Originally Posted by
Dennis
Here are some random ideas, which I hope will cover some of your questions.
First of all a rubber or plastic hood to fit your polishing lathe would collect much of your dust, even without suction. Some have a port for connecting a hose and commercial vacuums from Tool Station or similar might be an inexpensive addition.
Pieces with extensive flat areas are not suitable for tumbling with mixed shot (balls, satellites and needles), because the needles cause tiny pinpricks. If there are surface angles or texture, then the other shapes will not get in to polish there. Tumbling will not round the edges either, unless you experiment with an aggressive ceramic medium.
However for small pieces, like your tiny pendants, the edges can be quickly made finger smooth using a medium Evoflex wheel or drum on a flexshaft, or micromotor. The rubber gradually goes out of shape, but that is redressed by touching it on a cheap and basic diamond sharpening plate from ebay. You will also learn to use them gently and at an angle to get a longer life from them. Dennis.
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