[Jewelry making - Article 00662] - Re: [Orchid] Making my own Tumbler

[Don Rogers]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========


>     i have two questions, can i use a glass barrel? and what is the
>     average speed of a tumbler? RPM's? 

    Louise, for the first question, absolutely not.  The barrel is
    designed to be soft but tough, so it doesn't wear away in the
    tumbling process, or damage the items being tumbled.  Most tumbles
    use a rubber barrel, or a plastic barrel that has the
    characteristics of rubber.  Glass would wear quickly, and most
    likely break. 

    As to the rpm, it depends on the design of the barrel, and its size.
     The idea behind a tumbler, and its name, is that you create a slope
    of media and material in the tumbler barrel.  As the barrel turns,
    the slope reaches a point where the material can't keep building on
    the high side and "tumbles" down the slope.  As the barrel is
    turning at a constant speed, the slope remains constant and the
    material keeps recycling through the rise to the top, and the
    "tumble" down the slope.  You will need a different RPM for a 4"
    barrel vs a 12" barrel.  If the barrel is faceted on the inside, you
    will have a different RPM requirement to maintain the slope. 

    My suggestion is to purchase a small tumbler, the Loretone comes to
    mind.  I used to sell these tumblers in my store.  They are designed
    for the correct barrel and speed. They have an excellent track
    record.  They are reparable, and they last a lifetime or two.  I
    used to keep a 25 year old tumbler of theirs running in the store
    for advertisement.  Not many items that you can buy for less than
    $50 today that have a long life and are cost effective to repair. 

Don

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________