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POLISHING YOUR METAL JEWELLERY PIECES IN A TUMBLER

Tumbling is an easy and effective way to polish your finished metal jewellery pieces. Tumble BEFORE setting stones. A minimum of 2 lbs. of jeweller's mix shot is best for effective tumbling. Simply place the shot into the drum of your tumbler, add water so that the shot is covered by about 3/4", add either burnishing compound or Ivory Bar Soap (about 2 tablespoons shaved off into the drum), add your pieces to be tumbled, and tumble for about 2 hours - that's it! Your pieces will come out highly polished and further hardened due to the tumbling action. Even 20 gauge wire can be safely tumbled. If "antiquing" your piece, oxydize first, then tumble. After tumbling, rinse and put the shot back into the tumbler drum, add clean water, add new soap, and shake well to mix in the soap.

For best results: Sterling silver ring shanks need to be "prepared" (sanded, smoothed with a medium course silicone bullet, and/or filed with a 4 cut file) prior to tumbling.

We have the best tumbler sold on the market - Lortone - available in our TOOLS section. We also sell jeweller's mix carbon steel shot - available in our SUPPLIES section - and give you a FREE bar of Ivory Soap with each 2 lb. bag of shot purchased.

Note: Carbon Steel Shot is just as effective as Stainless Steel Shot at a much lower price. However, carbon steel shot will rust if not properly taken care of. See "Taking Care of Your Carbon Steel Shot".

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TAKING CARE OF YOUR CARBON STEEL SHOT

Carbon Steel Shot is just as effective as Stainless Steel Shot at a much lower price. However, carbon shot will rust if not properly taken care of. Carbon shot either needs to be thoroughly dried after each use before storing, or always submerged in SOAPY water in the tumbler drum. I can NOT guarantee your results, but what works for me is to keep my carbon shot in my tumbler drum, submerged in water with about 3/4" of water above the level of the shot, and about 2 tablespoons of shaved Ivory Bar soap. IT IS NECESSARY TO KEEP THE WATER LEVEL ABOVE THE SHOT, SOAPY, AND SHAKEN OCCASSIONALLY to keep the carbon shot like new.

We have jeweller's mix carbon steel shot available in our SUPPLIES and SOLDERING areas. You will receive a FREE bar of Ivory Soap with each order of shot.

Click here for more details.

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