# Rock Tumbler/ Stone Washing
**URL:** https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775
**Category:** Yo-Yo Mods and Maintenance
**Created:** [February 7, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775 "2025-02-07T20:14:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Cmchappell97](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Cmchappell97)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/1 "2025-02-07T20:14:52Z")
Hey! I want to know y’all’s thoughts on throwing yo-yos with some war scars/ or raw throws in a rock tumbler with some ceramic beads? What do you think will happen? Will it give it a better finish? Will it eventually strip off the anodizing? Will it completely destroy the throw?
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### Author:  [@Benthrowsyoyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Benthrowsyoyo)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/2 "2025-02-07T20:19:50Z")
I would bet it would completely strip ano and potentially introduce vibe if done for a full tumbling period of a month. I’m not sure, however.
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### Author:  [@Sleeper80](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sleeper80)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/3 "2025-02-07T20:33:43Z")
I think it will eat your anno and wear down metal in important spots you don’t protect like the bearing seat, etc. but it might have a nice feeling surface. i’d probably test a yoyo I won’t miss first because it could be ruined.
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### Author:  [@Cmchappell97](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Cmchappell97)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 8:50pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/4 "2025-02-07T20:50:27Z")
I’m def considering masking the bearing seat with a sacrificial axel, washer and nut with some silicone was thought. I’m thinking to leave it in for a day, check, 2 days check, 4 days and so on; to see how far down the rabbit hole it gets.
Is there any examples of someone doing this?
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### Author:  [@SlowThrow](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SlowThrow)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 9:03pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/5 "2025-02-07T21:03:03Z")
I wish I remembered who it was but someone made or printed something that was like a plastic shield that went over the pads and protected all of the important parts.
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### Author:  [@mable](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mable)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/6 "2025-02-07T21:33:24Z")
Depending on the size of the tumbling media and method of tumbling, would you even need to mask the guts? One Drop uses relative large ceramic tumbling media and just tosses yoyo halves in without masking, since the guts also have the pyramatte finish on them. Although they use what I think is a vibratory tumbler, so maybe with a rotary tumbler method it’d be different.
Tumbling will definitely strip the anodization off though.
@adamantiumpops I remember rock tumbled a yoyo in their washing machine a few years back and liked the results
If you have a yoyo you don’t care about much, I’d just tumble it in the lowest effort way possible first to see what you can get away with, instead of potentially making extra work for yourself.
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### Author:  [@Cmchappell97](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Cmchappell97)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 9:37pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/7 "2025-02-07T21:37:20Z")
Tumbled in a washing machine???:joy::joy::joy::joy:
I really wouldn’t think it would shave the mess of the bearing seat but I suppose it best to mask it to be safe.
I plan to use this as media. I’m going to try it Monday when it comes in. And I’ll def post progress pics!
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### Author:  [@mable](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mable)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/8 "2025-02-07T21:42:35Z")
Yeah LOL
The yoyo halves along with some water and the tumbling media put into a water bottle, then wrapped up in a sweatshirt and tossed into either the washing machine or dryer, I think it was the dryer actually.
I thought it was a pretty slick solution, if a little jank. But hey, it worked. And if that worked well I’d imagine you’ll probably get good results using an actual tumbler.
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### Author:  [@Sleeper80](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Sleeper80)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2025, 10:14pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/9 "2025-02-07T22:14:20Z")
Yeah, so many factors to consider, i’m willing to bet one drop has calculated the thousandths of a micron removed from the surface of the raw half by their tumbling process to get their anodize to correct thickness to compensate for it.
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### Author:  [@cowmamba](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/cowmamba)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2025, 5:16am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/10 "2025-02-10T05:16:18Z")
I have done this before and it has yielded decent results. I would suggest at least masking off the bearing seat. In my experience it didn’t introduce any vibe or any other curious artifacts. When I did it, I stripped the yoyo first. I’ve used small tumbling medium like walnut and ceramic and also large non-traditional media like lava rock. Both came out fine. You don’t have a lot to worry about as long as you’re not marring up the hub. That’s the main thing to consider. I’ve done it in the washing machine and also in a traditional tumbler and both yield great results.
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### Author:  [@Cmchappell97](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Cmchappell97)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2025, 12:30pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/11 "2025-02-10T12:30:34Z")
Here are before and afters of a 12 hour run! I’m actually impressed with the finish. Pics don’t really do a justice. It did seen to go for the rims more than anything else. I ended up just using a poopy bearing as a mask and it worded great. Just put the whole thing in.
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### Author:  [@Cmchappell97](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Cmchappell97)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2025, 12:30pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/12 "2025-02-11T12:30:32Z")
Update #2
A copy wooly Marmot 2
Originally a red, green and yellow, de-anodized and polished, then thrown into the tumbler for 12 hours.
What do y’all think?!
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### Author:  [@TheThrowingGnome](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/TheThrowingGnome)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2025, 1:01pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/13 "2025-02-11T13:01:43Z")
Looks great! What’s the texture feel like?
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### Author:  [@Cmchappell97](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Cmchappell97)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2025, 1:16pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/14 "2025-02-11T13:16:18Z")
it’s very similar to a soft blasted/ OD pryamatte finish. it grinds almost as good as any anno/blasted. Surprisingly it corrected the very minor vibe.
on the MYY V12 it cleaned up a scuffing/ dings etc.
I will def use this method again for restoring a beater to glory again, or just strip poopy colors :joy:
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### Author:  [@rkalajian](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/rkalajian)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2025, 1:25pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/15 "2025-02-11T13:25:56Z")
I really love how “raw” it looks. Kinda of an industrial/street vibe to it.
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### Author:  [@Cmchappell97](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Cmchappell97)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2025, 1:28pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/16 "2025-02-11T13:28:38Z")
in person it is VERY similar to this, i guess this was the prototype?
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### Author:  [@kretzschmar](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/kretzschmar)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2025, 2:12pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/17 "2025-02-11T14:12:24Z")
Man, you did fantastic
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### Author:  [@cowmamba](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/cowmamba)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2025, 6:40pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/18 "2025-02-11T18:40:00Z")
That came out great!
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### Author:  [@Cmchappell97](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Cmchappell97)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2025, 7:28pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/20 "2025-02-11T19:28:49Z")
i HIGHLY recommend Greased Lighting to remove the anno. to me it works bettter than a spray and you can soak the mess out of it! I used basic silicone to mask the seat. What are you using as a grit medium?
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### Author:  [@zunedude5](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/zunedude5)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2025, 8:30pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/rock-tumbler-stone-washing/418775/23 "2025-02-11T20:30:46Z")
I’m gunna have to try tumbling a Yoyo now, I have a rock tumbler too that wooly marmot looks dope
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