Wiper motor tumbler????

[abunaitoo]

Has anyone tried to make a tumbler with a windshield wiper motor?????
These are great motors.
Lots of torque. Variable speed. 12 volt. Smaller than a AC motor.
I was thinking of using a treadmill motor, but a wiper motor is so much smaller.

[17nut]

Did that 20 years ago and an old PC supply deliveres 12V for free
Whats not to like?

[RED BEAR]

sounds like a plan.

[Bazoo]

Sounds like a way to make an off the grid tumbler to me. Thanks for the idea.

[NyFirefighter357]

I made one. It's direct drive I used a 5gal pail it's too big & the screw on lid leaked. I'm waiting for an olive barrel. I couldn't find the laptop battery power supply I sourced so I'm using a car battery charger. I also wired a 3 position switch for forward & reverse. If I can find another treadmill I will build a large one that drives one of the rollers with the belt.

[jmorris]

an old PC supply deliveres 12V for free

I like the sound of perpetual motion machine...

[Mr_Sheesh]

I've seen treadmill motors that are 100V, you found one that's 12V I take it? (Person I know was scrapping their treadmill out so I snagged it, I'll make a very light genset from it.)

[Grmps]

Mock it up out of wood first to get your dimensions then make a metal one

[Grmps]

for small batches

[W.R.Buchanan]

That is cool: I just happen to have an older wiper motor for my Jeep that didn't work for the Jeep project. It runs just fine on 12v but didn't have 2 speeds or park so I replaced it. I even have the switch that didn't work right and jumper legs from several battery chargers, so all you'd need is a battery or charger to run the thing.

Really cool idea.

Randy

[Traffer]

I made one also. Mine is very simple. Used a large plastic thermos type jug. Made a frame with angle iron. Used a 12 volt 3 amp power supply from an old cooler/refrigerator. As long as you have about 2 amp power supply you are good. Mine is direct drive and spins about 50 RPM which is about ideal.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/f1ut32ca28...432_n.mp4?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ftx3edoes0...232_n.mp4?dl=0

[gundownunder]

I need to make one of those, both for brass and for Hitech coating.

Traffer, the vids you posted make it sound awfully loud. Is it really that bad, or is that just the video?

[Traffer]

I need to make one of those, both for brass and for Hitech coating.

Traffer, the vids you posted make it sound awfully loud. Is it really that bad, or is that just the video?

It is kind of loud. You don't have to wear hearing protection or anything. Maybe turn the TV up a little if you have it in the living room. It's just the sound of the shells rotating, the motor is pretty quiet. The microphone on the camera was pointing at the tumbler and it was in the corner in the kitchen making it sound a lot worse than it really is. Not that bad really. Not half as bad as discharging say a 45/70 in the kitchen.

[Traffer]

I've seen treadmill motors that are 100V, you found one that's 12V I take it? (Person I know was scrapping their treadmill out so I snagged it, I'll make a very light genset from it.)

Treadmill motors are G O L D. They are 110V gear motors that would cost many or several hundred dollars if bought separately. I have seen several youtube videos of people using them. Some use the whole treadmill by just welding some bars across with rollers and putting 5 gal buckets on them. One that I saw had two 5 gal buckets on at one time...happily spinning away. I would think that you could use 20 gallon container and a treadmill would spin it well. I have also seen people use those small cement mixers that you can get at Harbor Freight. I think Jerry Miculek uses a small cement mixer.

[Traffer]

The power supplies from computers would work just fine. Most have at least 10 amp ratings on the 12 volt rail. You MIGHT be able to talk recyclers into giving you them. If you know someone at a place like Breast Buy they would probably let you have them. I fix computers ...if you have any questions about the wiring or anything on that subject just PM me.

[Grmps]

I use the wood-based one for HiTek and small batches with the square peanut jar and the metal one for larger batches with a 2-gallon bucket.

BTW windshield wiper motors have 2 speeds if one is to fast, try the other speed.

I use the black and yellow (12 volts) wires of the main feed from the power supply to power the motor and the green and 1 black for the off-on switch.

The treadmill motors I "rescued" were all DC, you can chop the treadmill up, move the bottom roller up and use it for any size bucket between the 2 rollers.

You can get wiring diagrams for most windshield wiper motors and treadmills online

[abunaitoo]

Never thought of using a computer power supply.
Even has it's own fan to keep things cool.
Great idea.
I have a few stored someplace.

[gundownunder]

Not half as bad as discharging say a 45/70 in the kitchen.

How in the hell would you know that?
or shouldn't I ask

[Traffer]

How in the hell would you know that?
or shouldn't I ask

If I would have said a 155mm howitzer nobody would have laughed. Most here can imagine the sound of a 45/70 though. I would hate to hear one being shot indoors.

[Grmps]

I also incorporate a computer case fan to help keep the wiper motor cool.

My next project with a wiper motor tumbler is to have rollers supporting both ends of the bucket to take some of the pressure off the wiper motor maybe clamp a piece of rubber air hose to the wiper motor and the back of the bucket to turn the bucket only. [this is still in the planning phase, I have too many projects going]