Homemade wet tumbler for stainless steel media

[PatMarlin]

You can run a DC motor, and power it with an adjustable DC source. The less DC amperage the slower it turns.

[PatMarlin]

Here's a simple inexpensive control:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/30A-DC-PWM-M...#ht_2301wt_802

Of course it does come with chop stix so have your rice ready.

[PatMarlin]

Actually scratch the rice burner. I don't know what I was thinking.

Ebay "KB Control". You can get a heavy duty USA made control to run various inexpensive industrial DC motors 90-120 volts with a KB for under $50.

[Sonnypie]

Did you find the slotting was actually necessary for the bucket in a bucket drive system?
Seems like they would stick just by friction fit. ???

(But then, I haven't stacked two chlorine buckets to see if they stick like others do.)

[pmn]

The media is pretty expensive at $25 for five pounds so I only bought 10 pounds for initial testing, so if it didn’t work I wouldn’t be out of too much money. So I started out with only a gallon Ziploc bag of .223 and a few hand full’s of 458socom for the trial run.

The mix was 2 gallons of water, 2 table spoons of Dawn dish washing soap, ½ teaspoon of Lemishine detergent. Even at over twice the capacity of the Thumler’s B model there is still a lot of room for more.

I ran the mix for 1 hour and separated the media/brass using my Dillon separator, rinsed the brass with clean water and dumped it onto a screen I built for drying dip lubed bullets. It was kind of cool today so I set a heated fan up to help dry them out. In about 15 min they were all dry.

pelletsllc.com: They can ship 2 bags in a flat rate box.

jmorris: wondering if you could tell us what shot you got from Pellets LLC? The picture doesn't have spec detail on it.

Do you guys prewash your brass, or just drop it in the tumbler? No follow up in a vibrator needed?

Thanks! Phil

[scrapcan]

If you guys need low speed gear motors you can sometimes find decent pricing at surplus center

www.surpluscenter.com

look in the gear motor section, they have both ac and dc motors

[jmorris]

I had to slot the bucket to get them to "snug" up to one another. I asked the sales person at pellets inc for the "brass casing size" it's .248" long and .039 by a caliper but I didn't get out a mic. I didn't pre wash any brass but do rinse it off after. Surplus Center has some pretty good deals but nothing like ebay, if you take your time and don't get caught up in bidding and watch shipping.

[Longwood]

If you guys need low speed gear motors you can sometimes find decent pricing at surplus center

www.surpluscenter.com

look in the gear motor section, they have both ac and dc motors

The one for $12 on the cover page would probably work with some of round leather belt that McMaster sells for turning the large sheave instead of such a big motor and pricy coupling.

[W.R.Buchanan]

PMN: just ask the guy at Pellets LLC for SS brass cleaning media. He will know what you need.

The pins are actually .041 in dia x .2 ish long.

Randy

[LUBEDUDE]

That is an awesome beefy monster! My hat is off to you.

However, I did buy a new 40lb tumbler marketed on fleabay for around $275. Not bad for those of us without Jmorris's mechanical/engineering skills.

[crasher]

jmorris:

Back to the pictures of the bucket being assembled, please -

"I then cut 4 ribs 1 5/8” tall out of ½” thick plastic and bolted them in to the inner bucket, using 10-32 counter sink bolts, every 90 degrees to agitate the brass and media."

I'm curious about how you waterproofed the bolt holes against leakage. I can't find any products that stick to the HDPE-2 that the buckets are molded from.

Help a guy out?
Thanks.

[jmorris]

I was going to use a product called E6000. Its an adhesive sealant that I have always been impressed with, even on glass to glass.

However, after my first trial without using anything there was no liquid in the inner bucket. So until it starts leaking, I am just using the counter sunk screw head to seal it shut.

[Longwood]

Neoprene washers with fender washers slightly bent to fit.

[Longwood]

This tumbler sure is "kiss" engineered.

Don't recall where I found it.
Could have been here.

[crasher]

jmorris & Longwood:
Thanks for the reply's and info.

I've got 2 paddles in a 5 gallon bucket. I used a few different sealers (silicone types, caulk types) with about 80% success so far.
I'm going to try rubber washers between the bucket and the paddle with a dab of silicone in the hole before I thread the fastener through.

I got my Gamma Lids to leak a lot less through the screw on seal by whacking the cross-ribs on the lid with a rubber mallet in a CCW direction to spin the lid about 10* tighter.

I'm losing about a cup of water/30 minutes so far, and I'm hoping it doesn't get worse.

[6bg6ga]

Yes, two buckets are so I don't have to pick the whole thing up to empty it. There are no rollers just the 2, 1" bearings between the motor and 3/8" disk, they are good for 1500lbs each, way more than the bucket that normally only holds 100lbs. The frame does go all of the way to the front so weight in the bucket doesn't tip the machine forward.

I don't think I'll ever have 100lbs in a bucket. I have been gathering parts and currently have a Bodine DC gear reduction motor and a Bodine 815 speed controller. Its .87-42 rpms. I was planning on using a 3/4" shaft and two pillow block bearings for support. Once thru the 3/4" ID bearings it will go to a lovejoy 3/4 to 1/2" coupler.

With the two pillow block bearings to take the load do I need anything under the bucket for support in your opinion?

[jmorris]

That one is still going without anything supporting the bucket. I guess it depends on your bucket, the ones I used are stouter than your homedepot/lowes 5 gallon bucket (on right).

[beechbum444]

I keep looking at the HF cement mixers and thinking they would work.........1 1/4 cubic feet and 3 cubic feet, a 35 rpm motor, stand and tilter to dump the contents.......around the same price.....good looking work!!