Monday, July 25, 2011

rock tumbling

rock tumbling


rock tumbling


rock tumbling


rock tumbling

Ken and the boys have gotten into rock tumbling these last few months. They love going out into the desert to hunt for rocks, and lately they've started tumbling their finds rather than just collecting them. It's interesting to see how different the rocks appear once polished.

In looking through these photos, all this stuff seems very male to me. No pretty wood or ceramic bowls here. Rather, all their gear is either found, thrifted, or at one time destined for the trash. Looking at these photos reminds me to be grateful for their male world and makes me see all this in a new way--seeing the beauty of it, not just the clutter.

Rock tumbling is really their thing, not mine, but I'll tell you what I do know. The rock tumbler stays in motion for a period of weeks, and during that time they have to periodically change the "grit" and scrub the rocks. They start with a rougher level of grit then change to finer sizes. The milk carton is used to dispose of the leftover detritus. The toothbrushes are used to clean the rocks of any stuck-on grit. They have fun trying to identify the rocks and gemstones they find. In the end, the polished rocks can be used for display, for gifts, or for selling at the boys' little Thursday night produce stands.

And for those of you asking about the tumbler itself, ours is a Lortone. They bought it from a local friend who had an extra, but I'm sure they can be found online as well.

10 comments:

Kelly said...

looks like so much fun :) they would gorgeous wrapped in a bit of silver wire too!

Andrea said...

Oh, I always wanted the rock tumbler that was in the back of the Sears catalog when I was a kid (never got it though!)

Carrie said...

Are some of those the rocks I picked out? I still claim dibs on the one shaped like California - even if the edges have tumbled off and it is now shaped more like, say, Kansas. I think it is a great way to teach delayed gratification.

Mary Beth said...

Hi Carrie! Yes, these are from the group you claimed. They are still in process, so I'll let you know when they are done. Missed you today when I went out for coffee!

Andrea--you can live the dream now with your own kids! :)

Woodspritemama--I love that idea!

Sarah said...

my sister loved her rock tumbler growing up, I can still remember the sound of it from the garage. What fun to know that your kiddos enjoy that so much. I may have to look into that for isaac.

Amber said...

What a great idea....love it.
xxx

Carrie said...

I miss the sound of the rock tumbler and coffee with you! BTW- Dolphin Pool intact they just retired the dolphin. Will send pictures later.

zuska7 said...

Hello Mary Beth,
your skirt is amazing. You looks chic in it, very very young. And I love your first photo - hook-shelf is very useful and I love the photo on it - you and your daughter.

Kristen said...

this is so neat! my daughter just put a rock tumbler on her birthday list! so, you'd recommend this one?

you look lovely in your new skirt -
love the fabric too!

christine ~ ourdayourjourney said...

i think my little one would enjoy the rock tumbling, as she has always been a rock collector. through the years many rocks have made their way back to our home that we made a rock path in our perennial garden :)