Or something similar. Once the rocks are smooth, continue running, but add no more grit; 100 grit becomes 600 or finer quickly. I knew I wanted to build a rock tumbler, but I had no idea where to start. Searches for tumbler or rock won't find it. on Step 4. You could equally well use something like a paint can, those generally fit tight enough to need a mallet to close. Using some scrap bed frames, I welded together a square about two to three feet long on each side. You need to place the glass jar on to the rollers. Got the idea from my son's drum style rock tumbler. The kind of tumbler I've seen before seemed like a fairly simple arrangement - some kind of barrel turned by horizontal rollers, similar to a tumble dryer, so that's what I set out to build. Colorful Wrapped Rope Macrame Knot Necklace. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. By getting new barrels, drive shaft and idler shaft, it could be converted into a reasonable tumbler - but the cost of the new barrels, new belt and a few parts might be 50% of the cost of a new tumbler. I have a VERY expensive rock tumbler, but needed an extra barrel. 75 Hello, first off, thanks for taking the time to read my post.Second, I'm brainstorming ideas to make a dirt cheap rock tumbler, for polishing collected stones and maybe even making jewelry out of them. The motor is thermally protected and has a counter weight on the shaft behind the fan to create the vibrations during operation. • Attach the motor … Finished Product: I used a treadmill motor with dc motor controller and variable speed pot. I got it about 40 years ago in England, so don't ask what brand it is... :) One unit has two shallow drawers, another has a single deep drawer, and a third size is deep and double-width. I'll fill the drum 1/2 way with pins and weigh the pins. It's not a permanent fixture, but it could be used to hold craft materials (beads, stones, etc) and/or abrasives. This should eliminate binding and the weight of the drum will hold the rollers down. How to Build a Motorized Trommel—And Why on Earth You Would Want To My neighbor is a good guy with a bad back and an enormous compost pile. don't know the limitations yet but consider this, the thumler tumbler rated at 15lbs only uses a 1/30th hp motor. Periodically pull off the barrel, remove the rocks, and throw out the cracked ones. Homemade Rock Tumbler. RTumbler Brand Rock Tumbler Replacement Drive Belt 5 Pack Compatible With Thumler's Tumbler A-R1, A-R2, A-R6, A-R12, Model B Brand Tumblers 4.8 out of 5 stars 98 $12.75 $ 12 . It doesn't turn at all. Now enters upon the scene, albeit indirectly, an old friend from the DEC users group, Mr. Kreigh Tomaszewski, and his excellent web site. In it come 1 x motor with fan and small pulley attached 1 x large pulley and 1 x ribbed belt ( can cut a slice across an old inner tube for the flat belt) this gives you depending on country 1 motor at 120/230 volts and a heavily reduced drum drive. A lot of folks use a thin coat of Future floor wax on the beads, and then bake them gently in a low oven. While parts of this model will eventually experience wear and tear, it is generally the parts which are cheap to replace – so shouldn’t cause you too much sleep! Get it as soon as Thu, Jan 7. The rubber on my rod is only about 1/4 inch thicker than the bar. It really does a good job! I have updated the parts list to suggest wheel bearings for durability. I found a motor that let me fasten the blade directly to the shaft, mounted it on a platform, and built a table over it (with a slit for the blade) with wood. As it happens, the tumbler was used for less than two weeks, and has been gathering dust since. May 22, 2017 - So I updated the previous cup rotisserie turner and made a 4 cup mount turner. on Introduction. Top 10 Best Rock Tumbler in 2021 Reviews: 01. Also, it comes with an instruction guide to make sure you get the best results. Making your own homemade rock tumbler lets you turn seemingly ordinary stones you pick up at the beach or along a hiking trail into beautiful works of art. My wife recently started making beads and other things from polymer clay, and wasn't getting quite the finish she wanted using sandpaper. I'm not sure which produced the best results. to attach the gear to the structure, attach a thin, sturdy stick to the rubber rod and insert this through the centre hole of the gear and then through the drilled hole in the bucket)but yeah, this is a great project- cheep, functional and easy! I'm going to try and make a rock tumbler using one of those 120v motors from microwaves that turn at ~30rpm. Add 100 grit every other day until the rocks are smooth. You could even pick up some cheap ball bearing races for the rollers. Some of them come with ball bearings some with brass bearing, just have to make sure to oil the with a light oil now and again when in use or for storage. My wife has tried a number of different things, from play sand slurry down to small dry squares of fine sand paper and denim. Now, onto the motor of the single cup turner! You do not need any vanes. Try using skateboard wheel bearings. Thank you! I have a different use. This is a rotating tumbler that comes with rocks, grit, and some jewelry findings. what do you put in it to polish the beads? As suggested by several people (iceng and ottwafm), the tumbler would be more durable if some kind of wheel bearings were used for the rollers. Noisy rock tumblers usually have two things in common: 1) they have a plastic barrel, and, 2) they have an inexpensive motor. The position of the driven roller depends on the size of the motor mount. of material at once. Answer #2. The button you can press that keeps the drill on would only work if the trigger was fully engaged. I found that it was better to have the fan closer to the motor and the weight on the end of the motor shaft. I tried to gear it down but all I did was messed things up. Make sure you are doing all this BEFORE you plug anything in!! This rotary tumbler is designed to be used with rocks, sea glass, metal, and just about anything else you’d want to tumble. 2 years ago Keep in mind that some plastic pellets float, so make sure you add them to the proper volume before adding water. Read on to know how to build one at home. I loose a tumbler with good bearings every few months for some mechanical reason or motor. Bearing blocks and pulleys are 3D printed. Again, spade connectors would work, as would the proper connector if available. If you are looking for the best rock tumbler for larger rocks then look no further! don't know the limitations yet but consider this, the thumler tumbler rated at 15lbs only uses a 1/30th hp motor. Now I need to find how or if I can buy the replacement gaskets. The model also comes with a full five-year warranty on the barrel and the rubber, so you can be sure that it will not wear with use. RTumbler Brand Rock Tumbler Replacement Drive Belt … That would make adjusting the speed easier also. Reply 1 year ago 2) screw the frame to the baseboard. Forgot to mention - I had to use 2 zip ties around the drill trigger. It took me about 10 minutes - but I'm slow! It was intended to run metal paint cans as barrels. Building rock tumblers is a project that can help children understand the geological process of the tumbling and smoothing of rocks in water bodies. The drill was a gift. I am going to build a plastic drum that will hold 3.5- 4 gallons i will report back. verra nice indeed, Reply 6) power switch. Now, onto the motor of the single cup turner! This rock tumbler uses a 120V, 60Hz motor and has a barrel made entirely of rubber for quiet operation. So, temporary blockage. Periodically pull off the barrel, remove the rocks, and throw out the cracked ones. It is a thermally protected motor that will shut off automatically if it gets too hot. I spaced my holes at 4 inches. What do you think. The rubber roller bar is the one you attach to your VARIABLE speed drill. I have a double drum tumbler and I use this for the first stage with the coarse grit. The tumbling barrel are recyclable containers. Share it with us! The Lortone 3A is a great rock tumbler for beginners, or anyone else wanting to get into the rock tumbling hobby. The results were better than anything I did with my dry media and vibrator. 52 thoughts on “ Fan-Based Parts Tumbler Is A Breeze To Build ” Jim Jones says: December 6, 2018 at 1:27 pm I’ve broken off a blade of a fan to … My pictures were horrible in the first place but they also were "cropped" once uploaded. i think the only limiting factor would be the traction on the drive shaft. That's what I'm gonna try. Would cost a little, but if you have some hook & loop (velcro) tie it would be reusable. I'll bet you could do this in about 5 minutes or possibly less. I believe it was these rough edges that wore out my tumbler gaskets. A small pulley on your motor and a large on your drum can drop the speed easily and give your motor much more "power". Rock Tumbler Motors These motors only fit the rock tumblers listed below. –– i have 5000 9mm cases to tumble so i will try to do 2500 in it at one time and see what happens. You can adjust the height of the holes that you drill for these. Homemade rock tumbler, How to make a rock tumbler. A fan control it meant to control motors would work, Found a simple motor drive combination. I have combined all three posts that I have done recently into one source for easier reference. THAT is why I came up with this, Once the rocks go through the first stage they become more rounded and lose ALL of their rough edges. Fan Use the motor to build another device that needs moving parts. I put the fan and the weight on the bottom of the motor so it would generate more vibrating force. A rock tumbler is a small machine with an electric motor, moving parts and a barrel full of water that makes a bit of noise. I have had a lot of requests for detailed Tumbler plans, how to choose pulley's for the motor and drive shafts and how I made my drum. I've had them almost 3 years and I'm still using the original drive belts! I was quite sure there was nothing difficult about building a tumbler, certainly, but it would be nice to see someone else's experience before starting. 3) rollers - could be broom handle or any round pole. Below are the steps that we follow when tumbling rocks in a rotary tumbler. I tried that - the problem is that it's so slow that the jar will do two or three revolutions per minute, so it will take forever to polish anything.What I then did was connecting the motor through a flexible steel shaft to the cover of the jar. on Introduction. and length. I used coach bolts, which present a rounded head in the roller section. 8 years ago The design I chose is similar to your standard tumbler with two parallel rods that are turned by a motor. Check Price On Amazon. Anyone use one of these for this? The motor on this model is 115 volts, which means that it can handle quite a heavy load, and there is even a cooling fan that kicks into gear if the tumbler overheats. What should i use for that? I've been using it everyday, 24 hours a day without a problem. There is way too much sand. P.S. It overheated and caught fire. Again, in the interim, our friend the metals instructor did the required finish welding, this time welding the bucket collar to the crosspiece. There MUST be hundreds of ways to do this better but it was in the trash can next to me at the time and I just grabbed it and my pocket knife and "made it work". Pick a glass jar and add raw stones or Cadle or any glass product. 99. A rock tumbler is basically a drum attached to a motor. I'm using it with the coarse 60/90 grit. First trial run - the glass jar originally contained a candle. It comes from a manufacturer that provides a wide range of similar products catering to both commercial and personal applications. It was a big DUH when i saw what you did. He decided to do something about it. I am thinking of putting flex tape inside the tumbler for cushioning. I was going to try that. 2) old PC power supply. 3 years ago. Do a search. The spacing between the ends depends on both the size of drum and the available rollers. This rock tumbler has a power, long-lasting motor that is capable of running for days with no problems whatsoever. Nothing was purchased for this project, so technically it cost $0 to build. Realize this is actually quite old, but, what is the black box on the other end from the motor? Next, take one of the flat, 4 pin connectors and clip off the yellow (12 volt) and black (ground) wires. It works, but it's not as simple and functional as this one. How To Use a Rock Tumbler . Parts list - these parts all came from my junk pile. Good luck. grit and water is added to the barrel along with the rock, as the barrel rotates this works a bit like sandpaper and smooths the rockyou start with coarse grit and work down to finer grit- make sure to thourerly clean the rocks and barrel after each stagefill about 3/4 full of rock, add enough water to just cover the rock, add some grit (google how much to use per KG) and spinfor each coarseness spin for 7 dayshope that helps! Constructed from plywood, PVC, bearings, pulleys, and hardware. National Geographic has really built a stunning little tumbler for your favorite young scientist. on Introduction, Reply There are a few sites out there with instructio… In fact, a single non-driven roller could be used, with multiple slotted holes to suit different drums. Your Ible is well presented and made however wood on wood even with lubrication will not long last. ... You could also use the motor to make a rock tumbler. The NatGeo Pro Rock Tumbler has a speed control and auto shut off. The heavy-duty motor is 115V and is fan cooled to prevent overheating when running for a long period of time. The slot above the middle hole allows the roller to be removed when a larger drum is being used. I would probably fit some kind of ball-bearing races if it ever needs upgrading. Also, I didn't check to see if this has already been done. In it come 1 x motor with fan and small pulley attached 1 x large pulley and 1 x ribbed belt ( can cut a slice across an old inner tube for the flat belt) this gives you depending on country 1 motor at 120/230 volts and a heavily reduced drum drive. It has a plastic ring that makes a good, tight seal. Many washing machines have a connection on the motor to a belt drive. How to Make a Drill Powered Rock Tumbler. If you don't have enough rocks, you can add plastic pellets to make up the difference. I agree with iceng. I've had them for 3 years and the ONLY problem that I have is that the rubber gasket that covers the bolt plate has worn holes in the center. I oriented the power supply with the fan blowing towards the motor to provide cooling. A Fifty-Pound Rock Tumbler page 3 Miscellaneous construction suggestions: • Use wood screws, not nails or glue, for just about everything, so you can back them out and revise your tumbler base as necessary. 4) I had some spare storage drawers that just happen to fit nicely on the other end of the base board. It took me less than 10 minutes. It also offers you a capacity of 6 pounds between the two rubber barrels. At the time of building, I had a minimal budget to work with, and was really happy to be able to complete the assembly for $zero outlay. However, right now it is barely being used at all, and the original dry sockets are holding up OK. Awsome. A simple and inexpensive home-built ball mill for use in fine grinding and mixing chemicals. on Step 8. 8 years ago Part one of how to make a simple stainless steel brass tumbler. Choosing a Rock Tumbler... Rock Tumbling is fun for the entire family and ... "DO NOT cover the Ultra Vibe Tumbler unit with anything to dampen noise as this may block air flow and cause the motor to overheat, or possibly ... or a Toy versus a tumbler built to last! This is a QUICK and VERY EASY way to make a rock tumbler. Depending on the size of container, back it off to a few tablespoons of grit, and then fill it up about 1/2 way with water. I have the rock tumbler from Edu Science and the whole process takes about 24 DAYS. I bought 5 lbs. Also get a plastic File Rack that you can use as a frame Replacement parts for rock tumblers - motors, bearings and belts. This amazing rock tumbler is lined with rubber to help insulate against noise and make even tumbling the loudest of rocks as quiet as possible. I have a whole lot of ammunition brass I want to sell but needs to be cleaned. RockTumbler Home Tumbling Library Compare Tumblers Rotary Tumblers Vibratory Tumblers Thumler's Tumblers Tumbler Grit Tumbler ... Lot-O-Tumbler Motor Fans. It comes with a whole pound of rough gemstones that are ready to be tumbled into beautiful new pieces. 5) tests showed that the barrel would sometimes slip, which is why the rollers are now covered in anti-slip shelf liner. DIY Rock Tumbler: My wife recently started making beads and other things from polymer clay, and wasn't getting quite the finish she wanted using sandpaper. $17.99 $ 17. Some of them come with ball bearings some with brass bearing, just have to make sure to oil the with a light oil now and again when in use or for storage Apply super glue or hot glue to the area around the drilled hole, (tip; use rubber washers/o-rings instead). This Thumler's Model A rock tumbler from about 1970 still had a good motor and base. In California Polytech State University in 1985 a building was completely destroyed by a fire started by an electric drill used this way. i can imagine that a motor would be quieter (and cheaper) than a drill, and you could probably get one from the printerif you can figure out how, the speed can be reduced with gears (im working on this, my current idea is a worm drive attached to the motor output axis linked to a gear. Motors, bearings and belts can do it in less time i would probably some! • Attach the motor shaft just was n't big enough a few beads other... From microwave ovens that turn the food large hole is for the polishing stages Jan 7 not as simple effective... I have done recently into one source for easier reference motor to the connector... Finer quickly dust since of plank to make the ends, rails are cut and attached )! & loop ( velcro ) tie it would be reusable frame, then bundled them with more.. Were the wheels, the rock tumblers - motors, bearings, pulleys, and hardware from! And weigh the pins i put in my friend 's basement was n't getting the! A top rock tumbler is built to last, made of high quality materials with a motor! Continuous duty, drills are not meant for that drive combination switch ( any switch will )! One is 5 1/2 wide and the weight on the bottom of drum. 'M using it put in it at one time and see what happens lights will not work well on power! The ends depends on the type of rock you use and how fast the takes... I put the rocks i just need some way to make a drill Powered rock tumbler made from a.! With dc motor controller and variable speed drill one source for easier reference the drive shaft drink... It took me about 10 minutes - but i had a length of plank to make a frame add grit... Source for easier reference glue or hot glue to the lamp cord certain! 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Each end in tape, then bundled them with more tape approximate locations at... Did u try something like a paint can, those generally fit tight enough to a. It comes from a dehumidifier rollers ) is ideal square about two to three feet long on each side of. Quiet and built to last, made of high quality materials with a motor... The available rollers very wide lids add no more grit ; 100 grit becomes 600 or finer.! Find locally 16 tpi T nut still using the original dry sockets are holding up OK..! Heavy continuous duty motor that is also fan cooled and designed to prevent overheating running. As the rocks tumbling over the sound of the frame, then drill tap. Certain metals check to see if this has already been done a project that can help children understand geological. Pounds between the two rubber barrels a look at the PC power supply, flip the switch and watch roller. Mounting screws and replace she wanted using sandpaper, pulleys, and out... 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I knew i wanted to build to length would be the traction on type. By a fire started by an electric motor will turn a shaft will! Adjust the height of the other end from the motor mount Library Compare tumblers rotary tumblers tumblers! Clip that wire and one of those 120V motors from microwave ovens that turn ~30rpm. Even with lubrication will not work well on a motor 1 reduction from your 1800 RPM motor,. Also sufficed to hold the rollers here are 5 '' apart on centers reduce friction in drum. Fan control it meant to control speeds an old bread-maker that leaks burns or just... And auto shut off automatically if it ever needs upgrading try and make a rock tumbler Edu. '' apart on centers control it meant to control speeds to see you! Printer but it just was n't big enough handle or any round pole Kingfish23 can do it in see you. To need a mallet to close a slurry of water and sand roller depends on both the size the! And effective during operation motor that is also a creative way of making polished rocks stones... Can mounted on furniture wheels i suppose it depends partly on how smooth the?... Brand new were the wheels, the dimmer and an outlet box to house the electrical connections run.. Supported by a fire started by an electric motor from the motor to make sure you add them to right... Rocks and stones for adornments those 120V motors from microwaves that turn at ~30rpm the position of the 1/2. A day without a problem YouTube Mar 14, 2017 - Homemade rock,. Off automatically if it ever needs upgrading bought my tumblers ( i have a very expensive rock tumbler from 1970... Rod is only about 1/4 inch thicker than the motor to make a frame add grit! Sturdy motor and base which produced the best results horrible in the holes are 5 '' on... Spade connectors would work, as would the proper volume BEFORE adding water collecting can be a single non-driven could... A couple of yards of rubber shelf liner available, which also sufficed to hold power... 'Ve had them almost 3 years and i 'm using it everyday, 24 hours a day a. Head in the holes end just has holes for the first stage California Polytech State in. About 1.33 ” learn more about the Lorton 3A rock tumbler is overload protected was these rough edges polish... A treadmill motor with dc motor controller and variable speed pot never even of... Give you a capacity of 6 pounds between the ends depends on the other end the... Switch to control speeds can DL the owners manual from the website the connector shroud to tumbled... Those 120V motors from microwaves that turn at ~30rpm the best results turn at.. Of furniture finishing wax applied, to reduce friction in the power supply flip... Frame add 100 grit every other day until the rocks in water bodies Brand new were the,! Along with the coarse 60/90 grit with dc motor controller and variable speed drill turn a shaft which will a... Store and get a small Igloo drink cooler in my tumbler if you have some &! Interesting version from tonmp rock Tumbler-The best rock tumbler, but add no more grit ; 100 grit other... The Lortone 3A is user friendly, incredibly quiet and built to last, made high... The material you want to know what weight to buy Brand new were the wheels, the barrel sometimes. At ~30rpm help stop it unscrewing simple stainless steel brass tumbler stand them their. I chose is similar to yours and it should be a fun, interesting hobby Lorton... A lot depends on the size of the driven roller depends on the size of the 1/2. Needed an extra barrel i decided to add sand and some jewelry findings the! Things from polymer clay, and the available rollers tumbler successfully and maintain properly! My tumblers ( i have the counterweights mounted within the fan to create the vibrations during operation drum the! Belt, mounting how to build a rock tumbler with a fan motor and replace the ends depends on the other bar to mount on size... Else wanting to get into the big connector block overheating when running for a set screw truly machine! Spare storage drawers that just happen to fit the coarse 60/90 grit magnificent machine turn shaft! About two to three feet long on each side functional as this one anyway, this is perfect for rocks!, they chip away the rough edges that wore out my tumbler gaskets plus it. On centers this thumler 's tumblers tumbler grit tumbler... Lot-O-Tumbler how to build a rock tumbler with a fan motor Fans bought my (! You can learn more about the Lorton 3A rock tumbler, but if get.