I Can't Find "Soap Flakes"--What do I use as the final step in my rock tumbler?

Here's a rock tumbling tip:

Use a bar of Ivory soap as your final burnish, but shred it with a cheese grater first.

Many name brand laundry detergents are harsh enough to remove the polish. Some generic brand detergents have been used successfully, but on a trial and error basis.

Happy Rock Tumbling!

Just What Are The Plastic Pellets in The Rock Tumbler Grit Kits For, Anyway?

I have a quick question pertaining to previous orders. I am new to the whole lapidary process and do not understand what the little plastic beads are for. The rock polishing unit I purchased from you makes no mention of them, we are curently using Tide for step five. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, John H

We've been getting this question a lot lately. Here is the response we've been sending out:

The plastic pellets are volume fillers for steps 3 and 4. When the rocks fill less than 1/2 the barrel, use the pellets to increase the volume to 2/3 or so. You can reuse the pellets, but only in one step. So place the used pellets in a bag and mark them either step 3 or step 4 (depending on which stage you used them in). Don't cross contaminate. Retrieve the pellets by pouring the contents into a bucket of water. The pellets will float, and you can scoop them off for reuse. Scooping with a colander works well.

Tide is not the best choice of a "soap." It is actually harsh enough to remove polish. Use a bar of Ivory soap, but shred it with a cheese grater first.

Happy Rock Tumbling!