Quick Tip for Tumbling

as I was packing up a few pieces to get tumbled today, I realized this may be a simple tip to share with my fellow metalsmiths.

If you have many items to tumble at once, AND they have a hole of some kind in them, string them up with something before throwing them in the tumbler. I've used wire in the past, but my newest discovery is using up a pack (really just one) of surgical steel earrings. As shown in the picture, if you string the pieces on the earring, it locks in place with a little hook. When held together this way, the pieces all stay together, but still get tumbled nicely. SO Much easier than fishing around in your media!