Trying to build a tumbler, help needed.

[briang]

I'm building a tumbler. I'm using a spinning five gallon bucket set on it's side. My motor is spinning far to fast, the brass is getting sling against the side of the bucket and not tumbling. I need to your help to figure out how to slow it down more without adding any more drive reduction. I tried a speed control for a ceiling fan but I burned that up, so I believe I am pulling more than five amps. I don't know much about the motor, I got it off a junk air compressor.

[Jon]

That air compressor motor will probably run way too fast, and will use alot of power. Try something like a floor fan motor with a belt or small drive wheel to the side of the bucket. You won't be able to use a direct drive to most any motor without some kind of drive reduction. You might try a lawn tractor transmission or something for reduction.

[oneokie]

Most air compressor motors are 3450 rpm. Find a motor off of a grill rotesserie.
Look here: www.surpluscenter.com

[briang]

I do have a 6 to 1 reduction with the v belt that turns the bucket, it isn't direct drive. I tried a fan motor first but it didn't have enough power to turn the bucket on low or medium speed and high is to fast. I was trying to ue one of these two since I had them. I guess I'll have to buy one

[richbug]

I built a similar tumbler using a 5 gallon bucket. My final speed is just under 100 RPM. Will post photos tomorrow if I get a chance. I used a 1/3 horsepower gear reduction motor. Way more torque than needed, but it works well.

[KTN]

I used windscreen wiper 12 volt motor on mine, but that was only 2 gallon bucket.


Kaj

[theperfessor]

I made mine with two parallel steel rods covered with surgical tubing. Piece of channel for frame with plates at both ends. Two cheap ball bearings at each end and pulley on one rod driven by old washing machine motor. Use metal paint cans with handle lugs ground off. I just sit can down and friction rolls it over and over...

I get proper RPM for tumbling using fast motor by pulley diameter differences and rod/can diameter differences. And I can tumble three loads and pull any can off to check contents w/o stopping rest of cans.

Simple, cheap, and no gears or lubrication problems.

[briang]

Do you guys think this motor would work?
https://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2009052715200973&item=5-1647&catname=electric
Should put my bucket RMP at 124, too fast?

My tumbler is made be screwing a 12 inch pulley to the bottom of the bucket and running a shaft from the pulley to a cheap bearing mounted on a post 7 inches from the plywood base. The other end of the bucket is supported by a pair of small dolly wheels.

[oneokie]

Only problem I can see is finding a pulley with 16mm bore.

[briang]

I can get the machine shop down the street to bore out the .5" one I have.

ETA Holy crap, they want close to $50.00 to ship that. That kills that idea.

[ept000]

Thirty RPM is the cat's pajamas.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3375/3413787902_814e89f7fb.jpg

[ept000]

It rotates and tips too.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3322/3413788104_622ff8dabc.jpg

And doesn't use up any floor space either.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/3413788028_0e5e4d4ca4.jpg

[briang]

That's sweet ept000, does it wander on the swing and tilt while running?

[ept000]

That's sweet ept000, does it wander on the swing and tilt while running?

Nope. It locks in the horizontal position, then I just rotate it under the bench and wind up the timer. When it's done I tip it up, unscrew the lid, then tip it down into the separator. I have a few more pictures I can post if you like.

[briang]

I'd like to see them if you don't mind.

[Ekalb2000]

ept00,
What kind of moter is that?
That is a very good setup.

[ept000]

I get more information up in just a bit.

[ept000]

This is how it all starts.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3396/3413787140_c269b273eb.jpg

The motor is form a screw conveyor (I believe) the final out put is 30 RPM. This shot shows the shaft extension installed.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3398/3412981247_e841f70f1b.jpg

The spacers hold the plate that is the pivot point and the mount for the flange bearing.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3567/3412981323_fd95aaba2b.jpg

[ept000]

This is the plate installed with the flange bearing. The coupling nuts are what the whole thing hangs from.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3633/3412981471_c83eb8d038.jpg

Bolted to the end of the extension shaft is the drive hub that will bolt to the base of the bucket.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3344/3413787526_fd841af130.jpg

This shows the bracket that everything hangs from under the bench.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3633/3413787578_a2aacb372c.jpg

[briang]

That is nice work ept000

[ept000]

This bracket mounts to the bottom of the bench. The threaded stud allows you to tighten the pivot just enough that it doesn't rotate on it's own.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3598/3413787678_951748000b.jpg

You can't see it very well in this picture, but there is a handle facing you that locks the unit in the horizontal position. The use of the coupling nuts allows you set the exact running position and then lock in place with a jamb nut. Also with the bucket in place and filled with media and brass the whole thing is actually ballanced.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3298/3412981745_493ba2c700.jpg

Here is the bucket installed. The 1/2" plywood gives support to the bottom of the bucket. There are four 1x2 mixing paddles screwed to the side of the bucket, as well as through the plywood on the bottom.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3401/3413787818_11d4b166a8.jpg

[ept000]

Now is a good time to mention that the bucket has a screw on lid. The circle of bolts you see in the bottom are screwed into the drive hub.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3336/3413787782_d38db28f5e.jpg

The bucket tips up for filling, and tips down for dumping into a seperator.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3656/3413787958_cb1dabab11.jpg

This is the normal running position as well as the storing position. In the picture above you can see that with the bucket tipped up it fits between the Hornady LnL, and the Lee single stage. So it takes up very little space.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/3413788028_0e5e4d4ca4.jpg

[ept000]

The whole thing is controled by a spring wound hot tub timer. I haven't pushed it to it's limits, but right now I can dump in a mounded five pound coffee can full of brass and it's done in about twenty minutes.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3572/3415821844_8cf69fd71e.jpg

This is just a small sample, but the proof is in the pudding!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3353/3413975698_1ca672f6b2.jpg

[briang]

I used windscreen wiper 12 volt motor on mine, but that was only 2 gallon bucket.


Kaj

I rigged mine up direct drive off a wiper motor today and it works great, thanks for the Idea. Turns about 35 rpm on low with 30ish pounds of rocks in it. Its probably only gonna be temporary until I find a suitable AC motor cheap, unless I find a transformer cheap.