Where to Buy Rock Tumbling Grits in the UK?

Do you have a rock tumbler? Are you looking for the best places to buy rock tumbling grits for your barrels in the UK? We put together this article to help direct you.

Here at The Stone Circle, we have been using a rock tumbler nonstop since 2020. We are hoping to have another machine up and running soon. As you can imagine, this means that we get through a solid volume of grits. As a result, customers are always asking us where we buy our grits from, and which are the best ones.

In the past, we have simply told people to buy grits which are in a plastic tub and not in a plastic bag. However, this isn’t really a hard and fast rule. We have some great grits which were supplied in a bag for ease of transportation, and we have come across individually packaged grits labelled as stages 1-4 which genuinely do not work.

So here is a little of our experience packaged up into one neat little article that tells you what you need to know about buying quality grits and not getting ripped off.

What is Rock tumbler Grit Used For?

Rock tumbler grit goes into the plastic or rubber barrel alongside the rocks which you want to polish. Just as if you were polishing rocks by hand, you want to use increasing grits to create a mirror finish… or as close to one as you can get.

How Does Rock Tumbling Grit Work?

Rock tumbler grits provide friction which erodes away the outer surfaces of the rocks in your barrel. This leaves them with a smooth surface upon which you can achieve a polish.

Typically, rock tumbling grits start at 60 or 80 and go all the way up beyond 6000+. Think of them as sandpaper grits. The lower the number, the coarser the grit. The coarser the grit, the more of the rocks it will erode while they are tumbling in the barrel.

Which Order do You Use Rock Tumbling Grits in?

Since they are similar to sandpaper grits, you must start with the lowest number and work your way up in increments from there. Here at The Stone Circle, we typically use our rock tumbler grits in the following order:

·       60 0r 80 grit

·       100s or 200s (we use 220)

·       400 grit

·       600 grit

·       800 grit

We also burnish our rocks in between each cycle to get the best possible shine.

A polished agate from the Feb 2025 batch of tumble stones

What is Burnishing in Rock Tumbling?

Burnishing is a fancy term for giving the rocks a soap and water bath in between each cycle of grit. We do this to remove all traces of grit from the barrel, which might otherwise make scratches in the shiny surfaces of the rocks as we progress onto the next fineness of rock tumbler grit.

What Happens if You Tumble Rocks Without Grit?

You can tumble rocks to a nice shine without any grit at all. It will take much longer, and you are unlikely to ever achieve the mirror shine caused by progressive grits. But it can be done.

Which Rock Tumbler Did You Buy?

By examining which type of rock tumbler you have bought you can tell easily how good the grit which came with your set is.

If it is a big brand name of rock tumbler and the grit comes in paper packets you might as well throw them in the bin and start fresh. On the other hand, these can be good to use to practice with, which we suppose is the point of the manufacturer supplying them. These are grits to start you off. Once they are gone do not order any more. Trust us. It’s a widely discussed fact in the rock polishing industry.

If you bought your rock tumbler from a smaller company within the UK, then we have found that the grits supplied are excellent. We bought an Evans dual from a UK company and we have been eyeing rock tumblers in the Creetown Gem Museum shop with the same quality. The grits supplied were excellent.

Where to Buy Quality Rock Tumbler Grit in the UK?

There are multiple places where you can shop for rock tumbler grits. If you want to know which products we use specifically, then you will find that information in the next section. Otherwise, here are some reputable sellers of grits that work.

You can Buy Grit for Your Rock Tumbler in the UK at:

·       The aforementioned Creetown Rock and Gem Museum down in Dumfries and Galloway has good grits for sale. They also have a fantastic mineral collection if you happen to be in the area.

·       If you have the rock polishing fever and want to go big or go home, you can buy 3.5kg grit bags from RockTumbler.com.

·       The main supplier of rock tumbling grits in the UK and the people who supply the smaller rock shops are UKGE. You can shop for UKGE grit and polishes on Amazon.

·       Shropshire Crystals do a lovely starting off set of grits and tumbling media.

·       SackOrange rock tumbling products on Amazon tend to be reliable. They are compatible with all types of rock tumbler (most grits are).

Which Rock Tumbling Carbide Grits Does The Stone Circle Use?

We tend to buy our grits off eBay or Amazon. We have bought from UKGE before too, although indirectly. We have bought 80 Grit from these guys before on eBay which turned out well. We went back for the 400 grit from the same seller. We used Craft Tree before that and we didn’t change for any other purpose than we couldn’t find their 80 grits again after searching. You can get them here. We found these to be another reliable seller of rock tumbling grit in the UK.

Do you need Plastic Pellets for Rock Tumbling?

Do you need plastic pellets to tumble with? No. We avoid both plastic pellets and any plastic-based grits.

You can use foam pads, but we have never had luck getting them to work.

You can use other things instead of carbide grit, for example sugar or salt. Generally, this will slow down the process and then there is the issue of not knowing what grit the medium is.

We do like the idea of putting leather strips into a barrel and testing how much of a shine it helps create.

Final Thoughts

Rock tumbling is a lovely hobby which gives you never ending rewards and surprises. No two rocks are the same and no tumbled rock is the same as it was in the rough. Just like diamonds, with a bit of spit, polish, and effort, any stone can become a gem.

Check out our article on which rock tumbler to buy in the UK or shop for our lapidary mix of rough rocks from Scotland ready to polish.