So I threw a load of hex posts in without bunging up the ends, so the entire internal thread is now caked up!
Well done me.
Well done me.
Newbie tumbling error
- Thread starter Carl Spiby
- Start date
Can't you 'un-bung' them using a needle or a pin?
Have to admit i've not done any hex posts in mine yet - but I did manage to clog up the center hole on the tilt bob pretty nicely. Ended up using the rod it hangs from to slowly but surely pick it's way through.
Have to admit i've not done any hex posts in mine yet - but I did manage to clog up the center hole on the tilt bob pretty nicely. Ended up using the rod it hangs from to slowly but surely pick it's way through.
do you have a sonic cleaner? This might vibrate the crap out again.
OP
OP
I have the end of a dart, I will try and crush the media thats already in there and it will hopefully just drop out.
My preferred weapon of choice is a very small jewelers screwdriver but anything thin and pointy will do 
Just unbend a paperclip and poke it in and out of the hole in the hex post. Once you start to unclog a hole a little the stuff in there gets loser and suddenly it all comes out.
Sitting down with my favourite paperclip and unclogging a batch of hex posts is the best part of the whole tumbling process...
Sitting down with my favourite paperclip and unclogging a batch of hex posts is the best part of the whole tumbling process...
Or just polish them with the Dremel for a better shine and probably just a quick and less irritating than picking gritty **** out of your posts!
Autosol and elbow grease always worked well for me tbh.
OP
OP
Flat bladed jewellers screwdriver was the winner.
In hindsight, its really not worth tumbling hexposts.
In hindsight, its really not worth tumbling hexposts.
You could always just put a screw in the top of them to stop the media filling up the hole......
It's a learning process, bit of trial and error. When I got my first pin I ended up with a little bag of about 30 or 40 parts collected from inside the cabinet. You know, "stuff" like nuts, bolts, a tilt ball, pop bumper lamp holder, screws, washers, springs and a few spare parts like a pop bumper ring. As a first test I threw the whole lot in the tumbler. I was using walnut, the type with added red rouge polish. Some stuff came up brilliantly, like the pop ring and tilt ball, almost like new. But some stuff, most notably anything that looked like alloy, e.g., some screws and the pop bumper lamp holder, just got caked in red rouge that was really difficult to clean off. Anything with small holes got packed with walnut chips. Philips screw heads got packed with red rouge.
Here are some parts that I think work well in the tumbler before they went in:
And here's what they looked like after:
You'll notice that sometimes even the same parts can clean up with different results. And I still polish everything with the Dremel afterwards using a 1-inch felt buffing wheel and final finish white compound. The beauty is the tumbler has done 90% of the grunt so the final 10% is just getting that final shine and sorting out any problem areas:
Here are some parts that I think work well in the tumbler before they went in:
And here's what they looked like after:
You'll notice that sometimes even the same parts can clean up with different results. And I still polish everything with the Dremel afterwards using a 1-inch felt buffing wheel and final finish white compound. The beauty is the tumbler has done 90% of the grunt so the final 10% is just getting that final shine and sorting out any problem areas:
I always tumble hex posts and yes they get clogged up but it's easy to remove with a fine nail. Pick the end out then slam it on the bench and rest will just fall out.
Only a small price to pay for shiny posts.
Only a small price to pay for shiny posts.
