Tumbling questions!

[ElementalsDesign]

Originally Posted by bousky

Traci, those are really nice!



Rachel.....I covet your welding abilities. I really wish we lived closer!

Traci.. I agree.. they turned out great!

Michelle..
I never knew, when I set out to learn to weld to provide for my son, that I would instantly fall in love (although maybe I should have ;} ..but it is really great. Ernie, my favorite boss ever, when I was bugging him to give me something to do while he was trying to think used to say "oh just.. just go find something to weld.. go to your happy place!" LOL

I love everything about it. It's also pretty cool to have a shop that guys walk into and say "Whoa.. OMG" before they turn green w/envy, too!

DEFINITELY agree we should live closer (anybody know if they've made ANY progress at all on that teleporter yet???) <tappingfootimpatiently>
Heh.. if only!

[SadiesJewels]

Nicely etched Traci!

Is that with the 1,000 silicon carbide?

[tracidawn78]

Originally Posted by SadiesJewels

Nicely etched Traci!

Is that with the 1,000 silicon carbide?

Yep! It was all really easy and I think it turned out way better than chemical etching. They really do look like they glow from within.

[cc2]

I was given this information on tumbling from Corina, I think.....she had this posted on her website for a long time. I copied it and kept it on my PC.

This is how I do it along with the following directions, but I can't remember where I got them......sorry.

Tumbling Tutorial

I have received several emails lately about tumbling, so, I thought I might as well do a little "tutorial", although in reality there is not much to say. All my info by the way is from Jim Smircich and Marge Dillon...so, if it doesn't work, blame THEM!

First of all you need a rock tumbler. You might find one at a garage sale, or used on eBay, but unlike most of the machines we need for coldworking beads, this one is CHEAP. I bought mine from Dads Rockshop, it was a little over $ 60, but I think you can also get it at Rio Grande.

I did an internet search, they are everywhere, I got mine for $60. The original intent was to tumble chainmaille jewelry, but it works great for this also.



Here is more information I got a LONG time ago before I really got serious about tumble etching:::::::::::::::

Here is the information. KINGSLEY NORTH 1-800-338-9280. Also (906) 563-9228. PO BOX 216-- 910 Brown Street Norway, Michigan 49870-0216---also, www.kingsleynorth.com to order on line.


Ask for one pound of silicon carbide 1000 grit #0012. this is listed at about $12. However they will tack on a charge for a small order and S&H. The total should be about $20. It will last you forever. I used one tablespoon in the water filled drum with about two cupfuls of cheap glass pony beads from India. (Get at Hobby Lobby or Michael's)

I have never changed the grit, water or pony beads.

Tumbling your beads (about 12) should take about ONE hour. Have Fun!


There is all the information I have, it has been saved from both sources exactly like they gave it to me. Cindy

[maren]

More tumbling questions, hope you don't mind:

I just got into thinking "tumbling", and then found that I can't find a tumbler in this town - and I want it NOW. Purpose: I made jump rings, cut with wire cutters, and I want to tumble the edges off. I did a Google search, said "sand I have", put some of the jump rings and some sand into a plastic mayonnaise jar, put that in the back of my truck, thinking as I was driving around it would move the jar around, but apparently not enough, or I'm doing something wrong.

I read about adding water and soap (I have Dawn dish detergent), but nobody ever mentioned what the purpose of that is.

Why do you/does one add water and soap?

More questions: should this makeshift setup work in principle?

And most of all: can one tumble the edges off of metal cuts like that?

Thanks in advance.

[squid]

in theory, yes - but since I tumble for hours and hours you'd have to circle your island a few times. Also, you should use stainless shot for tumbling jump rings, not sand. Sand will work in a pinch for etching, but not for polishing.

[maren]

Now to find stainless shot ... (will have to wait until at least after work).
Thanks squid!

[ameron]

Hi All, found this great thread here on tumbling....was wondering if anyone knows if the polishing grits they sell at Harbor Freight...see link here...http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=30956
contain the silicon carbide grit most in this thread recommend for etching? They don't really say what the composition of the abrasives are, but I assume some of you more experienced etchers may already know.

Also, why is it that sand won't work in the tumber??? Or does it just not give as a nice a look? Thanks ALL!!!!!

[bousky]

I don't know about the Harbor Freight grit. I do know that sand does work.I have used sand before to tumble glass bottles to make beach glass. I figured if it works in the ocean, it will work in my tumbler.

[maren]

Originally Posted by bousky

I have used sand before to tumble glass bottles to make beach glass. I figured if it works in the ocean, it will work in my tumbler.

That was my thinking too. - But a mayonnaise jar in the back of my truck doesn't work very well. I only tried jump rings in that, and it worked some, but not well enough in the short time I had available. -

[ben david]

Maren - the "jar in the car" approach does work - especially if you've got a long commute or know someone who drives all day (deliveries/plumber/etc).

Try this: take a paint can - or a coffee/cocoa can with a snap-in metal lid - or a metal cannister with a tight-fitting lid - and clean it out.
If you wish, line the inside with thin cork sheet - you can find rolls of it in Office Depot - or spun polyester pot-scrubber material (where I live they sell this in sheets, so you can cut off pieces).

This should take more abuse than a glass jar, and will gaily roll the entire width of your trunk.

Add your materials and seal. Leave room for things to shift around. Try it first dry WITHOUT soap or water - people doing PMC and FIMO worlds have found that this often works better. And it's one less thing to mess up your car.

Put the whole thing in a ziplock bag and throw it in the trunk.

Estimate the hours based on what folks are saying here.

This worked like a charm when I did FIMO and cast resin beads.

[ElementalsDesign]

THAT is a bangin' idea.. I've never heard of that one.

Thanks you guys!

Rachel Kat

Originally Posted by ben david

Maren - the "jar in the car" approach does work - especially if you've got a long commute or know someone who drives all day (deliveries/plumber/etc).

Try this: take a paint can - or a coffee/cocoa can with a snap-in metal lid - or a metal cannister with a tight-fitting lid - and clean it out.
If you wish, line the inside with thin cork sheet - you can find rolls of it in Office Depot - or spun polyester pot-scrubber material (where I live they sell this in sheets, so you can cut off pieces).

This should take more abuse than a glass jar, and will gaily roll the entire width of your trunk.

Add your materials and seal. Leave room for things to shift around. Try it first dry WITHOUT soap or water - people doing PMC and FIMO worlds have found that this often works better. And it's one less thing to mess up your car.

Put the whole thing in a ziplock bag and throw it in the trunk.

Estimate the hours based on what folks are saying here.

This worked like a charm when I did FIMO and cast resin beads.

[maren]

I'll try the coffee can for my kamani nuts. I think part of my problem is that I don't have a car with a trunk but a pickup truck, and the truck bed isn't flat but more like corrugated (I assume for stiffness), but while a mayonnaise jar may not roll over those, a 3 lb coffee can should.

[ben david]

Maren - I also think the disappointing results with the jump rings may have been due to mismatch between the abrasive and the material you were polishing. Metal, glass, and other materials need different types/sequences of grit.

[maren]

That makes perfect sense, thanks.

[Aja]

I made the mistake of using the Harbor Freight grit sample pack w/ some hollows in my tumbler- and they're pretty much a bust- once they dry they're ashy looking and not nearly as smooth as the 1000 grit makes tumbled beads. I've tried to fix them by tumbling them in the 1000 grit- no luck so far, and they been tumbled off and on for more than 48 hrs.
Hope this helps, ameron!

[emoon]

My thought about sand is that the ocean takes a couple hundred years to do it's thing. Sand is not very aggressive and the silicon carbide probably gets a bit more bite, faster. I tumble metal for a couple hours and it looks really shiny coming out.

Etched beads? I put them in before I go to bed, out when I get up. Seems to work...that's in a Lortone tumbler. I haven't tried it in the vibrating tumbler, but I may just do that!!

[SilverReflections]

I tried the tumble etching using ~ 1tbsp 1000 grit silicon carbide, 1 package of pony beads for filler (fills up a little less than half my tumbler barrel I'd say) and enough water to cover the beads (sorta the way I have my other barrel set up to polish metal - with ss shot and burnishing soln instead of course). I tried a few spaceer beads and after several hours (maybe 4?) I didn't get an etch but instead had a big foamy gray mess lol. So I'm wondering if it was a - too much silicon carbide, b - too much water, c - I need to have the whole barrel, or a larger portion of the barrel, filled with the spacer beads/water/grit or d- some combination of these things? Would love to get some help, I sort of just pushed this project to the back burner as I got busy trying other new things.

Tina

[maren]

Update from my end:

I have a tumbler now and I have started tumbling the kamani seeds by themselves (no abrasive). It is slow but is doing something. I never tried the coffee can approach, but I may just do that now to help the tumbler along later.

So far they have been tumbled for about a day and most of the surface is getting rather smooth and the attached fibers are getting loose, so I hope this will eventually work.

[ElementalsDesign]

Hi Maren,

I have some tumbling media for soft things.. (going to have to run downstairs and have a look to remember what it is) ..dried corn bits, I think?

Anyway.. there are different media which can be used to great effect for your purposes.

What immediately sprang to mind (wish I had some.. for me and to send you ;} is walnut shells.. they do a great job for things like seeds.



~Rache

[ElementalsDesign]

OH.. and I almost forgot.. when SS shot is too much (as in the case of the seeds) it is common to use plastic pellets in their place. I believe I have some of those and would be happy to share if you'd like to try them, although, if you have enough seeds to fill the can 1/2 to 2/3 of the way.. the walnut shells would be sufficient.

Drop me a line if I can help.

[maren]

Thank you, that's an interesting idea. I have macadamia nut shells, I'll try those.

I have a cat litter bucket almost full of these seeds (they are big). Ig I had a 5 gallon bucket without handle with a fitting lid I'd try that in the back of the truck ... (before sticking them in the tumbler, just to save tumbling time)

[ElementalsDesign]

Macadamia nut shells would probably work great.. just take a sledge to them (maybe in a really tough bag?) and make sure they are in little bits :}

~R

[maren]

Do you think chopping them up with a coffee grinder would work?

(Not that pounding them with a sledge hammer doesn't sound like fun too )

[ElementalsDesign]

hehe.. I don't see why not.. although you might be at it for a while

(the sledgehammer is rather cathartic, too)

[maren]

Actually, I cracked them with the C-clamp I use for cracking them in the first place. I don't need them really small, and while it still takes a while and I will probably tumble them with sand as well, THIS WORKS!

It never would have occurred to me, thank you for the tip!

[ElementalsDesign]

THAT is fantastic news.. (and you got sand! ) ..so glad to hear it helped!



~Rache

[Eileen]

I just bought a double barrel tumbler from Harbor Freight (on sale for $49.99 in stead of $89.99 if I remember right). I also paid the extra $10 for a 2 year warranty in case it breaks.
Am I going to regret getting this one? I haven't bought any grit or shot yet, so won't be using it until probably next week at the earliest.

[angelique_redhead]

You're probably going to like it especially since you bought the 2 year warranty. Angelique

Originally Posted by Eileen

I just bought a double barrel tumbler from Harbor Freight (on sale for $49.99 in stead of $89.99 if I remember right). I also paid the extra $10 for a 2 year warranty in case it breaks.
Am I going to regret getting this one? I haven't bought any grit or shot yet, so won't be using it until probably next week at the earliest.

[Eileen]

While I was in line the guy in front of me was returning something he'd bought almost a year ago (sounded like days short) and they were giving him a new tool and he was buying another year's warranty for it. I wonder if he broke it on purpose...