fraens
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2023
Posts: 9
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Post by fraens on Mar 30, 2024 6:52:33 GMT -5
Dear forum, thanks to the numerous inspiring posts here, my interest in the hobby of stone polishing has been awakened. After intensive study and learning from the discussions, I would now like to share my latest creation with you.
Over the past 4-5 months I have designed, built and successfully tested a 3D printed vibration rock tumbler. This tumbler is powered by a magnet, so no conventional motors or moving parts are needed. The magnet is controlled via an Arduino Uno. The frequency and amplitude of the tumbler can be adjusted in two ways.
First of all, I integrated a spring system consisting of compression and extension springs, which are carefully coordinated to avoid oversteering as much as possible. The tension spring is continuously preloaded, which makes it possible to adjust the amplitude very precisely. The second parameter for controlling the tumbler are two potentiometers that can be used to set the switch-on and switch-off times of the magnet. This also allows the frequency to be regulated very precisely. Of course, the spring system and the switch-on and switch-off times of the magnet influence each other, but with an understanding of the oscillation system, very good results can be achieved.
Another important parameter is the distance between the magnet and the metal plate, which should be large enough to prevent the metal plate from hitting the magnet. This requires some fine-tuning and adjustment. The machine behaves differently depending on the grit used and sometimes it is necessary to play with the potentiometer, especially when the slurry becomes very thick. It takes a certain amount of finesse to familiarize yourself with the machine.
I monitor the tumbler once in the morning and once in the evening and add a little water each time. I have done very well with this rhythm over several months. I change the silicon carbide every 2-4 days, as the sludge becomes very viscous. I think the results are impressive, although I worked with a less suitable starting material for the first few attempts. Nevertheless, I am very satisfied with the result.
And here is the video:
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 30, 2024 8:08:07 GMT -5
Extremely impressive. My husband has that printer, but it's way beyond what I could do. Great job!!!! The proof is in those polishes you got. Thank you so much for sharing!
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,179
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Post by rockbrain on Mar 30, 2024 8:52:31 GMT -5
That's pretty amazing! I don't know how long the clear hopper will stay clear but it looks pretty cool.
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fraens
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2023
Posts: 9
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Post by fraens on Mar 30, 2024 9:05:38 GMT -5
I am glad that you like it. In the video, the funnel was still brand new. I also think it will soon become cloudy. I have only used it once so far for polishing with aluminum oxide. It still looks pretty good.
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iamchris
has rocks in the head
Member since June 2023
Posts: 722
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Post by iamchris on Mar 30, 2024 11:14:07 GMT -5
This is awesome. Nice work!
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Post by Rockoonz on Mar 30, 2024 11:48:15 GMT -5
Verry nice.
I'm curious about things like the flex cycles of the plastics and all that, but when replacement parts are as close as the printer that's not an issue. There is a vibe tumbler out there that functions with the electromagnets as well, I forget the brand right now.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,980
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Post by khara on Mar 30, 2024 15:26:03 GMT -5
That’s a lot of work. Really impressive. I like the clear barrel. Seems it’s best for the last polish stage and the black barrel good for the grit stages where the slurry is gray anyway.
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rockinronda
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2023
Posts: 246
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Post by rockinronda on Apr 5, 2024 8:30:29 GMT -5
😱🤩🤯 WOW! Seriously impressive! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
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oblina
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2024
Posts: 3
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Post by oblina on Apr 8, 2024 12:50:04 GMT -5
Supply chains are a problem, companies closing their doors and it’s great to see creativity buzzing. What an impressive design.
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,179
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Post by rockbrain on Apr 8, 2024 14:51:17 GMT -5
I don't remember the name of the website that was featuring it, but this popped up on the internet feed on my phone browser the other day.
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zebra61
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2024
Posts: 161
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Post by zebra61 on Apr 8, 2024 18:31:56 GMT -5
Some of the talents displayed on this Forum just amaze me. fraens that is some keen engineering and impressive use of your 3D printers. Wow! From the deep corner of your workbench it seems there were multiple iterations in that pile of printed parts. Lot's of determination exhibited there. Thanks for sharing the video. Exciting stuff! |
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fraens
off to a rocking start
Member since November 2023
Posts: 9
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Post by fraens on Apr 9, 2024 5:25:16 GMT -5
Hello, I noticed the supply chain problem with the tumblers. In Europe, magnet-operated tumblers are not available at all. It seems like there is no market for it in Europe. This was my original motivation to realize the project. As already written, there were a lot of attempts. The whole development took place over a few months. It took a while until I understood the basic functionality and I had to carry out a few experiments and tests. At first it wasn't clear to me why a curved spring was needed. In retrospect it is clear. You have to create a slight rotational movement on one side of the container to create a rotating throwing movement. I also had to repeatedly struggle with broken springs. However, this problem was solved with a clamp that allows the spring to move slightly. Once you start a project like this and have already done a lot of design work and testing and probably spent hundreds of hours on it, there is no going back. Then you have to go through with it so that all the effort isn't in vain. Here is the link to my website where I describe the machine in more detail: fraensengineering.com/vibratory-rock-tumbler-with-magnetic-drive/ |
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