luv2hound
freely admits to licking rocks
I try & I try, but dang it! Those rocks just keep ending up in my pockets
Member since June 2007
Posts: 890
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Post by luv2hound on Aug 8, 2008 14:30:11 GMT -5
Hey Ya'll.
I haven't tumbled any of the jewelry I've made yet and have a few questions. I'm hoping you wrappers will be able to answer them.
First. Would it be ok to use my barrel that I use to polish my rocks? This barrel is only used to polish. Or should I have a barrel that is just for the jewelry?
Second. Can I put jewelry in to tumble that is made with glass beads? I'm scared the glass will get scratched.
Third. Do you put in any kind of plastic beads with the steel shot? As a kind of cushioning. (I'm thinking like the beads I use in tumbling rocks. Brand new ones of course. Not ones that have be run with rocks) I've read in a couple of places that you should put in the steel shot and hard plastic beads, along with a little dishwashing soap.
Tell me what you guys do. I appreciate any help and info.
Mitzi
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hkswrapsody
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since June 2008
Posts: 109
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Post by hkswrapsody on Aug 8, 2008 16:34:53 GMT -5
I use a separate rubber tumbler with steel shot and just a little bit of burnishing soap. You could probably use your other tumbler but make sure it is very well cleaned out. I usually tumble all of my wire wraps except the woven ones using 26 and 28 gauge wire. It can harden the delicate wire to the point where it can become brittle and snap. Glass can and will probably wear if you tumble too long. Generally an hour or two is enough to tumble polish your wraps unless you really mangle them up with the pliers. I do not tumble soft stones like fluorite and opal because of wear. You can experiment tumbling your glass and wire jewelry, there I don't have much advice to offer.
I do not use plastic pellets with steel shot, totally unnecessary.
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luv2hound
freely admits to licking rocks
I try & I try, but dang it! Those rocks just keep ending up in my pockets
Member since June 2007
Posts: 890
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Post by luv2hound on Aug 11, 2008 19:19:10 GMT -5
I guess I'm gonna experiment with my glass beads.
Thanks for all the info.
Mitzi
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kislany
starting to spend too much on rocks
wire wrapper learning to tumble and cab rocks
Member since May 2008
Posts: 155
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Post by kislany on Aug 12, 2008 0:12:09 GMT -5
I also have a separate barrel for the steel shot. I'm using just a few drops of diwhwashing liquid, (Palmolive as I can't find Dawn here, but I realised it doesn't not matter what brand it is, as long as it's a 'purer' type, without lots of additives). I also use this procedure for hardening wire, e.g. when I'm making chainmail jewelry, after cutting the rings, I put them in the tumbler for a couple hours. By the time it finishes the cycle, it almost makes the rings half hard. Oh and no plastic pellets needed there at all. The cushioning I think would actually make the whole point moot, as the steel shot pieces need to get to the wire and start working their action all over the place to clean and harden. That's why you have a few different type of shot, so they get in all the hard places to get otherwise.
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Post by creativeminded on Aug 12, 2008 9:08:54 GMT -5
Well this message has helped me, I have never tumbled my jewelry, I didn't realize that it hardened the wire. I think I need to do that with my chainmail. Tami
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Sparky
starting to spend too much on rocks
Still diggin'...
Member since October 2007
Posts: 147
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Post by Sparky on Aug 12, 2008 10:34:51 GMT -5
Heya... I have tumbled all of my wraps, so far. I use stainless shot with Dawn dishwashing liquid. About a year ago, I made a dichroic glass pendant and tumble polished it. I added about a cup and a half of plastic pellets (just to be on the safe side) to the shot/dawn mix and ran it for about 2 hours. It didn't hurt the glass cab at all. Not too sure how glass beads would handle it though. I don't know if there's any difference in hardness between dichroic glass and glass beads. Here's a bad pic of the pendant after 2 hours in the tumbler... I wish ya luck, though. Rus
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