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When I started rockhounding and learning lapidary, I wanted easy-to-find, off-the-shelf tools and supplies — nothing fancy or hard to track down. Everything on this list is something I’ve actually used and recommend.

Some links are Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you buy through them (at no extra cost to you). It helps support the hobby and keeps the rock hunting going!

ToolSupply List

When I started rockhounding and learning lapidary, I wanted easy-to-find, off-the-shelf tools and supplies — nothing fancy or hard to track down. Everything on this list is something I’ve actually used and recommend.

Some links are Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you buy through them (at no extra cost to you). It helps support the hobby and keeps the rock hunting going!

Epoxy 330

Hughes Epoxy 330 Water Clear Bonding 2.50 oz

Moldable Plastic Pellets

Sukh 14.8oz Moldable Plastic Pellets - Thermoplastic Beads Polymorph Plastic Meltable Reusable Thermal Beads for Crafts,DIY,Cosplay,Temporarily Repair,Modeling,Halloween Vampire Teeth Fangs

55MM Diamond Drill Hole Saw

uxcell 55mm Diamond Drill Bits Hole Saws for Glass Tile Porcelain Marble Ceramic Bottles Pots Brick Pack of 2

Mini Heat Gun 350W

SEEKONE 350W Mini Heat Gun, Dual-Temp Model 500℉ & 842℉(260℃ & 450℃)Fast Heat Hot Air Gun with Overheat Protection and Reflector Nozzle for Heat Shrinking Tubes, Shaping, PVC Tubing(4.9FT)

Diamond Grinding Disk 8" 80 Grit

SCOTTCHEN Diamond Flat Lap Wheel 8" x 1/2" Grinding Sanding Disc Lapping Polishing Disc-80 Grit

Diamond Grinding Disk 8" 180 Grit

SCOTTCHEN Diamond Grinding Wheel Disc 8" x 1/2" Arbor Hole 180 Grit Abrasive Flat Lap Wheel Sanding Disc for Granite Marble Gem - 1pack

Hi-Tech Diamond 8" All-U-Need

Hi-Tech Diamond 8" All-U-Need – Lapidary Equipment, Cabbing and Flat Lap Machine, Rock Polisher, Stone Grinder Tools, Gemstone Shaper, Polishing Equipment for Rocks and Minerals – 8 Inch, 115V Only

Polly Plastics Moldable Plastic Black Pigment Pellets

Polly Plastics Moldable Plastic Pellets for Cosplayers and Hobbyists in EZ Grip Jar with Idea Booklet – Black, Size 50g (1.75 oz)

1-3/8” 35mm Diamond Hole Saw

Diamond Core Drill Bit Vacuum Brazed 1-3/8” 35mm Diamond Hole Saw with Flutes for Granite Quartz Hard Porcelain Tile with 5/8-11 Female Thread & 3/8” Hex Shank Adapter Fit Angle Grinders & Drills

Diamond Finger Milling Bit 35mm

Diamond Finger Milling Bit 35mm - MINLAYCUT 1-3/8" for Enlarging Shaping and Milling Holes in Porcelain Ceramic Tile Marble

3PCS Metal Stencils Ellipse Teardrop Circle Template

3PCS Metal Stencils Ellipse Teardrop Circle Template for Drafting Round Stencil Jewelry Making Templates Art Oval Tool Metal Geometric Stencil for Office and DIY Bracelets Earrings

Newsprint Packing Paper Sheets for Moving - 10lb - 320 Sheets

Bryco Goods Newsprint Packing Paper Sheets for Moving - 10lb - 320 Sheets of Newspaper Paper - Wrapping and Protecting Fragile Items, Box Filler, Shipping Supplies - 27" x 17" - Made in the USA

USB Charging Station

USB Charging Station,Cinlinso 24 Port 100W(20A) Multiport USB Fast Charger with Intelligent Detection for Smartphones,Tablets and More,Suitable for School Hotel Mall Shop Travel

Rebel 17 Rock Tumbler

This is a large capacity rock tumbler.  Easy on and off lid. This is a quiet tumbler.

Hardy Nitrile 9ml gloves

I like wearing the 9ml gloves when cutting and polishing.  They are durable and help keep my hands from drying out.

RALENO LED Video Panel Light

I really like this set of photography  lights.  You can adjust the color temp and brightness.  Does not cause the scrolling like other LED lights do while taking videos.

DEWALT DW4772T 4-Inch XP Turbo Diamond Cup Wheel

I use this wheel to contour rocks that I want to polish. It tends to leave deep scratches. It takes a light touch to remove the deeper scratches.

10 Inch Diamond Saw Blade, Segmented

I recently tried this segmented blad and I really like it. I am able to get a few hundred large rock cuts from it.  It leaves a semi-smooth cut.

HERCULES 10 in. Professional Continuous Rim Diamond Blade with Mesh Rim

I like this continuous rim, mesh diamond blade. It has a good balance between fast cutting and smooth cutting.  Search for this blade on Harborfreights website.

365nm UV Flashlight

Powerful Blacklight Flashlights for showing off the fluorescence of rocks and mineral

Drill Brush Attachment

These nylon brushes make it easy to scrub the dirt right off your rocks.

Textile Spot Cleaning Gun

Like a mini power washer for rocks, it shoots a pinpoint stream to blast off dirt and polish residue.

Eastman 1/2 Inch ID (5/8 Inch OD) PVC Clear Vinyl Tubing

I use this tubing as needed to supply water from the water pump, then reduce the size to the flexible drip mister.

Eastman 0.17 Inch ID (1/4 Inch OD) PVC Clear Vinyl Tubing, 10 Foot Length

I use this hose to feed the drip ends or sprayers to keep the rock wet.

Orbit Flexible Drip Watering Mister

This flexible drip mister lets you bend the hose any way you want and adjust the mist for perfect water distribution.

Diamond Peel-Off China Markers/Grease Pencils

I use Grease pencils to hash the surface of the rocks I polish.

Cerium Oxide High Grade Glass Polishing compound

This Cerium Oxide polish works very good on hard rocks like quartz.

Dewalt Angle Grinder 4.5" 11 amp

This Dewalt corded angle grinder is light and works well.

1/4" to 5/8" - 11 Shank Drill Adapter

To use the ZFE Diamond Polishing pads with a drill or drill press, use this adapter.

Ultra Quiet submersible Pump

Water fountain pump. 10ft High lift and at 6.5 ft power cord. comes with 3 Nozzles

VEVOR 8 in Benchtop Drill Press

The drill press is variable speed and runs quiet.

MK Diamond 101 Tile Saw

The MK-101 features a powerful, high torque, fan-cooled motor and one-piece unitized steel frame.

Felt Polishing Wheel

Felt Polishing Wheel for use with Cerium Oxide Polishing Powder (75mm)

Diamond Polishing Pads

9 Pcs, 4" Polishing pads. These pads fit an angle grinder.  To use wiht a drill or drill press, get the Drill Adapter.

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