The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Skunkworks > Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old September 29, 2000, 11:43 PM   #1
Coolray
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 10, 2000
Location: Spokane ,wa
Posts: 290
I got an idea to make my own tumbler. I'm planning on using 12" PVC pipe, Adding 4 fins for agitation, using steel rollers to pivot on but I cannot find out what RPM the motor needs to run at to do a good job. I guess I could buy one but if I save a buck here (the one I'm looking at is $100) then I can get more dies and stuff
Coolray is offline  
Old September 30, 2000, 06:57 AM   #2
rr41mag
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 25, 2000
Location: Biloxi, Miss.
Posts: 180
before I got a tumbler I put the brass and media in a double pillow case then stuck it in the dryer.
rr41mag is offline  
Old September 30, 2000, 10:14 AM   #3
Coolray
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 10, 2000
Location: Spokane ,wa
Posts: 290
How did the dryer work? sounds drastic. Is there a better polish to add to the media and is the polish a dry type or wet?
Coolray is offline  
Old September 30, 2000, 10:42 AM   #4
JimWolford
Member
 
Join Date: June 20, 2000
Posts: 63
Coolray:

Sounds like you are building something much like a rock polisher.

I doubt there is an exact RPM value for something like this, but 100 RPM would be a good place to start.

The last home-built tumbler I saw. The builder made the drum out of wood <!> He used eight boards to make an octagon, then added round ends of 3/4" plywood to give the drum something to turn on. A hinged lid(with a good latch) in one end completed the drum.

By making the drum octagon, no stirring "paddles" were needed on the inside.

Hows that for cheap? <VBG>

Jim

------------------
Lay up some blackpowder and flints
The rest we can build, if need be
JimWolford is offline  
Old September 30, 2000, 02:32 PM   #5
Paul B.
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 28, 1999
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 3,796
Maybe I'm missing something here, but wouldn't it be less expensive just to buy a tumbler from Midway, or one of the other places? Or is it a case of you need one of a special size? Just curious.
Paul B.
Paul B. is offline  
Old October 1, 2000, 08:08 PM   #6
Coolray
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 10, 2000
Location: Spokane ,wa
Posts: 290
I suppose that buying one is a choice,I just wanted to see if I could make one. I also have the vibrating unit out of a messaging foot soaker,thought I'd give it a go to see what I could make as a vibrating type with that. I like to Putter!
Coolray is offline  
Old October 1, 2000, 08:46 PM   #7
Watchman
Junior member
 
Join Date: August 8, 2000
Location: ARKANSAS
Posts: 484
You can make one.

A friend of mine gave me a 1 horse motor. I used a 16 " PVC heavy walled pipe and used 3 1/4" plexigalss paddels that I screwed with wood screws. I had to experiment with a pulley set up on the motor to get the speed right, it now turns about 60 rpm. I used 2 rubber O rings to drive the pulleys and set the drum on 2 half inch aluminum rods one of which was driven by the pulley from the motor. I built an aluminum framework to bring it all together and then screwed this to a piece of plywood and put 2 handles on it to make it more portable.It works well and I have no money in it as I used 4 1/2 inch bearings that I already had.
Watchman is offline  
Old October 1, 2000, 08:50 PM   #8
TGS
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 19, 1999
Location: Woodbury TN
Posts: 138
i like the idea of the wooden tub. If you drill holes in one end, jack up your pickup truck, take off a wheel and bolt the tub on, start off in first gear and cruise for a while (be sure to block your wheels) check it out after a while and you may decide 2nd or 3rd gear will get the job done a little sooner, but with gas prices like they are today.....I think I'g go with midway
TGS is offline  
Old October 1, 2000, 10:30 PM   #9
Joe Portale
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 8, 1999
Location: Tucson, Arizona Territory
Posts: 715
I have a set of instructions on how to make a tumble out of a large plastic bowel and a motor with an off set weight. Email me off the list if you want a copy. I can eithe email it to you or send it snail mail.

Also, if you really want to tumble in style, use a cement mixer. My buddy is a commercial reloader and uses one of those $250 jobs from Harbor Frieght (actually he has three). He simply made pylwood covers, dumps in about a five gallon pail full of brass and another five gallon pail of media and let's it rip. Works great.

PS> I have also been know to toss brass into old nylons and throw them into the dish washer. Just be sure not to do this with the dishes and clean out the washer afterwards.

------------------
Joe Portale
Tucson, Arizona Territory

"Those who turn their swords into plow shears,
end up plowing the fields of those who didn't"
Thomas Jefferson
Joe Portale is offline  
Old October 1, 2000, 10:31 PM   #10
Joe Portale
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 8, 1999
Location: Tucson, Arizona Territory
Posts: 715
I have a set of instructions on how to make a tumble out of a large plastic bowel and a motor with an off set weight. Email me off the list if you want a copy. I can eithe email it to you or send it snail mail.

Also, if you really want to tumble in style, use a cement mixer. My buddy is a commercial reloader and uses one of those $250 jobs from Harbor Frieght (actually he has three). He simply made pylwood covers, dumps in about a five gallon pail full of brass and another five gallon pail of media and let's it rip. Works great.

PS> I have also been know to toss brass into old nylons and throw them into the dish washer. Just be sure not to do this with the dishes and clean out the washer afterwards.

------------------
Joe Portale
Tucson, Arizona Territory

"Those who turn their swords into plow shears,
end up plowing the fields of those who didn't"
Thomas Jefferson
Joe Portale is offline  
Old October 2, 2000, 06:54 AM   #11
swampyMO
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 29, 1999
Location: Missouri
Posts: 327
Joe Portalo wrote:
"I have a set of instructions on how to make a tumble out of a large plastic bowel and a motor with an off set weight."

Interesting..... Back in my younger days when money was a bit more scarce than now, I thought up the exact same sort of design for a brass tumbler. It works so well I've never felt the need to replace it. Still using it 10 years later, and I shoot a LOT more now than I did then.

I'll try to take a digital photo sometime soon and post it here for all to see.

Best regards, Swampy
swampyMO is offline  
Old October 12, 2000, 12:52 AM   #12
inrer1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: August 19, 2000
Posts: 7
i made one out of a 1 gallon paint can,used an old electic rotisserie motor end built a wood frame to hold it together. the can has 3 alluminium fins bolted inside,i used short pieces of treaded rods bolded at each end of the can to support the drum .Works fine for me.
Danny
inrer1 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:27 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.06598 seconds with 10 queries