How to Make Stone Playing Marbles

Stone playing marbles have been a toy in civilizations pre-dating even the Roman Era. These toys can be kept for display or used in both official and casual tournaments. Many stones can be chipped and worked into round marbles that are suitable for play in many different environments. These range from any number of calcareous stones, such as marble and limestone, or gemstones like agate and quartz. It is possible to make your own marbles at home using equipment from a craft or museum store.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Calcareous rocks or gemstones
• Small metal chisel
• Electric rock tumbler
• Tumbler solution

1. Select your stones by gauging their size and rough shape. The best stones for marbles should be roughly one quarter larger than the desired marble size and free of exterior cracks.

2. Use your chisel to flake away bits of the rock until the marble is in the rough shape of a sphere. It's acceptable to leave some rough edges, as these will be sanded away in the tumbler, but try to get as close to a sphere as possible without shrinking the marble beyond its intended size.

3. Pour the tumbler solution into the rock tumbler. Typically, this will be a pouch of fine sand that requires water, though pre-mixed solutions are also available.

4. Add the marbles to the tumbler and allow them to spin for seven to ten days. Longer times may be required based on the directions of your specific tumbler. This will remove all of the rough edges and give a perfect shape and sheen to your marbles.

5. Remove the marbles and inspect for cracks and rough edges. Based on the stones chosen, you may need to chisel some back into shape before placing them in for another tumble session.

Tips & Warnings

• Stones for marbles should be chosen based upon the appearance, weight and the density of the rock. Porous rocks or those with obvious flaws should be discarded.

• Never reuse tumbler solution. Always change the solution after each use, as the existing solution will now contain bits of stone that can damage future batches.

References

• "Stone" magazine; Know Your Stone; David W. Boyer and Gary Henry; March 2001

Resources

• Amazon.com Rock Tumblers
• National Marbles Tournament Home Page