Rock tumblers

[hogan]

Does anybody use rock tumblers for cleaning your brass?
I am looking to get back into polishing rocks and wondering if the tumbler could serve double duty as a rock tumbler/case cleaner.

 

[WIL TERRY]

A THUMBLER'S tumbler will do both but none other that I am aware of. The THUMBLER was a rock tumbler originally and was later adapted to brass cleaning. Mine has been on duty since 1971.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Some good info and links in this thread.

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=188554

 

[K. Funk]

Lortone makes a very nice line of tumblers. I believe mine is a QT-12. The drum will hold several hundred .30-06 cases. I do all wet tumbling now. Much faster and cleaner than vibratory cleaning with dry media. I cleaned 2500 very dirty '06 cases in an evening that would have taken a week in my turbo tumbler. Using stainless clipped wire tumbling media in the drum will make them look factory new.

krf

 

[cadillo]

I have a couple of Thumlers, and they do a good job, but they have gotten expensive, and when my neighbor told me that he was going to order one, I told him to build his own, and told him that he should get some pillow block bearings, 1/2" shafts, pulleys, a motor, and belt. In less than a week he had done it for less money. I loaned him a Thumlers drum to gauge his shaft spacing and give it a test run. It works GREAT, and is STOUT. Best thing is that the bearings have grease fittings, so it's not messy or frail like the flimsy Thumler that has to be cleaned and oiled after each use to conserve the shafts and bearings.

I'll be building one myself, once I get some medical bills paid off. Just bought some pillow block bearings on the net today. Can't wait to retire the Thumlers.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

The Thumler I bought USED over forty years ago still works just fine. I have replaced the belt a couple of times.

 

[cadillo]

The Thumler I bought USED over forty years ago still works just fine. I have replaced the belt a couple of times.

I'm glad you are happy with yours. Mine do a good job, but because I clean such a large volume of brass, I have to spend a lot of time cleaning and oiling the shafts. Even with the level of attention I give them, I've had to replace the shafts twice now due to wear where they ride on the synthetic bushings. Oddly, even though I clean and lube them every time out with Mobile One Oil, the steel shafts wear out, while the synthetic bushings remain pristine. The belts get loose and need replacement fairly often.

Again, due to the volume of brass I clean, I load them well over recommendations, which many would call abuse.

The belt is really the Achilles heal of the Thumler. If the drum grosses out at over 15lbs., the belt will not spin the drive shaft, so you are restricted to a lot of small loads, when the drums themselves can handle quite a bit more than that.

The tumbler I will build will utilize one half inch steel shafts running on pillow block bearings, which have grease fittings, which will reduce the amount of maintenance to near zero. The shafts will be long enough to carry two of the Thumler drums, which will be loaded well beyond what the Thumler system will handle. I'll be a happy camper once it's up and running.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

The synthetic bushings are likely being imbedded with grit in suspension with all the oil, and thus become abrasive enough to cut the steel shafts under the heavy loads you are imposing. This is not uncommon.

Sounds like you really do need a heavy-duty rig for your efforts. Please post pics when you get it up and running.

 

[mikld]

To answer your question; yes, a rotary tumbler can do double duty. I don't think tumblers or wobblers were designed just for brass casings. They have been used "forever" for finishing machined parts and polishing rocks/gems...

 

[mr surveyor]

sounds like a tractor pto drive and a stainless beer keg would be a good start for you "high volume guys"

 

[Ale-8(1)]

To answer your question; yes, a rotary tumbler can do double duty. I don't think tumblers or wobblers were designed just for brass casings. They have been used "forever" for finishing machined parts and polishing rocks/gems...

The Thumler tumblers we're referring to have been marketed to the lapidary hobbiests for like fifty years, perhaps more. They are really overkill for occasional brass tumbling, but for most folks will last forever in this application. They are kinda pricey.

http://thumlerstumbler.com/

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Visited w/ clients last night who have a "rock" business. I asked about their preference in rock tumblers, not giving away I'd be using 'em just for brass at first.

Some of their rocks are polished continously 24/7 from four up to 16 WEEKS! Lortone is their preferred brand, though they do have a couple of Thumler's, too. Lortone has quite a few other models, but here's a link to a company here in Redlands, that's well-known known throughout the SoCal lapidary community, for a couple of their smaller ones:

http://covington-engineering.com/tumbler_lortone.html

The Lortone 3A is described as the best seller at a couple of lapidary supply sites, w/ the 33B coming in close behind it. Lortone also offers a model QT6 which is quite popular at the hobbyist level. Covington sells their own brand, too, though most of their models are far more heavy duty (and WAY pricier) than the reloading community is likely to need.

Rick C

 

[bakeoh1]

stainlesstumblingmedia.com has a really nice Thumbler's tumbler that uses stainless steel media. It workers like a champ. We use it for rocks and brass, the stainless steel media we only use on the brass. Cleans better than anything else I've seen.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Yep, that's the one I have been using for years. Great outfit.

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/thumler-s-tumbler-model-b-high-speed.html

I do believe the stainlees steel media in liquid solution would do an excellent job on brass. I'm just not wanting to get involved in all the hassle that involves. For my purposes, crushed walnut hull are completely adequate.

JMHO

 

[Johnnu2]

Thumblers Tumbler been in use at my abode for 40 years; only relplaced the belt once. Used with crushed walnut shells. If you are young, this is a good investment that will last your entire shooting life with no maintenance beyond the belt.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Gotta admit that Rebel 17 looks like a real good value, though.

http://www.stainlesstumblingmedia.com/extreme-tumblers-rebel-17.html

It has the "heavy-duty" features that the Thumler lacks, and is only marginally more expensive.

 

[Johnnu2]

Agree............VERY VERY NICE.....

 

[cadillo]

A Thumler's way very well last a lifetime with no maintenance other than a new belt if used with dry media, but the additional weight and resultant stress on the shafts and bushings caused by using water and stainless pins, plus the weight of whatever amount of brass you need or want to clean, takes things to a whole new level.

There is a reason why so many people are spending the extra money to buy or build a heavier machine using 1/2" shafts and pillow block bearings. The Thumler, while very good at its intended purpose, was just not engineered for the weight of this type of operation, and will require maintenance if so taxed.

 

[PiratePast40]

For lighter use, a rock tumbler from Harbor Freight works well: http://www.harborfreight.com/dual-drum-rotary-rock-tumbler-67632.html

You can find the pins on ebay for as low as $7 per pound. I use 1 lb of brass, 1 lb of pins, and the rest water for around 3 lbs in each container. Again, not for high volume but inexpensive compared to the larger units.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

The Thumler is rated at 15 pounds.

The Rebel is rated at 17 pounds.

The Rebel's "heavy duty" shafts and bearings will obviously be the way to go if you run full loads all the time, very frequently . . . particularly at the miniscule difference in price.

It's all a matter of "duty cycle".

 

[Selena]

My uncle made me a "rock tumbler" when I was a girl. It was a wind turbine that the shaft had a square fitting that would fit over a screw in "plug" on a length of PVC pipe. Since the four bladed "screw" had a six foot radius there was more than enough torque for any duty asked of it. By the time I took it down it had been used for polishing rocks and a ball mill for powdering certain metals for various nefarious purposes.

 

[cadillo]

I don't have access to a digital camera, so I can't post a photo, but my tumbler is up and running. It spins two of the Thumlers' drums that are loaded to nearly three times the capacity that a Thumler's will carry, works without any strain, and still does a good job of cleaning.

I mounted the motor underneath the deck supporting the shafts, which greatly reduces the footprint of the whole affair. All I need to do now is attach my casters to the bottom side, so that I can roll it back underneath the table saw when not in use. Floor space is a problem in my shop/garage.

I should have done this a long time ago.