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Thread: Rotary tumbler ?

  1. #1
    Boolit Man
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    Rotary tumbler ?

    Thinking about putting together a rotary tumbler.

    Have a couple of options for a motor. An old furnace fan motor 1/4 HP 1750rpm I believe or I was thinking about using a windshield wiper motor powered with either an old pc power supply or a an old 12V laptop adapter.

    Was thinking two shafts mounted parallel in pillow blocks. Rapping the shafts with rubber hose for grip. If I use the wiper motor I was going to run it direct to one of the shafts. If using the furnace fan motor I will use a pulley and belt setup.

    Any suggestions?

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    I think that 1750 rpms would be a bit fast. The basic idea for shafts and pillow blocks seems sound. I had a friend who built one years ago, and he used new (unused) paint cans for tumblers. I don't know what kind of a motor he used, but it didn't run much faster than a Thumler's Tumbler, which isn't very fast at all.

    DG

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Figure out how fast you want the drum to turn, then figure out pulley sizes to get there from the speed of your motor, rotating shafts, and drum size.

    Build a mock up to see if you everything looks okay before you buy the pulleys and belt.

    Good Luck,

    Robert

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    I'd guesstimate that 60 RPM is a reasonable drum rotation speed (1 rotation/second)

  5. #5
    Boolit Man
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mk42gunner View Post
    Figure out how fast you want the drum to turn, then figure out pulley sizes to get there from the speed of your motor, rotating shafts, and drum size.

    Build a mock up to see if you everything looks okay before you buy the pulleys and belt.

    Good Luck,

    Robert
    Thats the plan . now am I thinking correct in the fact that the shaft speed will dictate the drum speed?

  6. #6
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    Correct.

    DG

  7. #7
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    It'd work, but I'd get pulleys and a belt to slow the drum way down to at least less than 100 rpm.

    The 12V motor should work too.
    I'd direct drive it with fuel line hoses or something to connect it to a shaft- also with fuel line or hose on it in bearing blocks.

    You should have enough horsepower to make a long one that could run a couple of coffee cans or 1 gal, slick sided paint buckets.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
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    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  8. #8
    Boolit Man
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    My mind is playing with me. If i have a say a 1/2" shaft turning at 50rpm what rpm will the drum be turning or will it depend on the diameter of the drum?

    Is it the same theory as figuring out pulley size?

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by TrxR View Post
    Is it the same theory as figuring out pulley size?

    Get out the calculator, do some figuer'n, and double check it with a pencil & paper.

    Measure the circumference of both shafts/pulleys.
    Then multiply out the rpm of drive shaft by its circumference.
    Now divide the sum of that into the circumference of the driven shaft.
    You'll get the rpm of the driven shaft.

    Do it again with the drum and driven shaft. You'll get its rpm.

    This reminds me of a college professor buddy who tried to explain something to me once.
    He got a little frustrated, and said, "I could do this a lot better if I could show it to you on a chalk board.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  10. #10
    Boolit Man
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    Quote Originally Posted by Winger Ed. View Post
    Get out the calculator, do some figuer'n, and double check it with a pencil & paper.

    Measure the circumference of both shafts/pulleys.
    Then multiply out the rpm of drive shaft by its circumference.
    Now divide the sum of that into the circumference of the driven shaft.
    You'll get the rpm of the driven shaft.

    Do it again with the drum and driven shaft. You'll get its rpm.

    This reminds me of a college professor buddy who tried to explain something to me once.
    He got a little frustrated, and said, "I could do this a lot better if I could show it to you on a chalk board.
    Thanks. Now a quick question to expand this. If the motor has a 1340rpm and is a 1/2" shaft but has a 4" pulley will the pulley be turning 1340rpm where it is directly driven? For some reason im having a hard time picturing things tonight.

  11. #11
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TrxR View Post
    Thanks. Now a quick question to expand this. If the motor has a 1340rpm and is a 1/2" shaft but has a 4" pulley will the pulley be turning 1340rpm where it is directly driven? For some reason im having a hard time picturing things tonight.
    You'll need the circumferences to really figure it out.
    The diameters will give ratios, but not exact rpms of the drum due to pulley depths.
    You'll get a rough idea though.

    I'd have a shot of cactus whiskey, get a good nights sleep, and look at it tomorrow.
    Last edited by Winger Ed.; 01-19-2021 at 09:04 PM.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  12. #12
    Boolit Man
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    I think i got it figured .

    The motor now that i think of it might be 1345rpm.

    If it is with a 2" pulley on the motor and a 3" on the 1/2" inch shaft the shaft will be running 896.7rpm. The drum if a 9" will be running 1/18 the speed of the shaft therefore the drum will be running about 49 rpm.

  13. #13
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    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TrxR View Post
    about
    I love that word.
    I use it all the time.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

  14. #14
    Boolit Man
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    Quote Originally Posted by Winger Ed. View Post
    I love that word.
    I use it all the time.
    Ya it 49. Something so about is close enough for what im looking for. I can slow it down a little by going to a 3.5 pulley on the shaft.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master

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    Get a BBQ Rotisserie motor , it can be used direct drive, or with a pulley to speed up or slow down the drum
    you can find these at hardware stores and sometimes thrift stores for a few bucks.
    Go now and pour yourself a hot one...

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master jmorris's Avatar
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    I made some really big ones using 3 ph gear motors and VFD’s.



    Made the one attached with an eBay gear motor and 12.7 gallon/100 lb chlorine buckets. The “drive bucket” is bolted to the face plate. The driven bucket with the agitators screwed into the sides, slides in and out of it. Gear motor is 40 RPM.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails B04C6387-C09B-4B89-9AE6-F6B2B29CB064.jpg  

  17. #17
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    Get out the slide rule, calculator and physics text book. Then go to junk store and buy a old record player or rotisserie unit off a grill.

  18. #18
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    I used heavy-duty windshield wiper motors that turn around 50 RPM

    my prototype using a computer power supply for powder


    all metal upgrade




    outer 2-gallon bucket threads onto the wiper motor


    inner 2-gallon bucket with 4 nylon/cutting board adgitators glued & screwed in and a lid from HD
    7# SS pins Will do around 1200 pcs 9mm at a time, 2 gallon is all I want to deal with
    I use liquid soap or? lubricant to help the lid turn/seal better



    I made a tool to help tighten and loosen the lid

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    design for 1 rev per second drum rotation.
    any faster and the contents stick to the wall instead of falling at TDC.
    any slower and it takes longer to polish the brass.

    many people build the vessel out of 6" diam or 8" diam green PVC pipe.
    green is DWV (Drain-Waste-Vent) AKA drain water or sewer use AKA SDR 35 (schedule 35)
    used in non-pressure holding applications.
    if you can find a drop at a construction site dumpster you are all set.
    you will need a closed end cap and a 6x4 or 8x6 adapter and a rubber cap to seal it (takes a large hose clamp).
    end caps/adapters not super expensive but not cheap but will last forever.
    the bigger the dia the greater the "fall" the faster/more-efficient the drum is per rotation.

    I also understand that the cheap+hot setup is a 3+ gal olive drum.
    check out the dumpster at an Italian or Greek/Mediterranean deli or ask them.

    for internal vanes, get a piece of 2" dia PVC white water pipe as long as your drum.
    slice lengthwise into thirds (120 degrees).
    screw the 3 pieces to drum wall with STAINLESS 1/4-20 screws, nuts, washers.
    if you use zinc carbon steel your brass will eventually come out with a dull grey coating on it
    (AKA black iron oxide).

  20. #20
    Boolit Man
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    My drum needs to be able to fit a large mason jar. I want to tumble lead cores and jackets to lube and clean them and its been recommended to do this in a glass jar. There has also been suggestions to wrap the jar with duct tape to add protection to the jar.

    I believe the square shape of the mason jar will tumble the cores and jackets. Others have used a large gallon pickle jar and glued vanes in to tumble.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check