slabcabber
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2010
Posts: 590
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Post by slabcabber on Apr 6, 2010 15:20:13 GMT -5
Hello I have a lortone 33b tumbler and after it has ran for a day it stops turning anyone have a clue what I need to do. I have just started tumbling rocks. I bought these tumblers from a man that use to have a rock shop and he closed and they had been in the barn for a year or two .I have been cutting and polishing cabs for a while but tumbling is new to me and I have a bucket full of agatized wood that came from the bottum of the Sabine River need my tumblers to work. If anyone can help ...
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rocksndahead
off to a rocking start
Member since October 2010
Posts: 21
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Post by rocksndahead on Apr 6, 2010 17:02:02 GMT -5
Hey Mark, you talking about the one that the motor stops turning or the one that the barrels stop turning?
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MikeS
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2009
Posts: 1,081
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Post by MikeS on Apr 6, 2010 17:21:50 GMT -5
Could be a lot of different things...you'll have to go through some troubleshooting steps...look for visually obvious things first, like anything caught up in the pullies or shafts, damaged or broken parts, broken belt, ect...NOTE, many tumbler motors lack the initial amperage to always start spinning a full barrel on thier own, and sometimes have to be "kick started" so to speak by manually spinning the barrel once it's plugged in, mine is like this
If you can't find the problem there, remove the barrel, plug it in and see if it spins without the barrel. If it does, check the general cleanliness and lubrication (where applicable) of the moving parts. Clean and lube as necessary and try again. If the motor and shafts move but the barrel doesn't, check for grease on the shafts or barrel, clean it off if there is any.
If it still doesn't spin with the barrel removed, you'll have to determine if it is the motor or the shaft assembly that is causing the problem. Remove any drive belts from the motor, plug it in and see if it spins...if it does, the motor is probably ok and the problem lies in the pully-belt-shaft area. Make sure all the shafts spin freely and nothing is caught up in anything, ect.
hope this helps
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Post by johnjsgems on Apr 6, 2010 17:26:44 GMT -5
Yes, remove motor cover and check belt. Lortone is notorious for belts slipping. Adjust by loosening motor mounts and sliding motor to tighten. If belt is ok check to see if as Troy asked whether motor is stopping or just the barrels. "Year or two" could be a lot longer. Belt could be dried out, cracked. Motor bearings could be dry. Did you oil the shaft bushings when you started it up? I'm always suspicious of a "year or two" or "a while".
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slabcabber
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2010
Posts: 590
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Post by slabcabber on Apr 6, 2010 18:24:24 GMT -5
I will take the thing apart and clean and lube it good . What do I use to lube with? And do I lube the motor and bushings with the same thing?
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slabcabber
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2010
Posts: 590
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Post by slabcabber on Apr 6, 2010 18:26:32 GMT -5
The belt seems to be in good shape no cracks not dried out and seems to be tight enough. also
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Post by johnjsgems on Apr 6, 2010 19:05:41 GMT -5
Any light weight machine oil will work. Three In One, etc. The motor is likely permanently lubed but could be dried out. You can try working a little oil in at each end. There have been posts some time ago on taking Lortone motor apart and relubing but not sure how easy it would be to find it. Was this a brand new tumbler that was left over?
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slabcabber
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2010
Posts: 590
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Post by slabcabber on Apr 6, 2010 19:18:06 GMT -5
Yes they where new when he closed.
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Post by susand24224 on Apr 6, 2010 19:49:38 GMT -5
My Lortone has never done this but my Thumler did--it was my fault, I had overzealously lubbed it and it seems that oil got in the wrong places and caused things to slip (like the barrel).
Susan
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MikeS
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2009
Posts: 1,081
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Post by MikeS on Apr 6, 2010 21:03:28 GMT -5
I will take the thing apart and clean and lube it good . What do I use to lube with? And do I lube the motor and bushings with the same thing? Before you go to all that work, make sure it isn't the motor first. It probably isn't, motors usually give you some warning they are on their way out, but I'd check that before I did too much work. |
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quartz
Cave Dweller 
breakin' rocks in the hot sun
Member since February 2010
Posts: 3,359
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Post by quartz on Apr 6, 2010 21:22:37 GMT -5
My wife spotted a tumbler of one gallon capacity in the back of a shed at a sale, owner said it didn't work, suspected a "cold belt". $7 brought it home, needed the motor oiled, worked great. Most often a good cleaning and lube fixes them up.
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slabcabber
has rocks in the head
Member since April 2010
Posts: 590
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Post by slabcabber on Apr 7, 2010 12:51:24 GMT -5
Thanks for all the info, I just got it cleaned and put back together. it is running fine with a barrel of agatized wood . Wish me luck.... I am working on building a big tumbler but funds have ran low. Will back on it before long I hope.. As soon as I can sell some rocks.
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