Mated with a spare bowl, and a GS-H2 Stone finish kit, this Raytech TV-5 Vibrating Rock Polisher Starter Kit is a must for any beginner. This kit comes complete and ready to operate with a motorized base, 2 bowls, clear lid, 2 rubber nuts and all the grits necessary for accomplishing the grinding step through the final polish step of most gemstones. This kit comes with everything you need to start except the rocks. NO rocks included.
It is not recommended that you use anything coarser than 120/220 in a vibratory tumbler. The Raytech TV-5 vibrating rock polisher starter kit is:
- Economical and versatile
- Cyclonic effect moves objects throughout bowl
- Kit includes a 4-step polishing kit: 100/120 silicon carbide (rough grind), 700F silicon carbide (fine grind), Iolox 50 (pre-polish) and Raybrite TL(polish). This should work fine with soft stones; watch them closely as a vibratory tumbler does work quicker than a rotary
- Stone finishing kit will process 8-10 pounds of stones
- 8-inch diameter bowl that can process about 4 pounds of rock
- Extra bowl included
- New, convenient, solid lid
- Efficient 115V motor
- The bowl is plastic, so there is noise from the rocks hitting the plastic. Manufacturer recommends putting it in a garage.
- Raytech tumblers are backed by a one-year manufacturer warranty.
NOTE: A vibrating rock tumbler doesn't actually "tumble" the rock. Instead, the cylinder that holds the rocks vibrates - creating friction between the rocks and the grit material. Because the rocks are moving less, they are polished much more quickly than with a rotary rock tumbler, usually within 7-10 days. A vibrating tumbler polishes, but does not change the shape of your stones. Some rock hounds consider this to be an advantage because it's easy to create beautiful, variegated polished stones with natural shapes. Vibrating tumblers use less grit and polish, meaning you'll save money, especially if you're tumbling a lot of rocks. But they can also be noisier to operate, and they do require more constant maintenance since the grit must be changed approximately every 12 hours.
Most rock tumblers are rated by weight capacity. For example, a three-pound tumbler will rotate three pounds of weight indefinitely. To polish rocks that measure 1.5 diameter inches or more, or to polish several rocks at once, choose a large rock polisher with at least a six-pound capacity. To polish smaller stones, or to tumble a few rocks at a time, a small machine should work just fine. Three-pound capacity or smaller tumbler will get the job done easily. Be careful not to overload your machine or the motor will burn out. Anything coarser than 120/220 is not recommended in a vibratory tumbler.
