tumbling questions

[bottlenutboy]

im in the process of putting together a tumbler, which i almost have complete, and i was wondering:
where i could get cutter/polish at a reasonable price?
how much of it should i buy?
what kind should i get?
where can i get glass beads?
how reasonable is it to buy them?

i will be tumbling typical soda bottles in a 3" tube

 

[bottlenutboy]

you guys expect me to believe that no one knows anything about tumbling???

9 hits and not even a response?

 

[adshepard]

For glass beads go here -

http://www.crscraft.com/products/product.asp?V2=0&V3=0&V4=0&pid=98013&L1=0&L2=0&L3=0&L4=0&searchoffset=0

Alan

 

[adshepard]

For all my other supplies I go here -

http://www.jardoctor.com/

Wayne is extremely helpful.

Alan

 

[bottlenutboy]

RE: For all my other supplies I go here -

thanks alan!, how much of what should i buy? will 10 lbs of beads do it? i knew about jar doctor, but he seems to be pricey, isnt there somewhere else i could go?

 

[adshepard]

RE: For all my other supplies I go here -

One 10 lb batg of beads should work for you.

You can also go here for oxides:

http://therockshed.com/grit.html

Alan

 

[bottlenutboy]

RE: For all my other supplies I go here -

thanks what should i use? which cutter and which polish? what grit?

 

[stinger haut]

Spencer,
I used to go to a lapidary shop and buy 1,000 and 1,200 grit cutter plus cerium polish for all my tumbling needs.
This was before JarDoctor and they seem to work just fine,. Yes, the price was less if I bought in bulk (which I did with Jardoctor as well).
However, you need to make sure that the grade of whatever you buy is a very fine quality one. The needs for polishing rocks verses glass is different. A good ladidary shop will understand the difference and be able to tell if theirs is of a quality for tumbling bottles.
There are online lapidary stores and probably ones close to where you live. Check your yellow pages.
I bought my glass beads (about a quarter inch wide) at a Ben Franklin Craft store in Hawaii. They cost me next to nothing when you compare them to cut copper. The tumbling process does take longer with the glass beads and they don't last as long as cut copper.
There is a guy that has recently posted cut copper on this forum for a reasonable price (I think around $5.00 a pound including shipping). He also sells on ebay. However, that still is a lot of $ to put out on your first order because you need so much.
I now have a shop in Honolulu that I buy my cutting and polishing oxdies from.
Hope this helps, good luck.
Stinger

 

[adshepard]

RE: For all my other supplies I go here -

Spencer -

I use a 1200 silicon carbide for cutting and an aluminum oxide polish.

Others that have tumbled far longer than I may have more suggestions.

Alan

 

[bottlenutboy]

RE: For all my other supplies I go here -

thanks again guys!

now how much cutter and how much polish should i buy?

lapidary shop

what is that? like a hobby shop?