the polishing stage and that really helped to bring out the shine.
I hadn't thought about people buying rocks in bulk to tumble. Glad they made it to you. I once had to ship a box of aggregate samples from WA to AK. They were in a burlap bag inside a cardboard box. UPS managed to lose it and it was all kinds of fun getting it found. I was asked to describe the contents and was met with silence when I said it was "literally a box of rocks." It was eventually located under the conveyor belt at a transfer station. It had turned into a cardboard ball and rolled off instead of making the corner. Lesson: ship in a pail, not a bag. Your rocks came out nice. It'll be great to see what you decide to do with all of them.
Watch me learn is such a fantastic concept and I hope we get more of them - you've taken something I have no knowledge (or really interest in) explained the idea of it, shown the process and seen the satisfaction of the process too.
I gotta say I adored the Monty Python Holy Grail reference! Thankyou for another amazingly interesting video especially on something as fascinating as the sport of rock tumbling!! X
I didn't actually realize that you tumbled rocks in stages, but it makes complete sense since you're essentially sanding them down at different grits. Love how you always stay curious!
That's really nice device with exeptional results! I'm a geology student and I've collected last month almost 4 kg of fossils on the Polish' coast of the Batlic Sea. You should consider visiting Poland if you like minerals, in Sudety and Góry Kaczawskie regions we have plenty of agathes, lapis, saphires, rubys, grenades and gold.
Maybe the tumbler expanded due to heat generated by the stones and polishing paste rubbing at each other. (Was that correct grammar? 🤔) A little WD 40 on the top and bottom metal parts might help to avoid the shaving, and some silicone on the inner rim of the metal lid might stop the leakage.
Sometimes you can tell that a shell comes from a species that lives in the intertidal zone by the thickness of the shell. Dog whelks are like little rocks - piddocks that live all their lives in a burrow have shells like paper
I am absolutely over the moon with this particular video. I have a rock tumbler that I bought two years ago for my kid. He wasn't interested in it and I have been intimidated to try it out. Now, I'm looking forward to actually getting some rocks into it. You, sir, are an inspiration and I thank you for sharing your adventures with us all. Much love 💜 and appreciation from North Carolina.
I think you did extremely well - bravo to you. I use a vertical, vibrating tumbler, with a 6 grit process. It takes about a week to 10 days for the entire process, so it's less frustrating, and I get very good results. I am interested in seeing you try some other kinds of rocks and doing this again.
When you're handling things while talking about them could you please try to frame them in the upper 2 thirds of the image. I watch with subtitles and many of the rocks in this video were obscured by the subtitles.
I had a rock tumbler when I was young and I only used it once. I was so excited about the polished rocks but it was a process. Each step took time and I think I just didn’t use it after the sample rocks it came with. It’s too bad. Learning patience is very important
The randomness of your channel is amazing. I would never look for a video on rock tumbling. I’m 36 minutes in and only just realised this isn’t a 10 minute video lol.
Always good practice to check earth continuity on any metal case appliance, especially those being sold from outside the UK. I have had several well made products that work great but lacked this basic safety feature even though there was nearly always provision made for earthing inside the device. As an aside it's a shame you didn't mention your desire to tumble rocks (unless I missed it), I have a tumbler you could have had FOC to play with. It's a very old machine but remarkably similar to what you have bought.
my rule for packing and shipping stuff, especially when going internationally, was "Can i hold the box over my head and drop it on the ground? If you think it'd get damaged from that, its not packed well enough." Because that's roughly the distance from a conveyor belt (which is where most packages spend 90% of their time in transit) and the ground. Gravity doesn't read "fragile" stickers, and with the package being at the mercy of gravity and conveyor belts for so long, you need to pack stuff to counter that fact. I worked for a shipping company for years, and having shipped out tens of thousands of things, i had zero damage claims, because i always followed that rule i set for myself. if something didnt meet my standard, i would refuse to ship it.
My son loved this content. I've shown him a number of your videos over the past few years. You should never have said you had sausage fingers BTW. It's imprinted on his 8 year old brain and has carried over. He's always collected rocks and stones and wants to get a tumbler now. So you've inspired someone. Well done, thank you.
I always appreciate your care for the environment, especially when it comes to cleanup. Great alert about not sluicing away the water to plug the drain! This episode went very fast, though I like rocks but not very interested in polishing them (up to now, anyway.). I may rethink that!
Make sure you order the right thing by spelling correctly, I thought I ordered one and instead I got KYNKY Cock Tumbler and now I have to wear special medical underwear.
I knew next to nothing about rock tumbling before starting this video, and thought I'd never care enough about the subject to look into it. Now I've watched an hour long video about it, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you!
I really enjoy watching you try new stuff:) So i don't have to;) haha No really, i mean it. I am soo curious about so many things and i love trying stuff, but then everything costs money, then stands around and does not get used anymore. Thats wasteful, so i enjoy watching others ^^ also because of the commentary and insight. Ps: ever thought about polishing your own mirror ;)? I once visited an exhibition about astrology and there was a man who made his own telescopes and his own mirrors! That was so interesting. Maybe you can find videos about that topic if it interests you. Probably not because a mirror on its own is a bit lame, rocks are more interesting haha
Never thought I’d be watching an hour long video about rocks on my day off, but it’s oddly entertaining. Despite not actually being interested in rocks. Odd
One thing I was taught to do (50 years ago, so perhaps not exactly current practise) was to include some small pieces of hardboard with each tumble, fresh pieces for each grit. The idea was to hold the medium and really work it into the areas that would otherwise be somewhat shaded without a long tumble in the coarse medium (though obiously you would need to the long tumble if you want to really round your stones off). It is decades since I last tumbled anything but I can remember using crocus powder and tin oxide in addition to cerium oxide - if I remember correctly, they were the initial polishing stages prior to the final gloss from cerium oxide. The other thing we used to do was to open the barrel periodically to vent any gas, so your experience is not at all unusual.
I love your channel, these wildly creative, different videos never fail to make me entertained! I just watched an hour long video on Rock tumbling and i loved it haha
I didnt think i was interested in rock tumbling but i sat and watched this video all the way through! Found it really interesting. Your presenting style made it an easy watch, great work sir.
I made my own tumbler a few years ago, basically all parts from my electronics junk box and an empty coffee can. Worked quite well with a slurry of wet sand as abrasive and plenty of time.
I would have never watched an hour long video about rocks if it wasn't from shrimp. I had zero interest in this before, not even a mild curiosity, but this has been really interesting.
When I was little I used to have a rock tumbler from Nat Geo. Not sure where it's gone to now, but I wish I could give it another go! I used to attempt to make jewellery with tiny stones lol
You've done it now. Next thing you know you'll have a pair of 12 pound rotary tumblers going 24/7, feeding a vibratory finish tumbler. I should know, it happened to me, and now I've got shiny rocks by the hundredweight and the agate/jasper vendors are getting rich. Edit: Getting a good finish is all about the coarse grit. If you're not satisfied with the feel of the stone after coarse grit, the second stage will not remove any flaws. Oh, and you used too much grit during the second stage. That's why it gummed up on the bottom. Lastly, cerium oxide is an excellent polish, but is expensive. When you need to buy more polish, look into a good aluminium oxide polish. I use Raybrite A with complete satisfaction, and it's not expensive in comparison to cerium oxide.
I used to go real hard on this as a younger woman as it fascinated. One thing I'd comment on is in my experience (at least with the rocks I have here in Canada), size didn't matter so much (as long as you weren't placing very disparate sizes together, like a huge stone and tiny pebble) but hardness definitely will. Placing much harder stones in with softer ones not only won't get you the best results on the polished ones, but will also make the hard stones rougher than they were to begin with (as you observed with that one pair.) If you see rocks that just aren't taking a polish at all, or are doing so much slower than the others, then its likely best to remove them from the cycles to get better quality results.
I used a Chinese rock tumbler for 8 years with stainless steel shot as a polishing medium on items I’d made from fine silver clay (clay particles burned off during firing. Leaving just the fine silver piece). In the end I passed it on to a friend and it’s still going strong 15 yrs later :)
@@AtomicShrimp I imagine that it could end up with all the pieces breaking to be roughly the same dimensions as the thickness of the glass, but it could be an interesting experiment for the upcoming dark winter months when a man has nothing to do but think of new and exciting ways to use his rock tumbler.
Amazing. About a year ago I picked up a few rocks on a beach that I thought I could sand to a polish with simple sandpaper. How naive I was. 😂 I had thought about a rock tumbler back then after my obvious failure but like many of my random thoughts and ideas it fell by the wayside. I came across this video tonight and after watching a full hour you have reignited my interest. I still have these rocks and will do as you have done and take the time out to pursue my interest. Thank you Shrimp
