Post by ibcraig0 on Oct 2, 2012 10:52:36 GMT -5
I'm new here but I wanted to share my rock tumbler that I just made. I had an old treadmill that still worked but the belt that you ran on was slipping and it was old and noisy. So we decided to get rid of it and I decided to see if I could make a tumbler out of it.
It was pretty easy actually. I took the riser that held the controls off and the side handles and pretty much stripped it down to the base and the motor with all the wires still attached.
I cut the base length after measuring the width I would need for the barrel I made to fit between the rollers. I attached the bottom roller using the same plastic brackets that held it on before.
I now have the motor that turns the top roller with the same belt drive. I use the same speed controller. It looks like a treadmill for a very small person. I just lay the barrel between the two rollers and turn it on. The motor connected to the top roller turns the barrel and as the barrel turns the bottom roller spins. I can control the speed perfectly and since there is no real draw on the motor it will run for days and days without even getting warm.
I will try to post pics later. The barrel I made is from one of those hard plastic spray jugs for fertilizer. I cut a hole in the top big enough for a 4 inch PVC pipe fitting that is threaded on the inside. I glued it in place and just screw a PVC cap into the top. I ran two threaded rods through the inside and put a rubber hose over each one then tightened them in place with silicone and nuts. The rods are to cause the rocks to tumble rather than slide around the inside of the smooth barrel.
All in all it works great. I have had to make a few adjustments as it runs but nothing major and it is working great. I have about 13 pounds of rocks going in it right now and just on the coarse grit so I will update with progress and let you know how it is going.
I wanted to post this because I searched and searched for ideas to make a tumbler bigger than my little 3 pound Lortone and although I found a few ideas none of them would really work for me. None used the same type motor and motors are hard to find. I thought about using an ice cream maker and found a few used ones for about $10 dollars but the rollers and how to drive them then became the problem. Here where I live there are always treadmills either being given away or for sale for ten to twenty bucks so this is an idea that anyone can use as long as you can find a used treadmill to tear apart. This one didn't cost me anything for the treadmill and I didn't have to buy anything to alter it into a tumbler. The only thing I had to buy were the 4 inch PVC fitting and cap and the threaded rod for the barrel I made. So for about 15 dollars I have a 13 to 15 pound tumbler that works great.
It was pretty easy actually. I took the riser that held the controls off and the side handles and pretty much stripped it down to the base and the motor with all the wires still attached.
I cut the base length after measuring the width I would need for the barrel I made to fit between the rollers. I attached the bottom roller using the same plastic brackets that held it on before.
I now have the motor that turns the top roller with the same belt drive. I use the same speed controller. It looks like a treadmill for a very small person. I just lay the barrel between the two rollers and turn it on. The motor connected to the top roller turns the barrel and as the barrel turns the bottom roller spins. I can control the speed perfectly and since there is no real draw on the motor it will run for days and days without even getting warm.
I will try to post pics later. The barrel I made is from one of those hard plastic spray jugs for fertilizer. I cut a hole in the top big enough for a 4 inch PVC pipe fitting that is threaded on the inside. I glued it in place and just screw a PVC cap into the top. I ran two threaded rods through the inside and put a rubber hose over each one then tightened them in place with silicone and nuts. The rods are to cause the rocks to tumble rather than slide around the inside of the smooth barrel.
All in all it works great. I have had to make a few adjustments as it runs but nothing major and it is working great. I have about 13 pounds of rocks going in it right now and just on the coarse grit so I will update with progress and let you know how it is going.
I wanted to post this because I searched and searched for ideas to make a tumbler bigger than my little 3 pound Lortone and although I found a few ideas none of them would really work for me. None used the same type motor and motors are hard to find. I thought about using an ice cream maker and found a few used ones for about $10 dollars but the rollers and how to drive them then became the problem. Here where I live there are always treadmills either being given away or for sale for ten to twenty bucks so this is an idea that anyone can use as long as you can find a used treadmill to tear apart. This one didn't cost me anything for the treadmill and I didn't have to buy anything to alter it into a tumbler. The only thing I had to buy were the 4 inch PVC fitting and cap and the threaded rod for the barrel I made. So for about 15 dollars I have a 13 to 15 pound tumbler that works great.