The Kitiki Rotary Tumbler Kit 1 has been put together as a Starter Kit: the basics, at a low price. It can be used for Art Clay silver and gold, precious metal clays, and jewellery.

It consists of a motor base, a 700gm plastic drum with three mixing vanes, 1000gms of mixed stainless steel shot and burnishing shapes, and 500gms of gallay compound to keep the drum clean.

The whole unit measures 143mm x 122mm x 205mm. The CE-marked fully-enclosed motor is rated at 230V 15W, so you can use a regular mains socket. It comes with a 1.8 metre cable, ending in a UK plug. Since the tumbler uses about as much power as a fridge bulb, the cost of using it is only a few pence a day.

The plastic barrel revolves on two rollers; the drum lid has a push-fit seal; the tumbler body has plastic edges to stop it creeping across the worktop; and the roller end-stops keep the drum on the rollers. The drive belt is soft neoprene.

As you can see in the photo, the 700gm drum uses the full width of the tumbler body, so you can't use a larger drum or two smaller drums. This size drum is often called a half-size or 1.5lb drum.

The tumbler kit includes one 700gm drum: 92mm x 113mm diameter. It has three internal mixing vanes to help distribute the stainless steel shot and your work. If you want to polish stones or glass using grit, you'll need a drum without the vanes.

If you decide to work with two drums, don't get them muddled if you stop the tumbler to check for progress. Many people prefer to use a separate drum for the final polish in case stray particles scratch the finished surface. Put coloured dots on them?

Plastic drum lids need to stand in hot water to make them easier to push on. To free the lids, the whole drum needs to stand in hot water. There's a slight risk that, as you pull the lid off, you'll spill your work, shot or grit, and soapy water.

It's very important not to try to force the lid on, unless it's been in hot water: it may crack. When the lids are firmly on, give them a gentle end-to-end squeeze to expell any excess air, otherwise the warmth of tumbling will expand the air and water may leak out.

The stainless steel shot, included in some of the rotary tumbler kits, is not just round but a selection of shapes, such as pins, planetoids, and spheres, designed to deal with the range of contours on jewellery.

Although the shot is 100% stainless steel, don't leave it lying around wet: either leave it immersed in the tumbler mix of water and cleaner, or rinse it and dry it carefully.

If you need to replace the shot, don't economise and buy plain or mixed steel: unless you're meticulous about cleaning and drying them every time you use them, they will soon rust, make a mess, and ruin your work.

When you open a new packet, always do it over a bowl. The shot is surpringly agile and will easily escape, go on the floor, and roll everywhere. If you do spill it, brush it up, or use a magnet: then wash it.

When you've finished, empty the shot into a cloth-lined sieve, rinse it thoroughly, and spread it on some cloth to dry. Don't accidentally flush away any shot as it will collect in the basin trap and lead to a blockage.

A silicon lubricant is used during the manufacture of rubber drums. Before use, clean the drum with a scouring pad and some washing-up liquid.

Barrelling compound, sometimes called gallay compound, is a special soap used to keep the barrel and shot clean, lubricate the tumbling, help the polishing action, and minimise rust. The drum needs about a level teaspoonful.

The tumbler comes with a 2.0 metre cable, ending in a regular UK 230V plug. As the motor is only 15W, you can use any mains socket. The plug only needs a 3A fuse and must be earthed.

Since the tumbler uses about as much power as a fridge bulb, the cost of letting it run continuously is only a few pence a day.

As with all electrical equipment, don't get it wet and don't touch it with wet hands. Always unplug it when it's not in use or being serviced.

The neoprene drive belt should be as loose as possible, providing it doesn't slip. If it's too tight, the motor will strain and overheat. It's supplied correctly set, but the belt tension can be adjusted using the three motor fixings.

Once a week, apply a drop of motor-grade oil to the four places where the drum rollers pass through the bearings. Once a month, apply a drop to the motor bearing.

The tumbler has plastic trims on the lower edges to stop it creeping. However, make sure it's on a stable flat surface, away from the edge.

Although wearing ties is not nearly as common as it was, be careful, if you lean forward, that your tie, or your hair, doesn't get caught round the roller.

Although you can use various abrasives to polish your work, a tumbler produces a really even gloss finish, and hardens the surface, whilst you do something else.

Before starting, wash the drum thoroughly using a soft brush and some mild detergent, and rinse it clean. This is particularly important as one left-over particle of shot or grit, tumbling for several hours, will leave scratches that will be very difficult to remove.

Measure out the stainless steel shot: about twice the volume of the silver. Put the shot in the barrel, then your silver, then about a level teaspoonful of barrelling compound, and then enough cold water to cover everything. The tumbling action won't work if the barrel is full, so never fill it more than about 40%.
Fit the lid, put the drum on the rollers, and start the tumbler. Try two hours, and then longer if you think that the finish can still be improved. More water gives a gentler action.

Empty the contents into a cloth-lined sieve over a bowl to save the liquid, rinse your work and the shot under the tap, and remove them carefully. Wash your work, wash the drum, spread the shot on some cloth to dry, and tidy up. The liquid can be used several times but, if the silver begins to look dirty or tarnished, it will need replacing.

Interestingly, the manufacturer recommends 500gms of shot for a 1400gm drum. As the supplied drum is 700gm, the implication is that 250gms will do: nearly everyone using tumblers uses more.

As with any process, different materials need different abrasives tumbled for different times. It's important to research the subject and experiment with the variables until you get the desired finish. There's no simple formula for getting instant results.

Although tumblers are very robust and normally last for years, any service or repair used to need a return to Germany, Japan, or the US. The down-time was a serious setback for any small business, and the return shipping charges cost as much as a new tumbler. Kitiki tumblers are serviced here, in the UK.

Unless you deliver and collect your tumbler, it must be carefully protected for the journey: so it's a good idea to keep the original box and internal packing. If you don't have the original packing, find something that can be re-used for the return journey as we don't have any empty boxes.

Kitiki can't keep every part for every piece of equipment in stock all the time. Although we always order promptly, there's often a manufacturer's delay, a public holiday, a trainee delivery driver, traffic chaos, a world-wide material shortage, or some other complication.
I know waiting is distressing but, unless you're really competent and have tools and test equipment, don't try to repair tumblers at home.