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All Forums >> [Bottle Forums] >> Cleaning and Repairing >> building a tumbler

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building a tumbler - 1/18/2008 9:23:07 AM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline I've got most of the materials ready for my tumbler. thought maybe I'd post pix of the project as I move along........... Take care all. Attachment (1) Post #: 1

RE: building a tumbler - 1/18/2008 9:24:02 AM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline and anudder............. Attachment (1) (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 2

RE: building a tumbler - 1/18/2008 9:25:07 AM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline table............ Attachment (1) (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 3

RE: building a tumbler - 1/18/2008 10:59:08 AM    capsoda Posts: 7917 Joined: 11/15/2005 From: Seminole,Alabama, USA Status: offline Good idea. How would we live woth out dexion???? _____________________________ Warren Diggin down in Dixie, USA Work is for people who don't dig bottles President, Panhandle Cruisers http://www.panhandlecruisers.org/ (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 4

RE: building a tumbler - 1/18/2008 12:17:29 PM    idigjars Posts: 1340 Joined: 12/24/2004 From: Michigan Status: offline Hi Buzz.   Great idea of posting pictures as your project moves along.  It might help somebody else wanting to build a tumbler. You are going to love this bottle cleaning process.  It can be a little messy but if you have a sink area that is convenient to the whole cleaning process it will work good for you. I built my first tumbler and it worked as well as my new bought unit.  I put a lot of money into the motor on my homemade unit.  It was a Dayton gear motor.  It only ran at 65rpm but by increasing the pulley size on the motor it would turn a 4” tube about 85 rpm’s.   I think it was cheaper to run also because of the lower rpm’s.  In fact I am thinking of getting another one of those motors and replacing the motor on my new unit.   The gear motor I had before hardly got warm and I ran it 24/7 for about 5 years straight.   The motor on my new unit gets really hot and it concerns me. The biggest cost right now is the copper.  If you have a source for it, that will save you a lot of money.  Most sellers are charging $8.50 a pound and that adds up pretty quick.  The bitters that I posted before and after pictures of took every bit of 30 pounds of copper in a 5” tube so that will give you an idea of quantity needed.   So if you can get that copper cost down it will help.  My new buddy Tim from Canada gave me a great idea on a copper cutter and I have asked a maintenance man at work to make me something similar.  I was hoping it would be ready today for me to try it out this weekend but it’s not done yet.  If mine works out good I will let you know and you can have pictures of it if you want. On my homemade unit I used a 2 by 4 on the sides and the conveyor ends rested on the top of the 2by side (1.5”).  I used drywall screws to keep the ends secured on both sides of the conveyor and it worked fine.  That way if you need to move the conveyors in or out you can just remove the drywall screws and replace them again. I used a solvent on the metal conveyors to get rubber tubing over the metal.  The solvent I used is golf club solvent that is used to put the grips on golf clubs.   Makes that job easy. I have some pictures of how I make tumbling tubes if you are interested I can post them or email them to you. I will look to see if I have a picture of the homemade tumbler I made before and post it if I can find it when I get home from work. Good luck with your project.  You are going to love bringing the glass back to life.  Almost as good a feeling as when you pulled the bottle out of the ground.   Okay, not that good of a feeling but close anyway.  If I can help you with anything email me or let me know. Best regards                       Paul (in reply to capsoda) Post #: 5

RE: building a tumbler - 1/18/2008 7:20:09 PM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline thanx much for the offer Paul, I'm sure I'll take the opportunity to " pick your brain " as I move along. Internet a great tool for this great hobby. Take care all.......... Jim Attachment (1) (in reply to idigjars) Post #: 6

RE: building a tumbler - 1/18/2008 7:21:37 PM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline and another................... Attachment (1) (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 7

RE: building a tumbler - 1/18/2008 7:27:16 PM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline this is the one I'm using as my " guide ". i think i remember this guy having a brother in law who owned a machine shop. mine won't look so nice but................... Attachment (1) (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 8

RE: building a tumbler - 1/18/2008 8:48:00 PM    idigjars Posts: 1340 Joined: 12/24/2004 From: Michigan Status: offline Here is a pic of my homemade one.  I used it for 5 years and my buddy has been using it for 5 years.  1" steel Rc 55 drive shaft.  Ball bearing conveyor rollers, the pillow blocks have grease zerts.  I don't think my new machine will last like this but we'll see.   Anyway, anything I can do to help just let me know.     Paul Attachment (1) (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 9

RE: building a tumbler - 1/25/2008 11:03:01 PM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline Greetings all, I'm trying to figure out what size pulleys i need for my tumbler. I'm using the photo 2 posts back as a guide. I have 2" pulleys for the motor and the shaft. What size should the two larger pulleys be?? My drive motor us 1725 rpm. Any ideas?? Thanks and Take Care All. Jim Attachment (1) (in reply to idigjars) Post #: 10

RE: building a tumbler - 1/26/2008 7:08:18 PM    idigjars Posts: 1340 Joined: 12/24/2004 From: Michigan Status: offline Hi Buzz, my motor on my bought unit is 1725rpm's.  I will post a pic of the config for you.  Paul (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 11

RE: building a tumbler - 1/26/2008 7:52:04 PM    idigjars Posts: 1340 Joined: 12/24/2004 From: Michigan Status: offline Here's the pic Buzz Attachment (1) (in reply to idigjars) Post #: 12

RE: building a tumbler - 1/26/2008 7:56:50 PM    idigjars Posts: 1340 Joined: 12/24/2004 From: Michigan Status: offline 1 = motor pulley = 1.5" 2 = Jack shaft pulley = 10" #3 from the jackshaft to #4 on the drive shaft will equal 85rpms with a 4" tube. #3 = 3.5" #4 = 2" If you switch the pulleys on the jack shaft from #4 smaller to #3 larger on the drive shaft the speed would be around 40/50rpms for square / rectangular bottles with a 4" tube. Hope this helps and isn't confusing.  Good luck with your project.     Paul (in reply to idigjars) Post #: 13

RE: building a tumbler - 1/26/2008 8:00:43 PM    lobeycat Posts: 3801 Joined: 9/8/2003 From: RED SOX Nation Status: online Pauly Paul paul paul.....what do you charge to cut and polish a heavily pitted strap flask? _____________________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD8XDgVe2EU long lost recipe (in reply to idigjars) Post #: 14

RE: building a tumbler - 1/26/2008 11:19:03 PM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline thanx for the input folks. I ran out to a U-PULL IT junkyard today and got 4 different sized pulleys ($2.00). my motor is also 1725 rpm w/ a 2" pulley. Hopefully i'll be able to vary the pulley size to adjust speed. I'll post some more photos as I go along. Thanx again !!! Jim (in reply to lobeycat) Post #: 15

RE: building a tumbler - 1/27/2008 4:35:46 PM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline here are some of the pulleys ( wheels ) i'm gonna try. Attachment (1) (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 16

RE: building a tumbler - 1/27/2008 4:37:44 PM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline this is one i took the tire off. looks like about the right size??? need to figure out how to attach pulley wheel to drive roller. getting there............... take care all Jim Attachment (1) (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 17

RE: building a tumbler - 1/28/2008 8:01:42 AM    idigjars Posts: 1340 Joined: 12/24/2004 From: Michigan Status: offline Hello Lobey, wish I could help you out with your flask but I'm not setup to do any grinding right now.  I was out of this for about 5 years and just got back in.  I don't normally clean for others as I have enough of my own to clean up but if I had the setup to grind I would help you just to help this time.  Strap side flasks are usually pretty sturdy. To grind you need copper that you can just use for that purpose.  I use a 12micron aluminum oxide for 6 hours and the glass comes out looking like a frosted bottle, and most scratches are gone.  Kind of cool.  Not a good idea to mix cutting copper and polishing copper.  Anyway, a friend is going to hook me up with some used/worn out copper at the Grandville Mich show next month that I can use for that purpose. I think Digger Ry can help you out though.  He advertises here all the time.  Here is his link and he is pretty reasonable.  http://www.antique-bottles.net/forum/Professional-Tumbling-Services-Digger-Ry-Style/m-130841/tm.htm Good luck with your flask Lobey and best regards.                          Paul (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 18

RE: building a tumbler - 2/7/2008 7:36:31 PM    buzzkutt033   Posts: 404 Joined: 12/17/2007 From: East Penn Township Pennsylvania Status: offline I haven't given up gang...........  i decided to order pillow blocks and pulleys from a distributor. I'm saving quite a bit of cash by building it myself, and this seems like a good time to spend wisely. Next wednesday is disability check day, will order stuff after that. Items not nearly as expensive as i would have thought. Ok, take care all.............. Jim Attachment (1) (in reply to idigjars) Post #: 19

RE: building a tumbler - 2/8/2008 10:52:40 AM    idigjars Posts: 1340 Joined: 12/24/2004 From: Michigan Status: offline Wish we lived closer to each other Jim.  I get a discount through my work on parts like you are getting for your tumbler.     For the pillow blocks, are you getting the kind with the grease fittings on them?   They last forever if you keep them greased every couple of weeks.   If you are buying v belts, try a link type belt.  They might be a little costlier but it really cuts down on noise and runs more true than the classic v-belts.  I was skeptical until I tuned up my table saw and that was the recommendation to go to a link belt.  It made a believer out of me and you will always have the right size because you make it smaller or larger by pulling out a link or adding one. Let me know if I can help you with anything.  Good luck with your project.                Paul   (in reply to buzzkutt033) Post #: 20

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