Tumbler Build - For cleaning plasma cut parts.

I reckon Stefan will be in hot demand with the local Lions Club et al to conduct their raffle draws!

Believe it or not but at least 5 people have said that to me in that last two days!

Stefan,
Good job with your tumbler build.
Years ago I built my tumbler for part on part tumbling.
Sometimes I add steel punch slugs or crushed gravel etc.
Needless to say, it is located outside at the back corner of the shop. Makes people ask "what's going on in that barrel?"
I had scrapped an old dump truck, and salvaged the front steering axle for mounting the barrel. I made the large sprocket with welded square bar (before I had built my plasma cutter). I changed sprocket size till I had a speed that worked. VFD would be nice.
Earl W

flamecutter wrote: Stefan,
Good job with your tumbler build.
Years ago I built my tumbler for part on part tumbling.
Sometimes I add steel punch slugs or crushed gravel etc.
Needless to say, it is located outside at the back corner of the shop. Makes people ask "what's going on in that barrel?"
I had scrapped an old dump truck, and salvaged the front steering axle for mounting the barrel. I made the large sprocket with welded square bar (before I had built my plasma cutter). I changed sprocket size till I had a speed that worked. VFD would be nice.
Earl W

Thanks for sharing that Earl. Its great what can be built with a bit of imagination.

Why do you add steel punchings or gravel? What kind of parts to you mostly tumble?

you need to have lots of parts to make this a usefull
NOICE to the next shop is to considder
TIME if it takes 24hr Energy waist
Surface if you got blank surfaces you see scratches

Why do you add steel punchings or gravel? What kind of parts to you mostly tumble?

If I add steel punchings or gravel when I tumble large or heavy parts it gives it more of a rolling effect rather than a heavy hit. Also it helps clean inside corners and holes. I tumble a variety of parts, Large and small, heavy and light. It works good for all.

NOICE to the next shop is to considder

It does make noise, but I don't know of it being offensive to anyone. That's one advantage of not having a shop close to a residential area. The neighbors would say it isn't worse than the noise of their 250HP tractor working land. I have thought of building an enclosure for it, but so far it's pretty far down on the to do list.

TIME if it takes 24hr Energy waist

I never tumble for 24 hrs. If you tumble for too long, the corners of the parts start to become peened. If you have just a few parts it's probably better to just clean the parts on the belt grinder, but if I need pay an employee to stand at the belt grinder for a long time cleaning lots of parts. I'm sure we would both choose the tumbling option.

Surface if you got blank surfaces you see scratches

Fragile parts or parts that can not be scratched will mostly be cut out with laser rather than plasma and is not a good candidate for tumbling.
EW