lblackvelvet
Well-Known Member
Hello all, I have been experimenting with ceramic pellets in my tumbler. I have been in contact with a few members about using these ceramic pellets and had told them I would post my results here. First of all I am new at tumbling but I feel I have tried several different options with several different polishing compounds and I have came to the conclusion that they work very well for '' sick'' bottles as a pre-tumble to remove minor defects and give the bottle a very smooth texture. The down side is that I have not been able to achieve a finished product with the ceramic pellets without effecting the mold seams and embossing. I tumbled them for about 12 hrs. with 1000 grit silicone carbide to remove defects with great results, that's where I should have stopped and used copper and a less aggressive compound. I did not destroy my bottles, but did not improve a finish product with a finer grit compound either! I am going to get some copper and tumble them with a finer compound that I know will bring back the finish shine. I will continue to use them as a pre- tumble first and then go to copper. I read that it is not good to use the same copper for cutting as polishing so this will reduce my cost in only having to use copper for the final polish. This bottle is a Lemon Cola bottle that I paid 1.00 for with a lot of damage to the exterior that now just needs final tumbling. I am waiting on copper and will post a picture after the final tumble, here is a picture after 12 hours with ceramic pellets. Thanks Kevin..