could this work???-Re Tumbler

[mattlee81]

Random thought here.... I'm starting a small metal art and fab business and looking for a good tumbler to get started with. I started thinking about making my own and I remembered I have a perfectly good top load washing machine in storage. Am I smart or a complete idiot thinking that if I take the agitator out and put smaller screen over the water drain holes in the bottom that I could convert it to a wet/dry parts tumbler???? Any input would be appreciated before I go to tearing it apart and ruin it. Thanks in advance.

[CNCCAJUN]

I would think a TOP LOAD would be of little use. Metal parts won't float like clothes. The weight it could handle would limit it's usefulness as a tumbler even with media. Typically tumblers used for this purpose are operated without media and the parts being tumbled are simply "banged" against each other until dross is removed. If polishing is your goal, then media needs to be added. In all tumbling devices I have seen, vibration with media is used with a vertical unit. Vertical "tumbling" is a less aggressive method. Horizontal "tumbling" is more aggressive with or without media. Look at a few "ammo" tumblers. Then just increase the size. I know a guy that built an excellent tumbler for this type of use out 2X10's formed into a barrel. It works well, is quite & sits in the weather with no problem.

My 2 cents . . .
Steve

[Stout]

I purchased a plastic barrel concrete mixer and it works great. And not too loud. I mostly use it for polishing brass ammunition cases with walnut shells before reloading.

[fergy]

I use a cement mixer and works well even with 1/2 plates in it
is loud though so make sure you put it well out of the way

[OTHill]

I built a tumbler out of an ATV tire.Nice and quiet but get some black rubber dust on parts that has to be wiped off.

[BrianMick]

I built a tumbler out of an ATV tire.Nice and quiet but get some black rubber dust on parts that has to be wiped off.

Now this I have to see......do you have pics?
Brian

[OTHill]

I've been trying to upload pics but They must be to large and I don't know how to fix them

[hanix]

front.jpg

back.jpg

radial lt tumbler.jpg

This is my tumbler.

[hooked]

As good as it gets!! when we put our minds to it we can and will do what ever it takes to get the job done!!! i have built a couple different tumblers in my time with better resources, but i will have to say they where probly not as quiet as this one!! and the rubber dust will blow off!!! hooked!

[OTHill]

I will try again to up load pics.The first one shows the cover which is the bottom 1/2 of a 5 gal. plastic pail lol.The belt going around the tire is a serpentine fan belt.The tire is an 11" ATV tire.The motor is 1/3 hp.I use punch blanks from an ironworker for tumbling.Allan