Large parts tumbler in the works

[comeoutswingin]

I've been designing this for a while now and I pulled the trigger on all the mechanical parts to build it last night. I'm hoping it works as planned but I wont know until I build it.... it always works in CAD right?

Tumbler 2.JPG

I designed it to be built entirely of .25". The barrel is 24" x .5" Wall pipe. The barrel is 48" long. Originally I was going to have an octagon shaped barrel bent up, but it was going to cost about $200 additional after materials and labor, so I went with the pipe and I will weld fins to the inside.

The rollers are 6" heavy duty caster wheels. I am using a 3/4 HP electric motor to a 20:1 gear reduction box. From there it will be chain driven with even further reduction. I am right now at 14-17RPM. This can be changed easily by swapping the sprockets. I'm hoping I can cut the large sprocket good enough to make it work. We'll see. The small sprocket was so cheap I didn't bother making my own. I am going to use #40 chain.

The ring in the inside of the barrel is going to run between two caster wheels. I am hoping this is enough to located the barrel without additional hardware. I do have a back up plan.

2.JPG

I haven't totally settled on the door yet. My current plan is to use some threaded handles to secure it to the tumbler. I am going to be doing large parts in this so it needs to be on there good.

Barrel Assembly.JPG

So that's where I am at today. Any ideas?

[DLE]

I'll put in my two cents.
We built a tumbler last summer, first project we did with our press brake. Built an octagon tank, cut a large door in it, etc. It runs off of a pipe that runs the length of the tank, with a 72 tooth sprocket welded on the end. It's all sealed with some edge trim from mcmaster carr (cheap) which is great to keep the rain out - ours sits outside 12 months. The cut in door makes it so nice to be able to reach all the parts, as opposed to trying to get them out from one end. We had built a small cheesy one out of a 55gal drum before hand and learned alot. I would never build a round one again, the octagon shape lends itself so well to tumbling parts.

[Capstone]

subbed.

[mdwalker]

I built one a few years back but used lawnmower parts. The barrel was very similar to what you have pictured but I used the gearbox and rear axle from a riding lawn mower. I mounted the axle with the tires on it, and got a lightweight trailer axle for the "idler" axle and let the drum rest on the tires. I used an electric motor to run the lawnmower axle and could control the rpm's by shifting gears on the axle. You can also change out the pulleys on the axle and motor to fine tune the rpm's.

[Black Forest]

I use a cement mixer with sand, stones and dishwashing soap.

[comeoutswingin]

All my parts showed up today. I am making some final changes to the design and laying out the motor mounting holes in CAD. As far as octagon shaped, I'm sure it works well, but I do currently use a cement mixer for my small parts and it works awesome. It has fins inside that stir the parts and I know I can accomplish the same thing with the round barrel. I'm looking to tumbler parts larger than I can fit in the cement mixer, that's the reasoning for this build. I am getting really tired of wire wheeling parts with the rate I am cutting lately.

[DesertFabworks]

Building your own custom one is cool but its hard to beat a $50 cement mixer off craigslist. I have been using this method for quite awhile and it works very good. I got one with a plastic tub and its very quiet and when I finish I dump the tube threw a bucket with a sifter on it and I'm done.

[comeoutswingin]

Building your own custom one is cool but its hard to beat a $50 cement mixer off craigslist. I have been using this method for quite awhile and it works very good. I got one with a plastic tub and its very quiet and when I finish I dump the tube threw a bucket with a sifter on it and I'm done.

Sure, exactly! My HF cement mixer works AWESOME! for small parts. The entire reason for this build is to be able to tumble BIG parts. I am looking to tumble batches of 12x24ish parts. I can't exactly fit too many of them in my HF mixer unless I'm missing something?

[yroc fab]

Excited to see how yours turns out. I will be building one here shortly.

[comeoutswingin]

Tumbler.JPG

Powered it up tonight, RPM looks to be perfect. I have to finish the wiring and finish the door tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to actually test it out.

[Capstone]

nice! looks just like the CAD drawings. Are you willing to share them?

[comeoutswingin]

So, I used it. Couple things, I filled it with about 400 lbs of pea gravel to cushion the parts because it tumbled a little too well. I'm going to hinge the door some how, not sure yet.

I also have another sprocket on order to build a chain tensioner. I got a ton of stack tolerances on the large sprocket I cut, but I was able to file it out.. It just took a bit.

I'll probably post these plans after I make the changes to everything.

Here's a video of motion, I am pleasantly surprised as to how well it tracks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDhFItKVQyU

[Capstone]

super cool. thanks for sharing.

[tnbndr]

Nice, turns faster than I would have expected!

[acourtjester]

Hey comeoutswinging what program did you use the plan the cut for the large sprocket. I know Inkscape has a gear plan for cutting spur gears.
Thanks in advance

[comeoutswingin]

I used sprocketeer to draw the large sprocket

[acourtjester]

Thanks for the reply I looked on Google after posting the question and found that program.
Good to have the feed back it worked for you..

have fun
Tom

[MIFab]

So how is this working out ?

[comeoutswingin]

It works good for my small parts. It will tumble my large parts no problem, but I have to figure out a media to use to cushion the really big parts from beating the crap out of each other. I tried pea gravel, but it was too muddy even from the bag.. so I washed it all.. Still too muddy, I didn't really gain anything by tumbling when I had to wash the parts off...

As of now I have been filling it with drops from my table for media.

[abmetal]

I've been using granite chat in our vibratory tumbler. It's hard and works good. We have a granite quarry fairly close though.

Allen

[sr guy]

Awesome build!!

[Frog Island]

Very nice. You might look at garnet sandblasting media. Or the larger slag media.

[nalin400m]

Looks great, will be following!

[jwallmuth]

did you ever post the file to this project?

[comeoutswingin]

I did not post the files.. I'll try and get a .zip file made up and post what I can remember..