Using a Tumbler for Polishing

Someone posts almost every month or every few weeks on the Jewelry Making forum about how to use a rock tumbler to tumble and thus clean metal jewelry. In fact, this process does more than just clean. It's also a way to work harden the metal. So, you kind of get a for one deal with this sort of procedure. I've been telling myself that I need to write an article about this, but guess what! I don't have to now because the wonderful folks at Urban Maille have done it already. Of course, they've got other great information on their site, like the proper way to open and close jump rings, but if you've been knocking the idea around about purchasing a tumbler to clean your metal jewelry but just weren't sure how to use this piece of equipment, then this polishing tutorial is a must read. Not only is it extremely detailed, but there are some excellent photos to actually show the processes from beginning to end. Whether you make your own jump rings or purchase them from vendors, or even if you don't make chain maille jewelry, eventually, most jewelry makers come across the issue of cleaning their metal and wire jewelry.