New Tumbler for my old Thumler!

[Gliden07]

My Dad gave me a Thumler's Tumbler Model A it had no tumbling containers. I was using a large plastic food container with a screw top. It worked but was very thin and would collapse on itself when the warm water started to cool inside when I was tumbling brass. So I had to watch it all the time. Today I picked up all the stuff to make a new PVC tumbling container! Its a 6" PVC pipe with a couple of agitators in it made from a piece of 3/4" pvc split in half. I bolted these to the 6" tube with some 10-24 x 3/4" SS flat head screws and the appropriate 10-24 SS nylock bolts. I epoxied the screws in and will finish the assembly tomorrow!

[Gliden07]

Well the Tumbler container is done first batch of brass in it! Problem is I don't know if the motor is gonna be able to handle the new container? I'm pretty sure the motor on this unit is the same as the B but I need to weigh the container with it loaded up with water, pins and cases. I know that the B model will handle 15 pounds. This thing feels heavier than that!! Don't have a scale to weigh it though! We shall see what happens??

[VHoward]

If that motor does not last, you can build a frame and put a motor on it from a furnace.
http://biggdawgtumblers.net/5052/index.html
I used this guy's frame as an example, but I took a spare 2 x 4 I had laying around, cut and screwed it together. I got the pillow blocks off of Amazon.com for $10 each, 1/2" steel rod from the local hardware store, covered the rods with the appropriate size fuel line from the auto store, and bought a 1/4 hp 1725 rpm electric motor off of ebay for $35. A 1 3/4" pully for the motor and a 6" pully for one of the rods. It works great. Should last me the rest of my life

[Gliden07]

I was thinking the same thing my container looks identical to his (but smaller)!! I have a motor already from an old power hacksaw that is no good has the pulleys, motor and belt just will have to build a frame. Did you build yours out of wood and not metal?? That would definitely make building it easier?? If I do build one I'm gonna make it big enough to do at least 1k of whatever I'm cleaning! Thanks for the link!!


If that motor does not last, you can build a frame and put a motor on it from a furnace.
http://biggdawgtumblers.net/5052/index.html
I used this guy's frame as an example, but I took a spare 2 x 4 I had laying around, cut and screwed it together. I got the pillow blocks off of Amazon.com for $10 each, 1/2" steel rod from the local hardware store, covered the rods with the appropriate size fuel line from the auto store, and bought a 1/4 hp 1725 rpm electric motor off of ebay for $35. A 1 3/4" pully for the motor and a 6" pully for one of the rods. It works great. Should last me the rest of my life

[VHoward]

Yes, I built the frame out of 2" x 4" wood. The total I spent was under $100. Big Dawg sells a complete frame assembly for over $300. That was motivation enough for me.

[Gliden07]

The Container worked Great!! The Tumbler was marginal. It ran but I had a lot of difficulty with it slowing down I had to stop it a couple times to cool the motor. In the end I oiled the motor up good and the bushings and finished the tumbling. After that the Tumbler base worked well. Brass came out very nice. I was happy with the end result.

Vhoward thanks for the info I'm going to look into using that motor I have to build a larger Tumbler with larger capacity. I have a piece of the 6" PVC left that is about 15" long all add a couple more pounds of SS pins (when I can afford them) and build the tumbler base to handle it. I figure a tumbler that size should be able to do at least 500 or so 9MM cases?


Yes, I built the frame out of 2" x 4" wood. The total I spent was under $100. Big Dawg sells a complete frame assembly for over $300. That was motivation enough for me.

[lightman]

I'm looking for a larger tumbler, myself, and I'm thinking seriously about a Big Dawg. I have the tools and ability to build one, but not the time. There is a guy advertising on Snipers Hide that makes frames from steel plate, that look good, but he has not replied to anyones questions, and seems to have disappeared. Lightman