[Source] Natural media for mass finishing

Judy Hock in her book “Tumble Finishing for Handmade Jewelry” says
the addition for small wooden pegs to natural media help their
effectiveness. I am looking for sources for pegs. Any ideas?

Don Allen

Judy Hock in her book "Tumble Finishing for Handmade Jewelry" says
the addition for small wooden pegs to natural media help their
effectiveness. I am looking for sources for pegs. Any ideas? 

Don - I get my pegs from Gesswein. You can use pretty much any kind
of non-abrasive stuff that adds weight to the dry media. The dry
medias can be used without pegs, it just takes longer.

On the weird side - I’m currently experimenting with some dry media
that has garbanzo beans and rice to add weight. So far I’m not
impressed, but there are many more variations to try.

Judy Hoch

I'm currently experimenting with some dry media that has garbanzo
beans and rice to add weight. 

My concern with using this sort of media is the question of
allergies. I am allergic to half the world, it seems, some
potentially fatally. There are plenty of others who fall into that
same category, many with worse allergies. People have died from
walking into a kitchen where someone was cooking garbanzo beans when
they were allergic…

I worry both about using this myself, and what would happen to my
breathing, and if there are any residuals left from using them that
might affect a highly allergic person who bought them…

Anyone have any experience with any of this?

Beth Wicker
Three Cats and a Dog Design Studio

Crushed walnut shells are frequently used as blast media to remove
materials without materially affecting the base material. Perhaps it
might be of some use as a natural media, but it’s lightweight. You
might have to tumble quite a long time for a noticeable affect.

Mike DeBurgh, GJG
Alliance, OH