My Tumbler

[350xfire]

32" rollers from Surplus Center
10" Pulley from Surplus Center
3/4" steel shaft from Titan Steel
Pillow Block Bearings from Fastenal
Scrap steel from Titan Steel
1/3 HP 1725 RPM motor obtained free from a guy at work
3/4" Square tubing to hold rollers from Lowe's

Total about $100 plus a couple of days work and a bunch of money in tools and equipment, which I already had. Frame is all welded. I originally put 2" wheels which were bored out on the 3/4" shaft but the tanks spun pretty fast. Additionally, I did not get the hole perfectly centered on the rollers and the tanks were a bit out of balance. With the 3/4" bare shaft the tanks are spining slower. The only thing is that when spinning 2 tanks, one tank rides on the other, not a real problem though. To help this, I may install 3/4" shaft collars (these have an OD of about 1" and add an additional spot to set the left roller a bit further out to space the tanks a bit further apart). I am also going to coat the rollers with plasti dip and see how that works.

Oh, and I need to put a rubber stop at the end to prevent the tanks from rubbing. They do "walk" a bit away from the motor.

 

[300bar]

Looks great,but not the place a small girl should put her hands.

Guess you need to think about a cover for the moving parts.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

From the looks of the garage and the happy look on her face I'm betting she not only knows how to use the tumbler, but also the chop saw, and put a few rounds in a half inch group at 100 yds with her 22. THat's the way kid's should be raised. Nice tumbler as well.

 

[350xfire]

Thanks guys... Not planning on her being around when I actually use this. At least not until she's older. Plus, it will actually be turned around with the motor facing the back.

 

[rcs9250]

Nice work. In regards to the tank moving along the rollers, it is because the rollers are not parallel to each other. If you are able to adkust the pillow blocks it could help to eliminate it. Sometimes though, there could be some variation on the tank that can cause it. I have mounted a small fixed caster on the end so that it will stop the tank and the wheel doesn't mar the tank because it's rolling rather than rubbing. Just mount it up 2 or 3 inches from tank centerline and it will accomodate most tanks, even rounded bottom steel tanks. If you can get a hold of a polyurethane wheel rather than rubber it shouldn't leave a black race track around the bottom. But then no one would see it any way.

Randy

 

[350xfire]

Nice work. In regards to the tank moving along the rollers, it is because the rollers are not parallel to each other. If you are able to adkust the pillow blocks it could help to eliminate it. Sometimes though, there could be some variation on the tank that can cause it. I have mounted a small fixed caster on the end so that it will stop the tank and the wheel doesn't mar the tank because it's rolling rather than rubbing. Just mount it up 2 or 3 inches from tank centerline and it will accomodate most tanks, even rounded bottom steel tanks. If you can get a hold of a polyurethane wheel rather than rubber it shouldn't leave a black race track around the bottom. But then no one would see it any way.

Randy

Yeap! that's what I figured. It takes a while to move down. It is very difficult to get 32" rollers perfectly parallel, though. That is what I was planning on doing, using a caster.

 

[DIWdiver]

Nice work. Wish I could weld like that.

One of my customers builds tank testing equipment - very expensive - and some of their lab rigs have cheap swivel castors on them. The production rigs have a fancy adjustable polyurethane wheel (maybe a rollerblade wheel?). Must be the only way it works!

It never would have occurred to me to lay the tank right on the steel drive shaft. Don't the tanks take a beating riding on steel? Or riding one on the other if doing two?

As far as Plasti-Dip, it won't adhere to the steel very well, and may slip and/or fail before long. If it doesn't work, I'd try a couple wraps (in specific places, not the entire length) of self-vulcanizing rubber tape, like Scotch 70 (available at McMaster-Carr). Radio Shack used to carry something similar (transparent electrical tape), but I don't see it on their site now.

D

 

[350xfire]

Nice work. Wish I could weld like that.

One of my customers builds tank testing equipment - very expensive - and some of their lab rigs have cheap swivel castors on them. The production rigs have a fancy adjustable polyurethane wheel (maybe a rollerblade wheel?). Must be the only way it works!

It never would have occurred to me to lay the tank right on the steel drive shaft. Don't the tanks take a beating riding on steel? Or riding one on the other if doing two?

As far as Plasti-Dip, it won't adhere to the steel very well, and may slip and/or fail before long. If it doesn't work, I'd try a couple wraps (in specific places, not the entire length) of self-vulcanizing rubber tape, like Scotch 70 (available at McMaster-Carr). Radio Shack used to carry something similar (transparent electrical tape), but I don't see it on their site now.

D

You REALLY do not wish you could weld like me.... LOL! I really suck. This is my first welding project and I really have a long ways to go before I can weld nicely.

Thanks for the tip on the plasti dip. I was thinking about using some kind of rubber inner tube, but I don't know if there is one small enough for a 1.5" roller. It is not my intent to let the tanks ride on the bare steel rollers.

 

[mustang_5l]

Excellent contraption! I wish I was that good with metal work.

 

[350xfire]

I'm really not that good with metal. Fortunately metalworking is more about having the right tools. I just happen to have the ones to build this.