Ad blocker detected: Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker on our website.
43rdMichael wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 12:56 am
What do magnetic tumblers do?
In short the Magnetic tumblers are a great tool to clean white metal parts. Instead of having to clean each part with a brass brush you can use the tumbler.
If you do a lot of multi media kits it is a good tool to have. Visited a friend and used his and was quite impressed with the results.
Personally not been able to justify the purchase YET!
Operative word being "clean". What they do not do is remove mold lines, stubs, etc. You still have to do some things the old-fashioned way with files and sharp knives and you still have to correct some stuff. What they also do not do is polish in the sense of a shiny or mirror finish which some people don't seem to get. You can tell from the reviews that some people don't understand that words can have multiple meanings or that there are different levels of polishing. Yes, the magnetic tumbler "polishes" parts in terms of removing the as-cast finish but it does not put a highly polished finish on metal parts. Not what is was designed to do and not what the medium (the steel pins) are capable of. Perhaps better to think of it as a burnished finish instead of a polished finish.
Thank you. That makes sense.
A cleaner more than a polisher.
43rdMichael wrote: ↑Mon Dec 11, 2023 3:41 am
A cleaner more than a polisher.
Probably worth mentioning something that I neglected to include in my earlier post and that is that magnetic polishers are designed to eliminate very tedious work in the jewellery industry. The pins are designed to get inside small items such as ring castings and the big advantage is that they can throw a dozen or more pieces into the tub instead of having a trained jeweler working on one piece at a time. Makes a HUGE difference in productivity when you're turning out dozens or even hundreds or thousands of pieces.
I must admit that I can’t see any advantage in using a tumbler… so I don’t have nor use one.
WM parts needs to be prepared with files, blades, sand paper, custom made tools, steel wool, rotary tools… and mainly time and (great) patience!
I must admit that I can’t see any advantage in using a tumbler… so I don’t have nor use one.
Pascal
The advantage is only in time saving. Someone building one model who has time on his hands has little or no reason to buy one. Someone building multiple models OR with limited time may think it is essential. The problem I have with your statement is that there are clear advantages they just don't apply to your approach to model building.
I build a lot of white metal kits, have at least 20 on the go at some stage, the tumbler for me is a necessity, I used a wire brush and patience on the 1/12 97T and never again
I revisit some parts for fine tuning, sanding, filing, polishing etc, as is needed, but first step in every kit is to send all white metal parts thru the polisher while the bleche white cleans the resin
