[Jewelry making - Article 01244] - Re: [Orchid] Dying after tumble polishing?

[Rick Martin]

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    I've never heard of anyone dying after tumble polishing but maybe
    that's because tumblers are usually too little to climb into.  C'mon,
    I'm just having fun -- I know you meant "Drying."  Maybe there's some
    method that uses sawdust or another desiccant for shot-drying but I
    don't think it's needed. (Some people use sawdust, ground seed hulls,
    etc. with various grades of polishing agent to tumble-polish castings
    without using shot. I tried it once and didn't like it -- I spent a
    whole day picking bits of walnut hull out of crevices in the polished
    castings). I've never heard of the additive you're using so follow
    the manufacturer's instructions carefully. 

    You've left out important information.  Are you using carbon steel
    shot or stainless?  It makes a big difference. Carbon steel will
    easily rust and you have to take a quick and active role in drying
    it.  When I used it long ago I lined a kitchen collander with
    cheesecloth to hold the shot while it drained.  I rinsed it with the
    hottest water I could get out of the tap to pre-heat the shot to
    hasten drying.  I had big terry towels laid out to vigorously dry it
    after rinsing and draining, then spread it out under heat lamps on
    fresh terry towels afterwards. I think I also used a hair dryer set
    on the "hot" setting. I got rust. I tried heating in an iron skillet
    to dry it.  I still got rust. 

    Maintaining the shot was as much hassle as polishing the Sterling
    manually. I tried some suggestions about leaving it immersed in
    various liquids between uses but ended up with useless rusted and
    pitted shot.  I tossed it, took a deep breath and invested in
    stainless.  I've never regretted it.  I'm still pretty careful,
    considering the cost, and have had no problems.  I rinse as described
    above, then dry in a towel and hit it with a hair dryer until I can
    find no sign of moisture, then store it in a covered plastic
    container until the next use. 

    There have been lots of threads on this and you'll find useful
    information in the archives. One thing I'd like to emphasize is that
    without a flow-through system, you need to change solution in the
    tumbler frequently or you'll end up with both shot and silver covered
    with a nasty black substance that's very difficult to remove.  I have
    no idea how long this would be in a rotary tumbler but I'd err on the
    side of caution. 

    As for knowing when polishing is finished, simply open the tumbler
    and rinse off a few pieces periodically to check.  I use a vibratory
    tumbler with plain old soap powder and I usually get a very
    satisfactory polish within 30 minutes to two hours.  A lot depends on
    how well your castings were prepared prior to shot-tumbling.  I
    manually de-bur castings after removing the sprues, using a
    combination of Mizzy and silicone wheels on the flex shaft. My first
    tumbling operation -- a couple of hours on average -- is with
    fine-grade quartz-impregnated plastic pyramids.  Check this process
    often to be sure detail in your castings isn't being worn away. 
    Clean the castings thoroughly and tumble with shot.  That's what
    works for me. 

    Rick Martin 
 

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