Vibrating Rock Tumblers

There are several different types of rock tumblers. The most typical tumbler, often called a "rotary tumbler," uses a system of barrels that rotate around a cylinder to tumble and polish the rocks inside.

Vibrating rock tumblers work in a slightly different way. These machines do not actually "tumble" the rock at all; rather, the cylinder holding the rocks is vibrated in order to create the friction between the rocks and the grit material. Because the rocks are moving less, they are polished much more quickly than with a rotary tumbler. They also tend to retain their original shape, unlike with a rotary tumbler, where the rocks often come out with a rounded shape regardless of what they looked like when they went in.

Who should use vibrating rock tumblers?
There are some advantages and disadvantages to vibrating rock tumblers as opposed to the standard rotary models. Consider the information below before deciding which type of tumbler is best suited to your needs.

On the plus side, vibrating rock tumblers work more quickly than standard models. Vibrating tumblers also use less grit, meaning that you will save money, particularly if you are tumbling a lot of rocks. Many people also consider the fact that the stones retain their shape to be a big advantage to vibrating rock tumblers. This makes it easy to create beautiful and variegated polished stones with natural shapes.

On the other hand, vibrating rock tumblers tend to be more expensive than other models. They can also be noisier to operate, and they do require more constant maintenance during the tumbling process, since the grit must be changed approximately every 12 hours.

If you're interested in vibrating rock tumblers, do some comparison shopping and determine whether they're worth the investment. Depending on the type of rock tumbling you're doing and the kind of results you want, a vibrating tumbler may be the perfect addition to your rock tumbling tools.