sgemmett
off to a rocking start
Member since February 2009
Posts: 24
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Post by sgemmett on Mar 19, 2009 16:56:39 GMT -5
Is there a trick to putting the thumler's lid ring on a barrel? I got a new tumbler last December and just feel like I am doing something wrong every time I put the ring on the barrel.
I stretch and seat the ring in small sections working around while my daughter holds the parts that are already seated. I worry a lot about twisting the ring which could lead to it dislodging/spillage or leakage. I had the ring dislodge early on and the gritty mess was a joy to clean, maybe that explains my fear of this thing. Is there some trick to this? Am I over thinking it? I can't see how I can put this thing on without growing a 3rd hand.
Thanks!
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Post by 150FromFundy on Mar 19, 2009 17:48:19 GMT -5
I had a few "amateur moments" with my Thumler lids on my first tumbles. What a mess.
One thing that will help is to soften the stiff rubber O-ring, especially if your room temperature is cool. I run my O-ring under hot tap water and give it a few good stretches, just like you would an elastic band.
With the barrel directly in front of you, start with the O-ring in the groove on the far side of the barrel. Hold the near side of the barrel with both thumbs and pull the ring toward you with both index and middle fingers. Pull the O-ring down over the barrel and slowly release it. Don't snap it.
If the seal looks good, let the barrel stand for 10 min to 15 min so that the rubber stretches and everything tightens into place.
If the seal does not look good, or you see any evidence of slurry that has splashed around the seal, clean and repeat. If you don't, you are setting yourself up for an "amateur moment". I have had three now.
Good luck!
150FromFundy
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beachcomber1
having dreams about rocks
Member since March 2009
Posts: 60
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Post by beachcomber1 on Mar 19, 2009 20:23:16 GMT -5
sgemmett
I am new at this and I found by doing this the lid goes on real easy.
What I do is after I wash the drum I run hot water in the drum for about 10-15 min and then fill it with rocks ,grit,water, lid and the lid goes right on with no problem and let sit for 5-10 min and of you go.
John
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 19, 2009 20:52:06 GMT -5
Thumler's had a problem with their barrels for a while. The lip around the top was a little too high or groove not right. I had retaining rings popping off barrels sitting on the shelf at my shows. They were really good about it so apparently they knew about it. I'd tell them how many bad ones and they would include on my next order. I finally stopped carrying their products for other reasons but their tumblers are very well built even though the barrels on the small models are annoying. I doubt you would ever wear out the bearings and the barrels are very durable. Lids will wear out and retaining rings will eventually stretch out and have to be replaced.
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Mar 19, 2009 21:02:08 GMT -5
A little off topic, but on my 15 lb. barrel, I got only about 6 months out of the lid liner.  Now I'm using vinyl carpet runner and it seems to last about 3 months, but it's much cheaper. Does anybody have a better solution? I tried to get rubber inner tubes from truck tire distributors, but they didn't have any. Car tire places didn't have any since car tires have been tubeless for years. Chuck |
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 19, 2009 21:23:56 GMT -5
If you have an industrial supply in your area that carries hose, etc. you can buy gasket material by the foot. I used to buy 2 ply neoprene gasket to make cooling tower and boiler flange gaskets. Some of it was 3/16" thick and very durable. You would have to buy a gasket hole punch to make the bolt holes. You might try auto parts suppliers also. I think the stock lid gaskets are about $7 ea. so not sure it is worth the trouble if you get 6 months out of them.
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Mar 19, 2009 21:49:46 GMT -5
sgemmett, I got my first tumbler for Christmas last year and it's a Thumler. I too have battled and struggled with that o-ring closure and I'm not sure there is any trick to simplifying the process, but I can say that with practice it does get easier. I've gotten pretty proficient with it at this point, but it's taken many weeks of closing the barrels to get to the point of where I don't fight with it quite so much.
Early this year, I also purchased a Lortone tumbler because they had such good reviews here on RTH. Of the two types, I really prefer the Lortone and that preference stems mainly from the fact that the Lortone lids are so much easier to work with. I think the Thumler is a good tumbler and it does a great job at what it's designed to do, but I wish they would rethink that lid design. I've commented to others that I can't imagine someone with arthritis in their hands being able to work that o-ring at all.
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 19, 2009 22:59:33 GMT -5
Firstrune, have you tried putting the Lortone drums on the Thumler's? That would be great if they would fit. If so the CE drums would fit also.
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Mar 20, 2009 8:11:10 GMT -5
johnsjsgems, I hadn't even thought of this until you mentioned it here, so I just went and tested that idea. Here are the results, the Thumler and Lortone I have are the double 3 lb drum styles. You can't fit both of the Lortones on the Thumler as the Lortone drums are a tad longer. I think if you could move the stop furthest from the motor, you may be able to squeeze them both on there, but as the Thumler is set up, the Lortone drums are too long. I also tried setting one Thumler drum and one Lortone drum and again, the same problem. Shame, that would have been a great idea!
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 20, 2009 9:34:44 GMT -5
I figured that was the case. The lid knob sticking out makes the overall length a little more at least. The Thumler's retaining rings do get a little easier after a few batches. I usually hold the drum in front of me and put the ring on the bottom of the groove. Using both hands I stretch the ring towards the top using my belly to help support the drum.
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huffstuff
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since August 2007
Posts: 1,222
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Post by huffstuff on Mar 20, 2009 13:29:41 GMT -5
Yup, they are a pain at first. When my first Thumlers was about a year old, I got a second barrel for the polish stage only. Man, is that ring tight! The first is much easier, probably due to a year's worth of use and stretching. I'm going to try the warm water on the tight ring next time.
Like most of the rest of tumbling - patience!
Amy
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Mar 20, 2009 19:54:36 GMT -5
Amy I sure agree about the patience factor. I've gotten pretty good with the rings at this point, but I have to admit, if you gave me a choice of which drum I wanted to play with, it would be one of the Lortone's hands down. That lid is just so easy to put on comparatively speaking. I've actually spilled the Thumler drums twice trying to get the ring on, that's caused some interesting language in the kitchen. ;D
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Mar 20, 2009 19:56:47 GMT -5
John, the way you work the Thumler kind of sounds like my method. I don't curse as much when I have to close one of those, so I think that's a good sign. When I first started with the Thumlers, one of the drums ended up on the kitchen floor, I was madder than that proverbial wet hen.  |
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Terry664
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since March 2005
Posts: 1,146
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Post by Terry664 on Mar 20, 2009 21:23:28 GMT -5
I don't have much trouble with getting the lids on any more, just because of a lot of practice. But one thing I would like to point out for newer people, make sure no pellets are in groove for lid because it will make it hard to get lid on, plus hard to get ring on, also it will leak when it starts rolling. Also the inside and outside groove should be cleaned out real well before putting lid and ring on because it takes very little grit or 1 or 2 pellets to cause leak.
Terry
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firstrune
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2009
Posts: 156
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Post by firstrune on Mar 22, 2009 9:09:56 GMT -5
Excellent advice Terry and the grit caught in the lip was the cause of the first leakage I had with the Thumler drum. I'm now in the habit of scrubbing the drum extremely well before closing it up again. The cleaning of the drum takes far less time than the mess I had to clean up from the leakage.
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