Another "free" tumbler

[ombudsman]

This one is free if you happen to have a gearmotor. My bud gave me a 1/4 HP, 90 VDC, variable-speed gearmotor and control. It will turn 0-90 rpm with lots of torque and is reversable. My friend faced one side of the pulley and drilled holes in the arms, close to the rim.

We happened to have a (non-stolen) milk crate, so I bolted the milk crate to the faced pulley (with fender washers inside the crate.) The file crates available at WalMart or Staples, etc. would not be stout enough for this application. A real milk crate (or equivalent) is required. Milk crates can be bought on the web for ~$15.

The way I am using the tumbler right now is with a diagonal wooden divider and two one-gallon plastic jars packed full of bottles properly filled with glass beads and 600 SC. Actually it would hold 4 such jars (without the divider,) but I only had two. The tumbler would hold 4 six-inch O.D. sealed tumbler containers. I will devise a method of securing the longer sealed containers in the crate.

 

[ombudsman]

Two notes:
Prof. Sneed Hern has dubbed this creation (and I must admit he did contribute ideas to the project) The Psychodelilactochron. He explained that the psychodelic parse arises from the fact that if, from the side, you watch the crate revolve, then look elsewhere, there is a slightly nauseating optical illusion - depending on the direction of rotation of the crate at the time, for a second or two things seem to be either floating up or sinking down. The lacto part of the name obviously derives from lactose (referring to the milk crate.) The chron, as you will have deduced, alludes to chronos, time, referring to rpm.

I learned while studying for this project that the theft of milk crates is a big deal in the dairy and grocery industry. I understand that there is a virtual black market in stolen milk crates, costing the industry a great deal of money. My milk crate was retired, not stolen.

 

[ombudsman]

I just did a short Google for this motor and controller. I guess this tumbler isn't too free if you don't have the motor; The motor and controller can be had for ~1K!! :-0 "Guaranteed lowest prices" too! WOW!