My SS setup + a question [VIDEO]

Doyputasos · May 23, 2013

http://youtu.be/dHYwBbDseAc

[begin edit]
My main question is what to use for a tumbling drum. I know it needs ridges or flats to stop the contents from sliding around the bottom of the drum. I'd like to use something readily available either new or on Craigslist/eBay etc. igloo cooler sounds promising being watertight and larger. Any other suggestions on drums?

turbo54 · May 23, 2013

An igloo water cooler with screw on top seems like a good drum.

High Binder · May 24, 2013

There is a reason that drum tumblers have flat surfaces in the ID of the drum. If you do pick a drum that is going to be round inside you'll need to fabricate some kind of baffles or the like to give you at least a few flat surfaces or something to that effect within the drum. Without the flat surfaces, the media/brass will just slide along as the drum turns and will never actually tumble. In other words, if you don't have some kind of baffle in the drum to stir the media up your tumbling time will be many times that of a properly designed drum.

Notice how the below drums have flat surfaces? The intersection of the flat surfaces caused the media to tumble. You need to either find a drum like on of these or add something internal to your homemade drum to interfere with the media. Personally, I would do the PVC idea and then cement in ~5-8 (depending on the OD) 1" tall full length ribs. I like your idea but in the end it'll probably end up having been cheaper to just buy a Thumblers Tumbler ( I have one and love it).

Doyputasos · May 24, 2013

Ya, I know that I need to break up the smooth surface inside. I had planned to jb weld some small diameter PVC quarter sections inside. I also have access to a buddy with a Linex shop. He will empty the lines after a job and coat the inside of my container.

Doyputasos · May 24, 2013

What about one of those 3 liter soda bottles with the wide mouth? I know it'd be expendable but they are a buck a piece.

JoeBUtah · May 24, 2013

Careful using a round igloo water cooler with a screw top; they're vented....

High Binder · May 24, 2013

In addition to what I mentioned above, I was looking at your pulley drive system and it doesn't make sense. Unless you have both pulleys the same size, you will only want to drive the larger of the two pulleys with whatever motor you get. The shaft with the smaller pulley will need to be static and not driven by the motor especially at the increased rate. See the way you have it set up right now and assuming you add a motor the system, your smaller pulley will make some 4-5 revolutions per revolution of the bigger pulley, i.e. the smaller one will be turning far faster. Instead, use the smaller pulley on the motor's drive shaft and drive the single bigger pulley.

Doyputasos · May 24, 2013

I said in the vid that the pulley Arrangement is cosmetic. Just so I could see if everything fit.

Doyputasos · May 24, 2013

JoeBUtah said:
Careful using a round igloo water cooler with a screw top; they're vented....

This is what I thought at first, but I then took it as one of the personal 1gal types with a rubber gasket.

Dnalsi · May 24, 2013

OP,
It looks like you have a good start with a VERY heavy duty system!

High Binder is right about the pulleys. You only need to drive one shaft.
The other shaft is just there to support your container.
Look at the red Thumler's Tumbler Model B photo for reference.
One shaft drives the drum from the motor, the other just idles along.

I have a Thumler's Tumbler Model B. It works very well, but is limited to only 2 lbs of brass per load.
Normally, that may be enough, but I have many thousands of saved .223 brass I wish to process and I want a much larger capacity.
The Thumler's Model B is limited by its motor and the thin sheet metal construction

I'm in the process now of putting together a system similar to yours.
I plan to use a 5 gallon plastic bucket with a Gamma seal lid as my drum.
The local bakery sells used (like new) 5 gal buckets for $1.00 each.
I plan to glue and bolt in 3 "baffles" to help agitate the brass and media.

Menards sells Gamma seal lids for $6.97 each. The Gamma lid has 2 parts.
One part has a rubber seal and snaps onto the 5 gallon bucket rim.
The other part screws on and off and also has a rubber seal.

I bought two 1/2 in x 36 in plated metal rods from Menards for $4.27 each.
They are not absolutely perfectly straight, but that shouldn't matter for this purpose.
I also bought two 5/8 in x 36 in metal rods for $8.99 each.

I plan to order my bearings from :
Surplus Center

I plan to use the 2 bolt flange bearing for $7.60 each.

I'm going to weld up a base of 3/16 in metal similar to the Thumler's, but a lot more heavy duty.
I will have predrilled extra holes in the support for the bearing flange on the idler shaft side. That way I can simply remove the idler shaft and one bolt from each bearing flange, flip the idler shaft bearing flange 180 degrees, and accommodate larger or smaller drums as needed.
(note the extra notches in the Thumler's sheet metal support for the same reason)

I already have a salvaged 1/3 hp motor that still runs good and some old pulleys I can use.

When I'm done, I will have more money into the 10 or 15 lbs of SS pin media than I will in the tumbler.
Then I plan to put my Thumler's up for sale

Dnalsi · May 24, 2013

Opps I didn't see your new post about the pulleys - ignore that part of mine

Also, I plan to put sections of rubber (not vinyl) garden hose on the shafts to drive the bucket/drum.

Doyputasos · Jun 6, 2013

I may have found a fix for the container.

Gamma2 - Gamma Seal Lid, Black
http://amzn.com/B0089QJQTS

A Gamma seal lid on a Home Depot bucket. I had to clear a problem of the buckets being not quite cylindrical since their bases are a bit smaller than the tops. I ended up buying 4 buckets and cutting 3 of them to the stacked length of the main uncut bucket. I removed the handles on the 4 buckets but still may need to wrap them in some rubber or something to match the diameter of the bases to the lid. I need to mount it all and then see what is needed. And yes, I know that I still need to build in some kind of paddles to stir the brass.

Joey Dean · Jun 6, 2013

I can vouch for the Gama lids. I have about 10 of them on buckets I bought at Lowes and they just do not leak. Filled one up about half way with water and screwed the lid on and then set it in the sun upside down on a 85^ day. No leaky.

J Mack · Jun 6, 2013

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Doyputasos · Jun 6, 2013

J Mack, I wish I could have gone your route but I wasn't happy with 6" tubes based on size or 8" or larger on price. No middle ground for me in the PVC world.

Doyputasos · Jun 12, 2013

Once I attach some paddles inside this glass jug it just might be an awesome tumbling vessel. Any suggestions on what to use for paddles & adhesive?

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1371081065.351224.jpg

long range newbie · Jun 12, 2013

rock tumbler drum

Doyputasos · Mar 30, 2014

UPDATE: CAUTION USING GLASS!!! I have not had any time to reload or play in my shop for quite some time now, but I just got to filling my tumbler with a few hundred rounds of 223 and water for a test run. THE GLASS CRACKED within about 15 minutes of me staring at it. Too much stress from the brass smacking the glass.

Here is my gamma lid setup with the cut buckets in place.

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My SS setup + a question [VIDEO]

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