Post by ColtChainmailJewelryDesigns on Apr 15, 2011 1:19:05 GMT -5
Hello everyone! I've been making chainmail jewelry as a hobby for about 5 years now. And I have been making pendents lately with some stones I had for years, and some a friend gave me. About 6 or 7 years ago someone gave me a tumbler for Christmas (because I wanted one, but never used it). About a year ago i opened it and started tumbling some rocks that came with it. Just the other day when I got all my rocks I've collected over the years into one place, I was thinking about my tumbler and decided to get it out and start it up again.
I had left some smaller pieces in the barrel with fine grit, and just ran that over night. This morning I opened it and got everything out and put in a half round 3" piece I found in a bag of rocks given to me by a guy my grandma knew. This rock was all scratched up from the others. I put in some other rocks from the same bag that I wanted to tumbler, but where only about half the size. Also, all these rocks where polished already. All seemed to be flat, or slab like.... and rocks like this to me where kindof odd at the time. A few large as my palm, but most 1 1/2" or smaller. Some have cut marks in them, and some seem to have been cut, but there is a lip of where it was not cut all the way through.
Also some others that came with the tumbler, the biggest ones. When I put it back on the rollers it started rolling and i could tell the large round was not good in there. I was cringing with every turn of the barrel. Also with it only about 1/5th full. But I decided to leave it be for at least a few hours to see what happens.
To my surprise, the large round has no more scratches on the front, and alot of the dirt or whatever off the back! The others have not changed much. But most the others put in because they had some holes that could have crystals in them i want to see.
Aside from my story rants, I have looked at a few threads on here, scanning for some simple info. A few people have said using plastic as cushioning? For the rocks in my tumbler, I think it needs that! I have some cheap colored plastic beads from walmart, would these work for this?
As being new to this, I have tried to save and reuse my grit's. I know some may say this is not good to do, but I want to try not to spend money on that stuff. But then Again, it takes so much time and effort to save the grit. so where is a good place to buy grit? looking for cheap here people! ;D
Is there any type of container that works good as a small tumbler?
I have no Idea why, but my barrel trys to fly off the rollers. So I made a frame to go around it. in doing so i made it so my barrel may also turn a second container. I just need one that is water tight! lol.
Thanks for reading, and Thanks in advance for any help given! I will try to get some photos of my rocks and my tumbler soon!
~Colt Chainmail~
I had left some smaller pieces in the barrel with fine grit, and just ran that over night. This morning I opened it and got everything out and put in a half round 3" piece I found in a bag of rocks given to me by a guy my grandma knew. This rock was all scratched up from the others. I put in some other rocks from the same bag that I wanted to tumbler, but where only about half the size. Also, all these rocks where polished already. All seemed to be flat, or slab like.... and rocks like this to me where kindof odd at the time. A few large as my palm, but most 1 1/2" or smaller. Some have cut marks in them, and some seem to have been cut, but there is a lip of where it was not cut all the way through.
Also some others that came with the tumbler, the biggest ones. When I put it back on the rollers it started rolling and i could tell the large round was not good in there. I was cringing with every turn of the barrel. Also with it only about 1/5th full. But I decided to leave it be for at least a few hours to see what happens.
To my surprise, the large round has no more scratches on the front, and alot of the dirt or whatever off the back! The others have not changed much. But most the others put in because they had some holes that could have crystals in them i want to see.
Aside from my story rants, I have looked at a few threads on here, scanning for some simple info. A few people have said using plastic as cushioning? For the rocks in my tumbler, I think it needs that! I have some cheap colored plastic beads from walmart, would these work for this?
As being new to this, I have tried to save and reuse my grit's. I know some may say this is not good to do, but I want to try not to spend money on that stuff. But then Again, it takes so much time and effort to save the grit. so where is a good place to buy grit? looking for cheap here people! ;D
Is there any type of container that works good as a small tumbler?
I have no Idea why, but my barrel trys to fly off the rollers. So I made a frame to go around it. in doing so i made it so my barrel may also turn a second container. I just need one that is water tight! lol.
Thanks for reading, and Thanks in advance for any help given! I will try to get some photos of my rocks and my tumbler soon!
~Colt Chainmail~