Got new double barrel tumbler from Harbour freight for Christmas. Finally tumbled my first items. Thanks to Antiquarian (Dave) for motivation and tumbling tips.
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These relics look great CMT.
It's trial and error when it comes to how long and how aggressive you want to be with the corrosion.
I'll often vary the size of the gravel and the amount of sand I put in the drum with the items, tumbling iron relics is a much longer process than brass.
There’s no need to seal the metal, as brass will start to ‘dull down’ after just a few days of exposure to the air.
Sometimes I’ll brush on a light coat of Museum Conservators Paste on the brass, I use a natural mineral oil/beeswax wood furniture polish on the iron relics.
Here are some pics of a candlestand finger loop that I tumbled in June, you can see how much the finished had 'dulled down' by October.
Hi Folks, I thought to open this thread and show the process step by step because it is in my opinion a rare complete find in nearly perfect condition. The piece has all original ropes, resin or bitumen on it and the fuse is covert with canvas. A question to the specialists here: Was this...