Horror Fright vibrating tumbler

[tonyfoale]

I recently had to make a trip to the US. Usually on my way back to an airport I stop off at a Horror Fright store and top up my luggage allowance. However, past trips had pretty much exhausted my needs of stuff small enough for luggage and so I bought one of these
https://www.harborfreight.com/5-lb-m...ler-67617.html

and https://www.harborfreight.com/540-lb...dia-63673.html

and https://www.harborfreight.com/520-lb...dia-63672.html

I also tried some sharp sand and some glass beads.

I feel that I had wasted my money. It is useless. Against the wisdom of the instructions I tried the bought media with water. That worked a little better but still very poorly.

I am seeking suggestions for improvement. Mods to the machine or different media.

PS. A while back I built a very Q&D rotating tumbler using a 75 rpm motor and gearbox from an old photocopier and that works so much better.

Click images for full size.

[olderdan]

Hi Tony, I built a similar setup to your tumbler using a geared DC motor, it is dismantled at present after moving house. Like yours it works very well for preparing original fastenings prior to plating.
I have tried all sorts of media from silica sand for a polish to washed coarse sand and even fine shingle. Being only 400 yards from the beach I am spoilt for choice for free supply. If its for deburring of machined parts you may find a local powder coating shop for some blast media which could work in a tumbler.
Regards
Alan

[DIYer]

Thanks tonyfoale! We've added your Tumbler to our Cleaning category,
as well as to your builder page: tonyfoale's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Tumbler by tonyfoale

tags: tumbler

[Toolmaker51]

Formed ceramics are very effective; carbide insert-like shapes, cylinders, truncate cones, parallelograms etc. The 'normal' sizes are large because vibratory tubs are, but I'd not be surprised rolling mills like yours have media suppliers too.

Issue with Horror Fright sized machines is the small barrel; no inertia for parts or media. Probably no vanes or flow mixers inside either. Big or small, vibe units take the cake. Only tumbling common these days appears to be zinc tumble plate; beats hanging little stuff. Not sure that process works in dip baskets.

[tonyfoale]

Here is a link to a 20 second video of my HF device working (or not working) with two different media loads.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dz77ztunty...mbler.mp4?dl=0

Compare that to the first 10 seconds of this video, it is little wonder than I am disappointed with my recent purchase. Time to improve another HF tool.

[Toolmaker51]

That vibrating bowl is what 98% us cartridge reloaders use. For brass, common media is ground [DRY!] walnut or corn with polishing rouge. The grains are about size of coffee. No dimensional change, just burnishes inside and out of oxidation stains and powder residue.
The bowls will do machine parts with ceramic media. The parts work best if not too long or heavy. Til now unaware HF sold ceramic media. I do brass; and notice flow is best when level of material/ objects is a bit over half the toroid, where agitation is highest. Even the primer pockets come clean.

Rolling tumblers do great for the lapidary people, abrasive media like emery and detergent; that keeps the slurry moving as swarf collects, for awhile anyway.

Regarding Tony F's disappointment Here is a link to a 20 second video of my HF device working (or not working) with two different media loads. Compare that to the first 10 seconds of this video, it is little wonder than I am disappointed with my recent purchase. Time to improve another HF tool.

It's working alright, just not performing. And improving [re-engineering] unsatisfactory elements is our happy epidemic. HF and the others just don't realize they have the largest staff of designers available.
The bowls are nearly sure to be removable; access motor shaft and make a heavier eccentric?

[tonyfoale]

It's working alright, just not performing.

This morning I loaded the HF unit and my Q&D rotary machine with the same weight of pyramid shaped media, a small amount of water and detergent. I added the same weight of components in each. Within one hour the stuff in the rotary tumbler had been deburred nicely and needed no more. It is now ten hours later and the HF unit is nowhere near the same results.

The bowls are nearly sure to be removable; access motor shaft and make a heavier eccentric?

Actually you can access the out of balance weight from underneath by removing only 3 screws. I did go looking for net feedback on changing the weight and it seems like bearings chop out very quickly, which is hardly surprising.

After studying the design I am of the opinion that the weight needs to go on to the other end of the motor. I need to check out if it is an easy job to simply bolt the motor in upsidedown taking the weight with it. It looks easily doable but I'll have to get more serious with the dismantling to know for sure.

[VinnieL]

Toolmaker51 is correct about us cartridge reloaders. While my tumber is from Midway it is very similar to the one HF sells. I have used the ground walnut shells, but prefer the corncob. I dribble-in a small quantity of Turtle Wax Chrome Cleaner and toss in a couple of small pieces of Never-Dull and it cleans brass and plated cartridge cases remarkably well! I have considered a larger tumbler but at this moment this one is satisfactory. The project shown here is a great design!

[Toolmaker51]

The similarity of Midway and HF is only the size and outward appearance.
My 2 are Lyman, and perform like friends Midway. Probably twice the amplitude of HF.
When I was doing more rifle cartridge varieties, I thought on a larger capacity as well. Turns out there is some magic in volume of cases to media. A bigger machine with same quantity was not better. Traded it for more brass and a twin to Lyman #1 . NevrDull wadding is a good trick, new to me.

re Tony's HF adventure. Relocate weight and would some variety of pillow block at lower end help? I've never looked inside.

[Toolmaker51]

Errant double post. Cause uncertain. Coarse background language deleted. So...

Here is what I intended.

Unaware HF had bowls now. Their barrels would run awhile before the roller shaft and idler spun crummy plastic bearings. Barrels work OK on semi-spherical forms like polishing rocks, abrasives do the work.
While vibe units tumble, there is simultaneous vibration and circulation. So unlike tumbling, some type of motion is going on all the time.