DIY Rock Tumbler
Intro: DIY Rock Tumbler
The kind of tumbler I've seen before seemed like a fairly simple arrangement - some kind of barrel turned by horizontal rollers, similar to a tumble dryer, so that's what I set out to build.
STEP 1: Parts List
Parts list - these parts all came from my junk pile. Nothing was purchased for this project, so technically it cost $0 to build. As suggested by several people (iceng and ottwafm), the tumbler would be more durable if some kind of wheel bearings were used for the rollers. Bearings for skate board wheels or ride-on mower decks should be easy to find locally.
1) electric motor from Grand Am electric window lifter.
2) old PC power supply. This one happens to be a 90W supply.
3) rollers - could be broom handle or any round pole. These are actually mini rolling pins from my wife's craft supplies.
4) various bits of wood to make a frame and base board.
5) 2 inches of garden hose.
6) power switch.
7) screws, coach bolts w/ nuts
8) anti-slip shelf liner
Tools required:
1) Saw
2) Screwdriver
3) Drill + appropriate sized bits
4) Wrench
5) Sharp knife
6) Soldering iron (or use crimp-on spade connectors)
STEP 2: Initial Sizing
STEP 3: Motor Mount
The motor is built into its own mount, which is offset from the side of the motor, so I cut a shim out of a piece of scrap plywood.
STEP 4: Static End
STEP 5: Check the Spacing
STEP 6: Frame Assembly
Mount the motor along with the driven roller. I used coach bolts, which present a rounded head in the roller section.
The roller ends have a small amount of furniture finishing wax applied, to reduce friction in the holes.
STEP 7: Wiring
Next, take one of the flat, 4 pin connectors and clip off the yellow (12 volt) and black (ground) wires. Solder those to the motor. I cut away the connector shroud to be able to get the soldering iron into it. Again, spade connectors would work, as would the proper connector if available.
Plug in the power supply, flip the switch and watch the roller turn!
STEP 8: Tidying Things Up a Bit
2) screw the frame to the baseboard.
3) secure the power supply. I had a length of pipe hanging strap available, which also sufficed to hold the power switch. I oriented the power supply with the fan blowing towards the motor to provide cooling.
4) I had some spare storage drawers that just happen to fit nicely on the other end of the base board.
5) tests showed that the barrel would sometimes slip, which is why the rollers are now covered in anti-slip shelf liner.
30 Comments
jjungwirth21 11 months ago
buddyl5223 3 years ago
relmet454 2 years ago
laupcyclebiz 2 years ago
themerifactor 3 years ago
I don't have it anymore, so I decided I wanted to make one with my daughter. I was an electronics technician in the Navy so I figured I could find directions online easy enough. I really like these instructions. I even bought the same motor off eBay! We are so excited to make it.
I realized only now that this post is from over a decade ago. I am hoping the Creator gets notifications of comments this. I'd like to message with any questions. If toy duo, can you reply to this? Thanks!
dontremember 3 years ago
dontremember 3 years ago
Verdann 4 years ago
dontremember 4 years ago
kootenayboy.diy 5 years ago
john.stacey.3956 9 years ago
Really great instructions Well done I've got the parts to make one but I'm going to use steel bars on small bearing's but your idea is brill john
LiamOSM 10 years ago
tacamaral 9 years ago
I tried that - the problem is that it's so slow that the jar will do two or three revolutions per minute, so it will take forever to polish anything.
What I then did was connecting the motor through a flexible steel shaft to the cover of the jar. It works, but it's not as simple and functional as this one.
ottawafm 9 years ago
dontremember 9 years ago
iceng 9 years ago
Running 4 tumblers 24/7. I loose a tumbler with good bearings every few months for some mechanical reason or motor.
Your Ible is well presented and made however wood on wood even with lubrication will not long last.
See if you can modify it to use a bearing for conger life.
dontremember 9 years ago
m6255 10 years ago
agrodolce 9 years ago
I'm going to make one for jewelry and my husband may use it for his brass. I was looking around on YouTube and saw someone using a big thermos. That's what I'm gonna try. They're pretty thick so I think it'll be fine.
dontremember 10 years ago
You could equally well use something like a paint can, those generally fit tight enough to need a mallet to close. Any tube with a screw top would work too - a strip of duct tape would help stop it unscrewing. Once you find an appropriate container, you can size the frame to fit. Also, you'll want to pick a motor that can drive the weight without running too hot, and make sure the rollers don't bind. You could even pick up some cheap ball bearing races for the rollers.