Thumlers Model "B" design change

[Suasponte]

I have had a couple guys on the hide mention that the rubber portion on the drive roller is moving on them. There should be finger washers againist your rollers to prevent them from shifting on your drive shaft! Chiller Pm'd me saying that he had contacted Thumlers in regards to this. He said that they changed the design for rock tumblers! They also said that the would send him a new shaft with the Finger washers on the shaft.

Chiller may chime in on this too!

Pictures of they shoul look like!

Hope this helps!

Terry

 

[mdmp5]

Re: Thumlers Model "B" design change

I beat them to it. After I tore up a roller and nylon bushing, I got extra bushings, rollers, finger washers and an e-clip, and secured the roller that was moving on me.

 

[Suasponte]

Re: Thumlers Model "B" design change

Can you post some pictures for the other guys having the same problem!

Terry

 

[mdmp5]

Re: Thumlers Model "B" design change

Damn, I just got back to my apt in brooklyn (all my stuff is parked at my mom's in LI until I move out of NY, hopefully). I will snap some pics when I head over there again this weekend.

Basically, the roller on the distal end of the drive shaft comes unsecured. After an hour or so of turning it on for the first time, it slid all the way to the end, and the wingnuts were grinding on it, shredding it down to about 1/2 size. A couple of nylon bushings got torn up a bit too from the finger washers. So I called up Thumlers and ordered a bunch of replacement washers, bushings and rollers. I slid the old beat up roller off and slid the new one on. On the proximal end of the roller, I pushed on an e-clip. On the distal end, I slid on a finger washer. just a heads up, the finger washers will mar the rods, so be cautious when sliding them on, and polish them afterwards if need be.

The rods have a tendency to slide in and out during operation, due to the imperfections inherent in the contacts between the barrel and the rollers. As a protective action, I placed some regular washers between the nylon bushings and the frame to shield them from the finger washers. Now the sharp finger washers won't contact the nylon and shave it.