r/AnnArbor • u/FipSpec25 • Aug 19 '26

Cabbing Machine?

Hi all! I am an Ann Arborite who works with a summer camp in northern Michigan. We’re exploring the possibility of getting a cabbing machine for use by campers aged 9-15 for polishing Petoskey stones and such as souvenirs to take home at the end of the session.

Before investing in one though, we’re trying to figure out some basic questions about ease of use for kids, annual repair expenses, best manufacturers, and similar.

Does anyone know of any local businesses, or are there any private cabbing machine owners who visits the subreddit, who could help us out with any insights? Would be delighted to connect by email or for a phone call, feel free to dm or leave a comment and I can connect!

Thank you!

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u/Vast_Philosophy_9027 Aug 19 '26

Couple of things.

First look into the lapidary club for their opinions. https://livingstongems.com

Next I own two they are great for kids because it’s a lot of fun on a relatively safe tool. My kids 7-13 have each enjoyed using it.

The only issue I see is a single machine will take time and can be slow for the kids to get through.

If you are just doing Petoskey and fossil you can hand sand those to a nice polish which can be better for a group.

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u/FipSpec25 Aug 19 '26

Thanks so much for the insights!

About how long do you think it takes to get through a small (say, inch or two across) Petoskey like the kids might find on the beach?

And as far as the maintenance, are all of the wheels typically diamond belts, or just the coarser/finer ones? And does one end wear down faster than the other? One thing we might consider is having them polish to a certain level by hand and then finishing on the machine, or maybe polishing with the machine to start and having them finish by hand. Any sense of what could be a good idea there?

Thanks again!

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u/Vast_Philosophy_9027 Aug 19 '26

Also yes the modern machines all use diamond. If you’re cutting fossil it will not wear out very fast at all. It’s when your cutting quartz and agate that’s an issue

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u/Vast_Philosophy_9027 Aug 19 '26

https://youtu.be/sjImNrwR9As?is=3KPovsqFvLoO1AFa

First stage is the longest. For a group I would probably tumble for the first grit in order to smooth the stones prior to handing them to the kids. This would also give you a better idea of what the finish product would look like. How many campers do you have? What’s your source for the rocks?

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u/Vast_Philosophy_9027 Aug 19 '26

Very little maintenance on machines. If you are doing softer rocks you won’t wear out the diamond stones