Leaky tumblers

[waksupi]

I have one of the dual drum brass tumblers. Occasionally a drum will leak liquid, and other times, the whole darned top will come loose and make a mess.

Any solutions?

[Bent Ramrod]

When my Thumler’s starts leaking I just replace the head gasket. Rubber compounds eventually lose their elasticity, and fail to seal, no matter how tightly they are clamped down.

Long ago, I had a single container tumbler that had a top that popped or clicked over a detent on the container. Both parts were rubber composite, and it was obvious that the composite was hardening with age. I only used that setup for dry tumbling, so nothing leaked out but dust. I unloaded it when I got the Thumler’s.

If your containers have that kind of snap-cap, they will probably continue to age-harden and the seal will get worse. Short of replacing the containers, all I can think of is a piece of duct tape around the joint every time you wet tumble.

If the cover is held on with screws and nuts, a new piece of rubber should reseal the joint. The rock-tumbler websites have spares and extras for most tumblers.

[shell70634]

I had to peen the lid holes on my Thumbler. Over time the had indented some. Mainly because I would use it without washers. Sorta like old metal valve covers on engines.

Shelly