I’ve learned almost everything I know about rock tumbling from this channel. I first learned about the contest here and entered for the first time this year. I would like to thank you both. Without your guidance I would not be this years 1st place winner. FYI: my process was almost exactly the same except for one more last stage. I ran 3 days of tin polish in the lot-o. I’m throwing a challenge to Sam to stop me from winning two years in a row!!

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

That's awesome! I was wondering if any of the winners watched Michigan Rocks. Now at least we know the winner came from our team. I'm really happy for you!

@VersaiOnline

9 ай бұрын

@@MichiganRocks I placed third and watch you too! Just a newbie 1 year in, heard about the contest watching Sam's win last year. I was surprised to place above the top three people from last year. I think our rocks were all very similarly beautiful. Almost like we all learned from the same source... It felt very rewarding getting a shout-out on the channel. Thanks!

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

@@VersaiOnline Well that completes the top three! It's just awesome that Sam and I had a part in helping everyone learn to tumble. Congratulations on your win!

Very kewl you guys!! That is Alberta's Provincial rock! Woot Woot!!! :)

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

That's cool. I didn't know anything about that specific type of petrified wood. Sam really liked the stuff.

Congratulations. They look fantastic.😊

Congratulations Sam just to place is awesome. Those rocks looked great.😊

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Those rocks looked way better than last year's rocks. Last year's rocks were kind of awful. I think harder to tumble rocks probably makes judging easier though.

Congratulations!

12:58 is my favorite!! Awesome job Sam!! Whoo hoo 🎉🎉🎉

You really have to enjoy the process of tumbling and not the results. A lot of rocks turn out really good, but few are perfect. I have been disappointed in rocks that I thought would turn out good, and surprised by ones that seemed boring. I really enjoy everything from finding them to giving them away when they are shiny. Thank you for guiding me through the learning process.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

For me, this is all about the process and not nearly as much about the finished results. I like the finished rocks, but it's the challenge of getting them as perfect as possible that I really enjoy.

Congratulations Sam!! 🎉❤✌️

Beautiful rocks, Sam did a great job.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Yes, he did. These rocks looked so much better than last year's rocks. I think they were just better rocks all around.

Sam, congrats on the 4th place finish! Really like that long spikey rock. Well, this gives you the chance to keep moving up in years to come. I was wondering if either you or Rob ever use an ultrasonic washer to get out the microscopic grit? I think it would work really well on the last bit of junk left behind in the pores and cracks.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I've heard a couple people say that those can actually break rocks. I haven't tried one, so I can't speak from experience. I don't know if breakage is somewhat common or really rare.

Those rocks are extremely beautiful! I bet if beauty was part of the judgement the opalized rock would have secured a winner spot! Congratulations on 4th place !

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I think it's probably tempting for a lot of people to choose their favorite rocks, but I think Sam did the right thing in choosing the best tumbled rocks.

Yay!! Let's goooo!! 🎉🎉🎉

I would be happy with 1/2 as good as you guy do. Congrats on 4th. Petrified wood is always a challenge to polish.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Don't settle for 50%. You can tumble them as well as Sam does, you just need to be patient.

Nice work Sam!!

🙋‍♀️❤ Great job, Sam! I understand your choices! Congratulations! Love the swirly one, and the maybe pile!

This was my first time entering the contest. I placed just below Sam at 95 out of 100. Pretty proud of that considering i took up tumbling a year ago. Thanks for those tumbling tips and look forward to competing again in 2024.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Yep, that's really good. Congratulations! I'm sure to the naked eye your rocks looked just as good as the winning rocks. At that level, they're all going to look awesome.

Great job, Sam! Rob, you have taught Sam well!!! They are really nice!!!

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I think with his better eyesight, Sam can out tumble me at this point.

@lisawells1064

9 ай бұрын

I get the eyesight thing, at least for me.

Great job Sam! You and your mentor, Rob, should be proud.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I am proud of him. The rocks he turned in looked great. It's nice that some other people get to bask in the glory this year.

Congrats Sam!

Congrats Sam and all the winners.

Congratulations, Sam! The rocks are beautifully polished. And kudos to Rob's wonderful mentoring.

Congratulations on placing in 4th. I really liked the pointy one and the swirly ones. Also your favorites. What a cool hobby to share.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

That swirly one was really cool.

Congratulations Sam! Great job. Beautiful results.

congrats Sam! Rob it makes my soul smile knowing that you’ve introduced him to the love of rocks. Your encouragement via awesome trips to the lakes and finishing instruction has been key to his growth & success.

Congratulations to you both, mentor and student!!

Congratulations on getting 4th place! All those rocks were super beautiful. You're sure to win next time. 😍🥰😇👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Thanks! Congratulations 🎉🎉😊

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Hey, thanks, Joni! I'm not sure what we did to deserve that, but we'll take it!

Amazing video once again and Sam did Amazing!!!!

Thank you two for all the great tumbling information you put on this channel. I entered this contest after tumbling for only six months or so. I was super surprised that I came in 2nd place. Never would of happened if I didn’t learn so much here!

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I pinned Steven's (the first place winner) comment to the top, but I can only pin one. I'm having so much fun hearing that I've helped other people win. It's almost like a little win for me since I feel like we're all on the same team. Congratulations Jacob!

Very nice works !!!

Great job Sam! I think your rocks looked amazing. 👏😊

I have also learned a lot about rock tumbling from your videos. I was very happy to be one of the people to tie for fourth with Sam in the contest.

@MichiganRocks

8 ай бұрын

That's great! It has been fun hearing from people who I helped. It motivates me to keep making videos. Thanks for the comment.

Congratulations Sam!

I tried to enter the contest very early in January and was told they were sold out. I was disappointed that it sold out so fast. I will try again this year and I hope I can enter. Great job Sam.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

We couldn't remember exactly when they sold out, but we knew it was in January. I wonder how many boxes they had for sale and if they'll increase it for this year.

@JeffWeymier

9 ай бұрын

@@MichiganRocks I hope so. I feel I’m getting pretty good at tumbling and want to see where I am as far as skill.

@JeffWeymier

9 ай бұрын

@@MichiganRocks I owe a lot to you and your channel.

Congratulations Sam and teacher. 😁

I love the polished rocks!! Great job

Amazing Sam. Great work!!!!!!!!!

A big congratulations to Sam. Placing anywhere in the top 4 is truly an honor ! He’s had an excellent teacher that’s for sure. I have learned so much from this channel and have become a pretty decent rock polisher myself. Really enjoyed the close up photos near the end of the video. Congrats again Sam !

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Remember, order your rocks early in January, David! I expect to see at least a top ten finish out of you.

Good showing, Sam. Lots of Luck Next year.. I think you are all Picky..

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

We are very picky. That's how you win contests!

Congratulations to the winners!

Hi Rob & Sam, a very great job, beautiful stones, love them all !

Congratulations! Great job!

Congratulations Sam!! Beautiful stones.

Very interesting topic and Congrats to the winners.

I can’t wait to find out woo hoo Sam, you rock!!! Rob, you roll?.? Hmmm… Awkward…

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

If I get my hands on some rocks, they usually roll for a long time.

Well 4th place is still better then last place. You did a great job on them Sam. Maybe next year you will win again. Congratulations.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

There was no pouting from Sam that I saw. I think he and I both felt that 4th place was very respectable.

@donnalantz7981

9 ай бұрын

Very much so. Making the top 5 I think would be awesome. He did a great job with what looked like hard to do pieces.

Excellent placement. Congratulations.

Hello from Lakewood CA

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Hi John!

Good job guys

I enjoy all your videos. I like the tumbling and rocks in a box videos. I really lie the rock hunting videos from my home state, I live in Burton Michigan.

@MichiganRocks

8 ай бұрын

If those are the two types of videos you like most, then you're in luck, because that's what I have the most of.

Great job on those stones, it's always fun when you two do a video together.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

It's nice to have anyone else on a video so it's not just me all the time!

@nicolagraynewzealandrockho8976

9 ай бұрын

@@MichiganRocks sharing the limelight 😊

Congrats Sam!!

I was so disappointed by the rocks last year that I did not enter this year. Boy, was I wrong to not enter!

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Easier rocks does not make the contest easier, though. I think it's easier to set yourself apart if the rocks are worse. Plus, I'll bet fewer people even turn them in.

@mikedodge3910

9 ай бұрын

@MichiganRocks that's a very good point, I should have not given up hope last year.

Congrats Sam! That's pretty darn good given # of applicants. You had nice selections. You both mentioned about the method you chose. I was wondering if you regretted breaking those 2 rocks w/the chisel. Also, could you have just taken the extremely jagged edges off with the cad? Thank you for sharing. Was exciting watching from the start. Congrats again.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

If Sam regretted that, he never mentioned it. If there are holes or cracks that go all the way through the rock, breaking it is the best bet if you want flawless rocks in the end. You might decide to keep the rock larger and live with the crack, but that's probably not the best bet in a tumbling contest.

Congrats to Sam 🙂

Awesome Sam!! 🙂

Nice job Sam. 4th still isn’t bad. Nice final polish

Way to go Sam! That is awesome. Not as good as last year, but it's those pesky people competing against you! Good mentoring, Rob!

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Probably wasn't a great idea to tell everyone exactly what he did last year either.

😎

It sounds like there's getting to be a lot of very skilled rock tumblers out there. Probably because they learned from watching you guys! Great job on the rocks, Sam, and thank you both for this fun recap of the tumbling journey. Do all the entrants get the same type of rocks? Your petrified wood looks like Saddle Mountain material. It's some pretty rough stuff!

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Yes, every year the Feather River Lapidary and Mineral Society chooses a rock that everyone tumbles. You send them your entry fee and they send you some of that year's rock. Everyone has to tumble the rocks they were sent, so it's fair.

Congratulatioins (Sam) fellas, I might go up against you next year as I am now getting over 30% what I consider perfect tumbles. It's not like Rob (Michigan Rocks) has nothing to do with my personal success. I almost totally follow your method. I have done some tweaking, though. ♥

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

It's good to do some tweaking. Everyone develops their own way of doing things and many of those ways are going to produce really nice rocks. It's more fun when you start trying new things.

@beefmelt

9 ай бұрын

You know it Rob. keeps us on our toes and creative.

Congrats, Sam! They looked awesome! Did you want to do the petrified wood, or is that what you were told to do? Thanks for sharing!

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Everyone is sent the same kind of rocks. You have to tumble whatever they send you. It changes every year.

So I don’t polish rocks very often but one tool I found very useful is an ultrasonic cleaner from harbor freight. Just soapy water and it will clean most grit out especially between grit changes.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Lots of people have suggested that, but I haven't tried it yet.

WOW~! Awesome~~

I have been tumbling for about 2 years now and from watching your channel I decided to enter this year. I finished with 92 points, tied for 8th place. Figured that wasn't too bad for someone who doesn't even own a vibratory tumbler. What do they do with all those beautifully polished rocks? I suspect they probably sell them.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I doubt they sell them, but I don't know the answer to that question. I'm impressed with 8th place using a rotary tumbler. I think rotary tumblers are harder to use well. You should be really proud of that.

Very nice we just found some petrified wood at Rusty’s relics of all places in Hale Mi. We tumbled it and it came out pretty good but much of it was cracked . Really fun material but I need to do better. Great job and congratulations!

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I don't think that what you found in Hale was petrified wood. There are some rocks that look similar to petrified wood, but very little actual petrified wood in Michigan.

@nancyjahn4224

9 ай бұрын

@@MichiganRocks The guy running the antique shop got it from someone who was a rock collector . I think they came from out west somewhere.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

@@nancyjahn4224 Oh, I thought you meant that you found petrified wood outside somewhere. I misread what you wrote. In that case, I'm sure you did find some pet. wood. Sorry for not reading more carefully.

You are first in my book.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Gee, thanks!

Great video! Sam, you did an awesome job, a perfectionist!😊 Curious about the .3 micron aluminum oxide? Just used in vibrating tumblers?? Not rotary? AND where do you buy it? Thank you AGAIN Michigan Rocks for all your videos! You are my(and a lot of others),”go to” videos to learn! 👍😊

@MichiganRocks

4 ай бұрын

The .3 micron polish that I have doesn't seem to be available any more, but some other ones are. I can't remember the name of any of them right now, but if you do a little searching, you should be able to find some.

I would LOVE to be a judge. "Yeah, yeah send us the best rocks you tumbled. We don't judge on looks, but we do just happen to keep them. Split amongst us at the end. It's a whole Ta-Do!" Great job, Sam! It's really worldwide?

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I would hate to be a judge. That has to be very time consuming and difficult to pick three winners out of all those entries. The year I won, the second place winner was from New Zealand. I doubt that very many people from outside the U.S. are willing to pay shipping for the rocks, but there are at least some. I just quickly scanned through the list of participants from this year and didn't notice any international addresses.

@saralynn518

9 ай бұрын

@@MichiganRocks That is actually pretty sad to here if there weren't any international entries. Shipping is quite high, you're right. I just imagine they must end up with a large handful that meet all of the requirements. There would be no way of distinguishing who's is better. What would they do then? Did Sam say he bought the set of pet wood from the contest as well?

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

@@saralynn518 All contestants use the same rocks. You send in your entrance fee and they send you the rocks that you have to use. So that's what Sam did. I'm not sure how they determine a winner when there are so many that place so close together. It would be interesting to hear more about how the judging is actually done.

@saralynn518

9 ай бұрын

@@MichiganRocks I agree. It would be great to see a little documentary about how they judge. Do you have an interest in making short films? 🤭

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

@@saralynn518 I guess I do have an interest in making short films since I've been making one or two a week for several years. I don't have the money to run out to California to make one though.

👍👍👍

Nice job. I wonder what they do with all the rocks submitted?

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I have wondered that too. I think mainly they just don't want to spend the time or money sending them back.

Hi love your videos... Can i use aluminiumoxid 60/80 for the first run when i tumle rocks? Best reguards nikke in the darkest part of Swedens forrests.

@MichiganRocks

8 ай бұрын

You can, but I think silicon carbide is more effective for the first stage. Watch this video if you want to learn a little more about the difference between the two: kzread.info/dash/bejne/mpeG1taqacW5orw.htmlsi=nokQqdWp7Kl-6Xc6

😍😍😍

I wonder if the rock with the crystal pocket could have been filled with wax or plastic - something that would survive the tumbling process, but could be melted or dissolved out later with a solvent? As my eyesight has deteriorated with age, I have really come to rely on a stereo head-mounted magnifier. You can get one that works well for $30, and it really is so much better being able to see tiny details in true stereo vision.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I have one of those knock off Optivisors, and I love it. That pocked could have been filled with wax and melted out later. I do that when I tumble beads with large holes to keep ceramic media from getting jammed in there. I dip the rock in almost boiling water after and it pops right out. That wouldn't be a good idea for a contest like this though, since inside the hole wouldn't get tumbled and therefore would score much lower.

You can get lighted jewelers' loupe.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Thanks. Between the two Sam showed we can usually see what we want pretty well. Good to know there's another option though.

Just learning how to do this, but I get my rocks very smooth in the first two stages, then they start pitting in the third stage. I'm just guessing, but when I start tumbling its 2/3 full, and it loses volume after stage 2, so instead of tumbling they are being thrown around, and getting pits? Does that sound right?

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

That might be at least part of the problem. After the first stage they shouldn't lose much volume. The trick is to make sure you start the second stage with the barrel 3/4 full. It can be full of rocks or rocks and ceramic media. The rocks that go in the first stage all come out at different times. Each week, just take out the ones that look perfect. Add more rough rock in and keep doing that from week to week until you've accumulated enough perfect rocks to fill the barrel properly for the second stage. Then those rocks can go through all the rest of the stages together. Your problem might also be that the rocks you're tumbling are undercutting. Undercutting is when one mineral in a rock wears faster than other mineral in the same rock. Granite is horrible for this. Granite looks great for the first couple stages and then starts going bad around 500 grit. The finer the grit, the worse the undercutting gets.

@raineman1118

9 ай бұрын

@@MichiganRocks ok that makes a lot of sense and yes I do have some undercutting. I'm not sure the type of quartz it is, or really if it's quartz at all, it's red black and clear spots. The black absolutely grinds out faster than the rest. Thanks for the tip.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

@@raineman1118 That sounds like granite. The black in granite is the soft stuff.

Who is Sam? Step son? Family member? I heard him call you by your first name and refer to his homework. At any rate great job Sam they look good.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

Sam lives across the road. I have known him my whole life and am friends with his parents and grandparents. He's in college now, but he was in my math class when he was in 8th grade. He alternates between calling me Rob and Mr. Abram. I was always Rob before he was one of my students and he hasn't known what to call me ever since.

When does the next contest start?

@MichiganRocks

8 ай бұрын

January.

How would I enter the competition

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

I put a link in the description. Next year's contest will start in January. Early January if I remember correctly.

I would do it but I don’t have a saw or anything and that’s kind of a thing you need

@MichiganRocks

7 ай бұрын

You could do this without a saw, I think. The saw makes the tumbling go quicker if you have a rock with a bad hole, but a lot of times you can break the rock with a chisel instead. That's my preferred way to do it because it leaves the rock shape more natural in the end. The saw is nice because it's more predictable than a chisel though.

Tumble for half a year and dont even get your rocks back LMAO! Really???

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

It would cost the rock club that puts this on a fortune to send them all back. Sam and I have plenty of rocks. It would be fun to have them back, but not really that big of a deal.

@VersaiOnline

9 ай бұрын

@@MichiganRocks I wonder if you included some money or a return label if they would return them, if it's really about cost.

@MichiganRocks

9 ай бұрын

@@VersaiOnline No idea. I'm not sure it's about cost, but that was my theory.

Congratulations Sam!