Making a Vibratory Tumbler
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- Start date
blacksmithden
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
If you're going to build a tumbler, build a rolling drum type. The work just as well, if not better and are a heck of a lot easier to build.
I swear I'm going to do the clothes dryer and duct tape thing once we've found a house
I swear I'm going to do the clothes dryer and duct tape thing once we've found a house
Yes I made one from scratch from a plan on the internet and even added a variable motor drive. Still have it, but later brought two Dillon’s vibrators large and small bowls.
Bottom line is unless you have the spare parts kicking around with lots of free time on your hands with the skills to build it, you might want to buy one instead.
Driller
Bottom line is unless you have the spare parts kicking around with lots of free time on your hands with the skills to build it, you might want to buy one instead.
Driller
vibrator
I made one from a small electric motor with a 1" X 3" turned wood disc on the shaft. The key is to place a weight off centre on the disc to create the vibration. I mounted the motor on a wood frame suspended by bungee cords (to let it vibrate freely). To hold the brass and cleaner, I used a plactic container I got from Princess Auto, mounted on top of the wood frame. Not perty but works quite well.
I made one from a small electric motor with a 1" X 3" turned wood disc on the shaft. The key is to place a weight off centre on the disc to create the vibration. I mounted the motor on a wood frame suspended by bungee cords (to let it vibrate freely). To hold the brass and cleaner, I used a plactic container I got from Princess Auto, mounted on top of the wood frame. Not perty but works quite well.
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Have had several, all got a lot of use but eventually the motor will fail. The vibration of the off center weight is too much.
My nesxt one is going to be a big drum. I normally try to do about 100 rifle shells at a time and those little tumblers are just no fun.
My nesxt one is going to be a big drum. I normally try to do about 100 rifle shells at a time and those little tumblers are just no fun.
Yep, build a rotating one. Bigger and easier.
I believe that one of the dealers on here used to use a concrete mixer with a couple bags of walnut, a couple cans of Brasso to clean (lots of) 50 BMG cases all at once.
I made one 20 years ago and I am still using it today, in fact it is running in the garage as I write this. I wonder how many hours it has on it. What I did was made a square box from an old cabinet door. Then I cut a piece of wood for the top of the box and mounted the motor onto the underside of the piece of wood. On the end of the shaft where the pulley is, I took out the set screw and replaced it with a 1" bolt and on the end of the bolt I threaded a couple of nuts to make it off balance. I attached the piece of wood onto the top of the box with 4 compression springs and that is about it. It has hundreds of hours of use and it works just as good as my brothers Dillon machine. Really the hardest part is playing with the amount of weight on the end of the bolt to get the vibration correct, about 20 minutes is all. Here is a picture I took of it 10 years ago, I have since changed the ice cream pail to a salad type bowl with a lid, same as one you would buy in a gun store.
