"Tumblers"

Does anyone use those tumblers that you can buy from Rio Grande
to finish pieces? Do they do the sanding and polishing for you?
That sounds too good to be true. My employer is under this
assumption and wants to get us one.

Thamks for any input.

Stacey Weid, Michigan

Hi Stacey,

Does anyone use those tumblers that you can buy from Rio Grande
to finish pieces?

What is it you’re (your Boss) wanting to do with them?

Depending on the media (shot, grit, other) you can do different
things with them. They also come in 3 different types, barrel,
vibratory & magnetic. The vibratory & magnetic are faster than
the barrel type. They’re usually used in the finishing steps of
castings or finished jewelry. They can also be used to tumble
rocks.

I use a small vibratory tumbler with steel shot to finish fine
silver & sterling chain & other small pieces. The shot performs a
burnishing function on the items, they must be free from
scratches before put them in the tumbler. It’s the easiest way I
know to polish chain!

Others can address tumbling with grit & other media as well as
‘flow through tumbling’. Tumbling in one form or another, is used
throughout the metals (steel, iron, brass etc) & plastics
industries as a ‘mass finishing’ process.

Check with ‘Gemstone Equip Mfg Co’, Simi Valley CA,
800-235-3375 for a catalog of tumblers, they mfgr them. No
connection, just a happy customer

Dave

Does anyone use those tumblers that you can buy from Rio Grande
to finish pieces? Do they do the sanding and polishing for you?
That sounds too good to be true. My employer is under this
assumption and wants to get us one.

Stacey,
I have used the Rio flow through vibrating tumbler for a couple of years now
on my production work and am really happy with it. If you have any particular
questions, you can e-mail me at @Wendy_Newman.
Wendy Newman