-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Stonewashing. ATS-34
- Thread starter droptyne
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2009
- Messages
- 21,855
Stones off the ground with some oil, tumbled in the family clothes dryer ?
I predict poor results and some family tensions.
Not if you ever want to use the dryer again.
A dryer can't handle a heavy really off center load.
It has no bearings, just slides on plastic or felt sliders.
If you contaminate the dryer with oil, it will grease up all the clothes you ever put in forever after.
There have been threads on tumbling with ceramic abrasives, you can probably search and find them.
They usually use a commercial abrasive stone with a water and soap solution - not oil.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/572155-Stonewash-Media
If you have a junker dryer and the proper abrasives, I'd put a pail in the center and pack the outsides,
to give it a try.
I predict poor results and some family tensions.
Not if you ever want to use the dryer again.
A dryer can't handle a heavy really off center load.
It has no bearings, just slides on plastic or felt sliders.
If you contaminate the dryer with oil, it will grease up all the clothes you ever put in forever after.
There have been threads on tumbling with ceramic abrasives, you can probably search and find them.
They usually use a commercial abrasive stone with a water and soap solution - not oil.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/572155-Stonewash-Media
If you have a junker dryer and the proper abrasives, I'd put a pail in the center and pack the outsides,
to give it a try.
Well. I have seen results posted of doing the dryer method so I had to ask. This will only be for a 4in. blade from a folder so the package wouldn't be very big, or weigh very much. And I would tape the seams of the lid and wrap towels around everything.
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith
ilmarinen - MODERATOR
Moderator
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2004
- Messages
- 38,483
Years back, I built a rig for a jeweler friend to "antique" castings. It was made from a five gallon pickle tub and was friction turned on a cradle by a small motor ...basically, a big rock tumbler.
It was charged with a couple scoops of coarse beach gravel/sand, plus just enough sea water and dish soap to make it all wet. The "antiqued" objects were brass castings of objects made to look like they were old and found on a shipwreck ( replica tourist goods). After six hours in the tumbler, the effect was a matte look with minor surface distress and rounded corners.
I know he had an endless supply of pickle barrels, gravel, and sea water - as his shop was on the Virginia Beach tourist strip next to a sub shop.
A similar setup with ceramic media could work for small batch stone washing.
It would not surprise me if the "antique" Chinese swords and knives sold on ebay are "aged" in a similar way.
It was charged with a couple scoops of coarse beach gravel/sand, plus just enough sea water and dish soap to make it all wet. The "antiqued" objects were brass castings of objects made to look like they were old and found on a shipwreck ( replica tourist goods). After six hours in the tumbler, the effect was a matte look with minor surface distress and rounded corners.
I know he had an endless supply of pickle barrels, gravel, and sea water - as his shop was on the Virginia Beach tourist strip next to a sub shop.
A similar setup with ceramic media could work for small batch stone washing.
It would not surprise me if the "antique" Chinese swords and knives sold on ebay are "aged" in a similar way.