…and into the tumbler.
I’m pretty happy with how the slump beads turned out. The fine silver PMC polishes up so nicely, that I’ll take these beads one step further by polishing them on the buffing wheel. I’ll most likely do the buffing on Friday since tomorrow is a day off island for me. I have my fingers crossed that the weather won’t be too bad and there will be a 5 p.m. boat back. (Crummy weather will mean coming home on the 3:30 boat, which does not leave enough time to see the matinee.) The movie at Reel Pizza tomorrow could be “Made in Dagenham” or “127 Hours.” (R.P doesn’t list the winter matinees on their web site.) I wouldn’t mind seeing either one, and I think Mom would go for either one, though we could probably get through the day without seeing someone cut their arm off! Considering that the median age at this matinee is 70, they’ll probably show “Made in Dagenham.”
The wire that the beads are on is temporary. It makes them easier to fish out of the tumbler. Putting wire through beads before putting them in the tumbler will also keep that pesky steel shot from getting inside and turning the bead into a rattle.
The two beads below, without wire, had holes that I thought were too small for the steel shot to get in. Wrong! Two of these are now rattle beads. I think I remember something about tumbling beads like this in water without steel shot to get the shot out from inside the bead. I can’t understand how that would work but it’s worth a try. (Okay. The obvious pun: It’s worth a shot.)
Barbara S Fernald Jewelry 