Tumbler Barrels

[Patstone]

Hi, I am about to purchase a barrelling unitfor cleaning/polishing silver, after a discussion with George, it looks like the Lortone 3A is the one to get. I live near the sea (well 10 miles away) and quite often I pick up pebbles, some are pretty and I would like to tumble them and make them into jewellery can I use the same drum for cleaning silver or must i use another drum, and what is your opinion on the double barrel as its only £20 dearer. I dont know how long stones take to tumble, and if I get a double drum one, do I have to halve the contents in each. Thanks in advance
Pat

[Dennis]

Re Tumbling Stones.

Dear Pat, If you have followed recent threads, you will know that I have only taken up this subject in the last six weeks. Here is a summary of what I have learned, mainly from George and other members:
1. A rubber barrel is easier to use.
2. For metal you need a barrel with fins and some mixed shot containing needles, preferably stainless steel.
3. Stones are tumbled without shot, but with added abrasives (see Manchester Minerals).
4. You can use a barrel with fins, but it will be noisier and increase the load, so you might need to reduce the number of stones if the barrel does not rotate well.
5. The time for metal is around 1½ hours, but for stones could be more like 24 hours, or even longer.

Dennis

[Patstone]

Thanks Dennis, to the rescue once more. I decided to buy a double barrel tumbler as the cost was only £8 more than a single one and I have always fancied tumbling my own stones. The theory behind this was that I could keep one for silver and the other for stones, hence I wont have to clean out all the shot etc when I want to tumble the stones. I got the stainless steel shot as well (from a different company) the shot has actually arrived, and now I am waiting for something to put it in. I dont know if the tumbler has got fins, the write-up didnt say, but its a Lortone 33A I think, but its got a rubber barrel. Cant wait to give it a go.
Best wishes
Pat

[medusa]

I have a rubber barrel sans fins and it tumbles silver very well in my experience.

[Patstone]

Thanks, I am pleased about that, I was hoping it might be ok without fins. Too late now anyway, it arrived yesterday morning. If you go on to the UKGE website it has lots of grits etc that I may try for a matt finish on some silver rings. We get a Rock and Gem Show fairly close to us every year and some of the stones are lovely but they are huge, but now I can make them smaller and polish them. Thanks again, Pat

[teatowell]

How necessary is a rubber barrel in people's opinions? Will a plastic one work or not?

[Dennis]

How necessary is a rubber barrel in people's opinions? Will a plastic one work or not?

Hi, you probably missed this then: http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/tut...c-barrels.html.

have fun, Dennis.

[teatowell]

Hi, you probably missed this then: http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/tut...c-barrels.html.

have fun, Dennis.

Thanks Dennis,
Had read that thread but wasn't sure on an overall opinion, whether a plastic one was worth the effort! I take it that any jewellery wont be damaged by the barrel being harder than rubber. Would it be worth lining the barrel with rubber sheet or similar to soften the inside or to create fins?
Am I just trying to complicate things?
Tanya

[medusa]

How necessary is a rubber barrel in people's opinions? Will a plastic one work or not?

my friend has a plastic one with no fins which she lined with rubber sheet. Works well

[Dennis]

In my experience:

1.Plastic barrels are difficult to use because of problems with fitting the lids.
2.Fins in plastic barrels more than halve the time needed for polishing jewellery.
3 The plastic will not harm jewellery, but the needles in mixed shot leave minute pinpricks.

Some people tumble set stones and some then complain that they are chipped or cracked. Tumbling items with open collets does tend to close them slightly, but they are easily restored to size by inserting the appropriate stem of a twist drill. In any case it is a good idea to keep a cheap, but extensive set of these as mandrels for collets and jump rings.

So there you have it Tanya. No doubt other members will join in shortly. Dennis.