Custom Services
What Fred Offers
Fred's Rock Shop isn't just a place to buy rocks — it's a working lapidary studio. Fred offers a range of custom services using professional equipment and is happy to work with customers on special requests. Plus, we sell supplies to other rock tumblers and lapidary hobbyists!
Lapidary Services
Tumbling— rough material tumbled through a full multi-stage process (coarse grind through final polish), typically 4–8 weeks
Cutting — slab cutting with a Highland Park 12" and 20” diamond saw; trim cutting with a Lortone 6" trim saw
Cabochon shaping & polishing — using the Cab King cabochon machine
Drilling — drilling available for pendants and custom pieces. We use high quality diamond coated core drills from Lasco Diamond Products. Size range 1 mm-2”
Stone identification — bring in a specimen, and I will tell you what it is. I will do my best; I’m not a geologist.
Polishing— vibratory finishing on the Ultra Vibe 18 for a mirror polish.
Face Polishing — after cutting your rock, you can request to have 1 or more surfaces polished.
polished examples
Supplies for Hobbyists
We sell supplies to other rock tumblers and lapidary hobbyists:
Rough rock material (various varieties)
Tumbling grit — coarse, medium, and fine silicon carbide
Polishing compounds
Tumbling media (ceramic and plastic pellets)
Highland Park 3 lb. tumblers
“I buy in bulk (25–50 lb. lots) to keep costs low, and I pass those savings along. If I don’t have what you need, I can often source it.”
The Tumbling Process — How It Works
Tumbling is similar to sanding wood — you start coarse and work your way down to a fine polish. Fred's multi-stage process:
Step 1 — Coarse grind (60/90 silicon carbide), 10 days in either the Lortone QT12 or the Diamond Pacific 40T. After 10 days thoroughly rinse. Rocks are pulled when ready to advance; others run another cycle.
Step 2 — Medium grind (120/220 silicon carbide), 2 days in UV-18 or Lot O tumbler
Step 3 — Pre-polish (500 silicon carbide), 2 days in UV-18 or Lot O tumbler
Step 4 — Final polish (1200 aluminum oxide or specialty polish — TXP, Rapid, or Cerium depending on material), in UV-18 or Lot O tumbler
Listen to the tumbling at a Step 4. Good for reducing headaches and giving you a calming vibe!
Total time: typically 4–8 weeks, depending on the hardness of the material. Harder stones like agate take longer; softer material shape faster. Vibratory tumbling (steps 2–4) produces significantly better results than rotary alone and take approximately 6 days for all 3 steps. Fred highly recommends using both types for the best results.
Click below to learn more about the tools I use for tumbling process:
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The full process takes 4–8 weeks depending on the hardness of the material. Each stage runs 7–10 days. Harder stones like agates take longer; softer material shape faster. Using a vibratory tumbler for steps 2-4 will save time, grit and polish, and have consistantly better results.
Contact me about this service.
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Yes — bring in a specimen, and I will tell you what it is. No appointment needed on Saturdays.
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Yes — I sell rough rock, tumbling grit (coarse, medium, fine), polishing compounds, and tumbling media to hobbyists. Ask in-store on a Saturday or call to check the current stock.
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I will do my best to source it. I have a network of vendors and buy in bulk — if something isn't in stock, he can often track it down for your next visit. Just ask.
Contact me about this service.
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