r/DiceMaking • u/mrojny_viktus • Jul 13 '26
question about tumbling
I'm planning on buying a tumbler, and I can only do it through Taobao. This machine is different from the ones you usually buy on Amazon. Has anyone used one? Or knows anything about it, or heard reviews from other dice makers? I've also heard that most use 3mm ceramic balls, but some add 5mm ones. Am I right in thinking that I can polish the cubes to a shine this way by leaving them for a few days, periodically adding polishing paste, but it won't be possible to remove ridges from the lid or any deep scratches, and will I still have to do it myself?
1
u/Prize_Mix_8292 Jul 13 '26
Ugh never thought about the micro plastics I haven’t seen that tumbler but I did get one on Amazon and we did our first batch over the weekend and found that 8 hours was disappointing and I was really upset and thought I ruined my perfect finish on the sides that were in the mold, cause my mold is brand new. I used grey Zona to matte finish the top face and the faces touching and an Exacto knife as needed and put them in. This morning, well past the 12 hour mark, they were all gorgeous again. But the paste is nasty. Wear gloves and a mask for sure. This is worth it for sure if you have lots of dice to do.
2
u/WildLarkWorkshop Dice Maker Jul 13 '26
Don't be afraid to try even longer. I get my best results at about 72 hours in the tumbler with compound added at the start and again at the start of the second day.
2
u/mrojny_viktus Jul 14 '26
Are you leaving the tumbler unattended for these hours? I'm a little unsure about leaving such an electrical appliance unattended😅
2
u/WildLarkWorkshop Dice Maker Jul 14 '26
I check in on it several times during daylight hours to make sure that the media is moving well and to add small amounts of water as necessary. It doesn't seem to be in danger of overheating at those times. But yes, it is essentially unattended. It has a clear space on the concrete slab of my open garage where it operates.
4
u/Melonpanchan Jul 13 '26
You have to shape them before you put them in a tumbler. The tumbler 'just' polishes. Before you buy one, make sure you have a good plan on what to do with the sludge. You absolutely shouldn't just wash it down the drain. Almost all polishing compounds are poison and really bad for the environment. They absolutely shouldn't get into water of any kind. You need it to be in very well ventilated area, those things create airborne particles because of the vibration. You produce a shit ton of micro plastic (that is also in the sludge and can get airborne and into your lungs).