Steel shot, explained
Stainless steel shot burnishes metal instead of grinding it. Tumbled with water and a little soap, it lifts tarnish and leaves jewelry, coins and brass bright. Here is how it works, which shot to use, and how to run a batch.
Burnishing, not grinding
It presses, not cuts
Steel shot doesn’t remove metal like grit removes stone. Thousands of small impacts press the surface smooth and bring up a bright shine.
Soap keeps it clean
A few drops of burnishing compound or plain dish soap lift dirt and tarnish and help the shot slide over the metal.
Shapes reach the details
Pins, cones and diagonals reach into chain links, settings and engraving where round balls can’t.
Which shot to use
All of our shot is 304 stainless steel and can be reused many times. Pick the one that fits what you clean.
Jeweler’s mix (3 shape): diagonals, rounds and cones for jewelry, coins and small metal pieces.
4-shape mix: adds pins to the jeweler’s mix for pieces with tight corners and fine detail.
Stainless pins (.047″ × .255″): sized for cleaning and burnishing brass casings.
1/8″ ball shot: round pellets for general metal cleaning and deburring.
Four steps, a few hours
Use about 1 lb of shot for every 1 lb of metal. The same steps work for jewelry, coins and brass.
1 · Load
2 · Cover
3 · Run
4 · Rinse
Keep the shot bright
Rinse the shot after every batch until the water runs clear.
Store it dry, or covered in clean water, so it stays bright.
Pour the load through a colander to separate the shot from your pieces.
Check the shot for stray pieces of jewelry or findings before the next batch.
Keep shot away from grit
Never tumble steel shot with grit or polish. Use a barrel or bowl that never sees grit, since a single grain can scratch metal.
Steel shot works in both
Rotary
Seal the barrel with the shot, metal, water and soap. Run 1 to 4 hours, then check the shine before running longer.
Vibratory
Our jeweler’s mixes work in vibratory tumblers too. Keep the metal and shot covered with soapy water while it runs.
Not sure which shot you need?
Tell us what metal you’re cleaning and what tumbler you run. We’ll point you to the right shot and how much to use.