Features:

  • Create stunning gems - transform ordinary rocks into beautifully polished gemstones with this professional rock tumbling machine from National Geographic
  • A complete hobby kit - includes our Pro series tumbler, 1lb of rough gemstones, four polishing grits, jewelry fastenings, information guide, and instructions
  • Built to Last - This powerhouse machine will last for years and features a 2lb leak-proof rubber barrel which makes less noise than other tumblers
  • Professional features - includes a speed control and shutoff timer for faster tumbling times and better polishing results
  • Respected quality - this premium tumbler comes with National Geographic’s 100% satisfaction guarantee and a 2-year warranty
Great activity for kids!

I really do enjoy this thing. Very good build quality and child friendly. I chose this particular one for the quality and rubber barrel. The cheap plastic ones break way too easily. It’s kinda teaching my daughter patience waiting between the days for it to cycle. Great father daughter time activity. Plus the starter pack gives you everything for the first set of rocks. I highly recommend this one.

Stan the Man Reviews: Nationa Geo Rock Tumbler

The machine is fine so far but, like most things National Geographic, about a third of what you are paying for is probable the National Geo name attached to it. I rant the rocks and others of the grit provided and was rather disappointed at the result. Further experimentation with my other, newer and far cheaper rock tumbler, led me to the conclusion that there was far, far too little grit provided. Research and experiment has led me to believe that you should use a level Tablespoon for every pound your barrel holds for the coarse and medium grit and half that amount for the fine grit and polishing step. You can also, supposedly, burnish your stones by using about a Tablespoon of Ivory Soap flakes and tumbling the stones, with water as per the grit, for three to six hours or overnight. Ivory Snow would also work if you can find it at the grocery. Some person on line was selling a box on line for thirty five bucks if you can believe that. My guess is you can grate dry bar soap with a common food grater the way you grate cheese and onions. My guess is also that any soap, as opposed to a detergent bar like Zest, will work. Soap leaves a residue which is probably what you want on the stones the way you want wax on your car. Detergent, usually Sodium Laurel Sulfate, commonly known as shampoo, does not which is why it won't dull your hair and you can save the beer rinse for the beer. I am just starting this rock tumbling routine with my grandkids but the first thing I found out is that the first step, the coarse grit, is what rounds the rocks off. Statistically, I guess, all the rocks should eventually wind up oval or round it you ran them long enough with coars grit. They could also grind away completely which is what sand basically is. Beware dumping grit down toilets or drains. Some of it is almost like drywall mud when the tumbler is opened up. I love National Geographic by the way. I used to live in Maryland and drive into D.C their building all the time to look at the displays and buy books and maps. The magazine still makes a dandy gift though, as a real science journal it is past it's day.

Great tumbler with great functionality!

My great-grandfather used to tumble rocks in Missouri and it was always something I was fascinated by. To the extent that I received a tumbler from my parents one year as a child and used to tumble rocks as a hobby. I was vacationing in Cape Cod recently and found so many gorgeous stones on the beach and was inspired to get a tumbler again and start the hobby back up. I'm not disappointed at all! The varying speeds and timer you can set for the tumbler all work perfectly. The instruction guide is simple and straight forward and of course the gemstones that come with the tumbler are already coming out beautifully. I'm on the fourth day of my second phase of the tumbling process and I can't wait to see the finished product. When my rocks ship in from the Cape I'll have a year's worth of fun. It is a little noisy but that's to be expected with a rock tumbler. I put it in a room far away from the quiet spaces in my home and it's churning away doing its work as I type. I love it!

This tumbler works wonderfully. The device runs more quietly than other tumblers ...

This tumbler works wonderfully. The device runs more quietly than other tumblers I have experience with. The rubber tumbler bin helps. The bin seals very well, but make certain that you put it together as described. The multiple speeds and countdown clock are a nice feature, but the countdown doesn't stop at 0. It is just there to let you know what day you're on in case you forget.The first two rounds of the long tumbler process have been successful, and we eagerly await the final results.

Super easy for a super beginner!

This positive review compares the Professional Quality Rock Tumbler by National Geographic with the Model A-R1 Special Kit Rock Tumbler I collect rocks wherever I go and finally decided to buy myself a rock tumbler. Enter the A-R1, a highly reviewed tumbler from ages past. I made the mistake of buying it used, which I don’t recommend for any beginner—how can you tell if it works right! The A-R1 is simple, mostly reliable mechanism, without any switches or timers. But I couldn’t figure out if I was doing it right and gave up…. Enter the National Geographic tumbler. I was super happy to have the opportunity to try tumbling again. So I set up both my tumblers for a real go, and was immediately happy with the NG. The instructions were simple (with pictures), the barrel lid seals properly (yes, you stick the seal on, then the lid, and tighten them together), and comes with a spare belt (a 4” O-ring), which I threw on my needy A-R1. While it’s nice the NG instructions are clear, they are almost too simple. The kit comes with some rocks you can test with, and some small packets of grit. But the packets don’t say how much grit they contain, and the instructions don’t say how much grit to use with this tumbler. I wanted to test the tumbler not for what came with it, but for sustained use. So I tumbled my own rocks, with grit I had bought in bulk. I used 4oz of the roughest grit… which I think was too much, but it worked. The A-R1 recommends running rocks of similar size and smoothness, e.g. all river rocks. You fill the barrel about half full, put in the grit, cover with water, seal with the lid, and begin tumbling. The NG tumbler has two electric controls, one for days and one for speed. Instructions say run the first grit 3-5 days, on the highest setting (I chose 4 days). The A-R1 runs at a slower speed, so has to run almost twice that time. The second round runs for 6-8 days… mysteriously the NG setting for days only goes up to 5, so you have to remember to start it again once that finishes. All in all, you’re looking at about 3 weeks for the entire cycle. I’ll post results. One more thing I love about the NG is that it’s actually really quiet, considering it’s a rock tumbler. I put mine in the garage and barely notice it when I’m in the house. If I had to keep it inside, I don’t imagine it would be any worse than the laundry machine or dishwasher. Quick setup, easy maintenance, and good results so far! Box contents: Electric tumbler base with 2-prong plug, day timer (max 5 days) and speed (1-3) 2lb barrel with nice, sealing lid 2 belts (4” O-rings, for gear/rolling mechanism) Grit for 1 full cycle (4 packets) Hand sieve Pack of gemstones to experiment with Some jewelry fixings (necklace to put gemstone in, etc.) Basic instructions WARNING After each cycle, you wash the rocks and the tumbler. DO NOT wash them in your sink! I recommend filling a plastic bucket with water and washing them there, then dump the grit-filled water outside and rinse the bucket with a hose. (Pictures show the rocks before, the rocks in the barrel, then the rocks after the first cycle.) UPDATE 2/1/16: I've added a picture of some finished-tumbling rocks. They are shiny and beautiful!! Also, a picture of the unit after this time. Notice the black powdery stuff. The barrel got too close to the rollers on the right and it began grinding at the lid. If I'm careful to set the barrel all the way to the left there is no problem, but if the lid touches the right it will grind. And get all over the place. Eeeeew. But otherwise, still going well!!

Directions were pretty easy to understand

Bought this for 6 year old grandson for Christmas. He wanted to start it right away. Directions were pretty easy to understand. Although it does take a few days for each of the 4 different courses of grit my grandson loves to see how many days are left on each level before he can check his rocks. I was very pleased with how much quieter this ran than one I had purchased for my son years ago. The only slight problem I found was trying to screw the knob back on after filling the drum.

It's easy to use and durable

The tumbler works incredibly well and the results are spectacular. It's easy to use and durable. I do my tumbling in the garage so I don't have to listen to the stones tumbling over each other, but the motor is quiet and the rubber barrel makes the tumbling quieter than some other brands. Also, the National Geographic Toys customer support people are extremely friendly and helpful. I thought I'd lost the barrel and contacted support. They were willing to help me with a replacement right away. Fortunately, I found the original barrel, but they have the best support team anywhere! I give this product and the service behind it my highest rating.

Get it!!

My wife has been using this thing pretty much non-stop for four months now, and this little bigger is still rockin! (Pun intended) They don't tell you this in the instructions but I'm going to tell you, use some borax and small plastic beads or pellets after the last stage to get that gem store quality shine.

way cool!

Works well i have done. 3 compete batches from stage 1-4. no issues each batch takes about 18 days unless you really want to stretch it out. it is very noisey. I guess what do you expect from rocks tumbling in water. this is the professional model not the cheaper plastic one others complain about. i only filled about 60-75% with rocks so is has room to tumble. After just the first 3 days of tumbling I looked at our rocks. way cool!

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