The Kitiki Rotary Tumbler Kit 2 is a studio tumbler, and can be used for Art Clay silver and gold, precious metal clays, and jewellery. The drum is 36% larger than the one in Kit 1 and can hold twice as much shot.

It consists of a motor base, a 950gm rubber drum, 1000gms of mixed stainless steel shot and burnishing shapes, and 500gms of barrelling compound to keep the drum clean. It's robustly made, easy to use, quiet when running, and, best of all, does its work whilst you do something else.

The whole unit measures 195mm x 105mm x 200mm. 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 rubber barrel revolves quietly; the drum lid has a leak-proof easy-to-fit lid with a seal and a retaining collar; the tumbler has rubber feet to stop it creeping across the worktop; and the rubber rollers and rollerball end-stops keep the drum in the correct position. The drive belt is toothed and nylon reinforced, so it won't slip or wear out quickly.

As you can see in the photo, a 950gm drum uses the full width of the tumbler body, although you could use two smaller drums if some work needs a long tumbling time and other pieces just need a quick freshening up. The 950gm is often called a full-size or 3lb drum, and the 510gm a half-size or 1.5lb drum.

Although the component parts of the kits can be bought separately, it's more economic to buy the whole kit. Also, if you just buy the tumbler body, high street stores won't have stainless steel shot or barelling compound.

The tumbler will accept one 945gm barrel or two half-size barrels, so that you can leave one on for a long time but use the other with different abrasives or for shorter periods. The full-zize 950gm barrel is 135mm x 115mm diameter, and the half-size 510gm barrel is 75mm x 115mm diameter.

If you want to use two half-size barrels at the same time, they sit on the tumbler body with both lids facing outwards. 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 of grit scratch the finished surface. Put coloured dots on them?

The drum lids have several parts: at one end there's an inner metal lid, a rubber sealing ring, a metal outer lid, and a retaining threaded collar. To prevent any leaks, make sure that they're kept clean and are re-fitted carefully.

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 fdull-size drum needs about a level tablespoonful.

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.

Always empty the drum away from the tumbler, to avoid spilling or losing anything. Every two weeks, unplug the tumbler and put a few drops of oil on any visible bearings. Leave the belt as loose as possible without it slipping.

The tumbler has rubber feet 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 new or used barrels thoroughly using a brush and some mild detergent, and rinse them clean. This is particularly important as one left-over particle of shot or grit, tumbling for several hours, will leave scratches that are 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 two dessert spoons of barrelling compound, and then enough water to cover everything. The tumbling action won't work if the barrel is full, so never fill it more than about 70%.
Fit the lid, put the drum on the rollers, and start the tumbler. Try an hour, and then longer if you think that the finish can still be improved.

Empty the contents into a cloth-lined sieve over a bowl to save the liquid, rinse the silver and shot under the tap, and remove them carefully. Don't accidentally flush away any shot as it will collect in the basin trap.

Wash your pieces, 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 needs replacing.

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.