Ideas for home-made tumbler?

[mroliver77]

brshooter, That's probably the best way to go. Sure saves a lot of work. Should be some way to install a lid on it to kep the dust down.
Morgan

Yours is way cool though Morgan! I am cheap, poor, have a lot of "junk" in my barn and love to putz around. I have two vibrating cleaners but I want to built a rotator. Funny my pal stopped over last night and brought up that he wants to build one and we searched the internet only to be led to this post! Some good ideas!
J

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Thanks J, It's a lot more fun making, and more satisfying, using equipment you've made yourself.

Morgan

[MT Gianni]

Morgan, Way cool. Whats an Olive Drum and where did you get it? Gianni

[94Doug]

I have (somewhere) the Handloader Magazine article where they built the Coffee Can Tumbler. Could Scan and email if anyone is interested.

Doug

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Gianni,
Morgan Astorbilt is my SASS "Cowboy" name. I originally clicked on this castboolits site from a thread on the SASS site, and logged in with the same name I use for SASS. I mention this because, like you, my name ends with an "I". (Faini). I'm originally from New York, and got the olive drum from an Italian-American grocery store, where I bought my olives. These are the containers the olives are imported in. If you want one, I guess you could contact an olive importer, and ask them to sell you one. I've got two more, but they're a little smaller, and the lids are two piece, a center section held on with a ring, like a canning jar, making them less convenient to open and close.

Morgan

[alleyyooper]

I used a double barrel rock tumbler for years. Only problem I found was the amount you could tumble at a single time.
So I coppied it on a larger scale. Used a couple of rods with hose on them as a drive rod and the other wheel. Searching junk yards found a barrel about a foot in dia. welded a couple of lids up so I could run 3 threaded rods up the sides, one end welded tight shut and the rods welded too. On the other end I use wing nuts to hold the lid on. It is drove with a 1/4 horse motor with a small pully at the motor end and a huge one on the tumbler end and a V belt. I can put 10 pounds of no name rice in there and a couple thousand rounds to tumble with room to spare.
Yes I use rice, cheapest stuff I found that works very well. Of course you have to clean the flash hole when you clean the primer pocket as rice will stick in the hole.

Al

[blysmelter]

Lots of good ideas! I think I have a plan, involving a 1gallon bucket, an orbital sander (el cheapo china-version) and some bits and pices. Will post pictures when done.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

For a small tumbler, why not use the large plastic containers Miracle Grow and other soluable plant foods come in? (I believe it's the 5lb. size.) They hold about a gallon, and their square cross section and screw-on lids make them preferrable to buckets.

Morgan

[blysmelter]

Migth check what wifey has in the cupboard, she will not miss one of thoose Tupperware things. (Or will she?)

[alleyyooper]

thats just asking for trouble, taking wifies things. May be buried so deep in a closet she hasn't seen/or used it in 25 years and you take it for some use and she starts yelling about you taking some thing with out asking.

Nope best just go buy a dish/bowl for your self.

Al

[Frank46]

# gallon pvc plastic pail used for pool chemicals. Drill hole through both screw on top, run shaft through it couple el cheapo ball bearin pillow plocks and slow speed motor. Use fan belts on pulleys. Should be able to find the pillow blocks at harbor freight, home depot sells the pails or scrounge one up, belts at auto store and slow speed motor look at one of the surplus catalogs. Just a thought. Can't remember the name of the place that advertises in home shop machinist. Frank

[blysmelter]

Franks idea is propably the easiest and cheapest. If one really wants it cheap one could use an electric drill with a chucked bolt, woodbearings and a "flatbelt" made up of something (dressbelt, web, jeans).
Get some rice at your local chinese grocers and polish away. Think I will make one just to try

[ANeat]

Here is one I made several years ago. Similar to Morgans, 5 gallon bucket with "vanes" added inside. Gear reduction motor off of a chip auger. (110 volt)

[mroliver77]

My pal is wanting to build a tumbler and we looked through this thread and all internet hits we could find. We came up with using an electric ice cream freezer motor and tub. Will lay is horizontal with a shaft bolted to the center of the tub bottom to help carry the weight. I am thinking the body of a trashed 30-06 casing will work fine for this. Found a setup to donte parts for $5 at Goodwill. Will post pics when done with it.
J

[jdhenry]

I seen one made from the unit out of a vibator chair. Made a nice tumber and any size drum you put on it works.

Thats how my uncle did it. Worked just as my store bought one

[uncle joe]

All you guys have inspired me!! I have been trying to boost up my reloading equipment and supplies after not reloading or casting for over 22 years. I have just bought dies and a mould for reloading 45acp for a H&K usp that I haven't shot a box through yet. After reading all the posts and looking at the linked sites, I have Frankensteined a truly bad a** vibratory tumbler. I did most of it while the wife toasted a iced pizza. here are the pics. I had an old orbital sander that I didn't use so it's all free.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Nice job Joe, You gonna clamp it in a vise? Be easier than rigging a stand. I do that with my old orbital sander when I have small parts to sand.
Morgan

[RP]

Just mount a coffee can to your lawnmower mine shakes like hell find a good shake spot mount can and mow the grass wife is happy and your brass is clean. Note make sure lid is on good mower will shot a casing better then you think

[jackley]

Used a 2 gal bucket on some old casters for the drum. Fitted that, to the motor from the 10 foot satellite dish that was in the yard when I moved here. Use it to graphite shot in. Its a 12 volt motor so have to use a battery charger to run it.

Jerry

[rmb721]

I made one out of a large waterless hand soap can. I screwed four pieces of wood, 3/4 x 3/4 to the inside.