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Using the Lortone tumbler is easy and effective. All of my
experience with the tumbler has been in burnishing sterling silver
and copper jewelry. What does it mean to burnish metal? Burnishing
is polishing metal by use of friction; when you use stainless
steel shot to create friction with the metal in your jewelry
you are creating a smooth, bright, and lustrous surface. Most
of the jewelry I have tumbled has glass or stone beads mixed
with sterling silver or copper metal
This tutorial has been written to assist you in using your
tumbler trouble-free. Some of this information was based on "Professional
Gemstone Tumbling" which is included with a Lortone tumbler.
Input was also acquired from Jim Bryant of Lortone, Inc., and
Carol Holiday, metalsmith instructor in Monterrey, CA. Please
follow all instructions that come with your tumbler.
Placement of the Tumbler
Place your tumbler in an area that is easily reachable,
dry, has access to power, and where your tumbler can "breathe".
Your tumbler is kept cool by a fan and does require air. Don't
operate it in a closed space nor expose the contents of the tumbler
to freezing. Although, I have never had this happen, it is possible
that the barrel can be incorrectly sealed resulting in a spill.
Place your tumbler in a location that will do no harm if there
is a spill.
Contents of Tumbler
Place 1 pound of mixed stainless steel shot into each
barrel. Put jewelry into the barrel and fill no more than ¾
full of water. I sometimes put as many as 4 good sized bangles
in one barrel. In order to operate well, the tumbler should not
be less than half full. Add a couple of small squirts of Dawn
dish soap. Detergents have varying chemical make ups -make sure
you are not adding bleach or another caustic substance which
may damage your barrel.
Most beads will tolerate the tumbler well. Here are a few
that won't:
Pearls
Horn
Bone
Polymer clay
After introducing the contents into the tumbler, put the lid
on the barrel securely. The lip of the lid and the shoulder of
the barrel should always be dry when you secure the lid.
If you have a double barrel tumbler, the manufacturer recommends
that you run both barrels at the same time, even though one barrel
may not have jewelry in it. Apparently this helps with the balance
of the unit. Fill the "empty" barrel with water and
shot (no more than ¾ full).
Once you start tumbling, check for leaks. Jim Bryant of Lortone,
Inc. recommends burnishing your jewelry for 30 minutes. Check
and see if you have the desired results. If not, change the liquid
and continue to tumble another 15 - 30 minutes.
The First Time You Use Your Tumbler
Place the stainless steel shot (1 pound) in the tumbler
and add water to the mid point of the barrel. Add a couple of
small squirts of Dawn dish soap. Remember, the lip of the lid
and the shoulder of the barrel should always be dry when you
secure the lid. Once you start tumbling, check for leaks. Tumble
for an hour to clean your shot and the barrels. You always want
to prevent the presence of any contaminates.
Keeping Your Tumbler Clean and Maintained
After tumbling, place your stainless steel shot in
a fine sieve and rinse well. I keep the shot in the sieve suspended
over a container so it can drain. Rinse your barrels thoroughly
with water and let them dry.
Periodically, remove the blue top of your tumbler, and make
sure the cooling ports are clear and clean. Please see page 5
of "Professional Gemstone Tumbling" that was included
with your tumbler. There are 4 areas to oil periodically - listed
on page 5 as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I tumble copper in the Lortone:
A: Yes, it works very well.
Q: Can I tumble gold in my Lortone?
A: I have no experience with doing this, and I have heard conflicting
information about whether burnishing removes metal or not. Sorry,
can't be more definitive here.
Q: My tumbler stopped tumbling. What do I do?
Some time ago I spoke with Jim Bryant from Lortone about this
issue. First of all, unplug your tumbler. Using a small Phillips
head screw driver, remove 4 screws, and lift the top of the tumbler
off. You will readily see a belt that drives the shafts that
rotate the barrel. If the belt is off its channel, it will not
tumble. You can easily slip it back on. In 8 years of using the
same Lortone tumbler, I have never had the belt slip off.
Q: Will burnishing with stainless steel shot harden metal?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I use liver of sulfur before tumbling?
A: Yes. After adding this patina I clean the jewelry with a Scotch
Brite pad and then tumble. Using steel wool can be problematic
if you don't remove all of the steel from your jewelry. Steel
and pickle can plate your silver jewelry with copper. I am not
sure what effect steel would have with a burnishing compound
such as Super Sunsheen.
Q: Can I remove burs from my jump rings?
A: It depends on the size of the bur. If you are sawing the jump
rings and there is a slight bur, I know of people who tumble
the rings in stainless steel shot, water and Dawn until the bur
is removed. They string the rings on a piece of wire of the same
metal before tumbling. If you have a large bur, it is better
to adjust the jump ring making to have less of a bur (i.e., use
a sharper blade).
Q: Can I use a burnishing compound with in my tumbler?
A: Jim Bryant of Lortone told me that it is not advisable to
use a burnishing compound in your barrel. He states that using
a bit of dish soap removes any oil that is on your jewelry and
the polishing occurs via friction of the stainless steel shot
with the metal. |
