# Making your own tumbler



## ktbi (Oct 6, 2007)

I have way too many bottles now that need cleaning and want to give it a shot myself.  I know what a tumbler costs, but what does it cost to build your own tumbler (ball park anyhow)?  I'd like to be able to tumble multiple bottles at once - one at a time would be a drag.  How many is too many though?  Is a four bottle machine about right or can it get bigger and still be reasonable?

 Thnks for your input......Ron


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## tombstone (Oct 6, 2007)

Ball park $150.00.  You could get lucky and be able to do it for much less, or luck could run the other way and it cost a lot more.  If you're looking to get parts off the web figure it will cost more, if you can get parts (like the motor) locally figure a little less.

 I'm running five canisters on a 1/3 hp machine without blowing the motor, but i wouldn't want to run any more than that without more hp.  I also use glass beads instead of copper (cheaper and lighter so more canisters), but if running copper my machine would be limited to three canisters with possibility of overheating my current motor.  If you get a 1/2 hp or 3/4 hp motor you should be able to run a lot more canisters.


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## ktbi (Oct 7, 2007)

Thanks Tombstone. I haven't heard of using glass beads - but then tumblng is new to me.  I'll do a little more research.  Thnks again for the tip......Ron


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## Tony14 (Oct 7, 2007)

if you want to make one for cheap talk to spencer (bottlenutboy) he rigged one using a cheap engine and a walmart skateboard


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## ktbi (Oct 7, 2007)

I don't feel like waiting two weeks for a bottle to get clean so I'm taking an old washing machine tub and hooking it up to my truck with a pulley.  Should be able to load 20-30 at a time and clean/spin dry those suckers over the weekend!!!   Ron


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## Bottle tumbler (Oct 7, 2007)

Hey dont laugh, i saw a guy who took a drier and took it all apart and just used the motor and the tub and cut the front and back off the tub and made and x with steel bars and used large hose clamps to attach the tubes to them and used it for tumbling, it was in glass work magazine once

 rick


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## tombstone (Oct 7, 2007)

just strap the canisters to the tires of your car and tumble your bottles on the way to work[]


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## bottlenutboy (Oct 10, 2007)

i built mine for free. but i had everything i needed, including the ingenuity, sitting right here what i have going on is a treadmill motor i think it spins 1725 RPM alone, a few different skateboard parts a torque converter off of a large go-kart (to gear down the motor alot, wheels from a Sharper Image brand electric scooter and some scrap pieces of wood we had lying around, a light switch to turn it on and off, mine turns a 3" tube between 64 and 68 RPMs 

 patience makes it cheaper, all you have to do is wait till someone is throwing something away and look to see if it has anything you could possibly use on or in it. thats how i got the treadmill motor, and the go-kart torque converter, and also the pieces of wood we had here... patience is a virtue


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## madman (Oct 10, 2007)

hey spence was wondering what you use for stopples  i made my own but the left grooves in the base mike


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## madman (Oct 10, 2007)

what do you use to polish cut ive got the tumbler built just having problems mike


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## GuntherHess (Oct 11, 2007)

Polishing and cutting are two sepparate compounds. I use aluminum oxide for polishing because its cheap.


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## otgb (Oct 11, 2007)

hi guys i keep reading about motors i have been an H.V.A.C mechanic for the past 25 years and the motor i use is a EMERSON 1/3 hp 2 speed belt driven motor witch is  a standard motor in most low boy oil furnaces high speed is 1725 rpm and low is 1025 rpm. and then wire it to a three way 120 volt Togo switch
 if you go to your local oil company or heating contractor they have old furnaces there all the time from re and re just tell you want an old motor
 they will sell them to you cheap if not free
 and if you are going to run lots of canisters go get a bigger run capacitor
 hope this helps 
 tim


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## bottlenutboy (Oct 12, 2007)

i use a cannister and stopples that warren was so gracious to give me for free, no charge for shipping or anything they do a wonderful job, but you want to get the spec.'s from him

 i use aluminum oxide polish (0.5 micron)  the cheapest place ive found it is eBay i know how alot of you feel about buying things off ebay but i use it and it works fine its a good quality so i have no complaints. i recommend buying it from ebay.


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