Wendy - tumbling is not usually an “either or” proposition. I left
your link to your website so people can see what kind of work you are
finishing.
Observing that your work is fabricated, and that usually means that
it is pretty clean to start with, I’d suggest the following
sequence:
First run 6 to 8 hours in aqua cones, then for bright finish, 1 hour
in stainless steel, then for a refined surface, 24 hours in
woodchips with pegs, charged with the appropriate compound - chrome
oxide for silver, rouge or simichrome for gold.
If you want a satin kind of finish, but still refined, I’ve had good
luck with Rios grey and green hone media, running 8 to 10 hours
each. The finish from that sequence is so good, that it often needs
no more processing.
The end recommendation is to replace your flow thru tumbler, it’s
the workhorse of nearly all mass finishing processes. And for a
quick bright finish,add a rotary tumbler for stainless steel. Be
sure it is big enough for your work to move freely in it. You will
be able to substantially reduce the amount of processing time with
this combination. Even if you still finish in dry media, it will
take a lot less time.
Judy Hoch
