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Post by velodromed on May 18, 2023 14:36:06 GMT -5
*Update Jan, 2024 I’ve decided to use this thread to post issues and what not with the Rebel 17. I’m still running the thing 24/7 and aside from the motor picking up a distinctive hum several months ago, it’s doing very well. One thing I have not figured out yet is how to more thoroughly service the motor. It’s not like the motors I’m used to in my other hobby, RC cars. So I’ve only been blowing it out with compressed air ever so often and keeping the front bushing lubricated. If anybody knows more information on the motor, please let me know. ———————————————— 2023 I’ve had this thing running constantly since we got it April 1st, so decided it’s time for a quick service. I decided that I’ll do these quick servicings every 4-6 weeks and a more in depth servicing and cleaning every 6 months. Figure that’s a good schedule to start out on.  First off, I give it a detailed cleaning because it’s dirty. I scrubed it down as needed to remove staining and build up on the machine and barrel, inspecting and cleaning the rubber parts. I carefully inspect the rubber rollers and clean them very well. I finish the metal parts and barrel off a ceramic spray wipe down. I use a powerful blower to blow dust out of the motor, then put a drop of oil on the bushing/bearing. I look over the belt carefully. I check to make sure the pinion grub screw is still tight... I check every bolt and nuts for tightness actually. I pay close attention to cleaning the outside of the roller pillow bearings on both sides, so I can relube with out contaminating it. I spin carefully each bearing for any ‘crunchy’ sound or feeling. At the 6 month mark I’ll pull the bearing seals and regrease or replace as needed, but if it gets crunchy now I repack or replace the pillow bearing. Next I lubricate the bearings. I like Superlube brand but most any lightweight oil will do, like 3 in 1 oil. I put a couple drops on the outside surface on both sides of the bearing then spin. After a few minutes I use a cloth to wipe off all excess. I’ll do this every 4-6 weeks when the 6 month point hits, I’ll do a more in depth cleaning and servicing. |
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Post by Son Of Beach on May 18, 2023 16:32:50 GMT -5
Thanks for the pointers. Mine is looking more like a cement mixer with a limp at this point  |
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Post by velodromed on May 18, 2023 18:53:13 GMT -5
Thanks for the pointers. Mine is looking more like a cement mixer with a limp at this point BaaaaaHaHaHa! It’s never too late to start maintaining something. Well, unless it’s broken that is. |
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Post by Son Of Beach on May 18, 2023 18:56:20 GMT -5
Thanks for the pointers. Mine is looking more like a cement mixer with a limp at this point BaaaaaHaHaHa! It’s never too late to start maintaining something. Well, unless it’s broken that is. Not broken yet. It's durability has outlasted my procrastination and inattention so far....
Have you replaced the belt yet?
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Post by velodromed on May 18, 2023 20:50:43 GMT -5
BaaaaaHaHaHa! It’s never too late to start maintaining something. Well, unless it’s broken that is. Not broken yet. It's durability has outlasted my procrastination and inattention so far....
Have you replaced the belt yet?
Nope. The belt is still in perfect shape. I love how sturdy and smart it’s built. Pillow bearings instead of bushings. Heavy duty hex hardware. Powder coated paint. The motor seems well built and powerful. The barrel is very sturdy. I got the version that spins at 40 RPM since I use it for breaking down larger rocks. It has a good warranty too, I remember that. I like how parts like the liners, bearings etc are reasonably priced and easy to get. |
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Post by jasoninsd on May 18, 2023 21:19:36 GMT -5
Nice to see a maintenance thread Velo! Thanks for posting this!! |
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dillonf
fully equipped rock polisher
Hounding and tumbling
Member since February 2022
Posts: 1,622
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Post by dillonf on May 18, 2023 21:31:25 GMT -5
Convincing me I may want a Rebel 17 myself. Though my wife might kill me if I get another tumbler.
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Post by velodromed on May 19, 2023 7:37:41 GMT -5
Nice to see a maintenance thread Velo! Thanks for posting this!! Thanks! I like to work on things. I loved working on/building bicycles when I could ride, and I enjoy working on my RC cars almost more than I do driving them. One thing I’ve learned is preventative maintenance helps things last for decades, not just years. Man…I really want to build my own tumbler, one that can spin 4-6 barrels. From what I can tell, the motor is the most expensive part of it and there are a lot of used motors out there for a good bit cheaper. Looks like a standard, 1/2-1 HP, 1700rpm blower motor would work. This is something I hope to be working on by years end. |
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Post by velodromed on May 19, 2023 7:39:06 GMT -5
Convincing me I may want a Rebel 17 myself. Though my wife might kill me if I get another tumbler. Yeah, I can see how that would interfere with getting another tumbler. If you do, though, I highly recommend looking at this one. |
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Post by velodromed on Jan 23, 2024 12:29:54 GMT -5
One issue that has come up is several of the plastic thumb nuts have cracked. I tried a couple of different styles from Amazon and one thing you have to be careful of is most of them quite tall, so they do not work. I finally found these and they fit just right. I’ve used them on two cycles for far with no issues. They’re cheap also, just six bucks, and 10 are included. I’m not sure how strong they’ll be for the long run, but they’re working good now. 6-Star Knob 10PCS 1/4 Inch Plastic Hexagon Head Thru Knobs M6 x 32 Brass Female Thread Clamping Nuts Screw On Knob Grip Knurled Handle Through Hole Set-Up (10, M6) a.co/d/aS1do5J |
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Post by velodromed on Jan 23, 2024 12:37:09 GMT -5
Thanks for the pointers. Mine is looking more like a cement mixer with a limp at this point Hey man! Have you ever got your Reb 17 up and running well? Figured out any hints over the last eight months or so on servicing the thing? |
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Post by pebblesky on Jan 23, 2024 12:53:58 GMT -5
I am curious what caused the plastic thumb nuts of your Rebel 17 to crack. The plastic thumb nuts on my Rebel 17 look quite intact and should hopefully last for quite long. My weekly clean-up routine is to use two baby wipes that I overstocked many years ago to clean up the rollers and the barrels. The base usually had a lot of dust and rust scattered around the two ends of the rollers so I started to tape a thin paper plate beneath the rollers where the rust were accumulated and toss that paper plate once in a while.
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Post by velodromed on Jan 23, 2024 13:30:39 GMT -5
I am curious what caused the plastic thumb nuts of your Rebel 17 to crack. The plastic thumb nuts on my Rebel 17 look quite intact and should hopefully last for quite long. My weekly clean-up routine is to use two baby wipes that I overstocked many years ago to clean up the rollers and the barrels. The base usually had a lot of dust and rust scattered around the two ends of the rollers so I started to tape a thin paper plate beneath the rollers where the rust were accumulated and toss that paper plate once in a while. Mine leaks unless I crank the retaining nuts down pretty hard. So I’m sure that’s why they cracked. The cracks started around where the brass insert is. Someone else mentioned on the forum to try placing washers beneath the nuts to spread out the load, but I misplaced my washers during the move so have to get new ones. Nice, I actually use baby wipes to clean up my RC cars lol. They do a really good job and the lotion in them shines up the plastics pretty good. I get an accumulation of dust and some rust as well under the rollers that I clean up between runs. I also oil the bearings at the same time. I thought the bearings would be crunchy by now, but they are still really smooth. All in all, I still think it’s an excellent machine and I’m very glad I got it. |
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Post by Son Of Beach on Jan 23, 2024 13:35:32 GMT -5
Thanks for the pointers. Mine is looking more like a cement mixer with a limp at this point Hey man! Have you ever got your Reb 17 up and running well? Figured out any hints over the last eight months or so on servicing the thing? I'm still running strong, but I think it could use a clean up this week. I do have the time.... |
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Post by velodromed on Jan 23, 2024 15:38:39 GMT -5
Hey man! Have you ever got your Reb 17 up and running well? Figured out any hints over the last eight months or so on servicing the thing? I'm still running strong, but I think it could use a clean up this week. I do have the time.... What’s your clean up process? |
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Post by Son Of Beach on Jan 23, 2024 15:53:28 GMT -5
What’s your clean up process? What make you think I have one lol
It's long overdue and I'll be using your post as a model for my inspection
Do you actually pop the seals on the bearings?
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Post by velodromed on Jan 23, 2024 16:05:59 GMT -5
What’s your clean up process? What make you think I have one lol
It's long overdue and I'll be using your post as a model for my inspection
Do you actually pop the seals on the bearings?
lol your ‘it’s a running like a cement mixer’ comment from a while back. There’s no need to pop the seals unless the bearing starts to feel crunchy. At each cleaning, I simply wipe them clean and put a drop of oil on each one. if they’re crunchy, though, I’ll pop the seals on both sides, run it through a sonic cleaner, pop the seal back on one side, fill it 2/3rds full with super lube grease and reassemble. At the same time and I’ll also look at exactly what kind of bearing it is and order new ones. Bearings are cheap and typically they’re only good for one cleaning I’ve found. But of course that’s RC cars (my other hobby), which are a hell of a lot harder on bearings than these things. What I really want to figure out is how to properly service the motor. I don’t like the hum that it makes. Tells me there is friction going on inside somewhere. It’s still running good though, regardless of the noise, but if it ever starts to suffer, I’ll do the mineral oil soak thing. |
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Post by velodromed on Jan 23, 2024 21:16:47 GMT -5
I'm no expert but my understanding was sealed bearings are impervious to dirt and should last their intended life without maintenance. You might be oiling the shaft but I don't think the oil is penetrating the bearing. Nah, not with relative cheap ABEC 3 bearings like I’m pretty sure these are. They have a seal, it’s a sort of plastic/rubber material, sometimes backed with a thin piece of metal. Oil penetrates it easy. That’s why when I clean and relube them I use grease, because grease tends to stay put better than the drop of oil that the factory puts in. When I pull mine apart here in the next month or two I’ll post pictures. Hey, ever get that scraping figured out that yours is doing? |
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Post by velodromed on Jan 24, 2024 14:33:11 GMT -5
I have the manual in front of me and under the maintenance section it doesn't say you need to do anything with the bearings except it says to not use cleaners on them. I feel like you can probably get by without any maintenance on them. I feel like dust can't really penetrate the seal on its own. But if you're oiling around the seal and you say the oil can get through the seal, that could potentially pull dust in, right? Some bearings do require regular oiling but I don't think these do. And some motors need regular oiling but more modern motors don't need re-oiling at all. The maintenance section doesn't say anything about oiling the motor either and I think they're probably right. Nah haven't really solved the scraping. My barrel's right flange is scraping on the right roller guide. I think it's level but if I move the barrel or tilt it so that right flange moves away from the guide, then the other side starts scraping. But now that the barrel is loaded you can't hear the scraping over the sound of the rocks so I'm letting it go. Man, mine didn’t come with a manual… |
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Post by velodromed on Jan 24, 2024 16:09:37 GMT -5
Man, mine didn’t come with a manual… You must have been an early adpoter. extremetumblers.com/downloads/rebel-17-instructions.pdfAnother thing they mention is using tools to crank down the nuts voids the barrel warranty. But I can't imagine a wrench damaging anything other than the nuts, so now that you found a solution for more nuts we can crank away.Still be careful. The bolts are probably a lower level tool steel, and even though the inserts on these nuts are brass, repeated hard cranking down will eventually damage the both threads. |
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