Tumbling beads - what am I missing?

[CindiDee]

I tried to tumble some beads yesterday as an alternative to etching which makes me twitchy  Followed the directions that Ciel has posted on her blog and has mentioned in previous posts - smooth pebbles, Cerium Oxide powder, water and my beads. Left it going for about 2-3 hours and...................nada! Beads still as shiny as when they went in - not even a scratch 

What am I doing wrong? Am I missing a vital ingredient?

Can anyone help please?

Cindy
x

[mizgeorge]

I'm a wuss about using grits in my tumbler as I use all my barrels with metal and shot and I'm terrified about grit residue!

However, I've had great results tumbling glass with water and cut up bits of wet and dry paper (fairly coarse grit). I tumble them overnight.

[Donna@Rockin' Beads]

I'm a wuss about using grits in my tumbler as I use all my barrels with metal and shot and I'm terrified about grit residue!

However, I've had great results tumbling glass with water and cut up bits of wet and dry paper (fairly coarse grit). I tumble them overnight.

Ditto and oooo, what a great idea 

[Barbara]

I use medium aquarium gravel (or little rocks), leftovers of clear rods, 1 tsp white fused alumina FEPA 180 and water. It takes about 4 hours.

[BeadyBugs]

I use a small amount of medium silicon carbide grit (220 I think it is, or the 400 if you want a softer finish) about half a barrel full of plastic polishing pellets from manchester minerals (cos they were all I had at the time), 3/4 barrel of water, and usually get results within about half an hour or so if I remember correctly.  But have left them in for up to 2 hours for a deeper 'etch'.

I have to confess I've not tried cerium oxide for tumbling, I thought it was more of a polish than cutting media?  Would love to know if it gives a softer finish though, must go and have a shufty at Ciel's blog.   Fab idea about the sand paper too George, must try that.

I hope you get it sorted Cindy.

HP xxx

[CindiDee]

Thanks all.

I figured there should be something more 'gritty' in there - I'll certainly try the wet and dry paper and maybe just leave things a lot longer than I did.

Patience - thats perhaps all I was missing 

[Ciel]

I used fairly large stones in my tumbler (2-3cm) and get an etched effect on my glass beads, usually within the hour, however, you could alternatively try the 400 silicone carbide grit as this is rougher than the cerium oxide.  The only other thought is that I have some sea glass in my tumbler as well that I've just left in, so this could also have an effect on the tumbling.  Just a thought, but have you checked that your tumbler is full enough i.e. right level of stones/glass to water in the barrel as this could also have an effect?

I like the idea of using sandpaper too!

http://www.cielcreations.co.uk/blog/tutorials/tumbling-glass-beads/

[★★Terri★★]

I use cerium oxide and it gives a lovely finish to my tumbled beads whether they are glass or ceramic.  I used some smallish tumbled stones that I got from somewhere (found them in a net bag in the back of a cupboard).  I keep seperate barrels for metals and  beads so as to not get any gritty bits into the the shot for silver tumbling.

[Pat from Canvey]

I've only ever used cerium oxide as a polish after using successively finer grits on pebbles.