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Thread: Polishing Tiny Pendants

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
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    Default Polishing Tiny Pendants

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    Hi!

    I have been making little initial pendants similar to the photo attached. At the moment I am hand cutting them then using a polishing motor to get them looking smooth and shiny. However I am wondering if there could be a easier and more effective way of getting the pendants polished up? For example if I cut out 50 tiny initial charms it takes me a long time to polish each one and since they are so tiny it can be very fiddly.

    I was reading about magnetic tumbler polishing machines and similar and though would this work? I am still not fully understanding how those work though so maybe not. Or is there any other way I could polish multiple charms at a time with another method to save me polishing each tiny charm one by one?

    Any advice would be appreciated.

  2. #2
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    Jan 2020
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    Default

    Oh forgot to add I am using sterling silver for the charms.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
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    If I were making them I'd get them cut, give them a quick rub either side on micro mesh sheets, get the soldering done and then thread as many as I could onto a safety pin or a piece of thin copper wire twisted to make a loop and chuck them in my rotary tumbler for an hour.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    Yes, they are beautiful, but too labour intensive. As Deb has said, you could get them mass produced by a laser cutting service and the jump ring soldered on, or even reproduced in multiples, including the ring, by a caster.

    That said, seeing an example of your work you might be disappointed with what others turn out for you.

    Finishing could be done in a tumbler with stainless steel shot and tumbling compound. A 3lb barrel would probably accommodate 50.
    You would use round shot and satellites, but leave out the needles, because needles included to reach awkward corners, will also put tiny pinpricks on the surface.

    I have not used a magnetic polisher, but they have only fine needles, whizzed around by a rotating magnet in the base. I am told that pinpricks are not a problem with these, and the action is faster. Dennis.

  5. #5
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    Jan 2020
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    Quote Originally Posted by misspond View Post
    If I were making them I'd get them cut, give them a quick rub either side on micro mesh sheets, get the soldering done and then thread as many as I could onto a safety pin or a piece of thin copper wire twisted to make a loop and chuck them in my rotary tumbler for an hour.
    Thank you for the suggestion, I never though of threading them on to a wire that would definitely make things easier, thanks again!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis View Post
    Yes, they are beautiful, but too labour intensive. As Deb has said, you could get them mass produced by a laser cutting service and the jump ring soldered on, or even reproduced in multiples, including the ring, by a caster.

    That said, seeing an example of your work you might be disappointed with what others turn out for you.

    Finishing could be done in a tumbler with stainless steel shot and tumbling compound. A 3lb barrel would probably accommodate 50.
    You would use round shot and satellites, but leave out the needles, because needles included to reach awkward corners, will also put tiny pinpricks on the surface.

    I have not used a magnetic polisher, but they have only fine needles, whizzed around by a rotating magnet in the base. I am told that pinpricks are not a problem with these, and the action is faster. Dennis.

    Thanks so much for the suggestions, this is really helpful!

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