WarmGlass.com

I just tried the archives on this one, but didn't find exactly what I'm looking for. I have a rotary tumbler that I'd like to use to tumble glass. I don't want to aggressively cut down shards into dull-edged beach glass. I'm just looking for a way to produce a smooth matte surface on small fused pieces without altering the shape too much. I've tried #120 grit silicon carbide, mixed with just enough water to make it a pasty sludge. After tumbling some cabs for about 8 hours, I couldn't see any difference. I thought I'd try a coarser grit, but I don't know how much coarser it would need to be. Also, would the amount of water in the mixture need to change to produce better results?
This is a technique I've really never used on glass before, so any feedback is much appreciated!

Have you used it on stones before?
8 hours seems short.
Put in one color glass run 12 hours, put in another color, 12 more hours. After doing this every 12 hours for 48 hours you should have four colors in there. run 12 more hours and then take them out. This will give you a range to look at. There will be some variation due to hardness of colors or if you use different types of glass but it should give you a good idea of what to shoot for- LONGER? or between 36-48? or between 12-24? Then do it again with a fresh batch of multiple colors and hone in on what finish you like.
Report back.
Also try again w/ 400 this is the finish I would like to see but it will take longer, I bet.

Thanks, Jerry.
Wow, I had no idea how much time was involved! I bought this tumbler originally for jewelry work, so the only other stuff I've tumbled in it is sterling silver. I'm used to a much different time frame: silver jewelry + stainless steel shot for maybe an hour and a half, two hours = nice shiny metal. I never would have guessed I needed to leave glass in there for 48 hours!

I recently hand-sanded a piece with some moistened #220 sandpaper, and that's sort of the look I want. It seemed to take a long time, but I guess it really wasn't as inefficient a process as I thought. So much for instant gratification.

At the shop where I used to work we made "beach glass" from small pieces of assorted scrap glass. We used 80 grit aluminum oxide in our tumbler, and it seems to me it took about 3 days. It gave a pretty smooth finish, but I expect your 120 grit would result in a nice satiny finish.

AVLucky,

Yes, PLEASE report back as this is intriguing. I've got a tumbler I bought for glass beads to give them matte finish, but haven't used it yet.

BTW, where did you get your grit ??

Bill

I recently used a tumble-vibe to get some stange devit crystals off of some cabs that I left in Lime-Away too long. It worked for that, and I tumbled them for about 4 hours a day for 3 days and 1 overnight out in the garage. I did it that way because I can't stand all the noise. Being gone or sleeping helped. I used 100/120 silicon carbide. After all that tumble vibing there was sort of a matte/satin finish, but it wasn't really even.

What do you mean by matte? An absence of gloss or more than that?

There was a thread a few days ago about using etching cream for a few things, so I tried that on a few dichroic pieces where the dichro had curled up to the top of the piece. I didn't want it there, so I dumped them into an etch bath. It left a definite matte finish, so that might be an option for you. I fire-polished afterwards and they turned out nice and glossy again. Maybe with etching cream/liquid and varying degrees of (or not at all) fire-polishing you could get the look you want.

Hi everyone. Thanks for your input.

Bill--I bought my grit from Rio Grande. They carry 80, 120, 220, and 600 in 5 pound cartons.

Becca--etching seems like it might be the way to go. I'm going to have to try that and compare the results.

By the way, my original pieces have now been tumbled for a total of 24 hours, and they still look the same to me. Gotta go now--time to run more tests...

AVLucky wrote:I just tried the archives on this one, but didn't find exactly what I'm looking for. I have a rotary tumbler that I'd like to use to tumble glass. I don't want to aggressively cut down shards into dull-edged beach glass. I'm just looking for a way to produce a smooth matte surface on small fused pieces without altering the shape too much. I've tried #120 grit silicon carbide, mixed with just enough water to make it a pasty sludge. After tumbling some cabs for about 8 hours, I couldn't see any difference. I thought I'd try a coarser grit, but I don't know how much coarser it would need to be. Also, would the amount of water in the mixture need to change to produce better results?
This is a technique I've really never used on glass before, so any feedback is much appreciated!

Glass has a nasty habit of concidal fractures during tumbling especialy in the finer stages

Keep the glass small 2 start with

Use liquidised news paper / paper kittly litter

Pasty sludge sounds Ok

Watch out 4 gassing a tiny drop of bleach may help

Brian

I tumble glass all the time, and use a 3 pound tumbler filled about 1/4 or less with real beach sand, then fill it a little less than half way with my glass, and then add just enough water to barely cover the top of the glass. Some glass tumbles for WEEKS before you see a difference. Others, almost overnight. I have found that I see little or no progress if I get my water/sand ratio wrong. I cannot always do it right, but my fiance gets it every time, so I just let him fill it mostly. Tumblers are great though, and I love all 3 of mine!!!

Brian wrote:

Use liquidised news paper / paper kittly litter

Pasty sludge sounds Ok

Watch out 4 gassing a tiny drop of bleach may help

You are recycling ?
Does it gas out if I apply unused kitty litter
-lauri

Hello all,
Just a little update on my progress.
The original pieces have now been tumbled for 50 hours, producing a slightly pitted surface that looks more dusty than frosted. I'm going to try adjusting the amount of water in the mix--it's starting to seem a little too thick. Molly wrote

I have found that I see little or no progress if I get my water/sand ratio wrong. I cannot always do it right, but my fiance gets it every time, so I just let him fill it mostly.

LOL! Can I borrow him?

I think I may also have to go for a finer grit to avoid that pitting, right?

Oh yes! He is wonderful. He helps me with all my art projects, etc. even if he is not particularly interested in what I am doing. BUT the art brings in extra $, so we are both interested in that! LOL! He even BOUGHT me the large tumbler as a surprise....my old one was insufficient and noisy. You can only borrow him for another 7 weeks though. We marry on May 1st. LOL! Good luck on the tumbling and let me know if I can help. I can ask fiance how he gets the proper mix, and get back to you if you like. But i do know, depending on your glass, tumbling can take several days, at least. Good luck!

Oh, and I forgot to add, we use beach sand from the coast. I did that because it costs nothing, but perhaps it is more effective that the "grits". I really don't know, as beach sand is all I have ever used.

lauri wrote:Brian wrote:

Use liquidised news paper / paper kittly litter

Pasty sludge sounds Ok

Watch out 4 gassing a tiny drop of bleach may help

You are recycling ?
Does it gas out if I apply unused kitty litter
-lauri

I'm confused. The bleach is added to the pasty sludge in the kitty litter? Do we do this indoors?

Don Burt wrote:

lauri wrote:Brian wrote:

Use liquidised news paper / paper kittly litter

Pasty sludge sounds Ok

Watch out 4 gassing a tiny drop of bleach may help

You are recycling ?
Does it gas out if I apply unused kitty litter
-lauri

I'm confused. The bleach is added to the pasty sludge in the kitty litter? Do we do this indoors?

I have found that as the tummbling goes on gass is given off

If U get this problem a drop of bleach may help

I put the bleach in when I start it up

But only a drop

Brian

Brian,

Why "only a drop". What difference would it make if there were 2 drops, 5 drops, 10 drops ??

Is the bleach going to do something to the glass ?? Maybe a neat new effect ??

I know that bleach attackes the porcelain in tubs and loo's. Will it leave neat pitts in glass too ??

Bill

Here are a couple links you might find useful.

http://www.gemworld.com/Tumbling.asp

http://www.memphisgeology.org/tips_tumbling.html

While the material may be different- the procedure remains the same.

Steve

BillBrach wrote:Brian,

Why "only a drop". What difference would it make if there were 2 drops, 5 drops, 10 drops ??

Is the bleach going to do something to the glass ?? Maybe a neat new effect ??

I know that bleach attackes the porcelain in tubs and loo's. Will it leave neat pitts in glass too ??

Bill

I am not over keen on bleach

So I only use a little, its only 2 stop the gassing

I dont expect bleach 2 attack window glass coloured stuff may B different

Brian

Steve Eshbaugh wrote:Here are a couple links you might find useful.

http://www.gemworld.com/Tumbling.asp

http://www.memphisgeology.org/tips_tumbling.html

While the material may be different- the procedure remains the same.

Steve

Gem world is a good link

But glass is a lot more difficult due 2 fractures

In adition 2 the Gem World info, start the fillers, wood, bands early mayB even in the rough stages

N keep the glass small 2 start with

Brian