Teslife
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2023
Posts: 5
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Post by Teslife on Jan 23, 2023 18:01:17 GMT -5
Building my own tumbler...
2 - 5 ft. 3/4" hot rolled steel rods 1 - 10 ft. 3/4" acrylic reinforced tubing 1 - 12lb Lortone barrel 4 - 3lb Harbor Freight (Chicago Electric) barrels
Question 1: Is it really necessary to cover the steel rods with acrylic tubing or will the 3lb (Harbor Freight barrels) and 12lb (Lortone barrel) tumble just fine directly on the steel rods?
Question 2 (if answer to 1 above is yes): Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get acrylic tubing on to the steel rods? Haven't tried it yet but wondering if you just have to struggle with twisting it like crazy or if it helps/hinders to add soapy water to the rod/tube?
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 23, 2023 18:15:59 GMT -5
Acryylic is soft and will not hold up. I would cover the rods with rubber hosing, such as fuel line. Lube the hose with some dish soap to help it slide on the rod.
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Post by pauls on Jan 23, 2023 18:58:34 GMT -5
I have never covered the rollers, As long as both rollers are driven then I can't see the need.
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Post by rmf on Jan 23, 2023 19:39:52 GMT -5
I have never covered the rollers, As long as both rollers are driven then I can't see the need. I concur with pauls drive both rods run on steel.
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 2,487
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Post by rockbrain on Jan 23, 2023 20:32:57 GMT -5
The diameter of the rods will be different and that will change the speed of the barrels. Are you planning on running 3lb and 12lb barrels at the same time? They're usually run at different speeds.
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Teslife
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2023
Posts: 5
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Post by Teslife on Jan 23, 2023 20:43:51 GMT -5
Yes I plan to run them at the same time with one running at 48rpms and one at 28 rpm’s. I think that should work out ok.
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vance71975
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since September 2022
Posts: 760
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Post by vance71975 on Jan 23, 2023 20:58:46 GMT -5
I just use electric tape on the rod on my tumbler, seems to work well enough.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,686
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Post by khara on Jan 23, 2023 21:01:05 GMT -5
We have rubber on ours and it shreds and wears off over time. If you are able to get it to run without the covers maybe that’ll save you some hassle down the road. I wonder though if it’s louder and also if it’ll wear down the edge of the barrel over time.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,686
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Post by khara on Jan 23, 2023 21:02:46 GMT -5
I just use electric tape on the rod on my tumbler, seems to work well enough. That sounds pretty cheap and easy to replace. It just made me think of bicycle handlebar or tennis racket tape. I wonder if that’d work too?
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vance71975
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since September 2022
Posts: 760
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Post by vance71975 on Jan 23, 2023 23:31:05 GMT -5
I just use electric tape on the rod on my tumbler, seems to work well enough. That sounds pretty cheap and easy to replace. It just made me think of bicycle handlebar or tennis racket tape. I wonder if that’d work too? Should, so would skate board Grip tape. Basically anything that causes the barrel to grip should work.
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Post by vegasjames on Jan 24, 2023 1:49:07 GMT -5
I have never covered the rollers, As long as both rollers are driven then I can't see the need. If the barrels have metal rims the metal against metal can wear away the metal rims of the barrels.
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Post by Rockoonz on Jan 24, 2023 1:55:22 GMT -5
The diameter of the rods will be different and that will change the speed of the barrels. Are you planning on running 3lb and 12lb barrels at the same time? They're usually run at different speeds. The surface speed is what's important. With the longer circumference of the larger drums they naturally run less RPM
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Teslife
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2023
Posts: 5
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Post by Teslife on Jan 24, 2023 7:15:29 GMT -5
I'm now thinking I may try slicing the rubber heater hose I found at a great price along one side and then just wrapping it around the rod and use black electrical tape along the seam. That will save me the hassle of trying to get a 5 foot piece of tubing over the steel rod and will be easy to replace if/when I need.
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jimmie
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since August 2021
Posts: 233
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Post by jimmie on Jan 24, 2023 9:22:36 GMT -5
My tumbler has 4 six lb lortones. I used gorilla tape on the rods, I thought it helped the barrels “grip”. In five years of continuous use, the tape has worn away with no bad side effects. It’s just a judgement call.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Jan 24, 2023 9:38:58 GMT -5
Make sure you drive both pairs of shafts(positraction). Driving only one of the two will slip eventually. Last thing needed is rubber/vinyl on shafts for a rubber 12 pound Lortone barrel. The Lortone 12 is about 8 inches diameter ? set the shaft distance at 5 to 5.5" and you will have wedged traction galore.
3 pound barrels ?(toss them and go with 12 pound Lortones), do time consuming step 1 at 48 rpm and finishing steps 2-3-4-5 at 28 rpm using the 12#'s. 28 rpm is perfect for finishing steps in an 8 inch barrel. Best to set both the 48 and the 28 shafts at about 5 inches for 12# Lortones and loose those 3 pound barrels. You will increase production greatly. By the time you do step 1 in Lortone 12A @48rpm, Lortone 12B doing steps 2-3-4-5 is about done @28rpm. Best to build it where the 48 will hold two Lortone 12's and the 28 will hold two lortone 12's for 48 pounds total capacity. Savings in electricity will justify going with 12 pound barrels throughout. 3 pounders are slow and waste electricity.
Step 1 shafts on left(coarse grind) at 60 rpm, step 2-3-4-5 shafts on right(gentle finishing) doing about 25 to 30 rpm. Note end pulleys connecting each pair together. One motor(1/3 HP) drives all. shaft spacing set up for 7 and 10 inch diameter barrels.
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Post by Rockoonz on Jan 24, 2023 10:04:51 GMT -5
jamesp what do you think about the metal hex barrels? They have a lot less contact surface and the automotive hose I used would barely last for a single batch on .75 round stock, 2 rod drive of course. If I recall Elizabeth was putting tape on the contact surface of the barrels for traction but I don't remember if it was because they slipped or just because. We want to start a 40# coarse barrel and it's been about 3 years since we (she with me doing heavy lifting and tumbler base repairs) did a batch.
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,154
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Post by jamesp on Jan 24, 2023 13:25:48 GMT -5
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dave7520
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2023
Posts: 2
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Post by dave7520 on Jan 26, 2023 18:12:00 GMT -5
Acryylic is soft and will not hold up. I would cover the rods with rubber hosing, such as fuel line. Lube the hose with some dish soap to help it slide on the rod. Something I’ve used is heat shrink tubing, easy no struggle installation with heat gun or possibly a hair dryer to shrink (propane torch if you’re careful not to burn it). Available locally or on-line in various diameters and lengths, colors, lightweight or heavy weight and adhesive lined or not (hard to remove old adhesive).
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Wooferhound
Cave Dweller
Lortone QT66 and 3A
Member since December 2016
Posts: 1,423
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Post by Wooferhound on Jan 27, 2023 13:10:37 GMT -5
Acryylic is soft and will not hold up. I would cover the rods with rubber hosing, such as fuel line. Lube the hose with some dish soap to help it slide on the rod. Something I’ve used is heat shrink tubing, easy no struggle installation with heat gun or possibly a hair dryer to shrink (propane torch if you’re careful not to burn it). Available locally or on-line in various diameters and lengths, colors, lightweight or heavy weight and adhesive lined or not (hard to remove old adhesive). Heat Shrink worked for me too . . .
2 months ago I put 5 layers of Heatshrink on the drive roller for my Loretone QT66. The first layer was the hardest because the metal roller is colder than it takes to shrink the tubing properly. 5 layers was the same thickness as the original rubber hose that failed. But heat shrink tube does require special tools. Only been going for a coupla months but it's working really good so far.
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nickinmd
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2023
Posts: 15
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Post by nickinmd on Feb 20, 2023 4:25:13 GMT -5
What about bicycle tubing on the barrels? Cut strips wide as you want. Giant rubber band, coarse for bigger barrels would need bigger tubing(local tire shop castoffs)?
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