Chip Tumbling Media (WARNING: Actual metal content!)
 

My office opens onto a fab shop - machining on one side, where they
take big pieces of metal and cut them up into smaller pieces of metal,
and on the other side, welding, where they take small pieces of metal
and stick them together to make big pieces of metal. ;-)

The gal in the office is an artsy-craftsy type, who sells trinkets at
flea and tick markets and such.

Well, I had an idea - what if you took some chips:
http://mysite.verizon.net/richgrise/...MetalChips.jpg

and make exotic earrings with them? I'm sure something as crazy as that
would sell in places like Ventura or Laguna Beach, which are very artsy-
craftsy type communities, but they'd need to be tumbled to make them
safe to handle, obviously. You can't sell earrings that would accidentally
cut somebody's throat!

The artsy-craftsy gal in the office has a tumbler, presumably to polish
random rocks or whatever; my question is, to tumble chips like that, what
would be an appropriate media? I have a virtually unlimited supply of
bead-blast beads, and on rec.pyrotechnics they discuss tumbling media,
but that's for mixing BP (black powder) and stuff, probably not for
smoothing the cutting edges of chips. (they work with everything from
mild steel to inconel and hastelloy and stuff, which, being "exotic"
alloys, could probably bring top dollar in places like LB and Vent.

Any suggestions? She's going to bring in her tumbler next week, and I
can get or make virtually any kind of chip you can think of.

So, what would be a good media? BBs? Blast beads? mineral oil? Sand?

Thanks,
Rich

Chip Tumbling Media (WARNING: Actual metal content!)
 

"Rich Grise" wrote in message
...
My office opens onto a fab shop - machining on one side, where they
take big pieces of metal and cut them up into smaller pieces of metal,
and on the other side, welding, where they take small pieces of metal
and stick them together to make big pieces of metal. ;-)

The gal in the office is an artsy-craftsy type, who sells trinkets at
flea and tick markets and such.

Well, I had an idea - what if you took some chips:
http://mysite.verizon.net/richgrise/...MetalChips.jpg

and make exotic earrings with them? I'm sure something as crazy as that
would sell in places like Ventura or Laguna Beach, which are very artsy-
craftsy type communities, but they'd need to be tumbled to make them
safe to handle, obviously. You can't sell earrings that would accidentally
cut somebody's throat!

The artsy-craftsy gal in the office has a tumbler, presumably to polish
random rocks or whatever; my question is, to tumble chips like that, what
would be an appropriate media? I have a virtually unlimited supply of
bead-blast beads, and on rec.pyrotechnics they discuss tumbling media,
but that's for mixing BP (black powder) and stuff, probably not for
smoothing the cutting edges of chips. (they work with everything from
mild steel to inconel and hastelloy and stuff, which, being "exotic"
alloys, could probably bring top dollar in places like LB and Vent.

Any suggestions? She's going to bring in her tumbler next week, and I
can get or make virtually any kind of chip you can think of.

So, what would be a good media? BBs? Blast beads? mineral oil? Sand?

Thanks,
Rich


How about going a different way. Resin suspension. Can't be any worse than
bird poop ear rings. Might be nearly as interesting as resin encapsulated
scorpions were in the late 1970s.

Chip Tumbling Media (WARNING: Actual metal content!)
 

Bob La Londe wrote:
"Rich Grise" wrote in message

So, what would be a good media? BBs? Blast beads? mineral oil? Sand?

How about going a different way. Resin suspension. Can't be any worse
than
bird poop ear rings. Might be nearly as interesting as resin encapsulated
scorpions were in the late 1970s.

Well, that sounds easy to do, but what kind of resin, and what happens
when the resin wears off and exposes those darned dangerous sharp edges?

Thanks,
Rich

Chip Tumbling Media (WARNING: Actual metal content!)
 

On Sat, 01 Jan 2011 08:31:00 -0800, Rich Grise
wrote:

Bob La Londe wrote:
"Rich Grise" wrote in message

So, what would be a good media? BBs? Blast beads? mineral oil? Sand?

How about going a different way. Resin suspension. Can't be any worse
than
bird poop ear rings. Might be nearly as interesting as resin encapsulated
scorpions were in the late 1970s.

Well, that sounds easy to do, but what kind of resin, and what happens
when the resin wears off and exposes those darned dangerous sharp edges?

Someone invents a new cocktail or way to get high.
Kinda like drinking shots of cobra blood.

--
Not merely an absence of noise, Real Silence begins
when a reasonable being withdraws from the noise in
order to find peace and order in his inner sanctuary.
-- Peter Minard

Chip Tumbling Media (WARNING: Actual metal content!)
 

Rich Grise wrote:
My office opens onto a fab shop - machining on one side, where they
take big pieces of metal and cut them up into smaller pieces of metal,
and on the other side, welding, where they take small pieces of metal
and stick them together to make big pieces of metal. ;-)

The gal in the office is an artsy-craftsy type, who sells trinkets at
flea and tick markets and such.

Well, I had an idea - what if you took some chips:
http://mysite.verizon.net/richgrise/...MetalChips.jpg

and make exotic earrings with them? I'm sure something as crazy as that
would sell in places like Ventura or Laguna Beach, which are very artsy-
craftsy type communities, but they'd need to be tumbled to make them
safe to handle, obviously. You can't sell earrings that would accidentally
cut somebody's throat!

The artsy-craftsy gal in the office has a tumbler, presumably to polish
random rocks or whatever; my question is, to tumble chips like that, what
would be an appropriate media? I have a virtually unlimited supply of
bead-blast beads, and on rec.pyrotechnics they discuss tumbling media,
but that's for mixing BP (black powder) and stuff, probably not for
smoothing the cutting edges of chips. (they work with everything from
mild steel to inconel and hastelloy and stuff, which, being "exotic"
alloys, could probably bring top dollar in places like LB and Vent.

Any suggestions? She's going to bring in her tumbler next week, and I
can get or make virtually any kind of chip you can think of.

So, what would be a good media? BBs? Blast beads? mineral oil? Sand?

Thanks,
Rich


Acid bath or electrostatic deburring process.


http://www.poligratuk.co.uk/chemical...-of-steel.html

--
Steve W.
(\___/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Chip Tumbling Media (WARNING: Actual metal content!)
 

"Steve W." fired this volley in news:iforho$21q$1
@speranza.aioe.org:

Acid bath or electrostatic deburring process.

I agree. I'm touted as being somewhat knowlegable about ball milling and
tumble-deburring.

The problem with a tumbling process is that any milling media heavy
enough to abrade the edges of those curls will also tend to break them
up, and bend them, and distort the edges.

You'll need a chemical or electrolytic (not electrostatic) process,
unless you want to do them by hand with a high-speed wheel.

LLoyd