Tumbler

**elliboo** · 21-01-2010, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Kermit

I got the National Geographic one from Argos.

I now need to sort out some shot....

I have looked at the stainless steel one here on cooksons, but at £71.50 its very very expensive. on Geological Tools and Fossil Equipment, Earth Science Books and Microscopy I have found some stainless steel mixed shot 650g for £15.95.

So why is the Cookies one so much more expensive?

Is it just far better quality?????

Can't answer the question, but I did buy my stainless steel shot from UKGE and used it in my National Geographic tumbler yesterday. It's great to have a working tumbler - I had thought it would cost me a fortune, so had been putting off buying buying one. Glad I did now - thanks so much to everyone on here.

**lynnm** · 21-01-2010, 03:02 PM

just reserved on of the National Geographic one....

**lynnm** · 23-01-2010, 04:12 PM

I am really happy with my NG tumbler! It isn't quite as good as 'the real thing' but hey it cost me £20 and is better than nothing! All the reviews say how noisy it is to but mine isn't that bad, or maybe I am going deaf! lol

**lorraineflee** · 23-01-2010, 06:54 PM

I bought a cheapish one and it seems to work fine. I had my dad's old tumbler but it finally gave up the ghost and decided to stop completely (we'd mended it umpteen times by that point).

Lorraine

**Kermit** · 25-01-2010, 07:16 PM

Ok, so now I've got my tumbler and my shot and barrelbrite have arrived from UKGE........

Next question..... I can obviously tumble anything that is made of just silver, but what about anything else? Glass beads, crystals, semi precious stones.....

And can plated metals be tumbled?

Thank you!

Jane x

**mizgeorge** · 25-01-2010, 08:09 PM

Anything over about 5.5 on the mohs scale is fine. So glass (though not coated and be careful with etched) is fine, so are crystals (again, not coated), stones as long as they're not porous, friable or below 5.5 hardness. Not pearls, turquoise, emeralds etc.

Don't know about plated metal (I never use it), but I would be cautious as any cut edges would be very vulnerable.

**kymbi** · 25-01-2010, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by lynnm

I am really happy with my NG tumbler! It isn't quite as good as 'the real thing' but hey it cost me £20 and is better than nothing! All the reviews say how noisy it is to but mine isn't that bad, or maybe I am going deaf! lol

Have you had any problems with the barrell rotating? Mine doesn't seem to rotate evenly when it's got shot in, unless I prop the front up a little to redistribute the weight onto the cog.

**lynnm** · 26-01-2010, 03:32 AM

Originally Posted by kymbi

Have you had any problems with the barrell rotating? Mine doesn't seem to rotate evenly when it's got shot in, unless I prop the front up a little to redistribute the weight onto the cog.

No... it went fine, sorry

**AlexandraBuckle** · 26-01-2010, 08:40 AM

I used my NG tumbler yesterday - I'm really pleased with it!

I did find that my wire pieces all went in separate and came out joined together - I guess its because they are all scroll shapes. It took me a little while to untangle everything. Anyone else have that problem? I can't really see a solution to it.

Kymbi, mine seemed to rotate ok. I used 500g of stainless steel shot and the barrel was about a third full as suggested.