How to Make Sea Glass Beads in a Tumbler
If you've ever tried to collect natural sea glass on the beach to make a necklace or other jewelry, you know how hard it is to find those brilliant, perfectly polished blue or green pieces. The beach itself is nice, but it would be even nicer if hunting for sea glass weren't so frustrating. Fortunately, with a rock tumbler and a few shards of glass, you can create your own smooth pieces of sea glass at home. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Glass shards of desired color(s)
- Rock tumbler
- Water
- Sand or silicon carbide grit
- Sponge
- Shallow container
- Drill
Instructions
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1
Put your shards of glass into the barrel of a rock tumbler until the tumbler is approximately 2/3 full, as you would with normal rocks. Add water until it is visible between the glass pieces.
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2
Pour sand or silicon carbide grit into the barrel. Consult the manual for your rock tumbler to find out precisely how much to add, as it varies by brand and model.
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3
Turn on the rock tumbler and run it until you are content with the smoothness and polish of the glass.
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4
Remove the sea glass from the tumbler and rinse it to remove any traces of sand or grit.
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5
Decide which pieces you want to use for beads.
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6
Put a small, thin piece of sponge in a shallow container and add enough water to barely cover the sponge. This will keep the glass wet and cool as you drill so it will be less likely to shatter.
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7
Put one of the pieces of sea glass onto the sponge.
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8
Drill halfway through the piece.
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9
Turn the sea glass over and drill the rest of the way through from the other side.
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10
Repeat Steps 7 through 9 for each piece of sea glass that you wish to make into a bead.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Wear gloves and be careful while handling glass shards.
Wear goggles and a mask while drilling the sea glass.
