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Hi, Susan. I am just a beginner myself. However, I have done
tumbling years ago now. That is very simple work. You simply
use a strong adhesive and glue caps on tumbled stones, or glue
stones to various findings, bolo ties, etc. Matter-of-fact, I
designed my own tumbler under a workbench, with padded pipes and
large gear ration, and used a motor from a broken washing machine
to power it. I ran two banks of pipes, but just using rubber
belts, the second band slipped, so I had the one bank of pipes,
one pipe was a bit bent, so that was even better. I used pillow
blocks at ends for small pulleys, and one very large wheel I
bought special. I figured out the gear ratio mathematically,
from notes of desired speed I had then. Glass jars, they
eventually break! So I wound them in electricians tape. Some
tough plastic jugs work alot better. These simple table hobby
tumblers are much more efficient. With washing machine motor, my
electric bill really went up, as it runs day and night for as
much as a few weeks. You run them from coarse to ever finer
grits. There are books on it. Some add walnut shells, etc. to
get a better polish. I do want to do more serious work, as my
father did. He and my mother started out with lessons from the
YWCA in Philadelphia, and both did beautiful work. My mother
went more into metal work. My father won first prize for a
jewerly box he made at an Engineers' Hobby show in Philadelphia
in 1938. My sister has that box. I have another box he made.
He lined it with precious wood, and his own combination of oil
essences. I have his books, and equipment, and it would be
ashame if I didn't do something with it. Silver soldering, you
start out with high temperature melting points, and work ever
lower with each additional soldering, usually, especially if the
soldering is close together. That way you don't melt your
previous work. I have done soldering with stainglass, and you
do everything pretty much all at once, so I use the same solder
throughout there. You might consider an evening adult course at
a local high school, or community college to get a start. I took
a stain glass class some years ago, and two of us were working
well ahead of the instruction. Just once you get the hang of it,
and you experiment on the side some too. But I am often better
learning on my own anyway. So, I wish you good luck in your new
interest. Laura Voigt
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