I would like to know how to use a rock tumbler for polymer clay beads?

Answer 1

*The barrel has to be completely cleaned at every step or you will get yellowing of your beads!

*Don't use grit or anything for rocks or you get black flecks on PC beads!

*Always oil the tumbler according to tumbler directions before each step or you will burn up the motor.

1. Run tumbler with shredded or tiny ripped up pieces of sandpaper at 320 or 400 grit with 1/4 -1/2 cup of water, and a squirt of dish soap (Dawn is best) without beads for 24 hours.
2. Wipe out barrel with a clean white paper towel until paper towel is white again. To ensure a clean barrel.
3. Cut each grade of sandpaper to pad the sides and bottom of barrel thru each grade.
4. Pad the sides and barrel with each grade add beads till barrel is 1/4-1/2 full no more or some of the beads don't get sanded. I also add shredded sandpaper to the beads, I've found that it really makes a difference to the beads in the center.
5. Fill with water to just below the top of the beads add a squirt of dawn soap, seal the barrel according to directions.
6. Then sand through each grade for 24 hours through any grades you use less than 800. For grades 800 and larger I only sand 8 hours each. Rinse the beads clean of soap and sanded particles before adding a different grade of sand paper. Clean the barrel too before adding a different grade.

Rinse off each grade after using and let sit out until dry and place in a ziplock bag. I reuse each grade until they have areas of no sanding left. Do not use recycled sandpaper on lighter colored beads or the darker sanded beads prior will make lighter beads yellow. DO NOT SAND LIGHTER COLORED BEADS WITH DARK COLORED BEADS OR VICE VERSA. Sand light colored beads together. Sand dark colored beads with dark colored beads.

*let all beads air dry 2-3 days before applying sealer.

Answer 2

There are actually various ways to use a rock tumbler to sand (or even buff) polymer clay beads.
Check out this page at my website for sanding with a tumbler (and a few other "motion" machines and things that can be used as well):
http://glassattic.com/polymer/sanding_tumbling.htm
(... click on TUMBLE SANDING...)

And if you're interested in buffing in a tumbler, etc., check out this page:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/buffing.htm
(... click on TUMBLE BUFFING...)


HTH,

Diane B.