gerard
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2011
Posts: 218
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Post by gerard on Aug 18, 2014 23:25:17 GMT -5
Are there any tricks to tumbling light silver chains to keep them from tying up into a tight un-wrapple ball?
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,779
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Post by gemfeller on Aug 19, 2014 16:19:08 GMT -5
I've tumbled a lot of silver but personally wouldn't try it with chains. I hand-polish all gold and silver chains with treated polishing cloths similar to those in this link. Just a few pulls through the cloth while holding the chain between the treated cloth layers removes tarnish and allows easy buffing with the outer cloth. Sometimes if they're heavily tarnished a bath in a commercial remover like Tarn-X gets rid of deep discolorations prior to using the cloth. www.raglady.com/detail_MICROJPC__55__treated_jewelry_polishing.html?gclid=CIPQ4YKdoMACFQqJaQodpCcAKw
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 19, 2014 17:19:16 GMT -5
I have done medium weight chains. Depending on the link, you can run a wire though the length of it and hook the chin. Attach the wire to the clasp and secure. Did that makes sense?
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Post by radio on Aug 19, 2014 17:56:05 GMT -5
I have tumbled larger hand made chains in steel jewelry shot mix, but smaller ones really knot up. as rockjunquie said, if you can run a wire through it you should be safe. I recently bit the bullet and ordered an Ionic cleaner for the shop and it works like a charm to remove tarnish. Ultrasonics are worthless in that respect, but an Ionic cleans with electrical current and is just the ticket for silver! 30 seconds in the ionic, a quick rinse, dry, and a run through a polishing cloth and they sparkle like new!
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gerard
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since April 2011
Posts: 218
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Post by gerard on Aug 19, 2014 18:23:13 GMT -5
radio, ionic sounds like the bomb, any recommendations to where to acquire one?
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Post by radio on Aug 19, 2014 19:42:40 GMT -5
radio, ionic sounds like the bomb, any recommendations to where to acquire one? National Jewelers supply is where I got mine. I got the 309 SB model because I clean a lot of chains in my shop and this one has a larger capacity. One word of caution though. Do not let the chain loop over it's self or otherwise touch together in the tray or there will be a very hard to remove black spot where they touched. All the tarnish removed from other sections will deposit at touching points. link to NJS www.nationaljewelerssupplies.com/p/cleaning-polishing/309SB.html they have a home version for $79 that uses a 9 volt battery. the capacity is only 6 ounces of liquid though and not well suited for chains
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electricmonk
spending too much on rocks
Member since August 2011
Posts: 281
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Post by electricmonk on Aug 19, 2014 23:48:04 GMT -5
I have tumbled larger hand made chains in steel jewelry shot mix, but smaller ones really knot up. as rockjunquie said, if you can run a wire through it you should be safe. I recently bit the bullet and ordered an Ionic cleaner for the shop and it works like a charm to remove tarnish. Ultrasonics are worthless in that respect, but an Ionic cleans with electrical current and is just the ticket for silver! 30 seconds in the ionic, a quick rinse, dry, and a run through a polishing cloth and they sparkle like new! Does stone suffer in such an environment? If I recall, some don't fare so well in ultrasonics (just bought one and have to do some investigation before I ruin anything).
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 20, 2014 0:01:14 GMT -5
I have an ionic cleaner, too, and can vouch for the effectiveness and ease. They are great to have on hand.
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Post by radio on Aug 20, 2014 7:32:31 GMT -5
I have tumbled larger hand made chains in steel jewelry shot mix, but smaller ones really knot up. as rockjunquie said, if you can run a wire through it you should be safe. I recently bit the bullet and ordered an Ionic cleaner for the shop and it works like a charm to remove tarnish. Ultrasonics are worthless in that respect, but an Ionic cleans with electrical current and is just the ticket for silver! 30 seconds in the ionic, a quick rinse, dry, and a run through a polishing cloth and they sparkle like new! Does stone suffer in such an environment? If I recall, some don't fare so well in ultrasonics (just bought one and have to do some investigation before I ruin anything). Many stones are a big No No in ultrasonic, but Speedbrite says most all stones are safe in an Ionic Amazonite, Ammolite, Coral, Hematite, Hessonite, Ivory and Bone and Marcasite seem to be the only exceptions. The info page says it is safe for all stones, but the "List of gemstones, and how to clean each one" lists the above exceptions. Quite a contradiction in their own info. I think I will e mail them for clarification
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Post by radio on Aug 21, 2014 7:37:36 GMT -5
Got a prompt reply from Speedbrite yesterday and it cleared up the confusion somewhat. Below is the reply from Jim at SB. He mentions Copper in Turquoise, but this should also apply to Morenci or any Turquoise with Pyrite inclusion. Think I will put a small piece in the machine and see what happens
Greetings It's nice to hear from you an will try to make this clearer as to Ionic use. If your stone or Fossil can be soaked in Baking soda it can go into the solution, which we clean regularly in the store. Hematite may be a problem but not always. If you know your stone is untreated or does not have a sealant finish, there will be no problem. The ionic process is safe since no heat or ultra sonic waves are involved in the process to crack or damage stones. Any stone with metal make up like turquoise can react to ionic cleaning. The copper may darken but can easily be buffed. The discoloration is only a nuisance, not a permanent damage. Some stones may lose shine from grease which is often reapplied by skin oil if worn as jewelry. The caution for silver mounted pieces is for soldered-in repair work since silver heats homogenously thought out the piece and can damage mounted stones or bone. Ionic does not heat stone but sends a 9v DC current to create bubbles doing the cleaning. The type of solution can make a difference : Gem Sparkle is recommended.
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