To one and all: sorry not to respond immediately. Sometimes I must
leave my studio to sell what I make. 2500 miles later after driving
thru a storm that caused semi trucks (lorries to the Brits among us)
to roll over, I’m back safely, mostly with thanks to the superior
driving of my spouse. We counted 7 trucks and more than 40 autos off
the highway.
Now to answer the questions:
Elaine - Yes you can get a perfect shine with mass finishing. How do
you suppose that all the commercial manufacturers do it? It is not
done by hand for millions of pieces.
John - The introductory that you refuse to pay for is
available from Orchid. Search all the archives - that’s one search -
for “mass finishing”. That’s the real name for tumbling.
Here in order are the links to the first few. They should give you
some idea of the process. Mass finishing is like many things,
superficially easy, and the more you know, the more it becomes an
art.
Links:
[Orchid] Mass finishing techniques
[Orchid] Suitable tumbler
[Orchid] Tumble finishing - a healthy choice
[Orchid] Polishing Sequence & Gold recovery
That’s the first few of 122 found.
What I have tried to do is adopt the commercial techniques requiring
huge expensive equipment to the needs of small studios and individual
jewelers. I am interested in superior results, produced economically,
and respecting my health, that are predictable and repeatable. It’s
not a 1,2,3 answer. If you are a hobby jeweler, you are probably not
interested in the fine points. If you are trying to make a living, it
is the best investment you can make.
Judy Hoch