Rock Tumbler?

[erincon23]

Has anyone used a rock tumbler? I feel like I have a ton of raw gem rocks (from rock hunting in North Carolina) and have no idea what to do with them. When I was growing up, we had a rock tumbler for a while, and I remember it being noisy, but don't remember anything else. How long does it take to get something decent from it? Are there things I should look for in a tumbler, or things I should avoid? I don't know what I'll do with the rocks once they're tumbled, but I'm sure they'll be prettier than they are now.

 

[WDWBarb]

My DD got one of those rock tumbler kits when she was about 7. I remember a few things well .. First, it took days and days for them to finish tumbling. Second, you had to buy a new motor for the tumbler each time you wanted to tumble a new batch.

Oh... THIRD! It was SOOOO loud. The end result was cool but not worth it.

 

[dakcp2001]

It took WEEKs (forever to a child, lol) . I had one as a kid, it was awful. It was loud, you had to change the packet of sand grit stuff often, and it had to continuously run or they wouldnt come out right. It was no fun IMO. I wonder if there is a professional version that might make more sense as an adult?