Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Alright, you’ve made it to Stage 4: the polish—this is where your rocks finally transform into gleaming gems. ✨
In this Short, I walk you through the ultimate polishing stage: why everything has to be absolutely spotless, how a dedicated polish barrel (or a super-clean one) protects your finish, using plastic pellets or ceramic media to cushion the load, and adding aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, or tin oxide at about 2 tablespoons per pound. With water just below the rocks and 5–7 days of tumbling, this is where the shine really happens.
This clip comes from my full Rock Tumbling Guide on Will O’s Southwest Studio, where I cover every stage in detail—from coarse grind and medium shaping all the way to pre-polish, final polish, and burnishing.
👉 Be sure to check out the full video on my channel to see the entire process from rough rock to mirror finish.
#rocktumbling #rockpolishing #tumbledstones #lapidary #rockhounding
Alright, you’ve made it to Stage 4: the polish—this is where your rocks finally transform into gleaming gems. ✨
In this Short, I walk you through the ultimate polishing stage: why everything has to be absolutely spotless, how a dedicated polish barrel (or a super-clean one) protects your finish, using plastic pellets or ceramic media to cushion the load, and adding aluminum oxide, cerium oxide, or tin oxide at about 2 tablespoons per pound. With water just below the rocks and 5–7 days of tumbling, this is where the shine really happens.
This clip comes from my full Rock Tumbling Guide on Will O’s Southwest Studio, where I cover every stage in detail—from coarse grind and medium shaping all the way to pre-polish, final polish, and burnishing.
👉 Be sure to check out the full video on my channel to see the entire process from rough rock to mirror finish.
#rocktumbling #rockpolishing #tumbledstones #lapidary #rockhounding
