If you are looking for a new project to take up, have always wanted to learn how to tumble glass in a rock tumbler, or just want to try your hand at making your art glass beads, this is the tutorial for you. We will go over everything that you need and what steps you should take when starting.
What is Tumbled Glass?
Tumbled glass is a type of art that most people have seen at one point or another. It can be in the form of bracelets, necklaces, and other fun jewelry pieces made from colorful marbles. These marbles are just small bits and pieces of broken glass that were thrown away before recycling was so popular!
The most common colors are vibrant blues, greens, reds, and purples. This is because most people tend to break glassware that has this color scheme. However, you can mix in different colored marbles as well if you would like!
Supplies Needed
To make glass in a rock tumbler you will need: A barrel that fits into the rock tumbler, rock tumbling grit (optional but recommended), water and soap to clean it with, a bucket for the discarded glass bits. Use protective glasses and gloves as glass can be sharp and dangerous!
Best Types of Glass to Use to Make Sea Glass
Anything that has a beautiful and colorful appearance will work well. So this means anything from plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, and even bottles! You can also try using stained glass or broken pieces of art if you like as well. Just make sure it is not painted on the outside because we want to keep all of the gorgeous paint intact for the finished product.
The pieces of glass should be small, between a quarter and half an inch in size. If they are too big the grit will not have enough room to get into all of the crevices of your item and it will come out disappointingly dull! You can always break up larger pieces with some pliers if you would like to make smaller ones.
You do not need many pieces of glass for this project, but it is recommended that you have at least 20-30 small pieces per pound (or 0.45 kg) in your barrel when finished tumbling! This is because some bits will be too large or broken and cannot be used so they are discarded.
How to Make Tumbled Glass in a Rock Tumbler
The first step is to put your supplies into the barrel. Make sure that you have washed everything very well before putting it in! Then load it with glass and filler material to two-thirds of the way full. Add two tablespoons of medium grit and water until all the glass is just submerged.
Seal up your barrel and make sure it is very secure before letting the tumbler go! A rock tumbler operates at a speed of about 30 rotations per minute, or RPMs for short! You can let it run as long as you like since there is no risk to your glass bits and pieces (unless the barrel breaks apart); however, most people find that 4 or 5 days is more than enough time for them to become beautiful and smooth!
Once your tumbler stops you can open up the barrel to check on your glass. If it is still in large pieces or not completely smooth then let it run for a bit longer until everything comes out perfectly polished! You may have some bits of grit left over at this point but that is normal, just discard them before using your tumbled glass pieces.
Once you are finished with the tumbler you can dump out all of your bits and store grit into a bucket or similar container to use again for future projects! You may also want to keep some small bags on hand if this is something that interests you as they make it easier to store, sort, and find what you are looking for.
Make sure that when sorting through your glass pieces to keep any with paint or anything else on them separately! This is because the grit will rub off some of these materials if they come in contact during polishing, which can ruin a design or even crack it completely. You may also want to put your small bags into a larger one to keep it all together and prevent smaller bits from floating around.
Tips and Tricks for Making Tumbled Glass in a Rock Tumbler
- You should start by using at least two pounds (or 0.90 kg) of small pieces per pound or about three cups worth for each pound that will be put into the barrel! This is because some bits will be too large or broken and cannot be used so they are discarded.
- You should also try using a few extra pieces of glass with paint on them to add some color and design to your sea glass! This can give it that unique look that you might not get otherwise, but make sure the paint is dry before putting any in because wet paint can come off and ruin your tumbled glass.
- You should also make sure to not use too many shiny, flat pieces since they do not usually survive the tumbling process very well and tend to break apart easily. These are harder for the rocks to polish out so you end up getting lots of little shards from them that may or may not be smooth at the end.
- You should also try to use the same color glass that will mix well and create a uniform look for your tumbled sea glass! Using different colors can give it an interesting effect but you may not like how they come out at the end, so do some research on what looks good together before starting this project.
- This is also another way to use some of those broken pieces that you may not be able to craft with otherwise! Making tumbled glass in a rock tumbler can give it new life and make something previously useless into an awesome project.
- You should also try using more than one kind of glass, or mix clear and frosted together for the best results! You can also try using some plastic pieces and marbles to mix things up a bit, but make sure that the rocks will be able to polish them out without breaking before adding any.
FAQs about Making Tumbled Glass in a Rock tumbler
How long will it take to make tumbled glass in a rock tumbler?
Most people find that at least four or five days is more than enough time for them to become beautiful and smooth!
Will my sea glass come out without paint on it if I use this method?
You may have some bits of grit left over at this point but that is normal, just discard them before using your tumbled glass pieces.
Why should I use more than one pound in the barrel to make my sea glass?
This is because some bits will be too large or broken and cannot be used so they are discarded. You should also try using a few extra pieces of glass with paint on them to add some color and design to your sea glass!
How can I make sure my tumbled glass in a rock tumbler comes out the way it should?
Make sure that when sorting through your glass pieces to keep any with paint or anything else on them separately! This is because the grit will rub off some of these materials if they come in contact during polishing, which can ruin a design or even crack it completely. You may also want to put your small bags into a larger one to keep it all together and prevent smaller bits from floating around.
What should I do with the bits that get broken or are too big?
You can either discard them before adding any glass into the barrel, sort through them later, and use up the smaller pieces from these larger ones. This is because some of what you have maybe usable after polishing! Alternatively, you could also recycle these by putting them in a container with some scouring pads and water to clean them up even more.
Conclusions
Making tumbled glass is a fun and easy process that takes just minutes to start. With the help of this article, we hope you can try it yourself and see how amazing your finished product will look. After reading our tips and tricks for making tumbled glass in a rock tumbler, you’ll be ready to give it a go! So what are you waiting for? Try making some Tumbled Glass today!
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