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Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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Posted by therustyone (My Page) on Mon, Mar 23, 09 at 12:18
I have finally accumulated several glass bottles, jars, etc, and a double barreled rock tumbler. I want to make my own 'beach' glass, but not sure of how to do it. Do I put just the glass (broken into pieces, of course) and sand in the tumbler? Should I put water in, too? I have beach sand, is it coarse enough? Or should I also add some small gravel, like aquarium gravel.
I checked the FAQ's, but didn't find any info about this.
Thanks in advance for your help! I do so thoroughly enjoy 'lurking' on this forum, seeing all the neat things produced from 'junk' with some imagination and talent.
Rusty |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| That's a real good question. I don't know if it can be done in a tumbler or not. Because real beach glass found on the beach has probably taken years to be made naturally. Yes I would put a little water in there too but I have no clue how long you would have to tumble it to get it to look like real beach glass. Sorry I can't be of more help.
Donna in Florida |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| I made some in my tumbler. I put the glass pieces in, dumped in some sand (don't know how much. I didn't measure) filled it with water to about 3/4 full and ran it for about 2 days. Hope that helps. It's not very specific. |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| I think Smickerdoodle will know something on this. I think it was her that uses a tumbler sometime. And maybe CalamityJane. |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| Have you heard the noise a rock tumbler makes? My kids insistd on one and OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH my ears!!!!! |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| I do it in a cement mixer because I am usually doing large quantities, but you can do the same thing in a rock tumbler. I would just put in the glass and sand. I have found that you get the same results with a lot less time and a lot less mess than if you add water. I add about 4 parts glass to 1 part sand in mine. Hope this helps. Good luck! ~Micki~ |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| I've heard use just water, and they will smooth up fine. I'm in the process of collecting a bunch of bottles, and when I get a pile, I will rent a cement mixer for a few hours and they will be done. Should have a ton of bottles..lol |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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Really dulcer? Just a few hours will do it? A friend and I are thinking of renting a cement mixer to make concrete stuff. Making beach glass would be a cool thing to do too.
kathy |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| It really takes longer with water than it does sand. I have tried it that way and it really takes longer than a few hours with the water. It takes only a couple of hours with the sand in the cement mixer. I usually check it after 2 hours. |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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Thank you for your replies & ideas! I really sort of figured it would take several days to get that 'beachy' look. I've used the tumbler a time or two, with just water and a drop of detergent, ran it about 30 minutes or so, and that did a wonderful job of cleaning up the glass, making it sparkling clean, and took off all the sharp edges, so it was safer to mosaic with. So now I think I will try the just sand method. Sure wish I had access to a cement mixer!
By the way, I've never run the tumbler with any rocks in it, so I have no idea what kind of noise that would make, but the glass with water made hardly any sound at all. Thank goodness! |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| Thanks snickerdoodle, I was wondering how it worked. I'll bet just water takes alot longer. I will make sure I just use sand when I get around to doing that.. |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| I use a little rock tumbler I bought from Michael's...I put in the glass and beleive or not kitty litter and cover it all with water and then tumble it for about 24 hours...it is loud so leave it in the garage...the tumbler does not hold much but does the job...the glass is smooth and has that milky look like beach glass...except when it gets wet then it goes back to the original in this case brilliant green color...I use it in a planter with a purple tropical plant and it looks very pretty |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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Thanks for the tips Smick.
Someone on the mosaic and stained glass forum said they bought an electric ice cream maker at a YS and took out the paddle and they tip it at an angle to tumble stuff. Isn't that a riot? I'm going to keep my eyes peeled when its ys time again here.
Mary I think when "real" sea glass is wet it is colorful. Not that you find much of the real thing anymore since everyone is after it. But maybe Florida sea glass is different than Maine.
kathy |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| Imitation sea glass can be made in a tumbler using the shot (steel pieces of various sizes). This seems to be faster than using sand. Be sure to specify that this is not real sea glass if you are planning on selling at craft shows, etc., as there is a huge difference in price and quality of real sea glass as opposed to man-made seaglass! |
Here is a link that might be useful: Tumbled Sea Glass
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| Not sure about the tumbler. Beach Glass wouldn't be true beach glass if you made it in a tumbler. Do you have any beaches near you that you can find sea glass and start a collection? It is great hobby and you never know what you mind find washed up on the sand. It does become addictive. I have some great beachcombing tips on my website that you might want to take a look at. Enjoy www.tearsofthesea.com |
Here is a link that might be useful: Tears Of The Sea Jewelry
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| Obviously any one with a lick of sense knows that if it is made in a tumbler it is not true 'beach" glass. But using that name for it is the easiest way I know of to communicate the look I am trying to achieve. Also, obviously, it worked. Rusty |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| Well, I learned something new, I didn't know you could tumble without water being added...interesting. I use my tumbler for just taking the sharp edges off glass/dishes/tile, and love it for that! Waaayyy better working with afterwards, especially grouting. |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| Do we know that the "beach glass" at Michaels is NOT made in a gigantic tumbler? Seems to me it would be way cheaper to make it that way than pay people to beachcomb for it. Is "artificially tumbled" glass different from "real" beach glass? Having feelings of deja vu as I think there was another thread on this subject that I posted to. I made some in our rock tumbler and it took days. Very noisy too. Kept it in the garage. Have thot of doing it in the cement mixer. Calamity, how long do you tumble it just to take off the sharp edges? and does it dull the surface of the dishes or glass otherwise? |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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I'm not Calamity (although I might BE a calamity).
But I tumbled some glass just to get the sharp edges off for use in mosaics.
I used water, a couple of drops of dish detergent and a little bit of rubbing alcohol. Let it run about 30 minutes at the most.
Had nice clean shiny glass, no rough or sharp edges.
Nor did it dull the surfaces at all.
I have not tried this with anything other than glass, though, so don't know how dishes would react. I do believe it might ruin any reflective or 'pearlized' coating, or gold edges and/or designs that some kinds of glass have, but don't know for sure.
Hopefully Calamity will come back and answer this. And I for one totally believe that the 'beach' glass at Michael's, Wal Mart, and other craft stores is definitly tumbled. There is far too much of it available, and no way they could sell it for the prices they do if it were 'real' beach collected, beach glass. Rusty |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| I do mine in a cement mixer just covered with water and about a cup of sand. Just did some Sunday and ran it for about 45 minutes. ~ Ann |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| I second (or third?) the sand only option - much less mess and quicker too, I think. I got the frosted look in 4 or 5 hours in my tumbler. I would really like to get the rounded edges look too, but I think that would take several days (I'm far too impatient, but one of these times I'll let it run for a week...) Also, I've noticed that clear glass turns sort of yellowish, or dirty looking - not like the 'white' beach glass I found as a kid when I lived near Lake Huron! Blues, greens and browns are great, though. |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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I have collected a number of blue bottles that i want to break and make beach glass.
Question: how are you breaking bottles? What size of pieces should i end with to use them in a dry stream? |
RE: Question about making 'Beach Glass'
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| To break my bottles I put them in one of those black reusable grocery bags (kind of a tightly woven cloth-y material), fold the top a couple of times so stuff can't come shooting out, lay it on the concrete floor of my shed and give a couple of good whacks with a hammer. I wear gloves and glasses to be on the safe side. I've used the same bag 4 times now and just noticed some little tears on the last use. I think I read that someone else uses a tarp - that might hold up better. |
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