My Homemade $0 Cost, 15 Minutes to Build Tumbler w/ Built in Timer! (Maybe.....)

[Ziptar]

Updated 5/1/2011: Say Hello to the Ronco™ Showtime™ Rotisserie Tumbler Version 2.0!!! Go to post #25

So I'm down in the basement today, straightening up and getting ready for car projects, cleaning the work bench off to try out new reloading equipment. The Mrs. Also decided this weekend it was time to swap out the Winter Clothes for Summer and sort out anything my girls had outgrown and donate it.

As I'm going about my business, I started pickup in order move out of the way (for the umpteenth time) the Ronco™ Showtime™ Rotisserie & BBQ that another family member gave to us 3 years ago after they used it once and that we never used..... ever. So I say to the wife, "I thought we were getting rid of this boat anchor." To which she confirmed positive.



As I picked it up to move it (for the last time) to the "Donate" pile, I saw a motor driven spit and a timer and suddenly like a bolt of lightning the word TUMBLER popped in my head.

In an instant I had it on the workbench and had the spit out and began rooting around for stuff to try a tumbler experiment.

With in minutes I grabbed an empty plastic coffee tub, my can of Lemishine, an old bottle of Turtle Wax Finish 2001 Polish with a couple ounces still in it, 100 deprimed 45 Colt cases that I cleaned with Lemishine week before last that had tarnished because I hadn't Polished it (I haven't bought a tumbler yet), and a 1lb bag of brown rice.



For a brief moment I thought about running out to the pet store for a bag of corn cob or walnut bedding but, damn the torpedoes, inspiration was upon me!

I grabbed the cordless drill and zip, zip 2 holes in the plastic coffee tub, and zip, zip two more in the lid and slid the plastic tub on spit.





Tossed in the rice, a cap of Finish 2001, and 1/4 teaspoon of Lemishine granules. I put the lid on and gave a vigorous shake.



Then I dumped in the brass.



Put the lid on and hung the spit in the Ronco™ Showtime™ Rotisserie & BBQ.



I set the switch to "No Heat Rotation" and the Timer to 2 hours....




Now I wait...

From flash of the idea to commencing tumbling the brass it took all of 15 minutes, including snapping pictures with my phone as I went. It might end in total failure but, it might not. What have I got to loose. I kept a few cases out of a before and after comparison.

It actually took me longer to put the pictures up on the intarwebz and write this post than it took to put the whole thing together.

So, in what could be the very first "Cast Boolits Real Time Web Tumbler Experiment", it's down in the basement doing this..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU2-ZCtNC38

BTW: Closing the glass door cuts down on the noise quite a bit.

[DABULLMAN]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!genius!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DABULLMAN]

i was just out shopping for a brass tumbler not no more. DID IT WORK?

[flashhole]

You should bring the rotisserie cooker back into the kitchen they are fantastic for chicken, roasts, and there is no better way to cook prime rib. We are on our 3rd one and when it dies we will get another.

[Jack Stanley]

How 'bout dat ? .... chicken roaster by day ...... brass cleaner by night . Talk about versitle tools huh?

Jack

[Roundnoser]

You are "the man"!!! Ha ha ha that was fantastic!

[Ziptar]

Ok,

The results, it was though to get really good pictures in the basement after sundown, but the difference is noticeable.

Here are the 5 un-tumbled next to 5 tumbled.






Click here for a bigger picture.

A couple things learned.

1. rice isn't a very good tumbling media. It did OK but the polish wasn't overall consistent, many cases were a bit blotchy. I had to pick grains out of 20 or so primer pockets and flash holes.
2. A cap full of the Finish 2001 was a little to much, it was a bit wet. So I cut up a few small squares of a cotton rag and throught them in and tumbled it for another 30 minutes or so.

Overall though, I think as a proof of concept it worked well enough to merit another go with some corn cob or walnut media.

While I was waiting for the half hour tumble with the rag squares to finish I noticed something else about the Ronco™ Showtime™ Rotisserie & BBQ.

It comes with a steel warming / steam tray with a plastic cover that is made to sit up top and use the heat from the oven to steam and keep stuff warm.



Once again I got another idea.... I could disconnect the middle leg of the switch and stick a couple new labels on it and.....



Its instantly transformed into the the Ronco™ Multifunction™ Reloading Machine.

[mustanggt]

Looks like it has alot of promise. Keep us posted. Might want to disconect the heating part of the switch just in case Murphy messes with it.

[gofasttodd]

i use a all natural cat liter that wal mart sells it is corn cob and then i take polishing compound and thin it down with mineral spirits mix in and then add dryer sheets cut in 1/2 inch squares this works excelent granted this is in a vibe not a tumble but works great

[Isaac]

That's outstanding! Amazing what we can do with a little "junk".

This is the time of the year I check out folk's front lawns for freebe's. Many are doing their spring cleaning. You never know what you might find that works on the range or in the loading area.

Good job!

Isaac

[mroliver77]

Good job! I made one recently using a 5 gallon bucket and an ice cream machine motor. It worked great! For about three hours that is. It fried the rotor. Back to the drawing board.
Try the lizard litter from a pet store. It is ground walnut small enough to pass through the flash holes. It works wonders for me! Others have stated that they get corn cob ground this fine but I cannot find any locally.
Jay

[Southern Son]

That is just plain smart. Very impressive.

[Armorer]

That is absolutely awesome! My wife currently has one of those machines stashed in the closet. Brand spanking new, (and about 8 years old) and never been out of the box. I wonder if she would donate it for the cause.

Armorer

[bumpo628]

Good job! I made one recently using a 5 gallon bucket and an ice cream machine motor. It worked great! For about three hours that is. It fried the rotor. Back to the drawing board.
Try the lizard litter from a pet store. It is ground walnut small enough to pass through the flash holes. It works wonders for me! Others have stated that they get corn cob ground this fine but I cannot find any locally.
Jay

If you want fine grain corn cob, Drillspot.com has two sizes.
Free 3 Business Day Shipping with either one.

$25.88 - Corn Cob Blast Media, 40 Lbs
Nominal Dia. Max. 0.0551"
Nominal Dia. Min. 0.0236"
http://www.drillspot.com/products/49...bs_blast_media

$27.20 - Corn Cob Blast Media, 40 Lbs
Nominal Dia. Max. 0.0393"
Nominal Dia. Min. 0.0167"
http://www.drillspot.com/products/52...bs_blast_media

[Ziptar]

After Dinner I'm going to run another test.

Picked up some proper tumbling media and a new bottle of Nu-Finish. The consistency of the stuff in the old bottle of Finish 2001 is a bit like cottage cheese.



I'm thinking 75% walnut, 25% Corn Cob and 3/4's of a cap of Nu-Finish should do nicely.

[RobS]

Great idea on making your tumbler and as to your polish, cut it about half and half with the high grade rubbing alcohol (91%) found at any drug store or Wal-Mart/K-Mart etc. It won't glob up (thins it), mixes better in the media, and with the alcohol it dries by the end of the tumbling cycle.

[buck1]

DO NOT TRUST THE LID ON THAT COFFIE CAN. dont ask me how I know...Buck

[hoosierlogger]

Set it and forget it. LOL good idea

[Ziptar]

DO NOT TRUST THE LID ON THAT COFFIE CAN. dont ask me how I know...Buck

Actually, There is a little walnut leaking out past the "Maxwell House Flavor Lock Seal" currently. Its still going though.

Luckily the Ronco™ Showtime™ Rotisserie & BBQ has a large oven drip pan "for easy clean up".

I think I may have found an even better larger capacity drum. I just have to wait for my kids to finish eating the cheese balls that are in it (more cheese balls kids? ).

Set it and forget it. LOL good idea

Actually if I forget it and am within ear shot the timer goes "Ding!" when its done.

[Cowboy T]

There was an email going around a year or so ago about "Redneck hacks". This definitely qualifies.

Nice work! And I wish I'd been that clever.

("more cheese balls, kids?" LOL!!)