Tool Time Tuesday - Lortone vs Harbor Freight Rotary Tumblers
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ม.ค. 2015
- Melissa Muir - discusses and shows how to use a rotary tumbler with stainless steel shot (tumbling media) and compares the Lortone Tumbler to the Harbor Freight Tumbler
My grandfather bought a lortone tumbler back in the 1970s for $20 and it's still going strong after 40 some years!
If properly maintained, they can last and last and last. That is fantastic about his.
Yes, I have one from 1987 and it's spinning as I type this.
Great video. A few notes, I have 3 HF tumblers, and I did have a belt break on me. Wasn't hard to change, but after that I just lubricate the bearings with a little oil maybe every 10 uses or so. I don't have that problem anymore. I haven't broken another belt for 3 years and I use mine 3x a week. Depending on the material you're working with, aluminum stainless steel round shot, not mixed. It's too soft for that. I use the clear dawn dish soap and mix with burnishing compound. Sometimes a little brecks 2-1 conditioner. I find that my water also gets more contaminated when doing mixed metals. So I run mine separately. I clean my shot with coke. I let it sit for a few hours. Then, I add some baking soda and vinegar and rinse. Comes out so shiny.
Thank your for a very informative video. I am looking at purchasing my first rock tumbler, and your video answered questions I didn't even know to ask. This video makes my tumbler selection process a lot simpler.
I am so glad I could help.
Despite needing a tumbler for a completely different application, her experience & educated review included details that motivated me to invest in a Lortone 33b instead of an entry-level option and I'm very happy I did. Thank you!
VulcanNephgrip thank you. I am so glad I was able to help.
Good Video ! I have been using a Lortone tumbler for years to polish brass and copper objects. A couple of tips that you may find useful. 1) I use Brass Tacks as a polishing/cleaning media. and 2)- Put in a spoonful of Cream Of Tarter in the mix. cream of tarter is a natural metal polish. Trust me - you will be amazed at the results, even corrosion disappears.
Two O'clock Church I would have never thought to use brass Tacks. I will have to give that a try. I have also never heard of cream of tatar. I will have to give that a try also. Thanks.
Thanks so much for this! I'm looking at tumblers and this was super helpful!
My harbor freight tumbler came with 6 extra belts, plus the one that's already inside the tumbler. Although nine didn't have an on off switch, I purchased it about 6 months ago for $40 and I haven't had to change the belt yet, I leave it in my tiny studio- which is just a spare bedroom that my bedroom shares a wall with and I can't hear it in my bedroom. Hope this helps anyone who's wondering...I think it's an excellent tumbler, also I purchased the stainless shot 2 lbs on Amazon for about $24. I made sure it was actually real stainless before using it cuz I read some people received there's and it was only steel not stainless steel.....but I love my $40 tumbler.
I know this tumbler video is way old but I still wanted to give an update on my opinion, of course this was ONLY my experience and I can't promise it will be yours.
I would have liked to see the Harbor Freight tumbler running to hear how quiet it runs.
I bought my Lortone tumbler in 1990 and finally the belt stretched enough to have to tighten it in 2018 and it still works like a dream
Cameron Lewis that is fantastic.
Thank you for this informative video. I just bought a Lortone 33b off Craigslist for $50. I've never tumbled before and using it for polishing my wire pieces and for rock tumbling. Now I know how other artists get their copper jewelry pieces to a more gunmetal coloring during the finishing process. Thought it was my phones video that changed the copper coloring
I am so glad it was helpful.
thank you so much for the info on tumblers
Great tips, i just bought one of the cheapies from Amazon and another thing I noticed was the barrel was so stiff from the cold that I almost couldn't get the lid off without damaging it! 🏹
I appreciate your video here. I've been on lookout for a Tumbler to clean modern coins I get from metal detecting,(just to clean up a little for cashing them in eventually). I have a buddy in our club who's been through 3-Tumblers,(including the HF), and he has decided to stick with a more expensive model.
Either way, I've heard less than stellar reviews over-all on the HF model so I'm holding out for a good deal on either an older/proven model or a Loretone, etc.
Again, thanks for the video!:)...
I also have a tumbler from harbor freight, LOVE IT! It does a beautiful job, and i would rinse my shot and tumbler anyway because I dont like the idea of water sitting in the barrel. I have a very quick and efficient emptying/rinsing system. I say yes, for the savings! The differences are too small to validate the cost....as a matter of fact, I have many tool from good ole harbor freight! Unless they are specialty items, I certainly can't complain. I've saved hundreds!....thanks Melissa!
Oh, I totally agree, I have many many tools from HF here in the studio. I am glad to hear that yours has also done a good job. Like I said, my only complaint was the dirty barrel. Thanks for the review.
Certainly! I really enjoy your video's and your work is beautiful!
lynzee500 Thanks so much. :)
Great Video Melissa!
Thanks so much Mitchell
I’m glad I came across this video, I’ve been wanting a tumbler from HF but wasn’t sure if it was worth it. If sounds as thought with a little extra talc, it works fine, since I want one for my stones and shells, and making tumbled glass as a hobby, the HF one would work for me.
Thanks for the information.
I'm thinking of getting one you can also replace the barrel with another brand name long has has the same diameter I'm doing research on it should work and not leave the water dirty
@@teddyr7901, since u
Is Ted this, my husband bought me one for Christ,as in 2019. It died on me just before it was a yr old. But, it was my fault, I think. I think I put too much of the grit in it and it burned up the motor. Prior to that it worked really well. I ended up purchasing a different one from Amazon and paid about $100.00 for it. I would have bought the same one but my HF was out of them. I really think had I not over loaded it it would still be working
I found how to change the belt, but not adjust the tension in the owners manual. I did find that using some painters tape on either side of the drive shaft cover tube kept the rubber tube centered and the tumbler balanced and tumbling.
When I load my tumbler with a batch of earrings (posts), I tumble for 12-15 hours or more and it does harden the posts nicely.
Nicely done ~
Thanks for the video and the information. I Have a Harbor Freight tumbler that I purchased for my recent entry into rock tumbling. However, I am looking to buy another tumbler, in order to speed up the process by being able to do several steps at once. Rock tumbling usually requires 3-4 steps of different grits to achieve a high luster. I will likely be buying the Lortone, partly due to how quietly I can see that it operates. I wasn't aware of the metal polishing capabilities of the tumblers, and even that some who use metal detectors use them to clean found coins, etc.
Thanks, again.
I’m glad it was helpful.
Thank you for the information.
I used to tumble with walnut shells and never lubed my pistol cases. I began wet tumbling and found it necessary to lube my cases as they were too clean. Will continue to wet tumble as I love clean shinny brass.
Thought your hair was on fire at the beginning of the video :)
Great video....thanks for the info!
Jay John HAHA, it does look like it is on fire. :)
I use a Lortone tumbler to tumble gem stones and other rocks. The Lortone Tumblers are 3 LB and a 4 LB to tumble rocks.
Wow! Thank you for this video. I received a Loratone tumbler for my birthday and your video answered a lot of questions I had. Is there a chart somewhere that shows what stones/metals you can put in the tumbler? Keep up the great videos.
You can just google any gemstone you're thinking of putting in the tumbler and check its hardness on the mohs scale. The stainless steel shot has a hardness of 5.5-6.3, so you would probably only want to put stones in there that are nonporous and harder than the steel shot.
Thank you so much for the informative video. Our rock tumbler & grit just arrived in the mail after buying on eBay & it's the first time I have used one other than the one I got for my birthday when I was 12 (40 years ago). The brand is Chicago Electronics (I'd never heard of Harbor Freight) and will be using it primarily for rocks. This is the first I am learning it can be used on metal & it's opened-up a whole new selection of items we can use in the tumbler. The Chicago Electronics Tumbler we bought has 2 3lb canisters & cost about $75.00 but didn't include any of the polishing grit the others came with the others. Have you a preference for the single over the double tumbler, is it better to use a single tumbler? I also read that the tumblers which vibrate are more for professional hobbyists & are better all around and give much better results however the price is commensurate to the quality.
Like I mentioned, I'm new to all this and have only book knowledge as any kind of a guide. I don't even know if it is necessary to use the dish soap with the grit for the rocks or do you just use water?
Thank you again for the instructive video. I think I am going to look-up some of your other video's. It is nice to find videos which contain nice, commonsense information in a reasonable length video.
God Bless,
Maegi
I am so sorry I didn't see this message sooner. Sometimes they get buried and I don't get notified of them. :( I don't think it matters if you use a single or double barrel. it is just more efficient with two since you can have two going at once. I just happen to have only a single barrel set up. I have never done any rock tumbling, so I can't answer to what to use with grits and such. With metals, you will want to have a barrel dedicated to that as you won't want to pit and mark up your metal with sand and abrasives meant for polishing stones. The vibratory tumblers are also great, but I have very little experience with those and am afraid I cannot answer to that one.
You have the same tumbler that you would have from harbor fright Chicago electric is harbor fright brand.
Thanks Melissa. I so agree about the barrel. I have both as well and have completely stopped using the HF one. I found my items were getting some of the black on them as well. And the barrel stinks up the whole house. Smells like tires. :)
haha, Yeah, mine is kind of stinky too. Luckily, it isn't too bad.
great info. thank you.
Very informative. Thank you.
Thank you.
Can you use the Lartone barrel in the HF machine?
Would actually be very easy to retrofit the Lortone with a switch. Dremel a hole, insert switch, and resolder the power wires.
I've been using the same Lortone tumbler as yours for about 2 years now (along with the same mix of steel shot). They're very solid and dependable. Trouble is, after 3-4 batches of my brass and bronze pieces, tumbled items start to develop a blackish residue which I believe is powder from the inside of the rubber barrel. I have to wash my shot fairly regularly because of this issue. Have you had this problem? I should also note that I dry tumble -- I've tried the Dawn and water route, and it produces the black, sticky residue even faster! Most annoying.
Thanks for your informative video.
I have heard a lot of people having this problem with their tumblers. I have heard the solutions proposed as cleaning the shot with flat coke, vinegar or a cleaning solution made for shot all the way to replacing the barrel. I have not dry tumbled with my rotary tumblers. I would certainly check the surface of your barrel to check for any pitting or other surface irregularities. I really like using the sunshine burnishing compound vs using the dawn. I do notice a difference in the shine on my pieces, but I don't know if it would solve your problem or not. You say you clean your shot, but have you cleaned your barrel?
Yes, I clean the barrel when I do the shot. It allows me to tumble a few more batches before the problem returns. Thanks very much for the reply, good to see it's a known issue!
I also have to clean my water/solution probably every 3 - 4 batches with my Lortone.
Hi thank you for your video.
very helpful! I noticed that you have pins mixed in with the stainless steel shot. where can one pick up stainless steel pins?
thanks again.
tjmooremusic i believe I bought them from EuroTool. At the time it was about $40 or so, give or take. So you can check with your local jewelry shops to see if they have it.
Thank you.
BestByte Computers sells ss pins that are 0.047" x 0.255". The are $6.50 per pound, plus shipping, www.bestbyte.net/industrial-supplies-chemicals/abrasives-solvents-cleaning-supplies/1-lb-047x-255-in-stainless-pellet-pins-tumbling-media.html.
Good information, thank you. When you purchase a new unit, which brand would you chose? Was the savings from HF enough to buy a second one?
This message just barely posted. I am so sorry for the delay. I would still recommend the Lortone system. It has been a workhorse. I have been fortunate with my HF one, but have actually recently burned out the motor and I don't believe I will replace it.
I've used both. I was able to purchase 4 HF tumblerd on sale for the price of a new lortone
I'm just a hobbyist but i keep my tumblers clean and lubed. Belts seldom break and no difference in results. Lortone is prolly a higher quality machine but for what i do i can get the result from the HF and afford to replace it when the barrels wear out. I do not buy the warranty but even if you do you still save a benjamin over the Lortone.
Thanks for the info
Thank you so much for your video. I am looking to purchase the one with the see through / acrylic barrel. Would you be able to tell me if I can polish small 10mm brass lockets in a rotary tumbler? Will the hinges get damaged? I appreciate any answer I get. Thank you!
It will burnish your metal just fine. I don’t believe it should harm your hinges at all. But if you are concerned about it, I would consider putting in one that you don’t mind losing in case it should go badly.
@@MelissaMuir Thank you for your reply! Even after 4 years of posting the video.
lovenzaj I am glad to help.
Thank you!!!🧡
Hi Melissa, i have heard where the ss shot can come with a greasy residue on it when purchased. How do u clean that off the shot in the first place before actually tumbling any jewelry pieces??? Won't the greasy residue transfer to your pieces if not cleaned off the shot first??
amymckinney2011 stainless steel may have a light coating so you need a fine hand held kitchen strainer couple drops of dawn, warm /hot water , gently rub and mix with your hands...paper towels in a bowl to dry or straight to your tumbler and your all set..good luck
Hey Melissa where is a good place to get mixed stainless steel shot?
Here is one place: www.micro-tools.com/products/tum-125-01?aff=8 I would get two pounds. This is a one pound listing.
finally some answers!
Good video.
Would have appreciated this video comparing the noise level of the two.
Thanks for the feedback. Sorry I don't have that. And my HF Tumbler has since died. :( So I can't show you now. But they were actually quite similar.
How many medium to large rings can you tumble at once in that size Lortone? I understand 3lb is the capacity, but should we worry about pieces damaging each other if there are too many?
any tips on tumbling amber
My wife loves too paint rocks. Which would you prefer for just normal creek rocks? I was trying to buy one before 08/08/2020 for a gift. Thank you for sharing this video.
Michael Anderson for Normal rocks, I would probably go with the harbor freight one as it is less expensive.
@@MelissaMuir Thank you very much..
which rock tumbler is the quietest one of all?
Inherited a Lortone 45C - NR (whatever that NR means, I haven't figured out yet) with a switch on the box from my Dad. I've watched a few videos on the Lortone tumblers and they get turned on first (or plugged in) and then the barrel gets put in place. Maybe that will help with your occasional turning problem at the start and might be easier on the motor? If motor is already turning it might be easier to turn the barrel once it is already in motion?
Sometimes that works. But I do find that once the momentum typically gets going it stays in motion, but not always.
@@MelissaMuir Thanks for letting me know.
I thought it was the Dawn that makes the tumbler barrel leech black into
the water?
you can cure your barrel with coca cola!
@@adapose I ran Coke twice in the Harbor Freight machine. Still had black staining on the tumbled parts. The Lortone, OTOH, doesn't have this problem.
Hello! i live in japan, where can i find such a tumbler and how much does it cost?
Is lortone 3a good choice for my wife this Christmas? She is new and really wants a tumbler to make our rocks we find from ocean and hikes look cool
Yes. I have had mine for 16 years now and it still runs great.
I stopped using dawn dish soap and switched to tide laundry soap instead. Dawn and other dish soaps were designed to degrease and remove oils, which eats away at the drum and turns the water black. Switched to laundry detergent and no problems since
That is interesting. Thanks.
You might try using borax. It's inexpensive and available at most stores.
I had watched 3 of your videos prior to meeting you tonight. This one, the Pepe Tools jump ring maker (which helped convince me to get it) and the Jool Tool. Nice meeting you tonight. Will watch your other videos now.
It was great to meet you also. I look forward to talking more n
oh my HF tumbler came with an extra belt...every 5 to 10 times after I use it, I wipe out the inside with a rag...after I drain and rinse the content. it seems like tarnish.
I just purchased the Chicago Tool Tumbler and used a drop of oil on the bushings and drive shaft as directed. My tumbler stops tumbling after a short time. It seems like the drive shaft spins but the tube that covers the drive shaft stops turning so my tumbler does not turn. I thought it was because the oil got under the tube covering and the drive shaft. Any suggestions?
Check the tension of the belt inside. I found I had to adjust that a couple of times.
I'm new at this, and was under the impression that I needed a tumbler to work harden the soft metal in my pieces, like wires and jump rings. If a tumbler won't do it, how do I harden these parts? Thanks!
I sometimes use a nylon hammer or even just my pliers to help work harden my materials.
Can you tumble different kinds of metal at once ie silver and copper or brass or should you do separate runs thank you
I put it all in together.
does it work after you solder a silver piece? does it takes away the copper of the surface?if it does How long the piece should being left in the tumbler? thank you!
Yes, this certainly works after you solder pieces. As far as removing the copper, are you talking about a plating? It depends on how thick the plating is. It won't typically remove it, but rather it will burnish it and make it shiny. So if you are trying to remove copper from a piece that accidentally got plated, I would not use a tumbler for that, unless you had an abrasive media. I only use stainless steel shot and that will only burnish the metal.
Thank you Melissa, my vocabulary is not very technical but I understand you’re comment 🙏🏽💞
Just picked up 2 Lortones and a HF tumblers for $95!
Looked on Rio Grande and was going to get one of the Dura Bull tumbler. What I have trouble with is cuff bracelets after soldering prongs etc. they are soft. I thought tumblers hardened metal
Tumblers are great at burnishing metal, but not really hardening. There is a small amount of hardening that happens, but not as much as most of us think. If your prongs are a bit longer, I would use some nylon tipped pliers to "wiggle" them a little bit to harden them before setting the stone. If they are shorter, the process of setting the stone may be sufficient enough to harden the prongs.
Melissa Muir thank you Melissa.
Which tumbler is better round or polygon?
Hi! If the material used to make the Harbor Freight tumbler is the reason why the water gets murky inside the tumbler barrel, what about using a Lortone tumbling barrel with the Harbor Freight rolling mechanism?
You can do that also.
Will not work. The HF barrel is slightly larger and the locking nut on the lid is thinner. The lortone barrel nut won't clear the side of the tumbler. I've had both and have tried this. I use the HF exclusively now. With proper setup and maintenance my belts don't break and i can buy 4 tumblers for the cost of 1 lortone. Just my .02
@@JasonWatson-hn8kd I appreciate your report. Your experience is worth more than two cents!
is there any possibility of running a Lortone barrel on the Harbor Freight tumbler?
michael decker I recall trying it and I believe it worked. But taking the HF barrel to the Loretone didn’t work as well as they were different sizes and I think the HF was a bit larger.
Melissa Muir may have to try that! Thanks for the info and response!
Good luck. Let me know how it goes.
Would this work the same if I'm tumbling rocks?
Yes it is the same concept. However, you should not use the same barrel for the rocks as you would your jewelry as the abrasive for the rocks is going to be different than what you use for the jewelry. Also the abrasive for the rocks can imbed into the walls of the barrel, so even if you swap it out for shot, there will be some of the abrasive in there that will damage your stainless shot and perhaps even your jewelry.
is it okay to tumble different types of metal (i.e. sterling silver, bronze, brass, gold filled) using the same media?
Yes. I throw it all in and let it go to work.
Is the harbor freight tumblers still working? How many Issues have you had with it? I am looking at this tumbler for rocks and I have seen a lot of negitives such as belts breaking, rods siezing up, over heating etc. I was just wondering how it has worked for you and how long it has lasted you?
Sadly, mine no longer works. One of my students burned out the motor by leaving it on and not making sure it was turning. The belts breaking is typical and those are relatively inexpensive and easy to fix. I did have it for about 6 years before the motor burned up.
@@MelissaMuir Would you say its worth getting? I am stuck deciding what one I want, I plan to use it for tumbling rocks. But i am stuck between thumler,lortone, and the Harbor Freight(mostly because its cheap).
@@vance7354 I will say, you get what you pay for. I haven’t tried the Thumbler. But I have three Loretone tumblers, including my original one and it is still running great, even after 17 years
Heard run it with flat coke ( soda) before the first use stopes it from ever blacking..
Do you use your 3a more or the 45c more?
I use my 3A more often because the barrel is cleaner.
Melissa Muir to
you know the regular tumbler and the large vibrating tumbler at harbor frieght are the same price. is there a reason you got the rotating version instead of the vibratory one?
+nekolin That is a very good question. And really, it is because I had never used a vibratory tumbler at the time. I had only used a rotary one and it was what I understood. Even now, the only time I have used a vibratory tumbler is after I have done casting, which I don't do often.
My Lortone has an on off switch on the wire, like you get on a lamp.
***** You are so lucky. Perhaps I ought to install one on mine. That is a great idea. I think they should all come with a switch.
Oxidation looks good on copper
How many pounds of stainless steel media do you put in the Lortone tumbler? Nice video by the way.
Some people will use 1 pound, but I have 2 pounds in mine. And thank you.
@@MelissaMuir Thank you for your kind and courteous response. I'll order two pounds of media. Thank you.
I have a Lortone tumbler but a different model. You may be able to tighten the belt on your Lortone tumbler. Just take the cover off and have a look. You just loosen the motor and slide it over to tighten the belt. Also, don't forget the bushings need to be oiled periodically.
+mikehermesmeglio Thank you. Yes, I have done this a couple of times. I think it is just time for a new belt on my tumbler. Thanks again. :)
+Melissa Muir You shouldn't put stainless steel in water for prolonged times because it will slowly break down
Are the barrels interchangeable between the HF and the Lortone?
Kathy Bradbury sort of. I found the HF barrel was a bit slick and had a harder time turning in the Lortone system. But you could put a rubber band around it and that helps.
Melissa Muir I was actually thinking of the other way around, as the HF tub is problematic, it might be cheaper for someone pinching pennies to get the HF machine and a lortone tank.
people that reload ammunition use these now to clean the dirty brass cases. now the question is what is the best media for brass, SS pins, porcelain, ceramic etc
I have not used my tumbler to clean items such as this. So I am afraid I am not positive. In my studio, I only use the SS mixed shot to help burnish and "Polish" my pieces.
I use SS pins (without the shot), also deprime your cases first and you will get nice clean primer pockets. Make sure the cases are completely dry and free from pins before you start to reload
Thanks!
Glad it was helpful. ❤️
Gracias
Nice video. A magnetic tumbler will burnish/polish an item in a fraction of the time that a rotary tumbler does. Of course, they are much more expensive.
Thanks. I hope to have one of those one day. I would love to do a comparison between the rotary and magnetic tumblers.
Been making wire wrapped jewelry for a few years now. Been polishing by hand. Ready to buy a tumbler! TY!! For this video. It has helped with my decision!
I am curious though. You stated it wont harden the wire. What other way (besides hammer and qork harden) is there to harden the wire? I have designs that I love. But wouldnt sell, because the wires can easily misshapen. Wonderful for my personal pieces. But would love a way to harden so I can offer them to others. TY!
Thank you. I am glad it was helpful. There is also a new tumbler out from Loretone, I just got it this week, but it has a hard plastic barrel instead of the rubber. That will help a lot with the rubber breaking down.
As far as hardening the wire, some time I would squeeze the wire in-between the jaws of a pair of flat nose pliers. That helps a lot.
@@MelissaMuir THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Do they specify what the alloy is? Or how much nickel is in it? Stainless steel is a very vague term, legally any alloy containing at least 10% chromium falls under the umbrella of stainless steel. Is yours magnetic?
They did not specify. And no, mine is not magnetic. Though that would certainly come in handy from time to time.... then again, it would not be stainless if it were. LOL. Good questions.
Some stainless steels are magnetic.
I have used my HF tumbler for 2 1/2 years with no problem Not even a belt change. For the price difference I will go HF again. The noise for rocks is exactly the same. Both have rubber barrels and if I am not mistaken the barrels will interchange. Now long term Thumbler will win because it has bearings instead of hard plastic. Again for the diff in price, I will stick with my $54.00 HF. Havagudun all.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I seriously thought your hair was on fire at first lol
Ha. It did look like that huh? Luckily, it wasn’t. Lol
When i use my lorton tumbler the jewelry comes out cloudy any ideas. I use the rio grande tumbling solution and washing them off and all
Jewelry Maybe? It sounds like your barrel and/or shot may be dirty.
i thought for a second, her hair is on fire. lol
My ex bought me the Harbor Freight tumbler and it died on the first use. It ran for the 7 days and then died! The Kid toy tumbler that i got at a 2nd hand store works great!
I was very fortunate. Mine lasted quite a long time. But it has finally bitten the dust and the motor burned up on it. However, my Lortone is still going quite strong.
Lol I only use tumbler for rocks!
There are many uses for the tumbler. A lot of people use them for tumbling rocks.
Learn somethin new every day! Does your shot ever wear down so much you need more? When I tumble I expect to lose as much as %30 of the original volume of rock in a week (depending on hardness of course, but most of what I tumble is harder than stainless, and loses ~%10/week).
Thirst Fast in the 10+ years I have been using mine, I have never had to replace it. But I am using the shot as a means for burnishing metals that are fairly soft to begin with, so that may be the different. Are you using steel shot? Or another medium?
No, I use varying sizes of silicon carbide grits (five stages in total; 46/60, 60/90, 120/220, 320/400, 600), followed by aluminum oxide polish. For the most part I tumble varieties of quartz (agates & amethyst) which is a bit harder than stainless, but sometimes do softer material like apatite, amazonite, peristerite, stromatolite and even old colored insulators from telegraph lines.
Those two barrel tumblers (and the singles as well) (from harbor F or lortone or anyone elses name) have two things wrong
One the belts are low quality rubber and counter intuitively the belt is too THICK! it makes it difficult for the belt to bend around the small pully
Two the FATAL flaw - plastic "bearings" the smallest grain of grit gets in there and things no longer go around.
The Fix - the motor is fine, the shafts and pulleys are fine. Build a new or modify the current frame with real, sealed ball bearings and use a good belt (say from an old cassette recorder)
My machine can run 1-12 pound drum, 2-6 pound drums and 2-4 pound drums from that same motor and I have never changed the belts in 5 years
I love the way you dont waste my time, but why didnt you show us how the copper bracelets came out?
You can always replace the tumbler Barrel with another name brand it's not much I've done my research is only about 30 bucks it should work fine
yes, sometimes swapping the barrels works great.
You could store your shot in mud and it wouldn't hurt it.
There is no reason not to sore it in murky water
Clown Whisper Well, I have to admit that my shot gets stored in murky water more often than not. :)
Likes
Thank you.
The belts break because you have too much material in the container. Read the directions! The tumbler should not have more than 3 or 4 pounds inside,
Robert G I have never had even 4 pounds in my tumbler. They break because they get used and age a bit.
So n
I noticed that the Harbor Freight barrel has that "stinky PVC/rubber smell"... I wish that the manufacturers in China would stop using the stinky PVC/rubber altogether. It's a terrible PVC like smell, and it comes with a plethora of products emanating from HF... That's likely what's going on with the water fouling is the "not quite right" rubber.
I quite agree.
Not a gear but a pulley
I would never buy a HF tumbler.........I have seven Lortones and one was my Dad's that he bought in the mid 1970's.. It is still running strong and in my shop....... Never any down time, never any belt breaking...
That is a fantastic history with your tumblers. My HF tumbler has died since filming this video a few years ago. But my Lortones are going strong. Though I have had at least one belt replacement. ;)