rockbrain
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,167
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Post by rockbrain on Sept 10, 2023 10:20:41 GMT -5
I've been tumbling my wire wraps in stainless steel shot before applying a patina. Lately it hasn't been working so well. The shot seems to be "dirty". I've tried tumbling it by itself to clean it up but haven't had much luck. I tumble for a while and then have black water rinse off the batch that seems to be coming from the shot, not the wraps. I had a batch of wraps that was about ruined with dark stains on the cabs and the copper. I never was able to get the copper really shiny again. When I first started tumbling these they came out with sparkling copper. I've been using combinations of a bit of Dawn dish soap, Borax, baking soda and ammonia. I did a batch yesterday and they came out just ok. I tried tumbling the shot first by itself, rinsed clean and then the copper wraps. The wraps just didn't clean up like they should and I poured blackened water off after words. Anyone have any suggestions on how to get my SS shot back to where it was? Hopefully it's not just that it was cheap shot from Amazon. I've done several successful batches with it before I started having issues.
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,167
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Post by rockbrain on Sept 10, 2023 10:27:55 GMT -5
After typing this I realized that I've been running all these batches in my Minisonic. I'm wondering if the barrel could be deteriorating. It does look different inside but I don't get any black when scrubbing it. I think I'll try a rotary today.
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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 10, 2023 12:57:29 GMT -5
I've only ever used the 3a. I have only ever used dawn. Without knowing for sure, I'd say the ammonia is breaking down your bowl- or a combination. Or, it could be a reaction of some kind with the steel. I got my shot from Rio. I have heard of people getting bad shot. If it was coated shot, it makes sense that the coating has now worn off and it's down to plain steel. Of course, I'm just shooting ideas out there.
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Post by rockjunquie on Sept 10, 2023 14:43:56 GMT -5
I've heard of some people using flat coke to run a barrel of shot to clean it. I've not done it.
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Post by susand24224 on Sept 10, 2023 15:22:31 GMT -5
I use a little bit of Dawn, some baking soda, and just enough water to coat the shot plus maybe a TBS or two extra. It works--when I rinse at the end the water is less than clean. If it's been a long time since I have cleaned it, sometimes I have to do it twice. I generally patina before I tumble, so I can't speak to the "not able to patina well" issue. It's odd though since you are having "black water" after the tumble without any attempt to "clean" the shot--if the shot were the only issue, it seems that it would be quite clean by now.
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,167
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Post by rockbrain on Sept 10, 2023 15:49:35 GMT -5
Thanks for the responses and ideas. I ran just the shot in a rotary with a little dawn and the water came out black. Less black the second time. Tumbled one wrap and it came out better than before. The other variable is I don't store my copper wire sealed up. It gets a pretty discolored before I use it.
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gunsil
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2023
Posts: 345
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Post by gunsil on Sept 10, 2023 19:25:29 GMT -5
I'd try tumbling the shot with some "Bar Keeper's Friend" or similar stainless steel scouring powder. It makes my stainless pots and pans nice and shiny.
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