gadgetguy
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2012
Posts: 12
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Post by gadgetguy on Oct 3, 2012 22:21:18 GMT -5
Hello all,
I am running my very first tumble (stage 1)
Two quick questions: the tumbler was initially quite quiet but now it makes quite a bit of noise. Investigating the noise I found that it comes from the large wheel (which has the belt on it). If I remove the belt the motor makes no noise. I have oiled the bushings but no difference. The driven axel has some play right-left but that play has no impact on the noise. Is this normal?
The second question: the black plastic which keeps the barrel from hitting the end is quickly getting smaller and smaller. Soon it will not keep the barrel from hitting the end. Is there a fix for that?
Thank you for any advice!
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electricface
starting to spend too much on rocks
First fish of the day
Member since August 2012
Posts: 211
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Post by electricface on Oct 3, 2012 22:55:47 GMT -5
I would say if the plastic tab is wearing down to fast check to see how level your machine is first off. Mine isn't perfectly level and it travels to one end constantly. I get some noise as the end washer rubs on the plastic tab. Did you try it with the barrel off the machine? Another possibility for the noise could be a bad bearing in the motor. When you put the belt on it pulls slightly on the motor shaft and if there is a bad bearing it would cause the shaft to sort of twist off center(pull to one side) or wiggle and could make plenty of noise. I may not have been any help but at least an idea.  keep us posted as to what you find. I was thinking about buying the same tumbler so I'd have one just for polish. I am curious as to what you find out. |
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Minnesota Daniel
freely admits to licking rocks
A COUPLE LAKERS
Member since August 2011
Posts: 891
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Post by Minnesota Daniel on Oct 3, 2012 23:12:12 GMT -5
To give yourself a little background on the Harbor Freight Tumbler, I suggest you Google it. Specifically, cut and paste this line into your browser search window:
"Harbor Freight tumbler" site:forum.rocktumblinghobby.com
Now read the threads that discuss the "issues" with Harbor Freight tumblers. If this is a new tumbler, and you are only in your first stage of your first tumble, then I would recommend returning it for a full refund and don't look back. Others I'm sure will suggest a less drastic approach.
Oh, hey, I forgot to welcome you.
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Oct 3, 2012 23:18:33 GMT -5
I have the chicago tumbler form HF, and I have no issues with the plastic nut wearing down.. there should be a small metal tab the stops the nut from rubbing.
Also, I get more noise now than wen it was new but I don't have anything overly loud about it... my thought it to return it and try another machine... and make sure to put some 3in1 on the bearings sleeves before tumbling, run the machine for 1/2 hour to allow oil to penetrate and you should be good!!!
mine has been running for a couple 3-4 months now with no issues, runs cooler than the lortone tumbler!!
Mario
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Dora
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2012
Posts: 252
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Post by Dora on Oct 4, 2012 4:56:09 GMT -5
Around 10 years ago I bought 2 dual drum tumblers, a Lortone, and also a Chicago because of it's very low price (and color). They are both still going strong today. Perhaps because I don't over-use them, keep them clean inside and out, oil and change the belts often. Years ago I replaced the plastic tabs of both of my tumblers. I cut rectangular pieces from something plastic and rounded their ends and drilled a small hole to fit the tumblers. About the noise - things to check: - Loose screws (important). - Correct belt tension, also trying out a new belt. - Clean and oiled drive shaft. - Manually move the drive shaft (without the belt) to observe well the pulley movement, condition and noise. - Observe the fan condition & stability while running. That's all I can think at the moment, good luck with anything you decide to do to solve your problem. Dora P.S. Both of my tumblers make some natural noise (without the barrels) but my Lortone is actually a bit noisier than my Chicago, probably because of its stronger motor. |
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gadgetguy
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2012
Posts: 12
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Post by gadgetguy on Oct 4, 2012 7:46:28 GMT -5
Thank you all for the helpful replies.
It seems that in fact my tumbler was not completely level - that would explain the quick wear of the plastic tab.
Solution: level the tumbler; replace the plastic (its not metal) tab with a new one. I have done the leveling, will replace the tab soon.
Noise: a number of good suggestions. As soon as the tumble is done (in a couple of days) I will take the tumbler apart to check for the various possible reasons.
At a first glance I do not see/feel a difference between today - where its quite noisy - and last Sunday - where it was much less noisy ; but taking it apart may give some answers.
Just for reference: the noise (I am always testing for noise with the barrel off) I am getting is not "overly loud" - it is just clearly louder now ( 4 days non stop tumbling) than it was on day 1 (on day 1 the unit was quite quiet with no barrel on). I keep the unit in the basement, and when I close the door to my basement workshop the noise is not really heard outside the door.
As a side note, I am in Canada - so returning the unit would be very costly so I will try to fix it; plus I think there IS a fix (or maybe the noise will turn out to be normal?)
I will keep you posted.
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marinedad
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since December 2010
Posts: 813
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Post by marinedad on Oct 4, 2012 7:53:09 GMT -5
i had one, needed a new belt every month, took it back, they gave me a new one. i had the extended warranty. it was the dual drum one. poor design, i needed to grind down the black plastic nuts so they would not rub. still went thru belts like crazy. i found the lortone belt would work better and last a lot longer. i gave up on it after the belt wore the nylon pulley down to the shaft. i was running it 24-7 my advice, get the lortone or similar if your going to tumble a lot. less headaches in the long run.
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gadgetguy
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2012
Posts: 12
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Post by gadgetguy on Oct 4, 2012 8:55:28 GMT -5
i had one, needed a new belt every month, took it back, they gave me a new one. i had the extended warranty. it was the dual drum one. poor design, i needed to grind down the black plastic nuts so they would not rub. still went thru belts like crazy. i found the lortone belt would work better and last a lot longer. i gave up on it after the belt wore the nylon pulley down to the shaft. i was running it 24-7 my advice, get the lortone or similar if your going to tumble a lot. less headaches in the long run. I may end up getting a Lortone. For now I am trying to fix it though. I know Harbor Freight tumblers had many problems in the past, but recent reviews are quite positive. The cost of one Lortone tumbler is more than 3 Harbor Freight units - so I really hope I can fix it... |
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milto
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by milto on Oct 4, 2012 15:06:26 GMT -5
Have a HF dual tombler for many years, no poroblems.Seems a lot of the complaints are 2nd hand. I'm sure there are truly some bad ones out there, but I have 2 lortone and 2 Thumblers in the junk heap with motors that are to weak to run there barrels.Good and bad in most mfg's, sometime it simply is a crap shoot.
2cents worth
milto
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milto
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by milto on Oct 4, 2012 15:07:44 GMT -5
Sorry for spelling, I should read before hitting Post.
milto
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steveo
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2011
Posts: 273
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Post by steveo on Oct 4, 2012 15:18:29 GMT -5
I have a HF that I used some but really don't use it right now since I got into faceting. It needed leveled and I also leveled it front to back and put just a bit more weight to the roller with out the motor. Not sure if that was a help.
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Oct 4, 2012 23:27:15 GMT -5
I have a HF dual drum rotary that was my first thing to buy when I started in this hobby. I replaced the motor with a good one by Dayton. Keep the roller surfaces clean to prevent the barrels from walking on you. One small lump can do it. And be sure that your drums are not leaking out any liquid. The grit gets onto the shaft and you got trouble. Improper belt tension is the main cause for excess belt wear and will cause it to wear the small motor pulley when mixed with dirty shaft bushings. Oil them before starting each batch. I bought mine on sale and when adding in the price of the replacement motor I had less than $120 invested in it. It is now about 3 years old and still works well.
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The Dad_Ohs
fully equipped rock polisher
Take me to your Labradorite!!
Member since September 2012
Posts: 1,860
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Post by The Dad_Ohs on Oct 5, 2012 8:13:41 GMT -5
Have a HF dual tombler for many years, no poroblems.Seems a lot of the complaints are 2nd hand. I'm sure there are truly some bad ones out there, but I have 2 lortone and 2 Thumblers in the junk heap with motors that are to weak to run there barrels.Good and bad in most mfg's, sometime it simply is a crap shoot. 2cents worth milto If you still have the old tumblers and just gonna toss em.. send them to me .. I can always cannibalize them for some parts and I have a couple spare motors that might work, they are regular size electric motors. I'll pay shipping if needed... let me know, thanks!! ps my spelling sux too ... don't sweat it !! lol |
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gadgetguy
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2012
Posts: 12
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Post by gadgetguy on Oct 5, 2012 13:26:57 GMT -5
Thank you all. Leveling and some more oil at the bushings made a big difference. The unit is much more stable now and the noise level is lower too... Now I just have to wait for stage 1 to finish. Then I will run another batch of stage 1 before going to stage 2 ( to ensure a nice load for stage 2 ) I cant wait to see how my first tumble will turn out |
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jspencer
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since March 2011
Posts: 929
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Post by jspencer on Oct 5, 2012 22:45:47 GMT -5
Just keep in mind that some rocks off-gas more than others. So especially in the very first days of initial grind it is important to check to see if barrel needs to be burped. Take care to wipe the rim and gasket when putting top back on for a proper seal. I had to try and ignore it when I first started. Patience is a must in this hobby
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Oct 6, 2012 16:28:48 GMT -5
I am a fan of the Harbor Freight rotary tumblers and currently have two of them running. No issues such as you describe, HOWEVER, there is a 90 day warranty, and other people have reported Quality Control issues, so always run your new tumbler right away and then exchange it if for some reason you got one of the duds.
The vibe tumblers should not be sold for tumbling rocks and should be returned for a refund or credit. I have skimmed your question perhaps too quickly so don't know which tumbler you are trying to run.
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gadgetguy
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2012
Posts: 12
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Post by gadgetguy on Oct 6, 2012 18:14:30 GMT -5
Thank you again all.
All seems to be good now with my HF rotary tumbler.
As I am in Canada returning it for an exchange was not really an option (shipping it back costs more than the price of the unit), so I am happy that wont be necessary.
I have just opened my first tumble (stage 1) - and it seems most rocks go back for some more (as the shapes are not enough rounded yet) - but I start to see what is going on, and it is really nice so far!!!
I really appreciate all the very helpful comments on this forum!
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milto
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since January 2010
Posts: 162
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Post by milto on Oct 6, 2012 19:44:02 GMT -5
The Dad_Ohs
I use the barrells on my homemade tumbler which seems the way most people go after frustration with Mfg tumblers. I will keep you in mind if I hear of any extra barrells.
Milt
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gadgetguy
off to a rocking start
Member since September 2012
Posts: 12
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Post by gadgetguy on Oct 11, 2012 7:58:37 GMT -5
A final update to close the loop and maybe share some insights (after checking for many things - and getting back to a lower noise level).
This is what has happened:
1. The tumbler was not level - that resulted in the plastic barrel retainer tab wearing down quite fast. I have lifted the side with the tab up (so the unit is now intentionally still not level, but the side with the motor is lower). The barrel still goes to the tab - but the wear is much much less.
2. The screw which held the drive shaft pulley was not holding the pulley (it was impossible to tighten it as the treads were worn out on the pulley) - replacing it with another, larger, screw solved the problem: now the pulley sits tight.
3. The belt slightly loosened up as the the unit warms up. A loose belt makes a lot of noise. Solution: move the motor a bit to tighten the belt: noise is much less.
Now I am at about 10 days of 24/7 tumbling and the unit is stable, with not too much noise.
I just need to wait patiently for the stones to take the expected shape...
Thanks to you all for the great suggestions!
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peachfront
fully equipped rock polisher
Stones have begun to speak, because an ear is there to hear them.
Member since August 2010
Posts: 1,745
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Post by peachfront on Oct 16, 2012 21:01:16 GMT -5
Cool. We look forward to seeing your tumbles posted one day in the photo section! :-)
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keep us posted as to what you find. I was thinking about buying the same tumbler so I'd have one just for polish. I am curious as to what you find out.
