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How to Polish Metal With a Vibe-Tumbler

Using a vibe-tumbler to polish metal is a time consuming process that can take as long as a week for completion. Fortunately, the process is largely hands off, requiring your intervention on, at most, a once daily basis to examine or prepare the stones for each additional phase of the polishing process. Each process is similar though. You load the bucket of the tumbler, seal the top, and allow the motion of the tumbler to polish the metal for you. In a matter of days you have a cleaned, highly polished piece of metal with little effort required for the gleaming result.

Things You'll Need

Vibe-tumbler
Steel shot
Metal object for polishing
Tumbler grit
Pure soap flakes

Instructions

- 1
  Fill the tumbler bowl to the halfway mark with polished steel shot.
- 2
  Place the metal objects that you wish to polish into the barrel. Make certain at least a quarter of the barrel's volume is still empty to allow for movement of the shot and metal.
- 3
  Add grit to the tumbler. Consult the manufacturer's instructions for the amount of 120 to 220 grit needed according to vibe size. Turn the tumbler on.
- 4
  Add water to the bowl so that it covers the shot completely with about a 3/4-inch additional layer of water on top.
- 5
  Set the seal onto the barrel and start the tumbler vibrating through the grind stage. Run the tumbler for two to seven days. Check while running for signs of evaporation. Add additional water if needed to maintain the same water level. Check the metal each day for cleanliness. Remove the metal, if cleaned to your wishes, and then rinse all items with water to remove the grit. Turn the vibe-tumbler back on if more cleaning is necessary.
- 6
  Replace items into the tumbler barrel and add grit according to manufacturer's suggestions for the pre-polish stage. Turn on the tumbler and run for a further two to three days until the metal is slightly polished. Rinse away the grit then return to the barrel for the polish stage, adding the recommended grit and running the tumbler for two to three additional days until the metal achieves the desired shine. Rinse and refill the tumbler.
- 7
  Add 1 tbsp. of soap flakes to the water. You can purchase pure soap flakes from anywhere laundry detergent is sold. Stir the mixture slightly to distribute the soap throughout the unit. Run the tumbler for up to six hours to clean and burnish the metal to a gleam.

Rocks & Minerals