Steel shot tumbling question

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "bluemaxx" :

]My BIG concern is that some ]of the tarnished silver beads that I have are *quite* tiny... hollow ]2-3mm balls, small hollow tubes, etc. They are pretty fragile all ]by themselves, but going into 5 pounds of steel?? ] ]Will they survive? Or do you think the steel shot will dent the ]more fragile beads?

no one else has said anything so far . . . so . . . up to now i've not had any problem. possibly because it's not like you're dumping 5lbs of steel shot on it from a distance - more like just letting it all roll around together. i've used 3mm sterling balls and not had them damaged. of course, i can't guarantee it, either, but so far, i've done more damage with my pliers than with my tumbler. and my tumbler is more-or-less a toy - not pro-grade. with all the silver and shot i have run through it - NONE of the silver has ever been damaged; nor have any of my beads. it just doesn't get hit that hard.

Linda -- why? Dip them in Tarn-X and it is done.

Becki "In between the moon and you, the angels have a better view of the crumbling difference between wrong and right." -- Counting Crows

If you feel the need to use the tumbler, you can just use Dawn dish detergent with no shot at all.

The tumbling really is for hardening or removing burrs on jump rings, ear wires, etc.

Thanks very much to all who answered my query. To clarify, I hate Tarnex. The few items I've used it on end up blacker than ever, once whatever it is in the Tarnex wears off after a month or so.

I depend on repeat customers thru the art gallery I sell at. If my silver jewelry turned black within a month after a person purchased it, I'm sure they wouldn't be back to purchase again. And you would be surprised at how many people buy jewelry, but never clean it after their purchase (judging by the few repairs and many resizings I've done). I have had no luck cleaning blackened pieces with a conventional liquid jewelry cleaner. There are also items I've made that haven't sold and have been 'retired' after 6 months. These are the SS pieces that I have the most problem with.

You see, the glass cases my work is in are directly exposed to sun, along with humidity from an adjoining Atrium. I think I need to get some of those anti-tanish paper sheets to place in the cases to see if that will help guard against tarnish.

But I also like tumble Hill Tribe silver, along with any 'blackened' Bali beads that I have, to make them shine more. I also add a creamy liquid polishing agent to the fine grit tumbling mixture. It has a wonderful protectant in it against future tarnish. I need my silver to stay as shiny as possible for as *long* as possible.

: >

: > Becki : > "In between the moon and you, the angels have a better view of the : crumbling : > difference between wrong and right." -- Counting Crows : :

I have been selling handcreated sterling jewelry for a couple of years in retail locations, and guess what, silver tarnishes. That's the nature of the beast. Do you include a romance card with each piece indicating the best way to clean the piece? Using a polishing cloth is really a simple way to do it. Your gallery owner should be wiping the jewelry as part of his/her merchandising.

The way that Tarnex or any of the other "dip" type of cleaners cleans is by removing a teeny tiny weeny beeny bit of silver each time you dip, so it is not an effective way to clean at all.

It's up to you and the gallery owner to educate your customers in how to keep their jewelry clean. An educated consumer is your best customer (paraphrased from Sy Syms).

No, I don't include a 'romance card'. IMHO, I think they're a waste of money & energy. People are either going to clean their jewelry or not... and I believe a card telling them *how* to clean their new jewelry purchase isn't going to make them actually *do* it.

The gallery owner does periodically wipe down my jewelry with a polishing cloth, but most especially when a piece sells and she's wrapping it up for the buyer... but there is only so much you can get to with a polishing cloth and your fingers.

My jewelry is made of USA artisan lampwork, .925 sterling, Bali/Hilltribe/Israel silver, along with vintage/non-vintage accent beads. So if a 2-3mm SS bead is tarnished and it's next to a

10-12mm lampwork bead, the tarnished bead can't be easily reached for polishing. Hence the need to 'retire' those of my bracelets that haven't sold within a certain period of time (whether I like the design or not) in order to take the silver out for polishing.

Thanks for your comments.

: > I depend on repeat customers thru the art gallery I sell at. If my : > silver jewelry turned black within a month after a person purchased : > it, I'm sure they wouldn't be back to purchase again. And you would : > be surprised at how many people buy jewelry, but never clean it : > after their purchase (judging by the few repairs and many resizings : > I've done). I have had no luck cleaning blackened pieces with a : > conventional liquid jewelry cleaner. There are also items I've made : > that haven't sold and have been 'retired' after 6 months. These are : > the SS pieces that I have the most problem with. : >

: > You see, the glass cases my work is in are directly exposed to sun, : > along with humidity from an adjoining Atrium. I think I need to get : > some of those anti-tanish paper sheets to place in the cases to see : > if that will help guard against tarnish. : >

: > But I also like tumble Hill Tribe silver, along with any 'blackened' : > Bali beads that I have, to make them shine more. I also add a : > creamy liquid polishing agent to the fine grit tumbling mixture. It : > has a wonderful protectant in it against future tarnish. I need my : > silver to stay as shiny as possible for as *long* as possible. : >

: >

: > : >

: > : > Becki : > : > "In between the moon and you, the angels have a better view of : > the : > : crumbling : > : > difference between wrong and right." -- Counting Crows : > : : > : : >

: >

: > --- : > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. : > Checked by AVG anti-virus system

> Version: 6.0.545 / Virus Database: 339 - Release Date:11/27/2003: >

: :

Not all jewelry that is bought is bought for the buyer. Much of our jewelry, especially in the spring, is bought for young women. It very often is the first peice of fine jewelry they get...Confirmation, Bat Mitzvah, graduation, confirmation. Since it is often a first piece, a romance card reminds them both of HOW to care for their piece and WHO made it. The first piece we gave to our 9 year old niece included a card, and she takes meticulous care of her jewelry because she knows how...and her mother learned how to do it, and now her jewelry is now better-cared for.

The majority of our jewelry is hand crafted...I silversmith and my sister goldmiths, but we do stringing, using the same materials as you have listed, and we have no problem cleaning small beads next to lampwork or larger silver beads or vintage crystals, acrylics and again, never had a problem with a polishing cloth reaching small beads.

Another alternative, which does not remove silver is a baby toothbrush and crest regular toothpaste. You can also use your finger, although if you can't get in there to use a cloth, the toothbrush is quite likely your best bet. I learned that tip in my first construction class. Don't use it often, but it does work.

It just seems foolish that something so simple is causing you to do double the work. Good luck.

Lisa

: The majority of our jewelry is hand crafted...I silversmith and my sister : goldmiths, but we do stringing, using the same materials as you have listed, : and we have no problem cleaning small beads next to lampwork or larger : silver beads or vintage crystals, acrylics and again, never had a problem : with a polishing cloth reaching small beads.

Obviously, you have fingers as thin as toothpicks that are as strong as steel.

Try cleaning hundreds of bracelets/necklaces in one sitting with a polishing cloth. I guarantee your hands will cramp after cleaning about 15 pieces. And believe me, it's *much* easier to take my jewelry apart and remake a new design after tumbling the silver components to restore the shine.

: It just seems foolish that something so simple is causing you to do : double the work. Good luck.

Foolish?!!! Simple?!!! At any given time, I will have approximately 5-6 *thousand dollars of inventory for sale. It is NOT a simple matter - keeping my jewelry *pristine* at all times is extremely important to me. Factor in the sunlight and humidity problems and within 45 days, a new piece of jewelry can look like it's been sitting there for 6-8 months.

And whether the silver is something as large as my hand-wrapped wire bangles or as small as a 2mm SS bead, I've had the best and longest lasting shine factor by tumbling silver.

Perhaps you, your niece and your "first paying client" (posted

11-7-03) think cleaning sterling silver is a "simple" matter, but I don't. **Plonk**

: Lisa

My first paying client is for my coaching business. Read the message.

Jerk.

and, why so angry? you sound like you have to prove something with your dollars and cents, and my jewelry is artisan jewelry.

stringing is relatively simple, as is keeping silver shiny. you musn't be very successful if you are using shot in a tumbler to clean small beads.

and why no way to reply to you personally?

I repeat...you're an angry woman who feels that she needs puffery to make herself feel better. I feel sorry for you.

you might want to read the messages that that the message you are referencing pertains to...my coaching business. my clients are happily paying now, and i get to buy beautiful beads from beautiful people on this list.

I would never call my customers clients. I can tell by your customer-focused attitude that they must come back in droves. Oh, they probably never meet you, and so rely on the charm of the gallery owner to sell your pieces.

vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "roxan" :

]What is the name of the polishing agent you use in your tumbler?

dawn dish soap and stainless steel shot.

----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)

's not what you take, when you leave this world behind you;it's what you leave behind you when you go. -- Randy Travis

That's exactly what I use, especially after cutting jump rings. Dawn is great for getting oils off of just about everything...clothes, carpets, dishes (well, I hear that about the dishes, I don't actually *do* dishes...I leave that task for someone else!!).

for cleaning, I don't necessarily add shot. Dawn is great for getting oils off of just about everything...clothes, carpets, dishes (well, I hear that about the dishes, I don't actually *do* dishes...I leave that task for someone else!!).

The liquid polish I use is called 'Midway Brass Polish' from a company called Midway. (Midway, P.O. Box 1483, Dept. D, Columbia, MO 65203, 1-800-243-3220). They deal in reloading equipment for the sportswoman/man.

I use a vibrating tumbler that's made especially for polishing shell casings (bullets) prior to reloading them. The polish has natural ingredients, isopropyl alcohol, ammonia-free with no petroleum distillates, with a neutral PH and a citrus fragrance; 3 teaspoons for each pound of media. Silver comes out fantastically shiny after only an hour or so of tumbling. Big drawback is getting the grit out of the inside of the beads, hence my wanting to try stainless steel shot after reading in here how great it works.

You're welcome, Roxan. :) I have a question for you... how do you like the corncob media? Is it large enough so that it doesn't get into the nooks, crannies and insides of your beads?

: > I use a vibrating tumbler that's made especially for polishing shell : > casings (bullets) prior to reloading them. The polish has natural : > ingredients, isopropyl alcohol, ammonia-free with no petroleum : > distillates, with a neutral PH and a citrus fragrance; 3 teaspoons : > for each pound of media. Silver comes out fantastically shiny after : > only an hour or so of tumbling. Big drawback is getting the grit : > out of the inside of the beads, hence my wanting to try stainless : > steel shot after reading in here how great it works. : >

: > Here's a link to a page that describes the procedure that I use... : >

I do NOT recommend: > this procedure for Bali beads, hollow beads with small entryholes: > or any silver beads that are highly decorated.: >

: >

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