Rock Tumbers

[Dave Westlund]

My daughter has tasked me to look for a good rock tumbler. She has purchased two Harbor Freight tumblers and they don't last (ran 24/7 for 3 months). Looking for a decent one that can be serviced when needed. I'm not into tumbling so I'd appreciate your input. Looking to spend $2-300 for the tumbler

Thanks in advance
Dave

 

[Loosehandle]

I've used Thumbler and Tumble bee and neither lasted past one set of grits. Was always going to make one scaled up with a 1/4 hp motor and ball bearings. Have made tubs out of PVC and rubber end caps.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

Dave , there are numerous You Yube clips showing how to make excellent , hard wearing rock tumblers from bits and pieces .
One of these should suit and certainly wont cost you hundreds to make . A good opportunity for a shared project as well .

 

[504]

Without knowing anything about what I am going to say. Maybe the extended warranty from HF might be a cheap way to go.

 

[gmccool]

I've got one that Dad & I made in the shop. It is probably 3' in diameter by 10 wide with grease able bearings and grain elevator cups that we put in front of a field tile line. The water from the tile line hits the grain cups and turns it. I have polished probably close to a ton of rocks in it. It could be for sale in SW Iowa. Email is open. Gerald

 

[gmccool]

10 inches wide. Gerald

 

[JerryD]

Lortone is a good brand but a bit pricey. I've run mine for the last 3 to 4 years and no problems.

 

[Jegs]

X2 on Lortone, we have a neat store in Princeton, MN, Minnesota Lapidary Supply. This place is a go to for everything to do with lapidary, just lucky for us it's so close. They do a huge online business, minnesotalapidarysupply.com.

 

[Bill in IN]

Used to be a lot of people who put them in the small hubcaps on their cars. Worked pretty well, but I have no idea how many rocks per hubcap they got.....

.

 

[Tequila]

Used the thimbler for years, works great. Wished I would of purchased a smaller one. Lortune works as well. That post from the Lapidary shop sounds like a good person to talk with.

 

[Greenfrog]

Google rock tumblers, see images. Easy to make.
Or parts tumblers, or brass gun casing tumblers.