What tumbler are you using??

Praha · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:50 am Post subject: What tumbler are you using??

Hello,

going to buy myself a tumbler and wondering if you use any particular brand? e.g Lorton.

It would be for jump rings,wire things mainly.

Praha

mizgeorge · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:23 am Post subject:

I use a Lortone 3A - and I love it!

george Daisy

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catnipqueen · Beginning Beader Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 78

Hello,

THis may be a really silly question, but as I have been debating having a go at chainmaille...

What is a tumbler and why would I need one? Please let me know.

I have bought a stack of rings to have a go with a simple weave and I thought that would be all I needed. But obviously there is more too it, so please could someone enlighten me.

Thanks,

CQ

mizgeorge · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:50 pm Post subject:

Hiya CQ - long time no see. Hope you're well over there!

A tumbler (in this instance) is actually for metal barrelling - polishing metal with stainless steel shot and burnishing compound in water - the machine simply turns turns a 3lb rubber barrel slowly enough for it to 'tumble' the pieces together - the effect is like thousands of tiny little hammers bashing the metal gently to polish it.

If you've bought rings, they should already have been tumbled to deburr the cut edges and polish them, so provided you don't overwork them you can just buff the finished piece up with a polishing cloth (or a bit of very fine steel wool if you want a bit more shine).

For those of us who cut our own, a tumbler is pretty vital - and is handy for giving a final polish to anything that can go in it!

The other use is as a lapidary polisher - you put rough stones (gems or just pebbles) in with progressively finer grades of grit to bring them up to a smooth and shiny finish (hence tumblestones) - this can take weeks at a time, so a good quality machine is a must or the motor will burn out.

hth

george Daisy

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Fusion · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:49 pm Post subject:

I've got a Lortone with a rubber barrel and I LOVE it!!

Rebecca

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aercraft · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:37 pm Post subject:

Hi,

I recently bought a standard 3lb rock tumbler from a gem site, with an extra barrel. Although it's a plastic barrel I don't find it too noisy (rubber barrels are quieter). It's UK made and comes with a 5-year warranty.

I think so long as you adhere to the load weight then you're okay with one of these. So far I've only tumbled a copper bracelet but the finish was superb. As I don't produce a lot at the moment I went for a cheaper tumbler rather than the Lortone, but it does the job well!

Anne.

catnipqueen · Beginning Beader Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 78

mizgeorge wrote:

Hiya CQ - long time no see. Hope you're well over there!

A tumbler (in this instance) is actually for metal barrelling - polishing metal with stainless steel shot and burnishing compound in water - the machine simply turns turns a 3lb rubber barrel slowly enough for it to 'tumble' the pieces together - the effect is like thousands of tiny little hammers bashing the metal gently to polish it.

If you've bought rings, they should already have been tumbled to deburr the cut edges and polish them, so provided you don't overwork them you can just buff the finished piece up with a polishing cloth (or a bit of very fine steel wool if you want a bit more shine).

For those of us who cut our own, a tumbler is pretty vital - and is handy for giving a final polish to anything that can go in it!

The other use is as a lapidary polisher - you put rough stones (gems or just pebbles) in with progressively finer grades of grit to bring them up to a smooth and shiny finish (hence tumblestones) - this can take weeks at a time, so a good quality machine is a must or the motor will burn out.

hth

george Daisy

HI George,

All well thanks - hope you are too.

Thanks for the info. I shall now have a play with my rings to see if I can make anything acceptable. I was worried for a while there that there may have been something important I was missing, but thankfully not! Well, not until I stop buying jump rings and making my own (prob not for a long while).

CQ

Praha · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:44 am Post subject:

Thanks,

I have been looking at the Lorton 3A one.
Seams to vary in price, I noticed in jewellery magazines that in USA its cheaper.

Noticed big difference in price eg looking at a kiln and found its nearly half price if I get it from FireMountain compared to here in OZ.

Julz