[Jewelry making - Article 00079] - Re: [Orchid] DIY tumble polisher

[Dave Arens]

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Hi Sarah,

>     Some people have recomended using steel shot in a rotary tumbler
>     or vibratory machine. I imagine that the steel shot would work
>     harden the silver a bit (this could be good in certain cases), how
>     much work hardening occurs though. Also, what are the chances the
>     pieces would get damaged from tumbling or vibrating with all that
>     steel? I've seen porcelain media available, is it any good? 

    I've been using a small vibratory tumbler with about 5 pounds of
    assorted shapes of stainless steel shot for over 15 years. So far
    I've not found any damage to anything metal or stone that went into
    the tumbler. 

    If I were going to get a new tumbler, I'd get the same thing again.
    I'd stay away from the rotary tumblers. 1st off they're slower than
    the vibratory, it takes a vibratory about 1/2 hour for a good finish,
    longer won't hurt, but isn't necessary. 2nd, There's no lid to leak
    or belts to replace. They're just a whole lot easier & more reliable
    than rotary tumblers. 

    Metal does come out a little harder than it went in, but the change
    in hardness isn't that great. 

Dave
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