2026 Rock Tumbling Contest (Part 20): The Rocks are Done!

We have reached the finish line! In this 20th and final video of the main series (a results video to follow when they're announced), we are cleaning out the barrel for the last time after running the rocks for the 2026 Feather River Lapidary World Wide Rock Tumbling Contest through a 60,000 grit aluminum oxide polish and choosing which ones will be sent back for scrutiny by the judges. *More from This Series* Part 19: https://youtu.be/Y1uqDYnQjEQ Part 21: Coming when the results are announced *In this episode* - The Final Clean Cycle: Loading up the barrel with grated Ivory soap and Borax to clean off any polish residue. - Batch Overview & Polish Comparison: Inspecting the finished batch, sorting through surface imperfections, and comparing the results of 8,000, 22,000, and 60,000 grit polishes. - Microscope Close-Ups: Taking a final look under magnification at the pits, surface features, and dendrites on un-tumbled material. - Selecting the Final 5: Narrowing down the entire batch to pick the five rocks to send in for judging. Thank you to everyone who has followed along, left comments, and shared tips throughout this 20-part journey! Big shout-outs to the Rock Tumbling Subreddit and the Rock Tumbling Hobby Forum communities. Good luck to everyone entering this year's contest! I will be back with another update once the results are in. *Equipment* - Rotary Tumbler: Dual 3lb Central Machinery tumbler from Harbor Freight - Final Stage Polish: ~2 Tablespoons of 0.5-Micron 60,000-Grit Highland Park Lapidary Aluminum Oxide Polish - 20 Mule Team Borax - Safety Gear: 3M Half-Face Respirator - Bench Tools: 50x–100x Digital Microscope *Join the Fun* Feather River Lapidary & Mineral Society: https://www.featherriverrocks.org/ Subscribe to see where I end up finishing in this year's contest and for more rock tumbling videos. #RockTumbling #FRLMS #Jasper #Lapidary #RockHounding #Stage6 #Geology #Microscope #HighlandParkLapidary #60000Grit #UltraPolish #RotaryTumbler #RespiratorSafety #Bloodstone #Agate See more finished batches at https://www.instagram.com/eyetumbleforya