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How to Tumble Polish Glass Marbles

Rock tumbling is an excellent way to clean, polish or restore precious stones. The tumbling method is used by everyone from the average rock hobbyist to prestigious professional jewelers, and it can revive almost any type of stone including petrified wood, glass marbles and even diamonds. The tumbler is a rotating steel drum that can vary in size depending on its intended use. With a rock tumbler and a few additional supplies, your old glass marble collection can be restored to its original luster in no time.

Things You'll Need

Rock tumbler
Plastic polishing pellets
Dish soap
Towel

Instructions

- 1
  Halfway fill the tumbler drum with glass marbles. Underfilling the drum will not provide adequate friction for polishing, and overfilling the drum will not provide enough interaction between the marbles and pellets during the tumbling process.
- 2
  Pour 2 to 3 tbsp. of plastic polishing pellets into the tumbler drum.
- 3
  Squirt a stream of dish soap into the tumbler. Choose plain soap with no additives. The dishwashing liquid helps suspend dirt particles as the marbles and pellets tumble. It also serves as lubrication, helping the tumbling process to proceed smoothly.
- 4
  Add water to the tumbler until the marbles are completely immersed.
- 5
  Place the inner lid on the top of the tumbler, ensuring a tight seal. Place the outer cap over the inner lid and thread on the screw top until it is snug.
- 6
  Set the tumbler drum onto its holding platform and connect it to the motor. Start the machine.
- 7
  Tumble the glass marbles for a few hours, or overnight. If the results are satisfactory, remove the marbles and dry them on a flat towel. If they need more of a polish, start the tumbler again.

Rocks & Minerals