Electric Tumblers are ideal for creating an even, smooth, polished surface on Art Clay, BronzClay, and PMC metal clays, coins, glass, jewellery, metals, minerals, rocks, shells, silver, and stones.

Anyone who has found shiny fragments of glass, beautifully rounded pebbles, or highly polished shells on a beach, has seen how continual fine random abrasion can shape and polish even the roughest surfaces. These beach treasures have probably been in the sea for years.

Fortunately, electric tumblers are a thousand times quicker, and a lot more convenient. Broadly, there are three types: rotary tumblers, magnetic polishers, and ultrasonic cleaners.

If this is your first interest in tumblers and polishers, the practice of cutting and polishing stones, minerals, and gems, is called lapidary.

Rotary tumblers are sometimes called lapidary tumblers, jewellery tumblers, or stone tumblers. Magnetic polishers are sometimes called vibratory polishers or oscillating polishers. Ultrasonic cleaners are sometimes called jewellery polishers or jewellery cleaners.

All the tumblers, polishers, and cleaners use water. However, as pure water is a poor cleaner, small amounts of special detergents are usually added. These detergents are called barelling compound, gallay compound, drum cleaner, or just tumbler cleaner.

Cherry Heaven is an EU distributor for Paragon Kilns made in the US, Advance Kilns made in Canada, Efco Kilns made in Germany, Kitiki Mini-Kilns made in Turkey, and UltraLite Kilns made in the US.

Cherry Heaven is a UK distributor for Art Clay made by Aida Chemical Industries in Japan and BronzClay made in the US, and an EU distributor for AccentGold For Silver paint and Metal Clay Veneer, both made in the US.

The electric rotary tumblers, magnetic polishers, and ultrasonic cleaners are described briefly below. So, after you've read about them and if you know which one you want, stay here, as they're in the on-line shop.

However, to learn more about them and how to use them, use the appropriate link below the menu bar near the top of the page.

A rotary tumbler has a motor base, and a removable revolving barrel part-filled with water, mixed stainless steel shapes or abrasive grit, and cleaner. As it rotates, the metal shapes or grit particles repeatedly fall onto the material to be polished and the collective tiny scratches and impacts gradually polish and burnish the surface.

Generally, electric rotary tumblers are used for Art Clay, BronzClay, and PMC metal clays, coins, glass, jewellery, metals, minerals, rocks, shells, silver, and stones, although there are archeological, engineering, and geological applications.

Whichever one you choose, you'll need a motor base, a barrel or drum, mixed stainless steel shapes or various grades of abrasive grit, and some cleaner. These can be bought separately but it costs less to buy a complete kit. Although described as kits to simplify the descriptions, there are component variations shown in the on-line shop.

The Kitiki Rotary Tumbler Kit 1 is a home, hobby, occasional-use kit, ideal for Art Clay and PMC metal clays, jewellery, and silver. It consists of an electric motor base, a 700gm plastic barrel, 500gms of mixed stainless steel shot and shapes, and 500gms of barrelling compound to keep the drum clean.

The Kitiki Rotary Tumbler Kit 2 is a home, hobby, occasional-use kit, ideal for coins, glass, metals, minerals, rocks, shells, and stones. It consists of an electric motor base, a 700gm plastic barrel, 200gms of 80 grit, 200gms of 220 grit, 150gms of 400 grit, 150 gms of cerium oxide polish, and one pack of plastic pellets.

The Kitiki Rotary Tumbler Kit 3 is a craft, engineering, studio, frequent-use kit, ideal for Art Clay, BronzClay, and PMC metal clays, jewellery, metals, and silver. It consists of an electric motor base, a 950gm rubber barrel, 1000gms of mixed stainless steel shot and shapes, and 500gms of barrelling compound to keep the drum clean. The motor base is longer than that in Kits 1 and 2 and can hold two 510gm rubber drums, but not two 700gm plastic drums.

The Kitiki Rotary Tumbler Kit 4 is a craft, engineering, studio, frequent-use kit, ideal for buried treasures, coins, glass, metals, minerals, rocks, shells, and stones. It consists of an electric motor base, a 950gm rubber barrel, 200gms of 80 grit, 200gms of 220 grit, 150gms of 400 grit, 150 gms of cerium oxide polish, and one pack of plastic pellets. The motor base is longer than that in Kits 1 and 2 and can hold two 510gm rubber drums, but not two 700gm plastic drums.

A magnetic polisher has a motor base with a removable stationary drum part-filled with water, stainless steel pins, and cleaner. A rotating magnetic field makes the pins jump randomly and the collective tiny scratches and impacts gradually polish and burnish the surface.

Generally, magnetic polishers are used for small, delicate, intricate shapes that don't need a lot of finishing. They hold less, and are more expensive, than rotary tumblers, but are quieter, quicker, and simpler to fill and empty.

The Kitiki Magnetic Polisher is ideal for Art Clay and PMC metal clays, copper, gold, jewellery, and silver. It consists of a magnetic oscillator base, a lift-off acrylic drum, a plastic lid, 80gms of tiny stainless steel pins, and a spare fuse.

An ultrasonic cleaner has a fixed stationary chamber, part-filled with water and cleaner: no shot, no grit. Electronically generated ultrasonic waves create minute bubbles which, during the low pressure part of each wave, grow until, during the high pressure part of the wave, they're compressed and implode. The energy released cleans the objects inside.

The Kitiki Ultrasonic Cleaner is ideal for cleaning jewellery and other objects, restoring their sparkle. It won't put a shine on a rough surface. However, they're inexpensive and very quick. It consists of a container base and a lift-out basket.

The photos show the bodies, not the shot, grits, and cleaners that make up the kits. To look at the photos, hold your mouse over the appropriate zoom button below. The photos are 480px x 360px and about 80KB. If you're not on broadband, they'll take a short while to download.

The Kitiki Tumbler Body 1 And 2

The Kitiki Tumbler Body 3 And 4.

The Kitiki Magnetic Polisher.

The Kitiki Ultrasonic Cleaner.

Ultrasonic Cleaning.

The stainless steel shot, included in some of the rotary tumbler kits, is actually a mix 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, always 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: it'll soon rust, make a mess, and ruin your work.

Grit is the generic name for the abrasive particles used to grind and polish. Generally, it's graded silicon carbide: an angular, hard, sharp, material which fractures into smaller angular particles, making it an effective abrasive.

Grit sizes are confusing, for example: 400 grit particles are not twice the size or half the size of 200 grit particles. You'll soon learn which grit to use for different materials, shapes, and finishes.