steelhead707
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2024
Posts: 3
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Post by steelhead707 on Jul 22, 2024 17:21:58 GMT -5
I have about 4 barrels full of abalone shells that are very old. I would like to use some different sized pieces of shell from small squares (for use in mosaics and inlays) to larger pieces as well. I have a tile saw (I'm a tile contractor by trade) and I'm aware of the dangers of dry sanding.
My thought is to cut and shape some pieces and then tumble them to 'soften' the edges and give them a consistent polish. Since I have a lot of shells to process, I considered buying a budget (Harbor Freight) cement mixer. It has no interior paddles that would need to be cut out, but of course the housing is metal and I don't know if it's a good idea or not. I don't want to be the idiot that thinks he's smarter than all of those that have come before him/her, lol. If there's a legitimate reason why this is a bad idea, let me know please.
In the meantime, if any of you have any advice for the proper tools, compounds to add to slurry to acheive the desired effect, etc. I'd be very greatful for any advice that you can give. I'm sitting on a 'gold mine' of shells and have been anxious to do something with them for years.
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titaniumkid
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2023
Posts: 513
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Post by titaniumkid on Jul 22, 2024 17:32:18 GMT -5
Hi. If your abalone shells have pretty nacre (that pearlescent colourful layer) and you are hoping to preserve that, when you shape and polish the shell, you would need to take a lot of care as that layer is thin and would grind off easily. Skipping the coarse grit and shortening the tumbling time to a couple of days (then rinsing a couple of pieces to check if they are ok before either continuing in the same grit or moving them to the next stage) might work.
Most shell tumbling I've seen resulted in white polished shells, which was the look they were going for. You can try searching the forum. I also find YouTube has videos of people tumbling different things, so that might be helpful.
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Post by Pat on Jul 22, 2024 17:41:51 GMT -5
Check to see about abalone shell dust being harmful. Special care needs to be taken. Hope someone here can jump in with the needed information. I’m not a tumbler. jamesp |
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 22, 2024 19:54:40 GMT -5
Personally I would grind the outer surface to get off any growth on the shell and to smooth it out some. Then I would go with a vibe tumbler over a rotary tumbler and maybe a super fine grit or polish.
Experiment with the crappier pieces first.
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steelhead707
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2024
Posts: 3
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Post by steelhead707 on Jul 22, 2024 21:16:18 GMT -5
I considered a vibe tumbler. Thank you for the suggestion. As with a lot of crafts and hobbies that I dove into, I'm spent a TON of money to eventually end up with the desired result. I'm don't mind spending money, but I don't want to drop $500.00 to $1000.00 on useless $#!* just to weed my way through what works and what doesn't. I'm getting older and if not smarter, at least a bit more patient. My end goal is to incorporate the abalone into the mosaics that I make in my spare time. As a tile contractor, you can imagine all of the leftover glass, stone, and cool ceramic stuff that I have to play with. After doing it (and still am) for 35 years, I can manipulate and shape tile into a lot of things using my basic tools. Just having fun and making things for family and friends!  |
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 22, 2024 21:23:48 GMT -5
I considered a vibe tumbler. Thank you for the suggestion. As with a lot of crafts and hobbies that I dove into, I'm spent a TON of money to eventually end up with the desired result. I'm don't mind spending money, but I don't want to drop $500.00 to $1000.00 on useless $#!* just to weed my way through what works and what doesn't. I'm getting older and if not smarter, at least a bit more patient. My end goal is to incorporate the abalone into the mosaics that I make in my spare time. As a tile contractor, you can imagine all of the leftover glass, stone, and cool ceramic stuff that I have to play with. After doing it (and still am) for 35 years, I can manipulate and shape tile into a lot of things using my basic tools. Just having fun and making things for family and friends! You should be able to dry polish the shells in a vibe tumbler, which means you could use a much less expensive brass vibe tumbler. |
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Maybe you can post some pictures here